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You are a loyal customer. Whether we like to think so or not, we are.

Yes, I still love coupons and how couponing works to save our family money and use them when I can. I’m sure you’ve read all my grocery couponing tips and tricks.

Lately, I’ve seen a lot of people stuck in the coupon deal frenzy and they are spending way too much time being an example of a loyal customer and I see them wasting their hard-earned money!

They are using coupons as a crutch to get by instead of actually taking a hard look at their spending habits.

Yes, coupons are great ways to save money but not if you are overspending. They are purchasing way too much every week, and now running out of room in their home. Their deals are overtaking their living spaces.

And every week they are falling victim to the brand advertising schemes to get them to buy… and they do! This is exactly how coupons make companies money.

It can become a vicious cycle that has the potential to send anyone into big time debt.

If this sounds like you, you might need to take a step back from couponing by looking at your habits and these extreme coupon tips.

It’s my hope that you will stop and check your coupon usage, but realize that going into debt over a deal is never worth it. No matter how many Tide bottles you have!

I’m hoping you take a hard look at your spending habits in hopes to see where you are going wrong and how to stop it. Because there are some characteristics of a loyal customer you need to know in order to protect yourself.

So are we loyal customers or loyal to our savings account first?

loyal customer

You’ve Become A Coupon Loyal Customer

Yes, coupons are great! There are so many of them with a wide variety of products and uses for your home. You can save so much money when you stack sales and coupons trying to be frugal, especially if you have read all the grocery couponing tips and have mastered them.

But what happens when you are getting the “deal” because you assume that using the coupon makes the deal? It’s not always the case.

When you use a coupon it does not mean you are getting the best deal. Sales cycles and coupons all play a big part in the coupon game. Manufacturer’s increase the value of their coupons all the time to get you to buy. This is exactly how couponing works.

So don’t settle for that $.50 coupon when next week there will be a $1/1 coupon coming out. Holding out for the best deal is the best way to save money.

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But don’t stop there! When you have a coupon and there’s a sale on the product it doesn’t mean you are still getting the best deal. Look around for store brand products that could be even less than what you are expecting to pay. It pays to shop around to actually find the best frugal deal.

Ask Yourself These Questions:

  • Do I only shop with coupons?
  • When I’m in the store, do I price compare with other products?
  • Am I coupon loyal customer?

If you are saying yes then you could be missing out on even more savings by ditching the coupons for a better deal.

loyal customer

You Have To Get The Sale Before It Ends Or Your Coupon Expires

Time is of the essence and that is what companies want you to believe! That’s why many of the coupons that come out now that are only valid for a short time. They have the expiration date circled and are “Two Weeks Only” labeled in big red letters. That’s just one loyal customer example they try to get you to fall for.

This tactic grabs the readers’ attention and makes them want to hurry and find a deal so they can use that coupon.

Or, you get sucked into having to shop every couple of days to get the deals because they will expire within the week.

It’s these extreme coupon tips that I have cautioned other about for years, but every one gets sucked in at some point.

These techniques are what the companies are expecting you to fall for! “Hurry in! The deal expires soon!” These anxiety techniques make you feel that you have to rush into the store before you miss out.

Now if you have FOMO, the fear of missing out, then that is one thing you need to work toward overcoming. Since sales cycles happen every week, you WILL have a chance to get the deal again. It is understanding the sales cycle that will help you to overcome the “gotta get it now” sales frenzy. Only getting what your family will use before it expires is the best way to save.

Ask Yourself These Questions:

  • Am I always shopping trying to find a deal?
  • Do I only shop with your coupon binder because you are afraid of missing a deal?
  • Does checking coupon blogs or Facebook coupon deal sites take up most of your time?

If you are saying yes, then it’s time to put the coupon binder up for a while and unsubscribe to some deal sites even if you are a master of grocery couponing. Ask yourself if couponing is taking over your family time, then it’s time to reevaluate your sale habits. And unplug from this one type of loyal customer.

loyal customer

You Easily Overspend, Go Into Debt Or Take From Your Savings For A Deal

I’m sure it’s happened to the best of us. We have our good intentions to save using coupons.

But then…there’s this deal on cereal and you can snag a box for just $1! But instead of figuring out how long your family actually takes to eat a box of cereal you go crazy and buy 20 boxes. Yeah, but it was only $20! But you didn’t have that extra $20 to spend and you either went over budget, took from your savings account or put it on a credit card.

And by the time your family actually finishes the second box of each kind they are tired of it and won’t eat anymore…Uh, oh!

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You see how this crazy deal frenzy can really lead to a wallop of bad decisions. Not only did you go over budget decreasing your “fun money” night out with the family, but now you are stuck with more cereal that might get stale by the time it will be eaten.

Ask Yourself These Questions:

  • Do I overbuy on a regular basis?
  • Have I gone over budget every week?
  • Will I continue to add to my credit card debt by purchasing these deals?

If you are saying yes to these questions, then it’s time to take a step back and actually look at your stockpile and these extreme coupon tips. Instead of focusing on all the deals, start by picking only one item you actually need. This is how you can stop being a loyal customer.

Now, if you already have some on the shelf, then you don’t need it! I’m talking about completely out of – none in sight. You’ve checked all the places it should be and your other hiding places. If you have none left, then you can look for deals so you can replenish your stock.

If there are no deals, wait till next week to look again for that item or pick another item that you are completely out of. It may be hard, but you have got to start somewhere of limiting your spending.

