Coupon Burnout – it’s something both new & veteran couponers have experienced. What is Coupon Burnout you may ask. Well to me Coupon Burnout happens when you lose all motivation to clip, sort, organize and use coupons. You know how important it is and they just keep piling up but you can’t find the strength to do it!
If you are going to be couponing for the long haul it is important for your sanity (and those around you!) that you avoid Coupon Burnout at all costs! Here are 10 ways to help keep the frugal spirit alive in you!
Take It Slow
This is more or less for new couponers. If you are just getting started, it is likely that you are very quickly going to feel overwhelmed. So many sites, so many coupons and so many rules! How on Earth are you ever going to figure it all out?!?! If you stress yourself out in the first few weeks or months, your career as a Couponer isn’t going to last very long. To avoid New Couponer Burnout you have to understand that this whole lifestyle is a process. You aren’t going to learn everything in 2 days so there is no point in spending 12 hours a day reading every line from every website out there! Couponing is a life-long learning process and the more relaxed you are during the initial phases – the easier it will be later on.
Don’t Clip Every Coupon
This is something I used to be very guilty of. I would get my coupon inserts and I would sit down and cut every coupon out of every insert. I soon learned that this is way to time consuming. Instead, only clip the coupons you are certain you are going to use. Then store the remaining insert sheets in a separate binder, accordion filer or some other system that works for you. This way if a deal (or a trade) comes up, then you can go to your inserts and only clip the coupons you want or need. This will save you tons of time!
Get Family & Friends Involved
If you are taking on couponing all by yourself it can seem like a daunting task. Getting friends & family involved can make it much more enjoyable and entertaining. Ask your spouse to help you plan shopping trips, teach your children math skills or have a weekly get together with your friends where you swap coupons and discuss deals. It’s not all about saving money – its about having fun while you do it!
Don’t Coupon For Everything
You may quickly come to realize that not EVERYTHING has a coupon. Trying to only buy items that have an available coupon will severely limit what types of groceries you can buy. Shopping sales and Price Matching is where the majority of your savings come from anyways.
Don’t Get Every Deal
This is another one I was guilty of when I started Couponing. When you first have built yourself a hearty supply of coupons and figure out how to match up sales with those coupons you might go a little mad with savings! You may find yourself wanting to head to Walmart at random hours and running from store to store to snag up as many free bottles of Resolve as you can find. Take it from experience – this is not a good idea. You will find yourself exhausted, running out of gas and with random piles of stuff every where. It is ok to let a great deal pass you by. Stores run on Sales Cycles and that unbelievable price will be back.
Stay On Top Of It
Being a great Couponer is all about being organized! Staying on top of your coupons and the sales will help ensure you are ready when you head out the door. There is nothing worse than seeing an amazing deal in a clearance section and knowing you have an unclipped coupon just sitting at home. I would suggest getting on a schedule and sticking to it. Find a time each week and complete your task. For example: Clip, sort & organize your coupons every Saturday morning. If you have a routine you can rely on you won’t find yourself with piles of coupons expiring before you even get to cut and put them away!
Change Your Routine
This may directly contradict what I just said about setting a routine and sticking to it but change is also important if you’ve been doing this for a long time. If you find yourself not wanting to clip your coupons on Saturday mornings anymore for whatever reason, change it up. Find another day or time that works better for you. If you usually hunt coupons in the morning – try doing it after supper. Little changes in your routine will spice up your relationship with coupons 🙂
Remember Your Goal & Stay Focused
Most of us didn’t just wake up one morning and decide “Today I’m going to learn to Coupon”. Many of us turned to coupons for a reason – maybe you lost your job, you’re swimming in debt, saving for a house or have a new baby on the way. Take a moment and remind yourself why you embraced the frugal life and what you are working towards. Write it down and pin it somewhere that you will see it everyday to give yourself an extra boost. And when you reach that goal – make a new one. This will keep you driving forward.
Treat Yourself
We all know working towards a huge milestone can seem like an uphill battle. Allowing yourself small rewards along the way will make it more bearable. If you really want to buy some ice cream this week but it’s not on sale and it doesn’t have a coupon, it’s okay. Just don’t let yourself get out of control with small rewards – they add up quickly and can ruin your savings.
Take A Coupon Vacation
Yes, I said it. If you have tried everything and just can’t bear the thought of clipping another coupon – take a break. Go a month and don’t cut a single coupon, ignore freebie offers and allow yourself some time away. I can almost guarantee you won’t last a month. The drive will soon return to start saving and the joy of a great deal will warm your heart once more!
Do you have any tips for avoiding Coupon Burnout? Share them with us in the comments!
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