I’ve been flip flopping with coupons over the years. I don’t mean using some coupons here and there to save a few bucks. I mean the legit couponing, where you pay virtually nothing. When I used them religiously, I did fairly well. But certain things have caused me to fall off the wagon.

There was a time when I clipped every coupon. I got the big hot pink binder to file them and a smaller one to take to the store. I wandered through the aisles, attempting to follow my list, while checking deals, and fumbling through a binder full of coupons. No matter how prepared I thought I was, it was very overwhelming for me and I could never manage it properly. I get confused, forget to use a coupon, or get stuck calculating if it was even worth using. By the end of the shopping trip, I saved very little, was super stressed, and didn’t even buy all the things I needed. I ditched the binders and used a small envelope organizer. That didn’t help at all. Eventually I realized it was causing me way too much anxiety. From then on, if I managed to use a coupon I would just appreciate the savings.

Sometime later, I started using the Krazy Coupon Lady site/app. It really helped me a lot, giving me some guidance to get a handle on the process. KCL shows you where to find deals, coupons, policies, etc. I was getting about 20 packs of newspapers every week. I focused on CVS since it was the pharmacy I used, it was familiar to me, and they always had decent deals to begin with. I made my list of items with notes, got my coupon stack, and went shopping. I actually was able to get nearly all of my items for free. On some trips, they even paid me.

This was a wonderful thing…when it worked. A lot of times, I would sabotage myself by screwing something up or getting side tracked. The store would be out of an item and I’d have to rethink things, then my anxiety would take over. I ended up slacking off. Then there was no CVS where I moved to. I have a Rite Aid, but never really attempted it there. Or anywhere else.

I’m tired of seeing $300 grocery shopping bills. It’s out of control. I do buy a decent amount of stuff to stock up and fill both of our refrigerators, freezers, and pantry. But still, this is a huge amount of money when I know for a fact I could save more.

I am on a mission to be a for real couponer. I save money literally everywhere else on our household budget. I’ve done some research and made some notes. I already do the majority of the following, but I do need to start contacting companies and purchase more papers. Let’s see how much I can save going forward. I’ll be keeping a closer eye on this.

• Newspaper inserts.
• Get extra newspapers from Dollar Tree for $1 each.
• Print coupons from the manufacturer’s site.
• Reach out to companies to send you coupons.
• Use apps for cash back.
• Use store loyalty programs.

For more ways to save money, visit the Financial Tips page.