Couponing can be fantastic. The exhilaration of taking away lots for very little can drive you insane! Or, has it drained you, do you feel tired just maintaining and collecting coupons? Are you spending way too much time shopping and collecting coupons? Are you not seeing the savings you set out to make? Well you may have moved from couponing to extreme couponing. Extreme couponing takes more time and patience to see the rewards you seek.

Set a g oal : Couponers must understand why they want to coupon. More often than naught it is to save money or to live within a set budget. Couponers must understand what they require as against what is a great deal. After all you are shopping to stick to your goal, not the stores goal.

Impulse buying : Comparing coupons with greater deals as against to things you want at a lower discount is the worst thing to do. Stick on you goal and ensure that every coupon you use is for something you need.

Obsession : Spending too much time on collecting coupons and standing at checkout lines, will take away time from family and things that bring you happiness. It is easy to get drawn into all the savings to be had, remember the reason you are couponing and give it just that amount of time.

Savings goals : Create realistic savings goals while couponing. TV shows in recent past have created unrealistic savings goals in the mind of the couponer. Understand that you can have some savings if you hoard and coupon sensibly, but to expect savings in the thousands is foolhardy.

Hoarding : Hoarding coupons is a waste of time. Most coupons last between 10 days to a month. You will spend hours just arranging and organizing them. Hoard enough with bulk buying coupons, but keep an eye out for unnecessary purchases. After all, what will you do with a case of dental floss?

Letting go : The hardest thing for an couponer is to let go of a great deal. Yes, we all have been through it, stacking up our Catalinas for that thanksgiving turkey or for that salmon, but if it is going to take stepping through hoops of fire, it is time to ask yourself, is it really worth it? Great deals come and go and most coupon deals come back in a 6 to 10 week cycle. These deals will come back. Do not let a great deal drive you, drive sensible couponing towards sensible savings.