Newbie making mistakes but learning

[deares]

I typed a long message about the mistakes I made today, but then pushed backspace to fix something, which took me back in my browser and lost my message. So, this is the short version. I am frustrated with how long it takes me to get my shopping trips organized and with the mistakes I'm making that make it not so cheap after all. Today I picked the wrong size item, and bought something based on the price listed on a blog, without checking my local add. Paid horrible prices for both things and they couldn't return them becuase of all my coupons affecting the prices and the overall price. Live and learn . . . check local adds and check quantities in packages! Frustrating though, when trying to save money, to end up spending more money than I would have if I hadn't been trying to use the coupons! I hear it will get better.

[knecht531]

Don't worry, it gets easier and you will be saving crazy money soon! I've made mistakes like that myself, especially with Rite Aid. My ad is very often different than the one posted on here, but I learned my lesson!

[fussypants]

It does get easier I promise! Everyone has those days when they make mistakes! (wrong size, wrong price, wrong store, etc.) I've only been couponing a year. At first I was certain I was spending too much compared to what I was reading on here. Maybe I was, or maybe I just didn't have the hang of it and was expecting too much too soon.

Don't try to hit every deal at every store. Pick a store or two and get the hang of them with using coupons. Always checking your local ad is important. Remember the members here are from coast to coast. You won't always find the same deals at your local stores that you find being reported on here.

Try to shop by yourself, if you don't already. It helps you keep your head in the game. Also, if you can shop the times of day that the stores aren't really really busy. I know it's hard to do if you have kids.

Also, you have to really not get too caught up in what everyone else is doing. Don't run yourself crazy trying to find a deal if you don't really NEED the items. Just because x,y and z are super excited they found ''x'' at a great price doesn't mean you have to immediately run out and get it. Thus, spending more money than you would have buying things you have no use for.

As far as time management, I have no idea. I still haven't mastered that one. I'm one of the people that spend FOREVER and a DAY organizing coupons and shopping lists. I have no idea how people only spend an hour here or there getting it all together. I must be doing something wrong, lol!

I'm sure you will get lots of helpful tips!
Good luck and don't beat yourself up over one trip gone wonky!

[lilola8]

Same here. I get discouraged with all the time it takes me to check sites, make lists, find coupons just to get ready to go to the store. And once there it also takes me forever finding and checking and rechecking that what I pick up is actually the item the coupon is for. And after that I usually end up making some mistake and paying way more than what I planned.

So I stop doing it for a while and then start again, but so far I haven't seen some real savings. That's in part because of my location (no doubles, not a lot of stores to choose from) and what I buy, but I get envy looking at other peoples bounty .

[mommy22girls]

It will get better. I still make mistakes when I shop. You just need to get a system that works. I live in Arizona and there is a site that has the grocery ads for my state set up in lists and they catergorize what is a good deal or not. The often list Qs that go along with and I can customize with what I add. I print those out for my stores (mostly Safeway sometimes Smith's) and place it in a big page protector. I then you through my binder and pull all the Qs I want to use and place them in the protector. As I go shopping I pull the items and if I don't use a Q it goes back into the binder. If I use a Q, goes into a another page protector. I then am able to just take them all out at checkout. it helps but I still miss stuff and miscalculate sometimes. Like buying the more expensive toothbrushes at CVS.

[AmyinDM]

It does get easier and mistakes happen to all of us here and there. I deleted an entire blog post full of matchups yesterday morning. I wanted to throw my computer out the window! As for the deals varying, definitely check your ad. I encountered a lot of disappointment at first when I'd get hyped about a deal and then notice that it wasn't in the store. Keep those lists but sit with your ads if you can and confirm before you go to the store.

Keep an eye on the register too. Particularly with one day sales, I've noticed that early on in the day or even later, prices may not be correctly adjusted in the computer. For a large store with lots of price adjustments mistakes happen. I've had to tell checkers about prices not ringing up correctly many many times. It's not their fault either, it just is something to be aware of.

