This week you will find 2 inserts in your Sunday paper. There are some great freebies at CVS and Walgreens…even Target has some great freebies right now. All you have to do is clip and organize your coupons, match them up with the right stores and sales and then hit them all up before the week is over.

Simple!

Or …. maybe you are experiencing a “less than organized” coupon adventure right now.
?That would be me.

Periodically I find that my life is super busy and I’ve fallen behind on clipping coupons. Way behind. I get the papers, pull the inserts and sort them out. That is about as far as I get. This tends to have the snowball effect on me.

?About the same time I realize that I am making several trips to the store each week, wondering what to cook for dinner each night and then, when I glance at my budget, I realize I am well over my normal spending limits for food and groceries.

Sound familiar?

?What can you do to reign yourself in?

Pick up a pen and a piece of paper and do a little planning. Talk a solid look at your pantry and your stock pile (if you have one) and take stock of what is already there. If its there…you don’t have to spend money on it, so find a way to use it!

Once you know what you’ve got on hand start making a menu. Start with three days if an entire week seems overwhelming.

Now make a strict list of what you will need at the grocery store and stick to it.

Quit beating yourself up about the coupons and the “missed opportunities”. Chuck the old and work on getting a fresh start once you have your menu and grocery planning back in shape. If it makes you feel better, start with the coupons from this week’s paper. The most recent ones are going to have the longest shelf life so get them in your binder first, then work on the backlog.

Every once and a while life gets away from all of us. Take stock, take a deep breath, and start all over again.