What it takes to be a couponer.........

1-Guts.....I admit, it can be very embarassing at times. You have your cart full of the same item. People look at you. Cashiers ask why you need so much. Cashiers ask where you got all the coupons. You get looks from all the people waiting behind you (I do always try to warn them.....).  Often checkers have various beliefs/thoughts about coupons, so you have to stick up for yourself, have policies in hand to show them, and hope for the best.

2-To be a couponer, one cannot suffer from any anxiety disorders. Couponing will only add to any anxiety condition one might have. So, if you suffer from anxiety, maybe you want to take up another hobby.

3-No kids. Just kidding, I have five. It is a lot easier when I leave the kids at home. You have to pay GREAT attention to the number of items you have, the number of coupons, and make sure everything is ringing up OK. This can be really hard when you have kids with you. Not undoable, but again, it takes double the guts when you have kids with you. Trying to reign the kids in, and get all your coupon deals.....it can be a rough gig.

4-You have to have a sense of strategy.  Couponing is like chess. You have to try to figure out which coupons might be freebies, order them, and hope for the good deal. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. It only takes one great win to make you a coupon believer.

5-CRAZY factor. You have to be a bit crazy. And I mean, only the good kind of crazy. Luckily for me, I have a touch of this.

6-LUCK.  Sometimes it is all about hitting the right register....the right checkout person......the right store. I usually look for males....at each store, I have someone I look for. Some of these older women, they really think that all the coupon totals are being taken out of their paycheck. They look at each coupon---even if you have 60 of the same coupon, they have to check with the manager, they sigh, roll their eyes.....the line behind you is getting anxious and irritated....and you want your superhero invisibility power to kick in. Which hasn't quite worked for me yet, unfortunately. So, it becomes about prevention. You try to find someone easygoing. Men tend to be more easygoing....but that's not always true.  Through trial and error, and a couple hellish moments, you will figure this part out better and be able to make better checkout choices.