[Mystres]

My Mother in law was interested in my couponing, after seeing all that i had stocked up. She definitely loved that i was able to take my grocery bill down from 600 ish a Mo to 300.

She is complaining she doesn't have a lot of cash, And asked me to show her how i couponed. So i tried to teach her.

First she is eating out like 5 nights a week.
I was like WOW!!! I can Coupon Us Dinner for a week, for what it cost you to eat out for 1 night. (You have to put a Limit on it, My husband and i allow our self 1 out to eat night a week)

Any ways, I purchase her 2 binders, inserts, ect... Also Gave her 2 Sets of the past 4 weeks of inserts so she will be nicely started. So spent arround 30$ on Materials for her.

And every 4 mins like a child with ADD she goes off in another direction, or goes and talks to her husband, lets the dog outside, gets some cake, then makes a drink.

OMG i gave her the web sites, the binders, everything.
She asked for me to do this for her, So you would think she would of sat down and payed attention.

I already told my husband, when your mom comes back and ask me how to do it again, I WILL NOT tell her or show her, I already gave her everything she needed, and now she has to figure it out her self.

[tagarza]

How annoying! My sister in law asked me to do it FOR HER and she'd give me the money to shop. Uhhhh no! I'll teach you but I'm not doing it for you, it's hard work and takes time. Lots of people have asked me how, I try to help as much as I can. Some people just aren't willing to put in the time, I was like that for a long time. When she's ready she can start, it's not up to you to hold her hand when she's not really into it. She's lucky you bought the binder, etc. I wouldn't have been that nice

[salinascali]

my sil also wanted me to show her and she caught on pretty quick. but she would want to use my coupons, ask for deals which she would never look for. lets help each other 50 50, not all just me. yes it does take time to think up a deal, walk around the store for unadvertised deals, cut up.my coupons to just hand over them to u just because u dont want to put in that effort. once I stopped helping her she stopped couponing.

[SouthernBellSaver]

Old saying..."you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him ____"??

[flysaver]

I have had a lot of co-workers come up to me and ask for my help. I put in tons of time with each of them, trying to lay the groundwork and give them basic skills to succeed. Not one of them started couponing after finding out how time consuming it is.

[KaillasB]

Have a few friends who are this way. Show them how, get them set up with binders/pages and coupons. Take them shopping, and it is just the same. They want me to do the prep work and they want all the items.

Frusterating.

[Jakejake]

I think it's a lot like diet or exercise. Sometimes we know what we need to do to be healthy and we know it's worth it, but we still eat chips or ice cream and don't work out. From the outside looking in at a person like that it's really hard to understand WHY someone makes bad decisions, but honestly most of us have fallen into those habits in some area of our life, at some point in our life. It's hard for people to change long term habits, and easy to whine about wanting to have the end results (in this case lots of free things).

[bendaline]

Gosh, I wish I had you for a real life friend. I am trying to "teach" myself through this forum. It is a slow go for me. Reading all the tips, trying to figure out the lingo, and follow the CVS and Walgreen scenarios has my head spinning.

That was nice you tried. I guess if it is important to her she can do what I am doing and "teach" her self or at least make an effort to get on this site and have everyone her "teach" her.

[Minijump21]

I've "taught" 4 people. Only 1 of them actually really gave it a try. I've given up. Everybody wants free stuff, no one wants the work. So I quit telling people, so I don't have to deal with them wanting me to give them my products, or my coupons.

[smartshopper08]

You went above and beyond what I would have! I stopped "teaching" people several years ago...my area is way too small to be as saturated as it is now. I completely understand and encourage anyone and everyone to learn how to save, I just can't be the one to sacrifice my time and efforts to do it!

[bigdogmom187]

I wish I had a teacher like you

[deneisetorres]

Are you married into my DH's brother? I swear you are describing my MIL. I had almost exactly the same experience when I tried to teach her how to coupon about 6 months ago. I even took her coupon shopping immediately after the lesson so she could see how it worked. I was able to help her get about $200 worth of HBA, grocery & cleaning stuff for about $40. She was thrilled.

