Like most anything in life, there appear to be many differences when it comes to organizing coupons. I'll talk about what has and has not worked for me, and send you in a few directions to figure out your own way. One thing I have learned is that pre-planning and putting some time into organizing WILL help you get in and out of the store faster and more efficiently.
Go with no plan and a handful of loose coupons? Prepare to be annoyed and lose money. Been there.
File Method - This method has you place all of your coupon inserts into an accordion file. With a black sharpie, you note the date on the front of each insert. You do not clip any coupons until you are about to go grocery shopping. Then, you simply clip what you need and go! No need to lug anything to the store, and you just have your own list and a small bag of coupons. Or you can tuck them in your wallet or purse. Jen at Southern Savers is amazing and notes that this is her method of choice. She talks about it here and I count on her to do my weekly coupon matches. More on that later.
(Note the Toy Story band-aid stolen from my daughter. Not off a booboo, but from the box. That would be mean.)
I used this method for a few months when I first started. It was the best place to start for me, especially since I was overwhelmed with the amount of coupons I had lying around. It got them together in one central location and initially, saved me money.
However, as I got savvier, I realized I needed to have access to my coupons all the time. Meaning, if I saw a great deal at the store, I wanted to be able to have the coupon easily accessible. That's harder to do with the file method. It was also easier to forget I had certain coupons. If I couldn't see them all, it was harder to recall what I had and had not already clipped. I also found myself not needing a large amount of the coupons I was saving. From each insert, I might only use half or less than half of the available coupons. What was I supposed to do with the rest? I'll answer that later too.
So... I moved on.
You will need:
- one accordion file
- one sharpie
- plenty of inserts
Binder Method: The binder method is the creme de la creme of couponing. It's where most people end up when they get really serious. Heard of the Krazy Coupon Lady? This is her method of choice, along with many other hard-core couponing champions. These ladies have a great video tutorial about getting your binder organized. I suggest starting there if you really want to use this method. It requires more up front work than the file method.
But the payoff is sweet. I'd say now, on a given week, I clip and organize for about an hour. When you think about the hundreds of dollars I'm saving us, it's time well spent. (Oh, I love a good pun!)
You will need:
- a sturdy 3-ring zippered binder w/ pockets (this is the exact one I use)
- LOTS of top-loading card holders (something like this or this)
- several dividers OR post-it tabs (see pic above)
Ultimately, I am saving time when I head to the store. I have my binder organized by very general sections. I have designated areas for baby items, home goods, pet, health/beauty, grocery, freezer/meats, dairy/misc., and store or catalinas. I can easily flip to a section, locate the coupon I need, and move on. I usually pre-pull the coupons I know I will use, and keep them in a front zippered pouch in my binder. But, I love having all of them with me (security issues? maybe) so I can use one on any other deals that pop up. Stores are constantly changing their sales and I never want to miss out.
Combining Methods: I mix both of these methods together and my new system seems to be working really well. I still keep all my inserts filed in my accordion file. Most coupons expire every 6-8 weeks, so I keep the oldest inserts in the front of the file. Then, as they expire, I yank them out.
However, I am pre-clipping all coupons that I think I will use over the next two months. Whenever an insert comes my way, I cruise through it quickly and clip away. Every week I do a quick "getting to know you" with my coupons. I pull expired ones, mourn the loss, and move on.
If I have two coupons for the same product, I keep the one that will expire first, on top. Then, I layer additional ones behind.
I feel this is the most efficient way of handling the mountain of coupons I have now, although I am still a newbie in the coupon game. Whatever your method, just know it will take time to work out the kinks. You might find you hate how tedious keeping a binder can be, and may resort to just the file. Stay on top of what coupons you do acquire, whatever way that may be. I tend to shut down when I slack off for a couple of weeks and the pile of inserts starts to stack. It's not pretty.
If you are curled up watching TV or a movie, just clip a few inserts and organize them. It won't take long once you get in a routine.
Next time, we'll talk about additional places you can score coupons and websites for coupon matching. There is no point in reinventing the wheel when it comes to coupons, there is a wealth of information out there in cyberspace.
Get organized before you hit the store. You will be so grateful in the end.
Happy Couponing!
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