How long do you keep your inserts?

[ladycat00]

I started filing and dating my inserts in February. I went through the February ones today and found almost all the coupons had expired. I threw away the inserts except for several unexpired coupons I found in them.

How long do people normally keep them before most of the coupons are expired? What is the best age for looking through them to find the few unexpired coupons so that I can throw the rest away?

[kval07]

I don't keep inserts because I find it untidy. I clip all the coupons I want or ones I know I can trade. By now I know which ones to not even bother butting. I have plastic drawer thingies that I put all my trading coupons in, and I do one date per drawer. Every Saturday night, I go through everything I have and throw out expireds.

There is an easy way for you to check if an insert has any unexpireds in it if you don't clip your inserts. Go to the coupon database and type in the insert. Ex 06-07-09 PG. If nothing shows up under there, that means everything in it is expired. That is if you have your parameters set to "not expired."

[meems]

Mine's based on storage space, I can store 19 weeks worth, when I do a rotation I'll get rid of 3 weeks at a time (I have three 3 drawer sterile containers for the 9 most recent weeks inserts..hence the 3 thing...the rest go in a closet in sterilite baskets with dates taped to the outside.)

[skimo]

I keep mine until they are expired, then I toss them. If there is a long-dated
coupon(s) that I think is worthy of keeping for a trade, I pull those and toss the rest of the insert. HTH!

[FaithfullyFrugalMomof4]

What about HCW's new feature "Coupons to Troops"? How would one work that into a "rotation system"? I'd like to contribute my expired's, but cannot figure out how to do it in an organized way. Any ideas? :hectic1:

[ladycat00]

I don't keep inserts because I find it untidy. I clip all the coupons I want or ones I know I can trade. By now I know which ones to not even bother butting. I have plastic drawer thingies that I put all my trading coupons in, and I do one date per drawer. Every Saturday night, I go through everything I have and throw out expireds.Mine aren't messy in the hanging file system. I put the inserts into large manilla envelopes and then into the hanging files.

Clipping them all just isn't an option. I have bad arthritis and I get large numbers of inserts out of the paper recycling bin. If I spent a few hours clipping coupons, I wouldn't be able to use my hands again for days.

Also it would take up a HUGE amount of room trying to file a few thousand coupons individually, and I'd lose track of that many.

I NEED as many coupons as possible because of the large amount of donating that I do on a small fixed income.

The easiest way for me to handle the number of coupons I have, is to file the inserts, then find what I need out of them by using the coupon database here.There is an easy way for you to check if an insert has any unexpireds in it if you don't clip your inserts. Go to the coupon database and type in the insert. Ex 06-07-09 PG. If nothing shows up under there, that means everything in it is expired. That is if you have your parameters set to "not expired." I didn't know you could search by insert that way. Thanks!! That solves my problem. I will now be able to easily keep up with how many usable coupons are in an older insert.

[weekitty]

I do similar to ladycat, i use file jackets (colored ones) each weekend gets a color (there are 5 colors) and i put them in the book case. the date and SS or RP ect is written on the side so i can grab what i want... i keep at least 6 months, or until i can no longer move without tripping over them.. glad to know about the data base insert thing.. that will help a lot... thanks

[kval07]

Mine aren't messy in the hanging file system. I put the inserts into large manilla envelopes and then into the hanging files.

Clipping them all just isn't an option. I have bad arthritis and I get large numbers of inserts out of the paper recycling bin. If I spent a few hours clipping coupons, I wouldn't be able to use my hands again for days.

Also it would take up a HUGE amount of room trying to file a few thousand coupons individually, and I'd lose track of that many.

I NEED as many coupons as possible because of the large amount of donating that I do on a small fixed income.

The easiest way for me to handle the number of coupons I have, is to file the inserts, then find what I need out of them by using the coupon database here.I didn't know you could search by insert that way. Thanks!! That solves my problem. I will now be able to easily keep up with how many usable coupons are in an older insert.

When I first started my hands killed me on Sundays. On good weeks I buy 10 papers. I put like with like and I cut all 10 sheets at once with a rotary cutter. After finding this, scissors are just way too much work and too much pain. I cut a billion times faster (about 30 minutes for 3 inserts) and my hands never hurt.

I have two piles-one for my binder for personal use, the other for my trading drawers and baskets. All coupons up for trade are paperclipped as soon as they are cut. I have two plastic drawer things with 3 drawers per, one week per drawer. One of them is devoted to randoms and extras I get. Those are fillers and extras for trade envies that go out. I have five drawers to work with as far as insert weeks. When I need room for a new week, the oldest insert (or the drawer with the least amount of stuff) gets divided in to little baskets that I have in a dresser drawer right by my desk...meds, hba, food, pets/baby/misc and household. Newer stuff is easier to find by insert date, older stuff (since they get weeded out by expiration date) is easier to find by category. I like my system and don't anticipate changing it.

Having to go in and cut things out weeks after the fact is not something I have the time or room for. It took me a while to come up with the system I have right now. This system is tidy and quick for me.

One of the reasons I quit dumpster diving was I hated coming home and sorting like for like and cutting that way. I had coupons sitting all over the place all the time. It wasn't worth my time and effort.

[ladycat00]

Everyone has the system that works for them. One person's system may not work for someone else. :smile: