I have a confession to make: I haven't been couponing for the last year!
Oh sure, I have used coupons here and there when I was doing my weekly shopping...but I haven't been using coupons anywhere NEAR the level that I used to use them. And aside from a few deals here and there...I haven't worked the Drug Store deals for more than a year.
Why? Well, there are several reasons:
1. When I first started using coupons on a large scale, I went overboard. I WAS one of those "shelf-clearers" that now annoy the heck out of me. Because of that, our Health & Beauty stockpile got out of control. I made the decision to "use down" our stockpile until I had no more than a 12-week supply of toiletries. That point finally arrived about 3 weeks ago.
2. We have been eating from the stockpile. Like my health & beauty stockpile, my "food stockpile" was out of control as well. Rather then go out and snag great deals to add to the stockpile, I have been forcing us to use what we have, get rid of the junk and get to the point where I can restock our pantry with only foods that I would be proud to serve my family (or the foods that, if I try to eliminte them entirely, my family will stab me while I sleep...like Cocoa Puffs and Cinnamon Toast Crunch)
3. We have changed many of our eating habits. I have been making more foods from scratch, buying more organics (which I usually find the best deals for on Amazon.com), I bought a quarter of a cow, etc.
4. Lack of time: the past year has been quite a whirlwind. This site went from a little site that pretty much paid my electric bill, to a full-time job. Time management has never one of my strengths and I was so busy finding deals to post on this site (and not using my time effectively enough to do so) as well trying to maintain a family and personal life, that couponing (and many other things, but that's another story) fell to the side.
So why am I telling you this?
Because I miss using coupons. I miss getting the deals. I miss the feeling of connection that I had with you guys when we were all getting the deals together. Oh yeah - and I was down to my last bottle of shampoo and the thought of paying for shampoo again was killing me!
Yesterday I went and did some deals at Rite Aid and Walgreens...and I realized how much I DID miss it...how much I enjoyed it...and how much I want to do the deals and share them with you in pictures.
Will I be "Extreme Couponing" like you see on the TLC program? Absolutely not. What I will be doing is rebuilding my stockpile in a sane and rational way...buying only things that we need and sharing the deals along the way.
Care to join me?
Joanna Watson
I'm so glad you posted this. I'm down to my last deodorant and I haven't couponed in a while and I was thinking just Saturday how much I miss it. I'm joining you. We'll get some good deals together.
Victoria
I love this! I'm glad that you choose to eat from the stockpile than going out to grab more deals. I am working on my stockpiling & blog. I don't want to be an extreme couponist and grab all the deals out there. Meaning I only want to clear off the shelves on things I use and then use those items up before going out to buy them again. I understand completely on how it is to miss the thrill of shopping and getting those deals! 🙂
Anne
Funny you wrote this....I was just thinking the other day that I got so into writing my blog and finding deals to post, that I've kind of stopped shopping for them myself! Unlike you, I only started couponing toward the end of last year, but my beauty/personal items stockpile was getting a little crazy and I was noticing I was buying food items my family would never use.
On Easter, I went to my bother's house for dinner with our whole family and decided to take a huge bag full of toothpaste, body wash, air fresheners, shampoos, deodorants etc. Everyone was really excited to be able to get stuff from my grab bag and I enjoyed giving it to them and thinning out my stockpile!
But like you, I recently started to realize I miss going out there and getting the deals, so I decided I'd hit the drug stores today and start shopping again!
Nice post, thanks for writing it!
~Anne - DailyCouponAdventures.com
brendandkev
I think every couponer goes through phases like yours, I know I have. Life is hectic and couponing takes time, something that is already stretched too thin as it is. I'm starting to really coupon again too. With all the new policy changes going on in the stores, I have a feeling it's going to be tougher.
Paula
I also went through a coupon slump. Part of my reason was I hear about all these great deals with stores that double coupons and since my stores don't I felt like why bother when everyone else is getting a better deal. Also I still have not found a way to organaze my coupons that I like and makes it easy. You would think after couponing for over 25 years this would get easier. But I am ready to let it all go and start back again. : )
Mary Kay
I have not seen any bloggers mention this, but for several years i have filed my coupons in alphabetical order, witha sub sort of expiration date. I read the idea in a book, "Shop, Save, Share" by Ellie Kay. I know this may not be perfect, but it works well for me. I don't have to decide what category to file coupons in. I do have tabs within my box for most letters of the alphabet. I also have a general category for General Mills cereal. I hope this helps.
Diane K.
I, too, have been in a coupon slump, but not because of my own choosing. This is my last semester in college (I graduate Saturday), and it has been a full-time job without the pay. I have not had time to clip coupons and shop the great sales. Instead, I have had to use my stockpile and buy as needed. It is not my normal shopping habit, but it is how I survived the past 16 weeks. The moral of this story is that I did not go into debt doing this. Since I had a decent stockpile to start with, I was still ahead of the game. I look forward to getting back into the game and shopping sales again.
