Thanks to Jaycie from Coupon Geek for this fun and informative guest post!
You wouldn’t believe how many people are shocked when I tell them that at times, I have to stop myself from getting "the coupon blues." This is where you just get overwhelmed by everything that is involved with the whole couponing process—cutting coupons, searching for deals, making and re-doing shopping lists, cranky cashiers, various store coupon policies that are ever-changing, etc. etc.
So what do I do to avoid this from happening? There are 3 things that I try: Rewards/Fun, Doing Good Deeds and Time-off
Rewards / Fun
1) For each week that you manage to stay within your budget or go below, drop a set amount in a special bank. Treat yourself to something nice when the money accumulates. Consider a massage to help ease all the aches that come with the stress of clipping and shopping! Or treat yourself to a night off from cooking and order take-out.
2) Keep track of your "real" savings. This is what you saved on items you really would have bought and not those items you bought just because they were free/cheap. Put your savings towards a designated debt. Each time you pay off a debt, set up a special reward—maybe a movie with a friend/loved one or just a simple Starbucks coffee. Or open up a special savings account and watch your savings grow. Treat your family to a vacation on just your coupon savings!
3) Set up a challenge with your couponing friends. See who can save the most that month. (with receipts as proof!) Winner gets a "freebie" or other item from the other challengers.
4) Do a "Mr. Mom" night. (Remember the old ’80s flic?) Invite your couponing friends over for a game where the coupons are the prize. You might end up with some great coupons for the next week or at least just a night out having fun with good friends.
For these, make sure you don’t "over-treat" yourself, as the end goal of couponing is to save. :)
Doing Good Deeds
1) Collect all of the freebies you don’t use and donate the non-medicinal ones to a local food bank, The Salvation Army or even the animal shelter, for those that apply.
2) Purchase school/office supplies and donate them to your local school and/or library.
3) Call your local Nursing Home and see if there are things they are needing for gifts for the residents. Get your friends together for a day to bring over presents to cheer them up.
4) Watch for great toy sales and pick them up to donate during the holiday season. If you aren’t wanting to store them, donate them to The Salvation Army. They also help victims of fires. Just think how your toy could brighten the day of a child that has just lost their home!
This is my favorite way to avoid the coupon blues. There is nothing quite like the feeling of helping out others!
Time-Off
Sometimes, the only thing that helps is just a week off. Continue to stick to your budget by buying only the best deals/sales that don’t require coupons. Or just buy the "basics" and live off of your stockpile, if you have one. Deals happen so frequently that taking a step back should not hurt you. If you worry about missing out on good coupons, keep the inserts of that week’s paper and just mark the dates on them. That way, if you need them later down the road, they are still handy.
Overall, couponing should be a good experience. It’s a way to help provide for your family, especially during such a tough economy. Never let it add stress and keep the blues away by keeping it fun and rewarding.
Melissa here: Not sure if you have the Coupon Blues? Check out my post on Signs That You May Need a Coupon Vacation! I mentioned taking a break when needed, but I love Jaycie’s ideas on Rewards and Doing Good Deeds!What other ways do you help relieve the Coupon Blues? Do you have other rewards or good deeds that you like?
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