Coupon Frustrations and How to Overcome Them!

As with everything in life, there is always some sort of negative side of things. When it comes to our latest hobby of couponing, we have come to discover some frustrations that come along with it. Here is a list of some of those things that irk us and some tips on how to overcome them:


#1 Too many coupons to know what to do with!! The best solution we have found so far for this is our coupon binder, as Jennifer so nicely described in a previous post! Using different type of page inserts and dividers you can organize your coupons by useful categories to make sorting and locating easier! We have also made a pile of coupons that we know we will not use and use these coupons for trading with others and coupon "trains".
You can also donate any coupons to people in need. For example, donate your pet food coupons to a local shelter!



#2 Binder is too full! This is a current problem we are both having. We have yet to come up with a great solution. We question if we need a bigger binder, a second binder, or if we should search for a better system! Some ladies go as far as large carrying cases that look like tool boxes! We have yet to get to that level yet, but who knows!



#3 EXPIRY DATES! This is one of the saddest realizations as a coupon diva.....when a coupon you have has expired. At the moment we take these expired coupons and give them to Jennifer's son as he has graciously taken on the hobby of couponing just like Mommy! He has his own little coupon binder and plays store with his friends and uses expired coupons and flyers! I love this idea :)
When coupons are nearing expiry and you have more than you can use, don't just go and use them! If you have enough to save a decent amount of money on the item and you know you need it then go for it! But don't just use them "just because". Some useful tips would be to trade them with someone you know will need them and put them to good use. ALSO, one of the neatest solutions we have come across so far is to take those coupons to the store with you when you go and leave them with that product so that someone else who is shopping for that product can take advantage of the coupon!!

#4 Cranky store workers! This one is a bummer and sometimes can't be avoided. Some people just seem to be against coupons for some reason and want to do everything in their power to prevent you from using them. It's sad really, but to each their own. To avoid conflict here are some things you can do: Make sure you have a copy or good knowledge of the store's coupon policy. That way you can present it to prove that what you are doing is allowed. You can also go to Customer Service with your purchases rather than a regular cashier as they usually have a bit more knowledge of the coupon process and if authorization is needed for the transaction (ex: price matching) then they are able to do so right there. ~Debra