Frugal Friday: Taking a break from bargain shopping--it's okay!
Here's my simple and frugal tip for today: It's okay to take a break from bargain shopping. Really, it's okay.No, I'm not condoning the going out and blowing lots of money on overpriced foods and household items, but I am encouraging you to take a break every once in a while. Or maybe even more than every once in awhile.
I know how easy it is to get caught up in saving money, using coupons, and scoring great deals. Believe, I know. And so long as you are buying things you need, using money you have budgeted, and not neglecting your more important priorities in life, using coupons can be a great way to stretch your hard-earned dollars farther and feed your family well in the process.
However, it's also okay to step back for a week or two or longer. In fact, I think it is good to take a break or a breather from couponing now and then. Whenever I start to feel like I am getting overwhelmed with the deals or coupons or just plain burnt out, that is usually my signal to step back from it for a week or two and focus on other things.
Since I use coupons and shop the sales and deals 40 weeks or more out of the year, I usually have a pretty good stockpile of extras built up, so I can take a few weeks off here and there without it affecting our food supply or household product supply much at all. When I take a break from using coupons and bargain shopping, I'll often still make a quick trip to the store for milk, fresh produce, and a handful of any other items we are out of, but I won't worry about checking the deals or planning to use any coupons ahead of time. I just zip in the store and zip out and I'm done for the week!
You know what I've found? When I take a break from bargain shopping for a week or two, I find that I enjoy it more when I come back to it. And I usually also come up with new ways to save or streamline or just plain new inspiration during my breather from it!
So, for those of you who are more "hardcore" couponers, do you take a break from time to time? What works best for you?
Related: To read more of my thoughts on keeping it simple and manageable when it comes to frugality, go here.
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Labels: Frugal Friday
posted by Crystal Paine at 4:32 PM
25 Comments:
This is so refreshing to read, Crystal. I have found that lately I feel "guilty" just going to the store and buying something I need without "planning a deal" and using coupons in conjunction with store sales! I know that this guilt is not from the Lord, and this post really encouraged me today. I am thankful for learning all that I have about bargain shopping and frugal living, but my spirit is so much more important than saving a few pennies sometimes. Thank you for being a blessing.
Crystal, this is a great tip. My husband and I often take a little break when we start to feel the burn. We like to eat out so it's nice to treat ourselves every now and then without worrying about breaking the rules.
It's nice to know other people take a break, too. I think that sometimes striving to save money, while it's a very good thing, can affect our giving in a bad way. Taking a break helps us to focus more on being generous and not watching the numbers so closely.
Again, everything in life should be balanced, right?
Melanie
I have been on burnout lately too... I think with summer here I have more of a desire to be home enjoying the good weather as opposed to straining my brain for the best bargains around.
But it is funny you would bring this up, cause I have been wanting to ask you to share some pics of your stockpile.....I mean your pantry.
Lately, my freezer/pantry has been running quite low. I find myself sticking to my food budget, but not having much to store up. Are your cupboards ever nearly bare? I have become such a stickler for sticking to my budget that I am literally just buying exactly what I need...but no extras..because extras will at this point put me over budget. Maybe this means I need to increase my budget??--ughhhhh! Inflation is wonderful.
Thank you for this post. I was feeling guilty cuz I haven't been "on" this week with getting super good deals. I just felt like I needed a break to re-energize myself. I'm glad I'm not the only one. =)
This was my week to back off the deals. My daughter has been ill this week and I couldn't deal with the thought of deal hunting. Thanks for reminding me that occasional breaks are okay.
Thank you for posting "permission"... so many times, us 'frugalites' can become obsessed about this, and we need to step back and gain a new perspective.
I have had to give myself permission not to use coupons. It has freed me tremendously. I still get good bargains but I don't use my time on something I feel does not give an equal return for the investment.
Great post - thank you.
Very true!!
I've even come to the point of not renewing my newspaper sub. next time for the coupons.
I get so busy and they become a burden to go through all the time - especially since I get my parents and grandparents coupons too!
I've found that when I don't go to the store every week - I actually save money.
I'm not as tempted to buy things we don't need.
But on another note, since we're eating more healthy now, I don't need the coupons as much.
They tend to be for a lot of junk foods that we don't buy anymore.
Of course, I do still LOVE the ones for diapers and shaving creams!
And as far as shopping each store, now days it's more expensive to drive all over the place to save 50 cents in an ad. You've spent more than that on gas.
Remember, there are stores that price match! :)
Candace
www.heaveninourhomes.com
www.heaveninourhomes.blogspot.com
It's so hard for me to take a break from couponing and deal hunting. It's just become such a part of me, that I do feel guilty about paying full price for something, even if we've budgeted for it.
I did step away from CVSing. It was becoming too stressing - not being able to get my oop down to just pennies and stocking issues with the stores. Now I only go if there's something I need that's cheap (ex. they have the cheapest price on diapers this week in town) and not worry with trying to get every good deal.
Crystal,
My comment has nothing to do with not shopping but it does have to do with being frugal so I hope it's okay to post it here.
A few days ago we were going to a friend's house and pasted by some corn feilds (dried corn, not sweet corn) that had just been harvested. There were several ears of corn that the harvester missed so we gleened a few. I wanted to try grinding them in my grain mill to make corn meal. Last night we had the best homemade cornbread we had ever had, and I used my same recipe. The only difference was the home ground corn meal, which was more like corn flour.
