How to NOT fail as a couponer.

Tried couponing? Too much work? Can’t keep up and don’t know what the best deals are and when to use coupons. Sick of dragging the kids to the store and meeting people in the parking lot to buy inserts?How to NOT fail as a couponer….

I am really getting very sad watching the “new wave” of couponers trying to succeed at this, only to give up after a short time. Remember that these OBSERVATIONS are coming from someone who could be called an “Extreme Couponer”

How to be a short term couponer and fail:

• Learn to coupon on Instagram or Facebook.
• Buy dozens of inserts a week
• Chase every deal
• Try to have a stockpile that looks like the corner store
• Turn a room into your house into your stockpile that you NEEDED for something else
• Sell inserts
• Steal tear pads and peelies and sell them online
• Buy cut coupons by the 100’s
• Drag the kids to the store at 11pm for a “HOT DEAL”
• Start missing family time or things because you are “couponing”
• Hide stuff from your husband/boyfriend
• Spend more money on “deals” than you would have spent not couponing
• Stop cleaning your house and making dinner because you don’t have time
• Buy inserts from people who stole them and don’t care
• Meet people in unsafe areas just to buy inserts to save $.10 over getting a subscription delivered
• You have plies and piles of unused coupons and inserts
• Get overwhelmed and quit
• Spend more than 1 hour a day cutting coupons, looking for deals, on IG and Facebook
• Double your gas bill for your car
• Look over your shoulder in the store because you know you are doing something wrong
• Disregard store coupon policies

Then at some point you just quit. It is too much and you are not saving as much or spending too much time or just flat out have too much stuff.

PLUS if you sat down and figured out how much you were spending on inserts, coupons, over buying items and all the hours you spend on it you realize you are MAKING $.67 an HOUR doing this. WOW. Not worth it. I don’t blame you.

How to be a long term couponer and NOT fail:

• Get a subscription to the paper and get as many inserts each week as people you are couponing for
• Start small get familiar with one grocery store and one drug store
• Realize that deals come around again and don’t chase ever free item
• Buy what YOUR family will need for a 3 month period, anything more is unnecessary
• Be polite and make friends with cashiers
• Find a coupon buddy
• Make a grocery list, use match ups, and buy what is cheap that week
• Use a coupon ONLY on a sale
• Use the match ups, which are cross referenced with the weekly coupons and buy the items I tell you are stock up items
• Use the whole insert method of filing coupons to save time
• Be consistent but not a hoarder

Couponing should not change your life in a bad way. It should not make your husband/boyfriend mad at you. It should not be difficult and hard to do. It is a LONG TERM way of living and NOT a short term “get all I can for free” and give up thing.

:: Resources :: 

• Houston Chronicle for $1 a week delivered to your house (up to 5 papers)
• Are you confused at all the RP, SS, P&G, YMMV things that couponers say and write? Well, go HERE to figure out what all that coupon lingo means!
• Interested in setting up a coupon binder? Go HERE to see how I do mine.
• Like Videos? There are a lot HERE to check out!

:: FREE PRINTABLES ::

Shopping List – Feel free to print this off and keep it on the fridge to jot down those items that you need to pick up from the store!

Favorite Recipes – This form will help you make a list of the top recipes that you make for your family.

Freezer Inventory – Take stock of what you have already so that you don’t overbuy. But also so that you know what you are looking for.

Pantry Inventory – Keep track of what you have on hand. Then make a plan on what you are using a lot of and stock up on that.

Monthly Menu Planner– By planning a monthly menu you can better follow the sales and know what you need to buy.

Price Page – This is an important one. Either keep it in your head or write it down. But have an idea of what the lowest prices are at your store.

My Price Sheet – These are what I consider “but it now” prices for my stores in the Houston area, yours will probably be a little different.