What To Do When You're Tired of Couponing

Do you ever get tired of couponing? I mean, I love, love, love getting a great deal, but I get tired of comparing sale ads, rounding up coupons, and going to the stores. I'm probably trying to do too much at once. Just wondering if you ever take a break except for when you had the baby. -Lorie

Yes! I've found there's usually at least a few times per year where I just don't have time or desire to mess with using coupons. Here are a few ideas which work for me to help prevent or reduce "coupon-shopping burn-out":

1) Share the load. If possible, don't do all the work yourself. If you have children, let them help you clip and file coupons. Older children can even learn to scour the ad for deals and match up the coupons with the deals. I know many moms who pay their children a small percentage of the savings their family reaps from their help or they pay their young children a small amount for the number of coupons they clip and file. 

My mom had me do much of the menu planning, coupon clipping, and grocery shopping for our family of nine when I was in my teens. Not only did I greatly enjoy the experience and learn so much from it, it also allowed my mom to have a break from having to try and do it all herself.

If you don't have children or teens who can help, consider finding some friends who love coupon-shopping and get together with them on occasion to clip and file coupons and share deals. Just having other people to share it with is a huge inspiration. Plus, I've found that by sharing deals with one another, everyone discovers a lot more bargains than they would on their own and it's a lot more fun, too!

2) Simplify your system. If you're trying to go to five stores three times a week, you're going to burn out in nothing flat. I recommend keeping it simple. I stick with going to one to two stores once a week. On occasion, when I have time and energy (and maybe a babysitter!), I'll do more than that, but that would be the exception rather than the norm.

Consider what your schedule is like and what you can reasonably commit to when it comes to couponing and then plan accordingly. If you only have two hours per week to devote to coupon-clipping and grocery shopping, then you're probably not going to be able to regularly shop at four stores or keep up with clipping and filing 10 newspaper inserts every week. (you could consider the no-clip method but I personally have tried it and found it to be a disaster for me. Read more why here. I know plenty of others whom it works beautifully for, though, so it might just be me!)

Remember that you don't have to hit every good deal. In fact, you don't even have to hit 50% of the good deals and you can still save a lot of money and keep your grocery budget low. 

It's easy for me to read other blogs and see these great shopping trips other bloggers are pulling off and to feel like I'm not spending enough time coupon-shopping. But then I remember that I'm at a season of my life (homeschooling and having three little ones) where it's just not feasible for me to be spending hours a week planning shopping trips or going to multiple stores. I need to be home teaching and meeting the needs of my young children. They are only little once. The good deals will always be there.

Find what works best for your family and situation right now and stick with that. So long as you are eating well and staying within a grocery budget that works for your family, don't worry about potentially good deals you might be missing. Just be thankful for bargains you're able to find with the time and energy you have at your disposal.

3) Set your coupons aside for a season. Sometimes, simplifying your system isn't enough. Perhaps you're just completely burned out on coupon-shopping altogether. Or perhaps you're going through a difficult or stressful time in your life. Or maybe your life is just crazily busy at the moment and you don't have time to mess with coupons but you feel guilty if you don't use them.

Whatever the case, I'm here to tell you that it really and truly is okay to take a break. In fact, sometimes I think it's a good thing to take a few weeks off from coupon-shopping--especially if you've been at it for six months or more. Not only will it allow you to come back to it refreshed and excited about bargain-shopping again, but it will also give you a chance to creatively use up some of your extra food in your freezer, refrigerator, and pantry.

Even if you set your coupons aside for a few weeks, you can still save a bundle just by planning your grocery list based upon the store sales and what you already have on hand. Or, if you have an Aldi nearby, you could buy most of your groceries there.

For more ideas on how to save on your grocery bill without clipping coupons, see this article.

What do you do when you get tired of couponing and bargain shopping? I'd love to hear your ideas and input.

Comments

[ADollarSaved]

Yes, I've definitely felt the burn out before, but a took a break for about 6 weeks and its amazing how energetic i was about it when I came back to it!

[Emily]

Thank you for posting this! I have been seriously couponing for a year now and I am getting burnt out! I haven't been to CVS in two weeks and the last time was only to burn up some ECBs before they expired. I enjoy scoring a great deal but I have gotten to the point where I don't even go for the free items unless it's something I really need or don't have in the stockpile. I think my couponing honeymoon is over - I'm not getting the thrill I used to get from the deals (especially at CVS).

