I am having trouble going to all the stores every week. I work full-time, secret shop and have two kids, DH and a grandmother I help out. How do you guys do it.

Sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on things I could really use in the house! The closest good grocery store is 20 minutes away. Which may not seem like much, but it's a hike after work.

Any ideas? My kids aren't little so I can take them w/ me, but I don't want to miss things. For instance I did not make it to RA one time last week, which by the way is my favorite store.

Should I even be concerned? These deals will come across again right?

lists lists lists
sounds like you have a very busy life. your best bet is to write out what you need to get done, the sales and stores you want to hit for SURE. you dont have to hit EVERY sale but you should prioritize which ones will help your family the most.

IE if you have enough canned veggies for a few weeks and there is a sale this week, skip it another one will come along SOON.

however
if there is a TP sale it doesnt matter how much you have, get more. TP sales are the holy couponer grail i swear!! LOL

keep track of how much you need of things. IE shampoo, conditioner, dish soap. just be vigilantly aware of when you might be about to run low so you can keep track of sales and try and coordinate your shopping for the really important stuff.


the things ultimately is that you wont get this precious time with family back again. but a sale WILL come back round again. dont run yourself ragged, ya know?

make a list and just hit the most important deals to you.

I don't go to every store either because I live out in the boonies. Takes me 30 minutes just to drive to the grocery store or RA, 45 miles to an hour if I want to go to Target, kmart, a GOOD Wags, and CVS.

If I'm going to be in the other areas, I make a day of it on Saturday and we all go as we may stop for lunch or go do something else too. Two children had eye appts recently and I combined that trip with store trips.

Thanks guys. I always feel like I'm missing something! Until I got on this site I only went to the grcery store once a month and stayed for hours with two carts, but I would save 50% and be stocked good for another month w/ some stuff I didn't have to buy for a couple months.

Once I saw how much I was missing by doing that I tried to keep up w/ everyone. I do make the lists every week, but there is always something I could use. I have to prioritize! B/c right now I have lotion (Nivea lotion and lip gloss) coming out of everywhere!

I try to go shopping after I pick up my DD from school at 6pm she's a big help. Thanks for telling me about the TP. I didn't know that.

I work full time, too - and my son is active in after school sports. I've had to make a few changes here and there - and definitely asking my husband to step up and do a few things so I get time to shop effectively for us has been a big thing. Left to his own devices, my husband is a bump on a lump ( a sweet one ) but the man will not lift a finger unless I ask him.

If RA is your fav store, make time for it. Decide on a day where you can spend time shopping at RA without feeling rushed. Make time for what you really like. If the other stores happen, awesome. If not - try not to sweat it. You'll drive yourself batty trying to chase every good opportunity.

List! Stocking is the only way I can hit just the stores I must. There are weeks I don't go anywhere. I have not been to Krogers for a major trip in a month. Just picking up bread, milk and eggs the last 3 weeks. I work 50-60 hours a week myself. I just have to pick where I want to go that week. The toilet paper stash is a must.

I too work full time with 3 kids(ages 9,10,14) who are very busy with school activites.Lists are important, but remember you can't do it all. Don't try to keep up with everyone on the coupon board Everyones lives are different. I try to know what we are getting low on, and stock pile that item when it's on sale and I have a q. You are not alone in driving 20 miles to a store either.Goodluck and happy couponing!!!!Have a great day

Once I stopped trying to keep up - and couponing at a level "for me" and my family's needs, I relaxed considerably!

OP - I absolutely know exactly how you feel! You read about all the great deals people are getting, how their rolling this or got 23 dozen of that and it can end up feeling like a lot of pressure. Not from everyone else but from yourself. Rather, myself! That's how it was and sometimes is with me. I work FT too and over the last year have been trying to figure out how to balance my time between monitoring the boards for deals, wanting to get to know some of the great people on here, working, raising my kids, cleaning my house, etc. (who are we kidding, i never clean my house! lol) I had to take a break for a while because it got to be too much. I was just spending too much time trying to chase it all down and, really, how much toothpaste does a family really need?

What I would like is to make a deal with one of the coupon/deal divas on here to monitor the deals for me, keeping an eye out for the things my family uses, set me up w/the coupons and tell me when to go to the store. Seriously. Anybody ever think about doing that as a service for those of us time management challenged members? I wonder how you'd charge for something like that? Maybe I could barter my professional services for yours? If you lived close enough? lol I'd do it!!

EE GADS! lol ok, just wanted to repeat that someone said it to me..now that that's out of my system..listing is GREAT, but not nearly as good as lists with ENVELOPES! rofl! I do the list thing and I also do envelopes for each store, while I may take my binder too, I have envelopes for the coupons I KNOW I'm going to use at each place and my list is on those...so I stock on regular envies every chance I get...but sati is right...cheap TP is the holy grail, kinda like cheap meat...buy it every chance you get! I try to make it a point to hit my fav 2 or 3 stores every week for the best/free deals,

but will work in more IF it's worth my time in terms of what we need(which I found out by cataloging what we used over a 30 day period, in a very detailed list, which I averaged into a 12 month list of "needs")...then I buy enough of non-perishable for a year(more if it will last and is a fantastic crazy good deal). Otherwise I don't sweat it...and if it's free and I won't use it, I still get it..lol, cause I just donate it at the ministries near where I live!