Top 6 Coupon Mistakes New Couponers Make!

This Article was Written by Lauren from I Am That Lady

1. Buying an item with a coupon, JUST because they have a coupon for that item.
◦ I think this is the #1 reason why people quit using coupons. They spend all this money on things that they don't really need, just because they have a coupon for it. You need to be patient and wait for that item to go on sale to use the coupon.
◦ The manufacturers make the coupon so you will spend money on an item that you otherwise may not have purchased, however the goal of couponing to to make those coupons instead work for us to SAVE us money.

2. Only clipping coupons for the things that you your family will use.
◦ Many times you will miss out on great deals at Drug Stores that will give you overages because you didn't take the time to clip out a certain coupon. These FREEBIES are great to donate or just hang onto in your stockpile until you need them.

3. Not shopping with a shopping list.
◦ It still surprises me how many people go shopping without a shopping list. Plan your trip before you leave the house complete with shopping list and the coupons you plan to use set aside. This will help you stay away from those impulse buys.

4. Setting an unrealistic budget.
◦ Take a look at the money you average every month on groceries, then split that average up over 4 weeks. Start your budget this way, and slowly work your way down to spending less and less. Many new couponers want to go from spending $200 a week down to $25, this can leave many feeling discouraged if they don't hit their mark. The goal of a budget is to stick to it, so make it realistic for you and then work on lowering it week by week.

5. Not knowing your store's coupon policies.
◦ Many new coupon users go out with their coupons, get to the cash register and are told that they cannot do the deal they are trying. This may make you want to give up and you leave feeling embarassed and discouraged. I always recommend printing out your stores coupon policies ahead of time and bring them in with you to the store. Does you store double coupons, do they give you overages, how many coupons can be used on B1G1 FREE iems? Knowing this is KEY in efficient couponing.

6. They use their debit card instead of cash.
◦ Along with setting a budget comes discipline of sticking with the budget. I have found over the years that if you shop using a debit card you are so much more likely to go over budget. It is so easy to swipe that debit card when you have gone overbudget, and over the month that extra $5 adds up. Set aside cash in a special grocery envelope only to be spent on your grocery trips.

Nathan (MrCoupon) has also made a video recently about realistic expectations after watching TLC's Extreme Couponing!