[Rachel]

When I get burned out, I turn to frugal menus with inexpensive ingredients. Another thing that helps is having a nicely stocked pantry. When we have a decent stockpile of the ingredients that we frequently use, I can often go several weeks without doing any major grocery shopping...with the exception of fresh fruits/vegetables and milk. A short break is usually all that I need to get over coupon fatigue.

[kristen E]

When I get tired of couponing it is because I usually have more cash flow then I used to and plum dont want to coupon. I think of all the year supply of shampoo and other things I have and think, why not pay the $20 for the designer shampoo. WRONG!!!! I know, but a part of me starts wanting nice things once I get more cash flow. I am still battling myself to make myself realize I could use that $20 for something else. I am still a cheap person, but with more $$$ in hand I tend to not be so frugal. I wish I knew how to have more discipline, but I WANT WANT WANT!!!!

[Jessica Petersen]

i really needed this, feeling quite guilty that i have been 'cheating'. i've been a bit stressed the last month or so, so i have been 'neglecting' the coupons. after reading this i realized that i have not been cheating but prioritizing. i would rather a cheerful mom than a stressed mom who can save a couple bucks. i'll be back there soon enough. thanks again. i needed it!

[KeriLyn@SheSaved]

Oh my goodness what a GREAT post... I am so THERE! I think it is just about finding balance and enjoying the process. Moderation is key (as with anything) ...I have found (sometimes) that I am SO much happier getting a few of a good thing...instead of stocking up big time. The longer I have done this - the more I realize that you don't have to jump on every offer...and that there is always a new deal right around the corner.
I have also decided that stressing makings couponing UN-fun...especially when my kids are in tow. So now we just go and enjoy, and if we have a great shopping trip (financially speaking) then not only did we have fun but we saved money as well. It have enjoyed shopping so much more since I made the decision to put the kids first and the deals second!
Wow = thanks for a really great topic, I enjoyed reading all the posts as well!

[Angela Russell]

Too funny, a few friends and I were JUST talking about this very topic last night! I referenced this post on my blog today. Thanks for the fabulous tips! Keep up the great work, Crystal!

[Adriane]

I have switched to the no-clip method after only having used the clip & sort method before. While I was afraid that this would make things too overwhelming (like Crystal said), it seems to be working for me right now.

One thing that I've found very important from the beginning is having a Coupon Tracker. I go through the inserts and enter every one - with the date & source, value, expiration date, and the category (from my coupon box). Since it's in Excel, I can sort my list by expiration date & delete the ones that have expired, or I can search for a particular brand. I will never remember what coupons I have (much less where to go back and find them), but the Coupon Tracker has made the job so much easier! (And if I don't have time to log a particular week's insert right away, I don't get behind. I just put a check box on the front, and don't check it off until it's been logged.)

[Rachel- Wallet Wise]

Thank you so much for this post! This is music to my ears, as I am currently experiencing the burnout that comes with coupon clipping. Its good to know that it really is ok to take a break. I just started in late October of last year, so I really had a lot of learn. I think I will just stick to the Aldi shopping tip for the rest of the summer so I am ready to go by the time school starts up again!

[Marie]

I'm in the same boat with you and many of the other commenters in regards to what I do (or don't do) in order to avoid the coupon-frazzled-ness.

1) I skip a week of getting the paper every couple of months. I have noticed that when I don't get the paper, I don't feel such a "coupon craze" as in weeks that I do get the paper.

2) I have gotten to a point where I don't have much space for extras anymore, so when I clip coupons for something that I don't really need, I throw it into my "donate" pile and then at the middle/end of the month I ship all the donate/expired coupons to my SIL in Germany who can use them at the military base up to 6 months past their expiration.

3) I don't have kids yet. Which I am sure is a BIG help to me not getting too burnt out.

4) I stopped going to Walgreen's. They were always out of the deals that were advertised/I was shopping for. So I just said forget it and haven't looked back since!

5) I noticed that once I got over the coupon-newness and getting "great" deals, then my shopping habits changed and that has been a big help too.

6) Just one more thing....when I do go out for the coupon-crazy sales I make sure that I go to the store location that I am most familiar with...otherwise I will double my shopping time just wandering the store trying to find things and I hate that!!

[Charlene]

I think you made the main points, but they bear repeating--simplify menus and shopping, and give yourself permission to skip deals. I have enough of a stockpile that I don't have to get every single toothpaste or shampoo deal going. And might I add--you don't have to use every single coupon you get--I've even thrown away coupons for things I know that I will never buy, no matter how great the deal!