Time management - what's that? I have sort of worked out a system for handling all the tasks that go with shopping this way. You'll get your groove too. I've enlisted my husband to help me clip coupons while we watch TV on Sunday evening. I make my menus from things already in our stockpile so that's not really dependent on the current/upcoming sales. I do that Sunday during the day. Since I blog, I do my matchups on the day the flyers come out and before I blogged, I gathered the lists of good deals for all the stores I wanted and made myself a spreadsheet for my shopping list. I do that on a different day than my coupon cutting so I don't lose my mind.

Shopping day is another day from that too. So every day I have a little bit to do and it doesn't feel like a drag. Like the other posters have noted, it smoothes out over time. But you may obsess about coupons in your sleep. Speaking from experience here!

[danandmckenzie]

Hi,
I am new to this process as well. I just got married and moved to Arizona with my wife. You mentioned there is a site specific to AZ deals.. would you be so kind as to tell me what that site is. I would certainly appreciate it. Sometimes, we see deals online in forums, but when we go to our local stores, they are different. It would be awesome to get that local website. Thanks

[oasisofchange]

One little thing that has really helped me keep it all together in my shopping trips....

I got this idea to buy these clear plastic photo flip books from Dollar Tree that hold 36 - 4x6 photos each...they all had like wedding/baby type cardboard phots in the front which I just flipped over and wrote "Publix" etc. on...I made one for each of my main stores and another marked "EXPIRING" so that I can remember to use my hot coupons or expiring coupons before they expire even if Im not sure what store I'll be using them in...this book also helps me remember what items I need to be watching for deals on each week since I get a visual reminder about these coupons every time I look through that book for something....I have gotten MUCH better about not letting my coupons expire using this and I take it into every store along with that stores designated photo book....ALWAYS

When Im getting ready to shop, I sit down before a store trip, I go thru the matchups and jot down a list...while Im jotting, Im pulling coupons and putting them in that stores photo pockets....this also helps me when Im in the store because I can just flip through my coupons and I know what Im supposed to buy based on the coupons I pulled. Sometimes like when I have more free time on a Sunday, I just go through the matchups for each store, pull the q's, load them into my little photo books and then theyre ready for whatever day I decide to go to that store...then I toss them in a tote bag and leave it in the car so wherever I go, my books are loaded....it takes more time to do this all at once but if you do it all in one afternoon, you dont have to do it the rest of the week!

I always leave the first photo pocket in each book empty so that when I put something in my shopping cart, I pull those coupons and put it in the front photo pocket....that way, my stack is ready to go before I hit the register so I can pay attention to my totals rather than being distracted by digging for coupons.

ALSO, I keep my "Expiring" book in my purse at all times...for me I have a lot of Diet Coke coupons and stuff like that in there and I like to have them with me in case I am not really "shopping" that day but run into something I need.

I also keep another one of these books marked OTHER coupons which are my restaurants etc so that when Im on the road and need something to eat, I have all my recent restaurant coupons or Fashion Bug or whatever in my car. I often shop or eat if I have to kill time between appointments and I hate it when my coupons are at home!

Just make sure you buy the photo books with the pocket openings along the spine of the book NOT at the top or bottom of the page....this way, if your book falls or gets tossed around in the car or whatever, your coupons wont slide out...this is what works for me!

Hope it helps someone!

[justagirlnamedStormy]

Everyone makes mistakes sometimes! Keep at it, and you'll be a pro in no time! Everyone has had great advice.

I got a set of coupons in the mail today for Tylenol Cold, Sinus, Allergy. I was almost certain that the seller had sent me the wrongs Qs. I looked back on my eBay acc't and sure enough I'd ordered them, but I couldn't remember why. Well when I did a search I saw Wags was having a RR deal, which is probably why I ordered them. Only, I looked at the sale wrong- thought you only had to buy one to get the RR, but instead you have to buy 2... which isn't a good deal after all. So my $2+ I paid for the qs is down the drain.