Storing and Organizing LARGE Quantities of Non-Inserts/Loose Coupons

[AJS6726]

Your system sounds similar to mine, except I do mine by mfg/brand (such as "E" for "Easy Mac" even though it's Kraft).

Oh - I forgot to post that I have done mine that way too ... labeled my cards A through Z & filed them the same way.

It does take a while to get everything set up but once your finished, it's a lifesaver !!

[xythnia]

Thanks everyone!

Latte & Shananava - I KNEW I wasn't the only one drowning in paper! DH came home and saw the living room (BTW, that picture is of the living room RIGHT between the front door and the couch...) and he was like "Oh Lord...". I had warned him I was trying to organize again...

ThickBlueBug - RIGHT before I had to stop couponing for awhile I was going to order that box!! Does it hold up well? I was only concerned that it might break easily if it is only cardboard...but I carry SOOO many around I thought it might be perfect for my "Carry-to-Store" private stash. Everything else needs a permanent home in the house!

While I've noticed a lot of people use a category method like AJS6726, I cannot deal with that. When I first started I tried, but certain things were cross-categorized in my mind. Plus, I would remember it too late and it expired... So like EverPrincess, no matter the method, I think I will have to stick with filing by Expiration just on how my mind works! However, I might see if I can use the Index Card Divider idea to section things WITHIN each box - at least split it into Food and Non-Food...

Kulis - At the store! Seriously, I tell people that the Phoenix area is a sick hotspot for every kind of non-insert except NWPN WTs (though I still find them). While it can be really time consuming, I have never left a store and NOT found a non-insert (Walmart, Target, Fresh & Easy - which is funny as they don't take Qs..., Kroger/Frys, Safeway, Albertsons, Mini-Marts/Gas Stations, Dollar General, our Latino-targeted stores, our local chains, etc). But after doing this for going on 2 years, I now know exactly how & where to look. My comic nerd DH says I get a certain look on my face when my "Coupon Sense is Tingling"...

Thanks so much for the input thus far! Anyone else? Right now I am leaning towards a slightly altered version of the bin by exp month/year again.

[xythnia]

CouponQueen83: I use something like what you described for my carry-to-store private stash. Only it was half the height and somehow fit nearly 1K of Qs *lol* And that WAS organized with tabs for A thru Z. A for Annie and Almond Breeze, etc. I LOVED that it was short so I didn't have to look -down- into it to find anything. Alas, it totally fell apart so I need to find another one (or that organizer box thing)...

Sadly I wouldn't feel comfortable using the Alpha system for the non-personal Qs because of their sheer volume. By the time I finished trades for A's a bunch of E's would be expired But when not dealing with massive amounts, I ♥ Alphabetizing Qs

[everprincess]

I also have two huge binders that mostly contains non-inserts. Those go with me everywhere. But you have more q's than two binders would hold. I hope you find a method that works for you. I'm hoping we all get better here soon and I can catch up.

[CW&M Mom]

I also paperclip coupons together ....and have begun stapling them as well...depending on what is handier.

For the q's i'm using...I use a different system.

But for the ones I will be trading....or I keep "just in case" I have 3 accordian file systems. and I file by products

so shampoo/conditioner go in one
meat goes in one
dairy goes in one...ect.

[Kulis]

Seriously, I tell people that the Phoenix area is a sick hotspot for every kind of non-insert except NWPN WTs (though I still find them). While it can be really time consuming, I have never left a store and NOT found a non-insert (Walmart, Target, Fresh & Easy - which is funny as they don't take Qs..., Kroger/Frys, Safeway, Albertsons, Mini-Marts/Gas Stations, Dollar General, our Latino-targeted stores, our local chains, etc). But after doing this for going on 2 years, I now know exactly how & where to look. My comic nerd DH says I get a certain look on my face when my "Coupon Sense is Tingling"...

Now I'm a little jealous. I've been doing this thing around two years, too, and I do search my grocery and drug stores almost every time I go. I've found only a handful of tearpads and a few blinkies. That's it. Maybe I should visit Phoenix?

[thickbluebug]

Thanks everyone!
ThickBlueBug - RIGHT before I had to stop couponing for awhile I was going to order that box!! Does it hold up well? I was only concerned that it might break easily if it is only cardboard...but I carry SOOO many around I thought it might be perfect for my "Carry-to-Store" private stash. Everything else needs a permanent home in the house!

It is cardboard, but the fabric has reinforced it. It has heavy duty card board dividing the rows.
The bottom? I haven't had any problems with it falling apart.
There is another version of this box that has velcro.
Wouldn't trust that one.
On mine the clips are good and I have used the box a lot.
It has stupid depts like vinegar and eggs. So I re-did the depts into 3 areas for the 3 q sections. I change them depending on the season and what q's are out.
1 for froz, meat, diary, and then I have drinks/sodas, paper products, cleaners and air freshner products and then I have cooking, wyb's and snacks.
Another draw back is that it slides out of the baby seat in the front of the cart. I nearly dumped all my q's once. Now I strap the top of the box in the seat like a baby and let my bags hold the bottom up.

Non-Inserts - I have Sterlite baskets I got at Walmart a long time ago. They are 11x8x4 & are stackable.

I use those milk crate/cubes for my inserts. I put a month or a week in each - depending on how much I have for the week. I no longer cut my inserts. I keep them in the crate until a sale and then I cut and file.
Got to get back to keeping a month of q's in the car. I use to print a sheet of what was in each week and put in the front of the cube.

I love the binder method, but with my arthritis - I just can't keep them loaded especially in the winter. I do have a holding file in front of each section in my binder. It's an 8x10 photo sleeve and I put what I couldn't file in it. So it's in the binder and in the correct section, but not filed yet. Works for me when I am doing the binder method.

I like how you guys are filing non inserts by exp date. That is something I haven't tried before. I think that would be easier for me to trade them and keep up with what is about to expire. I don't use a spread sheet so I let some of my non inserts exp before I can trade them since I can't see them in the box.