Julie W.
I found this post so interesting simply because living in such a rural area I can't extreme coupon, I have to travel 45min to an hour to get anywhere that has a CVS, Rite Aid or any kind of grocery store that doubles coupons. My challange is buying a months worth of everything not for fun but for necessity. Not only do I have to buy enough but I also have to save as much as I can in one trip, that means sometimes I have to make the difficult decision to postpone a much needed shopping trip to a week when I can get the best match-ups. I don't have a huge stockpile, but I do have to stockpile a small quantity so I'm not paying a boat load if the coupon match-ups that week are stinky. I suffer from "coupon-match-up-envy," when I see your posts I often find myself cringing because I can't get those deals and believe me I WANT them!
Welcome back to couponing Mindy, thanks for all you do to make my life a little easier, you're a gem among bloggers!
Katie
Thank you for caring enough to continue to post the great deals, even if you weren't always going out to get them!! I am someone who coupons but to no extreme. I only buy the things that my family is going to use. I do have a small stockpile of things like soap, shampoo and deodrant....but who doesn't!! Best of luck to you as you get back into the swing of things! Keep the posts coming...Katie
JoyceT
Welcome back to sane couponing. I won't even watch Extreme Couponing, I think that it is just ridiculous, and yes, overboard! Get what you need and then some, no one needs 2 or 3 years worth of any product!
Amanda Y.
It's crazy that you and I are on the same track! I miss the thrill and the deals, but giving up processed foods did cut out a lot of the savings/motivation. It's not as easy to get excited over free shampoo always...but we must get back on the bandwagon for the non-junk food couponing I guess!
Adriana
Well, this rings true for me too. I've been so busy with school that I haven't been paying attention to coupons, so much that I ran out of toothbrushes and had to pay $0.50 for one! I've also had tons of good coupons expire on me. Oh, and throw in the fast that I'v been eating out almost every lunch and somewhere betwen 1-4 dinners a week! Eek, I really need to get back in the game.
Janice K.
I've been couponing for a little over a year now. Initially, I was anxious to buy almost every "deal" regardless if I used the product. Granted, I have tried a few new products that I would have never even considered before. However, now I think twice before heading out. If it's a money maker though, I will get the deal. I have never been a shelf clearer, but have met my local shelf clearers. Actually just today a woman told me it's her hobby and she just donates almost everything. She has 4 cards!!! A little frustrating for me since we're doing it more out of necessity for our family of six and can't get items that we need because the shelf clearers on cleaning out. Anyway, I'm glad you wrote this and I think we have all hit this point. Yeah, my health and beauty stuff is stocked, but now I really don't stock up on food.
Kim in NJ
Thank you for the inspiring post. It came at the perfect time for me.
Mary
I so deplore those EXTREME COUPONERS on television who have turned their garages into warehouses to stock their coupon buys. It is totally unrealistic to have 50 or more of each product, and then continue to shop for more deals. Unless these exteme couponers are giving their extended family members some of the products they are getting for free or on the cheap, then why the heck aren't they donating these products to food shelves? Our local food shelves are almost bare here in my city due to high unemployment, so when ever I get a good deal on canned or boxed items, I put one of each item in my donation bag that goes to the food shelves. If more extreme couponers did this, then there would be less hungry people here in the USA.. if they don't, then it's pure selfishness on their part. I personally think these extreme couponers are addicts. And my last gripe about extreme couponers is: notice how the ones who put HUNDREDS of candy bars and SODA POP in their carts have weight issues? Like, let's pig out some more on non-nutrient foods like candy and pop! As I watch these type of people on the new televison show, I say out loud... THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO THE MARKET... OINK OINK OINK!!!
S. Lee
I print mine out but they all don't seem to get cut or used (I know, what a waste) it's a time thing for me. I don't have a stockpile and have no room for one, but would like a couple of products on hand. However, I am afraid the Extreme coupon show is fixing to 'shut down' a lot of couponing for us....now the manufactures know what is being done with their coupons and I'm afraid many restrictions from the manufactures and the stores are going to be put in place because of the show. Still though Mindy...I'm glad you posted this...I need to get my behind in gear and start using my coupons better.
Mary
I had a very tiny break due to not feeling well, I am determined to get things in order and get back, but need some help. Can anyone tell me the catagories they break their coupon binder down to. Example: Daily, Beverages, Frozen, baking, canned and whatever else it can be broken down into. Then hair care, makeup and that sort of thing, do you keep them in the binder also or in a seperate place. Any ideas would be certainly appreciated. Thank you and happy couponing to all of us who are getting back in the swing.