Folders with Coupons, Filed by Dates
How to organize coupons? Answer: Best way is to not have too many coupons to organize! Yes, I don’ t really organize my coupons – I organize the coupon inserts, but don’t clip many coupons. I found that I saved time not only on the clipping, but the organizing.
My entire coupon system consist of
- A little multi-pocketed coupon holder
- A box of coupons filed by date – an “upgrade” (to the file folders + box) from my previous system (replaced the big binder with the file folders)
- A cardboard magazine holder to throw all the coupon booklets, and printed coupons into
- Some lose papers to write my shopping list on, paper clips and scissors
- A desk where I put all the supplies/containers on top
Note: I found that the (file folders + box) works better. The coupon inserts stay flat, which keeps these thin pages eat.
Some of you have seen people bring a big coupon binder to stores (or er, you’re one of them 
) Nothing wrong if it works for you. I like to create the shopping list ahead. The best deals are usually already posted in various forums, etc, and stores will have advertised these lost leaders (i.e. all the free stuff – another post to be created another time). I’ve maybe found one, or two truly worthy deal that I noticed while in store.
My couponing routine:
- Every Sunday, flip through the coupon inserts, and only clip coupons for products for sure we’d be buying (maybe 4).
- Scan the coupons and mentally take note of what’s there (you’ll using #4 to look for the dates later, if a good deal do come out).
- File the rest of the Sunday coupon inserts by dates.
- When the store circulars come out, match sales with coupons (match coupons with sales ONLY if there’s a high valued coupon, like this $4/1 Method Laundry), making use of the internet for printables, and the Sunday Coupon Database.
- Before hitting the stores, write down what I’m buying and gather relevant coupons.
This post is created because of Nicole’s comment on how to organize coupons
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{ 6 comments }
I’m a mess with my coupons! I have big zip lock bags labeled by store. Example – I throw all Target coupons in the Target bag.
I have a file folder of Sunday inserts labeled by date (it’s so thick it looks like a phone book)
I have a brown paper grocery sack with various inserts (this was my first attempt at keeping all my coupons) As soon as those inserts expire I’ll be throwing out the paper bag.
I have a folder with all of my printed internet coupons which I don’t cut out unless I need to use them
I have a bartering system at my work. Anyone who brings me their Sunday inserts gets a free food item from me. It’s a win win. I get their Sunday inserts and they get a free box of cereal or whatever.
I also have a cardboard box I keep my All You Magazines and store circulars in.
I’m a coupon mess but I’m trying very hard to keep it as organized as possible. I truly enjoy couponing. It‘s taken over my life for the last few months. But I love it!
Thanks Tina! I don’t spend too much time organizing coupons, I just make sure I have a few containers (cardbox magazine holder, tubberwear, file folders, etc) to keep all the coupons inserts/coupon booklets/printable ones at one place. I also have a dedicated desk just for couponing supplies and place for the containers, that helps.
Most of these ended up un-used anyway so I don’t feel like spending too much time organizing.
I like your bartering at work – Sunday insert in exchange for a free item!
It has taken over my life too, my husband doesn’t see the result yet and doesn’t understand why I’m stock piling on cereal, toothpaste, deoderant. I am trying to ensure him that I am saving us money by buying things now while they are “cheap” instead of full price whenwe need them.
I was keeping all of my sunday inserts but now i just basically cut out almost everything, there are things that I know we will not use and they are in envelopes by category. That way I can fit them in my purse and if I’m at the store and I see something on sale that was not advertised I can see if I have a coupon. I also have envelopes just for the certain stores. It works for me because I can always have them in my purse.
By the way I was at Target yesterday to stock on some birthday gifts- Connect 4 and Monopoly. I did some browsing, they have their suave products on sale so i was able use some of those coupons that are expiring soon, the kids body was and adults are on sale for $1.50, I used .50 cent off coupons to get them for $1.00 each.
Also I didn’t do this but it’s a good one, Listerine is on sale at target for $4.29, they have bogo on the kids Smart rinse they are packaged together. If you buy 3 listerine you get a $5.00 gift card. Ultimately you could get 6 Smart Rinse for 12.87, if you’ve been saving the listerine printables like me it’s only $9.87 out of pocket and you get a $5.00 gift card. I’m saving listerine printables for safeway though to use with the e-coupons, I’ve got to sort through all those. I’d like to start a database of my own so that I can input all of my coupons online and paper so that like coupons can be paired up. We’ll see if I have time for that.
Thanks Nicole! I found that coupon have “trained” me to catch deals right away, and know when certain products are good prices. Looks like you’re experiencing that yourself too!
My husband till grab stuff he wanted from stores without even looking at prices, I won’t try to change him – marriage advice – accept each others weaknesses. Haha
I used to not know the prices of stuff and buy them when I needed them too – I still cringe thinking we used to pay $2.49 for toothpastes and more for toothbrushes, and too bad we don’ have kids in diapers anymore (probably the first time I lament about that). Yes we used to pay full prices for diapers too!
Keep it up – as long as you have your coupons organized, (or, at once place!), look at blogs and forums (so many, I tried to post the deals that I’d go for myself), and not get too upset when you missed a deal or have a bad day with cashiers (the good days make up for it!) We’re fine
I tried a couple of different methods, including the keep them in your wallet method (this was before I realized how couponing really worked; envelopes and now the crazy binder method. I actaully have 2 binders, one contains only food, the other has everything else. I had a hard time with the change over, and spent MANY hours doing it. Now I think I’m pretty much done and I so far like it, I’ll let you know if that changes, lol. I do try to run through blogs and check out the posted deals so that I have a list of what I want to grab, but sometimes that doesn’t happen. I’m usually shopping with 5 kids, so occasionally I have to abandon ship and just be happy with whatever I was able to get.
Randi: Thanks for sharing! Glad you have a relaxed mentality with couponing – though I admit after knowing about those deals and for some reasons (kids, schedules, printer out of ink) you can’t do the deals, it’s frustrating, but always remember the deals come around (and quite often)
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