[Anita]

I was tired of couponing for awhile, so I started mystery shopping in order to get my groceries for free! Now that I've gotten the hang of that, I feel like couponing again, so I am combining my couponing with my mystery shopping to get even better deals. It also makes me feel like I have a job, and the schedule is totally up to me! Just be careful to pick legitimate mystery shopping companies. :)

[Jennifer]

I am at that point right now. But of course i do still need to grocery shop. So, I have decided that for the month of July, I am only shopping at Super Wal-Mart, for exactly what I need to get me through that week. I have a good stockpile, so I am also lowering my weekly budget some and sticking the extra in savings. It is somewhat of an expirement to see how I do, but also because I am tired of going to several stores each week, even if they are all next to each other and on my way. I need a change.

[Theresa G]

I've started just filing my inserts and when I get the weekly store ad I check the coupon database of a coupon forum I belong to(not sue if I can mention it here) and then clip only the ones I need. No more cutting and filing of coupons which has saved me alot of time. I still have to file the printable ones but I don't print too many of those out ahead of time anyway.

[couponers united]

I LOVE this post! I feel like this a few times a year. The good thing is I have a NICE stockpile, so I can take breaks. Also, I don't know if this happends to anyone else, but If there is something that I have to pay full price for, I send my dh to buy it, so I don't feel guilty! lol! Sad sad sad :)

[Erika]

Honestly? I suffer not from coupon clipping burnout but "idiot cashier" burnout. There is nothing like sitting in the check out for an hour while you patiently explain, yet again, to a Target cashier that yes you CAN use a manufacturer coupon and a target coupon on one item. I always seem to get those cashiers at EVERY store I visit in a week and there is a part of me that asks, "Is it worth all this trouble?" and then the next day I'll see a great deal and say, "Yes it is."

How I take a break is actually pretty simple. For one thing in Alaska we don't GET the sheer amount of coupons you all in the lower 48 do, so doing the "insert filing/no clipping" thing doesn't give me a back log if I quit doing that for a month.

Also, I'll do the simple task of only doing ONE coupon per item (matching up sales with basic coupons) and quit the stacking once in a while, because the odds of you getting out of the store quicker that way are a lot greater. I've been doing that the last two weeks with my family because we are all sick (now on antibiotics oh joy) and I just haven't had the energy to spare. And really, out of the three stores I visit regularly, one of them has had decent deals so that it keeps me feeling good with the "bargain high" without me having to run all over town.

That's just my advice of course and it works for me. Hope you all who are suffering bargain burnout feel better soon.

[Merrilee Stevenson]

I haven't read through all the comments, but just want to say THANK YOU for this post! It came at a good time. I'm in the process of trying to overcome my paper clutter habits, and my patient husband keeps eyeing my coupon binder with disdain. I have a hard time getting rid of those inserts when I know there's still a few in there which haven't yet expired. Yet I KNOW I'm wasting valuable time every time I have to thumb through them to look for something that ends up either not being there or being expired. It's similar to wasting time looking at ads online. My little accordion file is too little, and it seems the best possible solution is to not scrap it all together, but to move to a system like yours. I've been using the little accordion one just for shopping day with the ones I plan to use, which has been nice. But you are right: your kids are only little once, but the great deals will always be there. Thanks again,
Merrilee

[Jen]

Thanks for the post. I've been using coupons all year, and my pantry and freezer are full. I had decided that in July I am going to reduce my budget by 50% and by only the dairy and produce items I need.

I have to say that I prefer the whole insert filing method. I use a free online coupon matching website called Grocery Smarts (I'm in Nevada--but I think it's also available in Utah, Idaho, and parts of California and no I do not work for them!). So, after I finalize my list, I'm able to only clip the coupons I'm really going to use. My planning and clipping takes no more than 15 minutes a week and having everything ready to go allows me to get in and out of the grocery store in 20 minutes or less. I usually only pick the store with the best deals that week, but when time permits I chase deals all over town...because I think it's FUN!

I love your blog! It keeps me inspired and motivated. I would love to see a post on why you choose to home school your kids. It's something I haven't considered, probably because of the great experience I had in public schools. I do believe teaching children is the responsibility of the parents-in home school or not. I'd love to hear your point of view.

[Ann]

I have been couponing/rebating for over 25 years now. My stockpile lately is to its limit so I remind myself on every grocery shopping list by writing "NECESSITIES ONLY" at the top of my shopping list. By seeing this as I shop and check my list, this is a big reminder to not scout out extra "deals". I have even given away coupons to fellow shoppers so that I wouldn't be tempted to buy something on sale. I was happy to help others save a little, especially those with families and the elderly.