But here’s the bigger picture – if you didn’t have the money to spend on the cereal, why are you spending it at all?!! If you are overspending or going into more debt, you need to take a long hard look at fixing your spending habits!
Only you can determine what they are and how you are going to fix them. No coupons will do that for you!

If you are having trouble sticking to your budget, here are some tips to help be a loyal saver, not a loyal customer.

loyal customer

Fall Victim To Advertising = Coupons Make Companies Money  

Did you know that coupons are a type of advertising? They are and you fall for being the loyal customer every time!

Every new paper coupon or rebate is an advertisement for a product. Either the company wants to remind you about their product, or it’s a way of letting you know a new product exists. The coupon is a way of saying, “Hey, look at me! You need me!”

Every time you print coupons, add new rebates or add to your digital coupon list, you are being advertised to. This is how the companies want the coupons to work for them. It’s a sneaky way to keep you looking at their product and needing their product. It’s the reason why coupons make companies money and they won’t stop sending them out.

It’s the same reason commercials have gone to over 5 minutes long during commercial breaks. It’s insane.

Ask Yourself These Questions:

  • Does my time consist of always looking for new coupons and rebates?
  • Have I loaded new coupons and rebates and added those items to your shopping list even if you didn’t need them?
  • Do I love buying and trying new products even though it’s not a good deal?

If you are saying yes to these questions, then it’s time to take a step back and look at your couponing habits. Many of these loyal customer habits could be keeping you in debt.

loyal customer

Your Couponing Has Overtaken Your House = Hoarder

Yes, I went there. Ouch is right. If your couponing habit has taken over your house, you have a real problem.

And it doesn’t have to be couponing to apply. You might be stocking up on winter items, craft or party supplies. This pertains to anything that has taken over your house.

Deals are not worth sacrificing your living spaces. They are not worth the risk of blocking your emergency exits in case of a fire.

It is not worth your family’s happiness because they have no room to actually live or function in your house.

Ask Yourself These Questions:

  • Are the deals taking over my house?
  • Do I have to move stuff to function in my house?

If you are saying yes to these questions, then it’s time to actually call it what it is…hoarding. Here are 6 signs to know if you are a hoarder or just a pack rat.

It’s time to give away some of your deals to other people who need them. Call up your family and friends and give stuff away. There will always be more deals – don’t panic!

Give yourself some grace and give your family space in the house to function as a house should function.

Clear off the dining table, clear the hallways and closets. Clutter can actually inhibit you from thinking clearly and cause anxiety as well.

Clear your space and clear your mind. Both are good for the soul.

It’s these extreme coupon tips that can help you understand where you went wrong in the first place. Do some reflection and give yourself boundaries for the next time you go shopping.

loyal customer

S.T.O.P. The Coupon Madness

While I still love coupons, I can understand how the initial coupon frenzy can occur because I know how coupons work. The shopping high of getting a deal can be infectious!

But it’s what you do that forms the habits that can keep you locked inside of trying to find the deals. You can save more money by not buying things. You don’t have to be a loyal customer using coupons and trying to find deals every day. The best way to save is to just stop buying unless you actually need something because you are out of it.

If you want to be loyal saver, it’s up to you to look at your shopping habits and fix them!

Here are some ways you can STOP the coupon madness and loyal customer habits with these tips:

S – Stop Shopping. Shopping more than once a week can make you overspend. Make a pact to shop only one time each week.

T – Stop Taking From Savings. You are setting your family up for an even bigger mess if you keep taking from your savings.

O – Stop Overbuying. The sales cycle happens every 6 weeks so don’t think you need 100 tubes of toothpaste. ONLY get enough for your family to last you the 6 weeks. It will save your sanity and you won’t have to store that many tubes.

P – Stop Pursuing Deals Yes, you see the new deals that friend tagged you on Facebook, but you don’t need to get it now! Stop pursuing the deals, checking coupon blogs and looking for new rebates. It will save you tons of money in the long run.

More Saving Tips: 

  • Make a list and stick to it. No exceptions!
  • Section your shopping list to wants versus needs before shopping. Cross off as many wants as possible.
  • Don’t go inside a store to “look” even if you’re bored. Start with these Productive Things To Do Instead of Spending Money!
  • Do without.
  • Use up what you have.
  • DIY an item on your shopping list.
  • Unsubscribe to blogs that are really trying to get you to buy stuff and “unfollow” deal sites and stores on Facebook.
  • Start a list of how long your family actually takes to use something: ie. gallon of milk, a jug of detergent, 12 pk of toilet paper.
  • Clear the clutter and donate to a good cause.
  • Disable those selling ads. Find out how to disable Google’s personalized ads.

You see, it’s not only using the coupons that can get you into trouble. It can be the deal frenzy of gotta get all the deals now that can lead you further into debt.

It can also lead to overspending and hoarding. but can lead you to more advertising and more purposeless shopping making companies money.

Instead of looking at another deal site, dig deep into your spending habits by using these grocery couponing tips.

It’s these extreme coupon tips that can help you dig out of the madness and the cycle of overbuying.

Figure out why you are in your situation that you are in and better ways to save money.

Stop overspending and stealing from your savings by trying to be somewhat frugal.

You need to become loyal to yourself and your savings first. Then you can fix the rest of the bad loyal customer habits. You can do it!

 

YOUR TURN: What is one loyal customer spending habit you want to fix? Let me know in the comments below!

loyal customer
How Coupons Make You A Loyal Customer Not A Loyal Saver
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