Until the next Sunday when I called to see if she had gotten her newspapers. No, she hadn't. She got busy & forgot, can she just come by my house one day & get some of mine? She shows up a few days later & wants me to just give her the coupons that I have already cut & tell her which stores to use them in. She had not looked at any of the websites or store ads to see what was on sale anywhere. After 2 or 3 weeks of this, she brings me back everything that I gave her & says that she just doesn't have time. Now I just let her shop from my stockpile.

I kind of resent it, but I can't complain too much. She is a wonderful MIL in every other way & has been super generous many times. She always willing to help us anytime we need anything. Her Husband even put a new motor in my van when it died and refused to let us pay him for it.

[StLouisClipper]

My SIL wanted to learn. I tried to teach her and she did go out and get a binder and newspapers. Unfortunately she turned it into some sort of sick competition. I was emailing her exact scenarios, what to purchase, where to puchase it, which coupons to use, and what her total oop should be. I put more work into her stockpile than my own. I hooked her up with extra coupons for many things. If I found a great tearpad I would get some for her as well. Turns out it was all one sided. If she found a great deal it was a big secret, etc. I don't have time for that kind of relationship anymore. Now the only person I help is my MIL (other side of the family) and then only if it's something I'm SURE she uses as she's very brand specific. Ah, well, live and learn!

[arkaneinc]

I've had strangers and family members ask me to teach them how to coupon. My response is I will always be here for advice and I will refer them to this website and a few others. When asked why I don't just help them do it. My response is If I do all the work you will never learn.

I had to teach myself (with the help of this website). I remember a year in a half ago spending $300-$400 a month on groceries and having no reserve at all. Living paycheck to paycheck. Coupons has opened up a little more saving for me money wise and I now have a decent stockpile.

[veriria]

Just give her links to websites (like AFC, Coupon Mom, etc) and tell her to teach herself.

I mean...That's what most of us did, yeah?

[hrhmom]

Originally Posted by veriria

Just give her links to websites (like AFC, Coupon Mom, etc) and tell her to teach herself.

I mean...That's what most of us did, yeah?

Yep. All of these sites are great resources, but you still have to put in a lot of grunt work.

And you really truly have to love money in the sense that you don't want to waste it. Love prices. Love deals. Even though I have always been somewhat of a cheapskate (that's my father in me), I'm learning new things just about every day.

Some think "Hey I want to do that, too!" but actually aren't looking for something they have to constantly keep up with. They don't pay attention when someone says they put a couple of hours a day into it.

It's a total game for me...a serious game...but I have never gotten this thrill from any of my other hobbies. Maybe a sugar high when I went through my cake decorating phase.

I would SO win on The Price is Right.

[hotmama111]

. I love how people say they want to learn, over and over. I also love it when someone gives you one insert and expects you to hand them a bag full of stuff .

[sammiekay101]

Same problem with my mom. But she had to be out for a few weeks from surgery, so I made her do a lot of cutting out coupons. So this morning, her and my dad had to go get a few things and she says" Hhey, I remember a few coupons I need that I cut out the other day for......bla, bla..." and went and got them out and put them in her checkbook. I AM SO PROUD ! But mostly my dad makea list and i tell him where to go get it, and then my mom digs into the coupons, and they go. But my hubby says he is gonna put me in some kind of group theropy or have an intervention thing. He is so crazy ! He loves we have things to choose from to eat, but says i spend too much time on it. Well crap, it takes A LOT OF TIME. It would be cheaper if I knew where the paper guys threw thier last weeks out at...... I am not above dumpster diving to get them...LOL.

[Mystres]

Well update on my original post. It seams the MIL Gave my coupon binders I made and gave her to my Step SIL. AHHHHHHHHHH Really. I promise you I will not show her how to do it again.
The next person to ask me, i will Write down them the 4 web sites i use, tell them to get a binder, and explain one example. And say there figure it out. I did my self. Then done. So no money out of my pocket, and it will only take me 5 mins.

[smartshopper08]

That stinks!!

When people ask me I don't refer them anywhere. I just tell them to get a Sunday paper, keep the sales ads and do their research. If at that point they're serious they will find their way here or another site, blog, etc..that suits them.