[Ellen]

I'm so glad you answered this because sometimes I just don't feel up to couponing. It is so much work. Good idea about taking a week off - the sales will be there the following week - we'll survive.

[Brittany]

I've noticed that if you are a heavy coupon-er, at least in my area...the best times to NOT coupon are Jan.-March. Occassionally in Jan. there is a pretty good sale at Dillons and then you should just try to get multiples of a MM coupon and use that to buy items you run out of regularly. Summer months there seem to be more of the great deals so I'm not taking a break then;)

[Laina]

Put limits on the number of stores / trips per week or month. It can be tempting to hit a store every day for a week when the amazing rolling deals come along but soon you'll have more than you need of the standard freebies. Shop at the stores you like skip the once that make deals too challenging to be worth the trouble. Limit the coupons you clip and save - yes I've kicked myself when I found out I missed out on a big moneymaker but there is just so much time and energy available. - Crystal thanks for this great post and forum for so much good advice.

[jamie]

when i feel burned out...it usually means i have plenty of stockpile and don't need to shop for awhile.

like when i was in school...if i wasn't in the mood to study for a test, it usually knew i already had the material down and had studied enough!

i suggest listening to those internal cues. i've learned to embrace the breaks i take! it helps me come back strong when i need to.

[Gina]

Thank you for the post! That was just what I needed to hear right now! I am pregnant with baby #2, and I have been so sick this time around, not so much with morning sickness, but I have developed several food allergies during this pregnancy that result in migraines. Shopping, clipping coupons and reading labels and also staying in a budget have been enough to make my head spin!!! I KNOW it's ok to take a break, thanks for your encouragement to keep me on that path for a while! I am just very glad I have an aldi's close by!

[Carrie]

I go in cycles. It seems to work because I tend to stockpile a lot when I'm in a major couponing cycle. Right now I've kind of relaxed a bit from the whole thing because life has gotten a bit crazier during the Summer. I am another one who doesn't do the drugstore much during the Summer months as well. I usually just go for major deals (diapers, freebies I actually need, etc.)

[Mendy]

I'm brand new to couponing, but it's nice to know that if I ever feel like I need a break, it's normal! :) Thanks for all the great info!

[Rhonda]

This is a very interesting discussion. I think I went a bit overboard these past few months when the Kraft and Kelloggs coupons were around. Combined with sales, I ended up with "way too many" boxes of crackers, salad dressing, mayo, bbq sauce, sugary cereal, etc. All of these items were free or very low cost.

This may sound odd (and I don't really quite know how to phrase it), but we almost felt "obligated" to this enormous amount of food. We all ate way more than was good for us (especially the wheat thins, cakesters, pecan sandies, ice cream etc.) and also ate it in preference to options we like better (like, homemade salad dressing, simple sugar cookies, muffins, fruit smoothies). About the 2nd time I served Velveeta shells and cheese versus my homemade mac and cheese, husband pretty much said we needed to talk about quality versus quantity. I guess others have better self control than our family with consuming these treats! {actually, the treats became more "staples" than treats}.

So,here's what I did. I bagged up everything but TWO of each item and hauled it off to various agencies in town. Everything now fits in my cupboards/pantry and I feel less stressed.

I'll continue to shop the bargains, but will set a limit as how much "free" foodstuff is allowed in the door!

Rhonda

[Donna]

Having just relocated my stockpile to a different part of my house, I am realizing just how much I have and just how little I need right now. Lately I am focussing on only frees/money makers at CVS and my local grocer that doubles dollars, and I take a monthly trip to costco. Right now it's not worth it!!

[Rebecca Hosea]

I have always been a coupon user and now that my children they are wonderful for helping cut out the coupons. My oldest even prints them from the computer. Neat, I think.
When I first got married my husband was embarrassed by me using coupons, so I quit using them when we grocey shopped together....well long story short and 15 years later, I still use coupons and so does he! My husband will even go grocery shopping and take coupons with him (without me). So that is a nice break!
I hate it when coupons expire, and I have several that do expire and so in the trash they go...BUT DO NOT THROW YOUR EXPIRED COUPONS AWAY!!!!!!!! They can still be used...seriously! Go here to read more http://tinyurl.com/nmpf6

[PAIGE]

That's nice to know that even you get burned out on the coupon thing. I did really well for a while, but then life got extremely busy and I just didn't have time for it. But I WANT to save money, so I'm always looking for the best deal. I appreciate all the work you do searching for deals and sharing them with us.

