How to Save Money When You Don’t Feel Like Couponing

While couponing is certainly a lot of fun, there are some days where it just feels like an awful lot of work. There are definitely some days where it takes all my energy and mental focus to just get to the store; forget about using coupons! But I still want to make sure to save money!

I definitely think it’s okay to take breaks from couponing sometimes, but I do realize that for many, paying full price is just not an option. So, I’ve compiled a few tips for saving money on your groceries, even when you don’t feel like it!

Shop at Aldi

I love, love, love Aldi. They have everyday low prices so you don’t have to worry about paying for the huge markups at the grocery store. Sure, you could probably get a better deal on some things with coupons at another store, but overall they have some of the lowest prices on staples like produce, milk, and eggs.

Best of all, you can get those low prices without even having to think about it. No coupons to bother with or “buy x, save y” promotions to figure out.

Go Mobile

Another way to save on your groceries is by using your smart phone! Yes, you might still technically be using coupons, but this way doesn’t feel like it!

One of my favorite coupon apps is Target Cartwheel. When I’m shopping at Target, I keep this app open on my phone. As I add things to my cart, I look on the app to see if there is a coupon for that item. If there is, I can save anywhere from 5% – 25% on the spot! Good deal and super easy!

Another awesome app for saving money is Favado. You can browse the sales from up to 10 different stores, making it easy to find the best store to shop at each week. It will also alert you to any potential coupons you can use….you know, if you’re up for it. 😉

The last app I recommend is actually not for coupons at all! Ibotta is an app that will give you actual money back for your purchases for doing simple things like taking a one-question poll or sending a tweet. It’s really easy to use and there’s no extra work for you to do while you’re at the store juggling a shopping cart and two kids. Just upload your receipts to the app when you get home to earn your cash rebates.

Pantry Challenge

My final tip for saving money without coupons is to have a pantry/freezer challenge! The challenge is to grocery shop as little as possible and only eat what’s already in the pantry/freezer. You can do the challenge for one week or one month, however long you think you can go without shopping!

I always enjoy doing these challenges and usually discover that I have way more food than I even realized! It’s surprisingly fun to get creative and come up with some dishes that we don’t normally eat. You can use websites like allrecipes.com or supercook.com where you can enter in the ingredients you have and it will find recipes for you.

I hope this gave you some ideas for saving money when you don’t feel like it!

What do you do when you experience couponing burnout?