Organizing Your "Carry To Store" Coupons

[Laura-Jean]

I found out the hard way a box or index card holder will not work for me! I had my 20 mo old daughter with me at Harris Teeter and she reached for the box knocking it off the cart and all over the floor!!!! The HOURS I spent organinzing went wasted and BOY was that embarassing... My mom was with me; she, the store manager and I were crawling on the floor scooping them up and just shoving them back into the box.
I quickly discovered the binder method kept more inside when dropped or thrown by an almost 2 year old and that PAGE PROTECTORS the size of a whole page works best for me I slid a piece of printer paper in each sleve and wrote catagories along the outside edges (Ex: baby, beverages, bread, can goods, cleaning products, etc.) Then I just clip the coupons and throw them into the pockets. The baseball card thing agravated me because I had to cut coupons so close or fold them to fit them into the pocket.
I love the new system!!

[tootie571]

I was using a check organizer till some sap stole it out of my basket last month! Now I have learned that the binder system is much easier. I use photo pages that hold 3 4x6 with a corner pocket that I can use to mark the pages.

[powellzk]

LauraJean I sympathise with your dumped coupons, my mother dumped my 2 boxes of sorted photos......Sounds like you got a great system now.

Nancy

[kaykwilts]

I try to go to the recycling bins every Monday and get inserts. Some weeks they are emptied before I get to them like the week before Easter there were none. Here I have all these inserts from two months back just piled in a box. I don't really know what I have. I need a method of organizing them. I have lost out on some deals because I didn't know what I have. I'd also like to start sharing with people here. I rarely get all the inserts that is listed on taylortown.

I really do need to tips to organize my coupons. Is there a forum here that deals with this issue?

[ctmom]

I'm trying to "turn over a new leaf" and be a more dedicated couponing single Mom. What is the easiest, most convenient and fastest way to organize my coupons to get started??? Any suggestions from seasoned "coupon veterans"??? Thanks ctmom

[strawberryjayne]

How do you categorize your coupons? By expiration date? or by name of product alphabetically??

[sdimon]

I organize mine by aisle or category ie
condiments
dressings
meats
canned goods
cereal
baking goods

If you want me to pm you all my categories jlmk.

[mamacathie]

I alphabetize by brand names. For example, hot pockets are under "H", Suave under "S". If you have any more questions just pm me.

[Mikki 316]

My favorite way to organize Qs is to use a binder and sports card inserts. However, since going back to work full-time (+!), I haven't been able to carve out the time to keep it up to date. Now, I just keep the inserts in a file box (one you could actually carry with you, if you wanted) and cut as I need them. Then, I keep up with the previews for the stores I shop and cut them as needed and just keep them in small photo albums with the pages you can just slip the Qs into. I keep one for each store, along with my shopping list for that store. These fit nicely into my purse.
Also, if there's something I'm hoping to find a good deal on, I have an album for those Qs as well. I also keep a small memo notebook in my purse to write down any good deals I find and need Qs for. Then when I'm home, I can just add those Qs to the album and next time I'm out, I can stop by and pick up those items. I keep all my cut Qs alphabetized by however I can remember the item. It might not make sense to someone else, but I can find it if I need it. I keep these in smallish plastic cd boxes with handles, and keep them in my car, so I can run out to retrieve them if I need to. HTH.

[p6waite]

I posted the system I use a long time ago, but I would like to offer to share what I know to make couponing simple. Basically, I want to share my work so others don't have to duplicate the efforts as much. Besides, there's alot of work behind it, and it would make me happy to have the final results be of more use than to me alone. I live in the Kansas City area, so if you'd like more personal, that's the area where I can travel to help.
Every week, I get my papers- the rule of thumb I learned/like is 1 insert per family member, 2 to build a supply. If this number is too little or too much, adjust it as you need. Our local paper has all the coupons of the big city paper, but is $0.50- $0.75 depending on where you get it for the Saturday paper that has the coupons in it(they don't have a Sunday edition). I stack my coupons. Please PM for further explanation. This takes 20 minutes a week, but when I go to clip a coupon, I only clip it once and have 10 of them.
I then put my stacked coupons in a file folder by week.
I keep an ongoing excel spreadsheet of our active coupons for our area. This is similar to the coupon database, but is specific for my region's coupons. It is pretty easily changable to area specific inserts, so if you're interested,.... My husband knows how to do alot of stuff in excel... he's a stud!!! Love excel... Again, PM me for more information.
When I get my weekly circulars, I look through for sale prices. I then query in excel to see if I have a coupon for an item. If I do have a coupon, I use my judgement to decide if the after coupon amount is decent- i.e. is this a price I am willing to pay, or not, and do I stock up at this price? THIS PART is SUBJECT TO MY JUDGEMENT OF WHAT MY FAMILY WILL USE AND IS MY FAMILY-SPECIFIC.
I make a list like this every week. If a store doesn't have enough to make me think it's worth my gas, I don't go there.
I never clip until I am ready to use it, and the system I use makes it very easy to find.
I would love to share. I enjoy couponing, I am good at it, and I like to help others use what I see as a valuable tool.

Thanks for listening. Good luck. All my best.
Ka