If you are a newbie to couponing, it is easy to go overboard once the excitement of all that free and nearly-free stuff set in (take it from personal experience).
Consider these an addendum to The Frugal Commandments:
Sacrificing your family's health for the sake of the deal: The truth is, sometimes the best deals are for foods that can best be called "junk food". Your family eating habits should never be compromised just because you can get a good deal. Yes, grapes are more expensive than fruit snacks. That doesn't mean that you should stop buying grapes and handing out fruit snacks all the time. The savings on the fruit snacks is not worth forgoing the benefits of grapes.
Building too big of a stockpile: I know people who literally have 50 tubes of toothpaste. Do you know what the problem is? Toothpaste has an expiration date! Unless they are running a small dental office (or are the Duggars), there is no way that they can use that much toothpaste before it expires, especially when they continue to add to the stockpile each week/month. Certain things can always be found for free or nearly free, especially if you have a CVS near you.
Buying things that your family normally doesn't need or like just because it is a "good deal": If your family doesn't normally eat/like applesauce (for example), it doesn't matter how good of a deal you can get on it. Unless you are planning on donating that applesauce, spending even one penny on it is wasting money.
Letting good coupons expire: the two main reasons this happens? Not being organized or waiting too long for a better deal. I spoke about coupon organization here and I am a strong advocate of the coupon binder because it allows you to clearly see the expiration dates of all of your coupons. As for the waiting too long? Sure - it's great when you can combine, for example, a coupon for a free item with a BOGO sale to get both for free. But you can't count on that BOGO sale and do you know what they call an expired coupon for a free item? Recycling!
Letting couponing take over your life: As far as I am concerned, there is no amount of savings that is worthy of neglecting your family. As you get better, you get quicker, but in the meantime, don't try to figure out the deals yourself. Rely on sites like this one, The Grocery Gathering at BeCentsAble and discussion boards like Hot Coupon Worldto help you find the best deals each week. Learn to multi-task (my coupon clipping/organization takes place after the kids are in bed and I am sitting on the sofa watching TV).
Couponing and saving money should be a way of life...it should not BECOME your life.
What are some mistakes that you have made, or lessons you have learned?
Kristin
Thanks for the link!!!
Kristins last blog post..The Grocery Gathering
JessicaB
I am guilty of letting a good q expire. Also, when I first started couponing I went a little overboard.............okay.....alot. I was obsessed. Now I think I am to a healthy level.
Manisha
I can be guilty of using coupons just because they are a good deal. I have tried not to do that as much, unless the deal is free or nearly free. Then, I will think about whether or not if will get used/donated.
What I'm avoiding at Acme next week, even though I have a coupon (this took strength to cross these off my list):
1) Juicy Juice
2) 2 Lipton Tea To Go Packs
3) Mission Tortillas (I have more than I can eat right now!)
4) Hormel pre-cooked bacon B1G2 free
So, see? I'm learning.
Heidi
My mistake was holding out on getting a good deal at CVS on a moisturizer that I am brand loyal to hoping to get a great deal. I should have just bought it becuase a great deal just isn't coming around and I missed the good deal now. I learned my lesson.
Heidis last blog post..Special Exposure Wednesday
Dianescraps
My mistake would be to be very careful of expiration dates on ONYO catalinas and extra care bucks. Even if the store doesn't have a HOT deal that week, they can be used towards milk (especially since here in PA milk deals are pretty darn rare!), bread, eggs, etc.
Kaye
CONGRATULATIONS! You have won the Mrs Nespy’s Frugal World Silver Medal for August 14th. Go to http://mrsnespy.googlepages.com/grabyourmedalhere to get the code to post your medal if you’d like. Thanks for the great writing!
This is a great list. I am so guilty of some of these!
Kayes last blog post..Friday Faves - Why God Made Moms
Terry
Mindi, what a well-written post! You strike home on so many of your points! I think that many of us at the beginning become so enthralled with the excitement of the deals we are making that we spend so much time on couponing and making our deals. I was guilty of the over abundant toothpaste syndrome. And let's not even get into the angst I felt when I discovered expired coupons. Yes, I do think that moderation is the key as in so many things in life. Thanks for reminding us. ~terry