Do you remember the old "I Love Lucy" episode in which Lucy and Ethel get jobs in a candy factory? They are supposed to wrap chocolates as they come down the conveyor belt. The women start out okay, but as the belt moves faster, Lucy and Ethel can't keep up!
This is my experience with couponing!
You all know I had planned to start couponing, oh, last year maybe. I see couponing as a wonderful way to "make" money from home, since the less I spend, the more we have in the bank. So Jane and I attended an extreme couponing class through our local community ed program. I bought a box and a bunch of file cards to organize my coupons, and I got several copies of the inserts for a week or two... (I say a week or two because I keep forgetting to pick up the newspaper!! argh!) The younger girls and I spent a while cutting those up and filing them. Then I printed a bunch more and signed up for some coupon sites and others that let you know what the deals are.
Oh dear, this is where I lost it. I am still forgetting to get the newspaper. But now I am getting coupons or emails from Coupon Mom, P&GeSAVER, Coupon Network, Passion for Savings, The Krazy Coupon Lady, Extreme Couponing, A Full Cup, Pocket Your Dollars, and others! My inbox is crammed with now-outdated coupon emails. Coupons are now stacked on top of my file box, not in it. Ads are overflowing into my kitchen counter workspace. I am way overwhelmed, even panicky!
Time to go back to START and take this a bit at a time...
Here are Lucy and Ethel. Have a laugh. :)
* * * * *
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.
Proverbs 17:22
I can imagine how quick that could become crazy making. I hope you get back on track.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Dawn
Oh, I have been there. In PHX, we got fabulous coupons every Sunday in the paper, and when you combined that with Fry's/Kroger's deals, oh, the $$$ I saved!!! Fast forward to here and now, and these papers only give out coupons for clothing... you know those inserts that sell jumpers and ridiculous slippers? So, I gave up couponing. I was sad, but now I'm happy, for I have no more paper mess. Well, no more *coupon* paper mess.... let's not discuss mail, or homeschool paper, or crochet/knitting patterns, or lists, or.... :/
ReplyDeleteGet back to it, missy! Sit down with a cup of coffee and a chocolate muffin and don't get up until it's done! *crack!* (hear that whip?) LOL
Have a great day!
Shani xxx
Or you can do what I do and not get on it right away and have a daughter that does it all for me...I have no idea what kind of coupons are in my shoe-box file at the moment...but as I ease away more & more from processed foods, I wonder how much I'll be able to save anyways.
ReplyDeleteOh this is me! I honestly am not sure how these super couponers do this!
ReplyDeleteLOL - That was my favorite episode of Lucy.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunatley, there are no stores around here that double coupons, so much of that 'extreme couponing' wouldn't work for us. I do try to save a few dollars with the inserts in the Sunday paper, though.
I really admire those ladies that spend next to nothing, and have full pantries.
Couponing sounds great, I've heard some inspiring stories about it, but I just can't seem to manage my time to do it that way. Also, having a special diet those coupons aren't made for I can't find many that I can actually use. You don't usually find coupons for raw vegetables! Even when I ate all the pre-packaged stuff I rarely found a coupon for what I did use. I'm sorry, I don't care if I can get it for free, I'm not using a shampoo that isn't worth a hoot.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you stopped by my blog, it's ALWAYS nice to hear from you!
Funny. I fell asleep with the tv on last night (something that I often do when dh is away) and woke up to Lucy and Ricky. Blessings with couponing. Like Sagerats (haven't seen her since HSB!), I found that I didn't save much when trying to buy healthy; most coupons were for chips, cookies, biscuits, etc.
ReplyDeleteSavannah has a special little letter gift for Emily from our trip to St. Louis. It's sitting on the ironing board; prayerfully I'll get it off this weekend. I just wanted her and you to know that we'd not forgotten about her.
I wish I could coupon more. We have to make less go farther and farther. *sigh*
ReplyDelete