[Anna]

I've only been seriously couponing for about 4 months but I've been bargain-shopping (i.e. shopping the loss leaders and the sales) much longer. I seriously would never want to go back to paying as much as I was paying w/o coupons for things like cereal, feminine products, etc. That being said, I have enough of a stockpile on some things that unless the deal is GREAT, I don't bother with it. I have a large family though (8 of us) and I HAVE to coupon/bargain shop if I want to keep our food budget reasonable. And, I've found that using coupons I can get brand items cheaper than if I went to Aldi or did generic.

[Anna]

Continuing the above comment---I am pretty burned out on Walgreen. It seems the deals aren't that great anymore and it is such a hassle to try to combine RRs with coupons, trying to find cheap filler items, etc. I had $26 RR left which were expiring so I just used them up on the puffs tissues, tuna, yardleys soap (my absolute favorite). I don't plan to go to walgreens again unless the deal is fantastic.

[All Things Frugal 4-U & Me]

I normally just buy all of our groceries at Wal-Mart by admatching since we don't have a lot of stores to pick from. That keeps me from running all over to get the deals individually. Then I do CVS & Wags as well. I do errands only one night a week. It takes a couple of hours but then I'm done.

My 10 year old gets $1 to clip all my coupons each week with the paper cuter so it goes quicker for her. She sorts if it's a food or non food item as she goes and then I put them away in the binder.

There are times I get tired of dealing with it all but then if I just go buy something without a coupon-that fixes that and I get back on the train pretty quick. I've been using coupons since I was 16 when my Mom gave me some for makeup. (I'm 37 now) The only times I REALLY stopped couponing is when I was pregnant here or there with 7 kids;)

Then it's just survival mode...and toilet hang time! Take out eating increased then too-Man I miss those days! LOL

By all means take a break if you need to, when you need to is what I say.

[Emelie]

I get burned out from time to time as well. It does take work ad sometimes it's best to take a break and then get re-enthused.

[Jennifer Overy]

Thanks so much for the post. I am feeling a little down about couponing. (You can find my frustrations at http://budgetaccountability.blogspot.com/) Thanks for letting me know that it's okay to take a little break and regroup, or other options to add some variation to my routine.

[Amy Smith]

Wow, what a great post. Just what my heart needed. I'm fairly new to couponing. But I can really get excited about all the deals and want to go catch them all. But like you, I'm at a very busy season of life. Four children, 8 years and younger. (my youngest is 8 weeks...so not the easiest time to hit 15 stores!) Homeschooling, gardening, husband starting new busines...etc... Thanks for all your insight. I'm guessing our new babies were born around the same time. Mine was May 3rd (His name is Jesse...I just noticed on another older post that your husband's name is Jesse, right?) Thanks again for opening this discussion, I loved your comment about how our children won't be little for long, but the sales/deals will be there later.

[Margot]

We don't have double coupons so it's harder to get killer coupon deals here. Plus I have seven kids, so I shop at Costco a lot, and they don't take coupons.

The thing that happens to me is I'll spend time combing through the coupon inserts, clip out the ones I think seem like a good deal, and then take them to the store, search the store for the item, and when I finally find the silly thing, I've invested so much time and energy into that little coupon that I end up buying the product even though it's really not that great a deal. Sigh.

[Mama K]

I am in a couponing slump right now. Low-energy due to pregnancy is making just grocery shopping and cooking meals seem overwhelming. I enjoy finding good deals, but you are right... we need to be realistic about what we can do during the "seasons" of our life. So for now, I'm focusing on shopping the sales and trying to avoid the take out.

[Going Green Mama]

While couponing is great we can always cook at home! Take advantage of the seasonal produce at the farmers market right now and plan your meals around that. I got far more with $10 this week at the market than I did with $20 at the grocery store. Just my 2 cents.

[Lady Di]

Single, no kids and I got tired within the last month or so. I'll be back at it soon... or not. I printed more than I used. Sad, I know.

[Rebecca]

Great post! I also enjoy what everyone else has to say. I think 2 main things: how much stuff do you need to have, even if it was a great deal, it's not great if it's sitting around collecting dust or going bad; and, how much is your time worth? I follow lots of money saving blogs, and I'm always astounded when someone posts that they had to re-do a transaction or make a return because the coupon/register/cashier didn't work the way they thought, etc and I just think, my time is worth more than the $1 I'd be saving to go through all that hassle! : )