Ask:
I am planning on using coupons more this year but I don't know how to keep them organized so I remember what I have and remember to use them. I am the type to keep coupons in my purse and find them after they expired when I clean out my purse. I am not naturally organized. I have to follow some kind of system. Anyone have a good system for organizing and using coupons?
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Our paper has crappy coupons (Well unless you're itching to buy nursing home slippers or an Elvis collectible plate...hehe) so I order my coupons from a clipping service online. I order enough to stockpile when things go on sale, and coordinate my order with the current sales (I place an order almost every Friday) so that I can get the biggest savings possible. When I order the coupons, I get quantities of 5 or more, and when they come, I take 2 minutes and staple all the same coupons together in the corner or along the side.. wherever it doesn't mess up the barcode or any vital information if it's torn off. If there are a lot of stapled packs, I put them inside my little cheapy plastic expander file. If there aren't too many, I just keep them inside an envelope - since they're stapled into packs, they're super easy to keep separated.
I try to avoid having expired coupons by paying attention to the exp date when I order the cpn.
Some people have books for their coupons, but I'd go nuts trying to do it their way. My way works for me, allows me to not abhor my grocery shopping anymore, save decent money on our groceries, stock up a little bit, and get my shopping done in the time I have available (either I am rushing out to do my shopping during DS nap while BIL stays at the house, or I have DS with me and he gets super irritable and difficult quickly). I could definately improve and I'm hoping to get better in 2007. Good luck getting organized!
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I have heard some people say that they use the clear sleaves that you put baseball cards in. I have an expaned file but its not really working for me.
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Originally Posted by 2littleladies
I have an expaned file but its not really working for me.
It hasn't really worked for me either...looking for some better ideas....
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I bought a coupon organizer off eBay for like $5 and it was worth every penny. Its nothing fancy, but its got a sturdy nylon outside with all the dividers inside. It also has a snap so you can clip it onto the back of the basket of your shopping cart. I labeled the dividers alphabetically and put some labels together (like baby items and toiletries). I take the time to sort them by experation date in each divider. For example: If I have two shampoo coupons, I'll put the one that expires first in the front so I can use it before it expires. I also go through all my coupons before I go shopping and weed out the expired ones. As I add items to my cart, I put the coupon for it in the front of the organizer so I can have them all together when I'm ready to check out. I also add any coupons found in the store to the front too. The organizer fits nicely in my purse so I always have it with me and this system works really well for me. It might sound a little obsessive, but it really doesn't take much time once you start it and I have a slight case of OCD anyway. Don't even ask me about clipping them. I'm one of those "it has to be cut on the dotted lines" type of person!!
Now I just need to get my hands on some more coupons...
flybygrace -- I'm going to PM you about the coupons you order, that sounds really interesting!!
Answer:
There are three main systems that seem to be used the most
#1. Expanding file. This is either a coupon file, canceled check file or something very similar. Can be as small or large as you need. You can file your coupons by category (dairy, dry goods, paper goods etc) or alphabetically by product name (toilet paper under t and pillsbury under p)
#2 A Binder system. A 1 or 2 inch binder with tabbed pages and baseball card holders OR something like photo album sleeves. The tabbed pages are so you can seperate and categorize. Again you can do alphabetically or by product type.
3# Bulldog clip system. You never clip your coupons. When you take them out of the sunday paper, you clip them together with a small bulldog clip and write on the front in magic marker JANUARY 17. That way you know what date its from. This only works if you are using a coupon clipping list that TELLS you what to buy for the week.
Additional notes
There are two great sites that you can go to for coupon lists. One is free, its couponmom and the other is thegrocerygame, which is subscription based. i WOULD DEFINETLY RECOMMEND USING A LIST. You never have to think about whats on sale, it just tells you when to use what coupon. Very simple system.
Most serious couponers buy more than one paper so they can get multiple inserts. Others use a clipping service to get several coupons for items they purchase frequently.
If you are going to categorize your coupons by product category, I strongly suggest you walk around your grocery store and write down the categories in the order that you walk your store. For instance I always start in meds and vitamins, then go to personal and baby care, etc working my way down to refrigerated items and then lastly the meats and frozen items. I have about 20 categories. And I have my categories in the exact order I walk the store. That means less flipping around for me as I walk the store.
Thats about all I can think of for now. If you are going to use a premade list start with just bulldogging your inserts. If your not comfy with that then switch to an expanding file. If that still feels akward then try the binder. I've tried all systems, including switching whether I alphabetize or not, and it just simply takes a while to figure out what works best for you.
Good luck I hope I didn't overwhelm with info.
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Here is a link to an eBay auction selling the exact same coupon organizer I have. I think it works great and I'm miffed that its even cheaper than the one I bought!!
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I have a coupon organizer that has sections I labeled with different categories. I'd like to do the binder system, but shopping with 3 kids, one is in an infant carrier, plus the diaper bag and my purse....seems like another BIG thing to carry.
I try to have my coupons out with my shopping list before I leave, and arrange those in order of my store.
When I clip, I have a big envelope I put the ones I know I am sending with my coupon train directly in there, no use carrying what I know we don't use.
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I tried the expanding file for a while and it just wasn't working for me. What I bought was a very small photo album that you drop in pictures from the top. So I have more pages to separate my coupons out. I find that its easier if the categories are more specific. I really love this way.
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I use the cheap expanable way and completely dispise it!!! It is so hard to keep open and I am so unorganized with it.
Thanks kotasmomma for the link to the one you use! I love the idea of shanpping it onto the cart half the time one of the girls is in the bucket seat and they end up dumping it all over. I will be ordering one!