8 Ways To Use Coupons….By NOT Using Them- Part 1!

Instead of telling you how to use coupons (because I feel like that is what I do everyday,) today I’m going to give you 8 reasons why you should STOP using coupons!

What spurred me to write this is that from time to time, I take a sabbatical from using a lot of coupons, or making extra store trips to find good deals.

Why?  I’ve stock piled enough items for my family, I’m slightly over budget for my groceries, and/or I’m forcing myself to use what I have on hand, rather than continue to stockpile for the sake of stockpiling.

Sometimes you end up paying more out of pocket initially as you are stockpiling items for you and your family.  For example, last month I spend $520 in groceries and other household items.

This month, I just used what I had and hand, without stockpiling or getting good deals just because it’s a good deal.

That in turn led me to spend just $350 in groceries and household items this month!  That’s how you get long term savings from using coupons!

Here are 4 other reasons you too may need to decrease your coupon usage for a bit of time.

1.  Using Coupons becomes a form of obsessive entertainment more than a necessity.

I stared getting into coupons when we made the choice for our family for me to quit my teaching job and stay home full time with my daughter.

It was a huge transition for me to quit my job and create a new normal.  I knew that saving money was a priority because we were now living on one income.

What I thought was a money saving duty as a wife and mother, using coupons and deal shopping quickly turned into an entertaining hobby for me.

My daughter was a relatively easy infant and when the house was clean, what was I to do with my time?  I headed to places like Target of course, to see how much money I could save.

That’s how it all begins…and for some coupon usage turns into an obsessive addiction that after awhile is just flat out unhealthy!

2.  You get dirt cheap or free stuff that has no purpose.  

Sure, I bring home items that my own family won’t personally use, or we don’t’ need.  But I have friends, family, a MOPS group, church, or local food pantry that I can donate items too.

I have some upcoming coupon classes at local libraries and I’ve put together some freebie bags for those who are attending.

If you aren’t going to use items for your family, or you don’t have a place to give them away, then don’t bring it home just because its a great deal!

Otherwise you’ll end up storing stuff for the sake of storing it, and it becomes useless!

3.  You are spending more in gas getting to a store for a great deal, than the $ you are saving by shopping at that store.

It’s impossible to hit every store, and get every deal, every single week.  I live on a dirt road in the middle of no where.  The closest drug store for me is at least 20 miles away.

If I want to snag those weekly deals, then I need to account for the gas and time it will take me to get there and determine if its really worth it.

4.  You bring home an item because it was a “good deal.”  But the better deal would have been not spending any money at all!

Oh I am so guilty of this – especially when it comes to clothes for my daughters.  I usually get clothes on clearance and buy a size bigger for the following year.

I store it away, and then pull it out when the new season hits.  I recently did this, thinking my oldest daughter didn’t have much for the colder weather.

I wanted to take an inventory to see what I still needed to get, or to tell the grandmothers what they could shop for  :).   Last weekend I got out what I bought 6 months ago when winter items were on clearance.

I just had to roll my eyes because my daughter has just too many clothes!!  I would have saved more by not buying them at all, rather than getting them just because of the good deal.

I have 4 more ways on how to use coupons – by not using them.  Check them out in this post here!

Find more Frugal Tips over here!