This inspired my husband and children and they went back out to the corn field. They took a jar of dewberry jam (we foraged dewberries this past spring) in hopes of giving it to the farmer. When they got there they spoke to the man harvesting and he say they could take all they wanted from the end of the rows since the machinery doesn't get that part. He also called him mom (a woman in her 60's) and she came out and took them on a "feild" trip through their corn, sorghum and cotton fields. She also invited them back for the cotton harvest!
So now we have a full five gallon bucket of dried corn for our corn meal this year! What a treat!
Only by His Grace,
Angi
During the summer I make baked goods to sell at the farmer's market, so I don't have time to "work the deals." Because I have stocked up during the rest of the year, and we have veggies from the garden, I am still able to stick to the budget.
You're spot on with this post. I'm a deal hunter supreme (odd for a guy ... I know) but taking a break is important. Allowing yourself to be generous and let loose on occassion makes life so much more enjoyable.
As far as coupons go, I find them to mostly provide a poor return on time investment unless they are for at least $1 off on something you will buy anyway and that is also on sale. They are especially useless if you can only get just 1 of them. I prefer printable coupons that I can get as many as I want of.
I also let other people do the work for me by reading deal websites and only take part in the exceptional deals that save the most money for the least amount of work.
Take that break, you deserve it!
Stephen
I am "on a break" right now. It is so refreshing. I was getting exhausted from all the couponing. Like you, I have a stockpile of things so it was ok for me. But, my stockpile is getting low and now I'm back excited about diving back in! Thanks for this great read :)
Amanda
I have also found that I am refreshed when I take a break. Sometimes I find my head spinning all day long with deal ideas and CVS scenarios. I have to step away from the deal hunting at these times because my focus is shifting to earthly things rather than eternal things. What will it matter in eternity how much I spent on groceries this month? I have to keep my focus on heavenly treasures, and it was good to be reminded of that once again!
Great tip!
I know that its been great to have my stockpile during my busy time at work. It really helped me not feel to guilty when I went a couple weeks before hitting the store (also saved me a bundle on my budget).
Its so important to realize that you can have "too much" of anything, even a good thing!
Funny you should blog about this - we are in the process of moving so I am taking the summer off from CVS and "getting all the good deals." I realized that I have a stockpile of toiletries to last through the summer and it has forced me to re-discover and use up the stockpile in the pantry. I am actually thinking of doing this every summer as it has worked out well and given me extra time to enjoy the kids while they are out of school.
I think this is a great point. We have the whole Safeway Sumer Marathon thing going on over here on the west coast. While I did save A WHOLE LOT at the checkstand and was able to stock up on alot of items, I feel a little burnt out. I'm planning on going a little lighter on groceries next week to relieve myself...this will be possible because I got so much stuff this week.
-Morgan
mvalencia@astoneagency.com
Hi Crystal,
I am glad you posted what you did! I was feeling very guilty about buying a half pound of chicken salad and a half pound of potato salad that was from the store deli! I kept thinking I had failed!! I know it is cheaper to make it, I just wanted a break! Also I spent a dollar on a McDonald's parfait and I really though I had blown the frugal lifestyle! Still, I know I have to watch each dollar, but once in awhile it is nice to "splurge."
Carla
I also take a break from time to time. Especially if I'm feeling sick or just over-scheduled. I always come back to it quickly and am refreshed.
Thanks for supporting that idea. I often wind up feeling a bit guilty for the deals I've missed. So thanks for the encouragement. :)
Jennifer
Living 45 min's from the city, sometimes I am forced to "just shop" due to time constraints and all the things I need to do on a "city day". I also don't get coupons in the mail so I only get a chance to glance over them as I enter the store. My biggest way of saving is to grow most of our own food (including meat) and buy household/clothing items at goodwill. But as for other groceries, I usually just have a standard costco shopping list and stick to it.
I'm horrible about not wanting to spend money especially on myself. I'd rather spend on others like family or friends.
Thank you for helping feel that sometimes I need to step back and be able to enjoy. Blessings!
You absolutely have to have down time once in a while. This was the hardest thing for me to learn. I felt that I couldn't miss a sale. After all, my family is counting on me to stretch a dollar as far as I can. After getting really burned out you realize that it's o.k. to take a down week. There is always another sale just around the corner and another deal to take advantage of when you are ready to jump back in. Slowing down also gives you a chance to spend more time at home with the important stuff.
FYI - Fellow Canadians
Sobey's has the 44 - 84 ct diapers (Pampers & Huggies - all styles) on for $9.97 Friday, Saturday and Sunday only. You can use coupons so I got mine for 7.47/pkg.
Regular price is usually 18.97/pkg it is quite a savings.
Should I have commented at Money Saving Mom instead?
Hmmmm.
Jenn
I went through burn-out but am experiencing a little surge back into the game. I even took a friend with me the other night (a local grocery store was having a midnight madness sale)
Thanks for your consistency! :)
Great post! It was exactly what I needed to hear and confirmation to what God spoke to my heart today. I need to take a break from bargain shopping in a different way. Instead of simply stopping bargain shopping, I'm sensing that He wants me to wait and save my money so I can buy quality merchandise (doesn't necessarily pertain to buying groceries) instead of buying a bunch of hodgepodge bargain things and being disappointed when they don't all go together well (furniture, curtains, etc...).
I agree!!! Breaks are necessary and needed! It became all too consuming for me and when my husband said, "that's a full time job", it was time to step back a little after a super stockpile had been built!
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