Tips: Organizing / Storing Your At Home Coupons / Inserts, Etc.

[txmom]

Wow, this is totally overwhelming to a newbie! But such great info!!

I was wondering, if you file by like pages, what if the pages have a different type of coupon on the front and back? For example, what if 1 side is frozen veggies and the other side is cat food? What category does it get filed in?

[Couponclipper60]

I put mine in a binder inserted into page proctectors. I have 3 notebooks. 1 for smartsource, 1 for redplum and the other for the extras. I put them in date order. Hope this helps

[luckimomma]

Honestly, I think my biggest expense doing this is the organization! I have done every method around- coupon boxes, $$ coupon box, binder (baseball card insert AND 4x6), and now I'm going to insert filing. There is no way I'm every going to clip all my coupons and get them filed. Not enough hours in the day.

My latest venture is a file box with a handle, hanging files, sorted my company (SS, RP & PG), I'm tearing the pages apart and stapling them together, then using a binder clip to keep that issue all together with the date on the front. I'm putting those in order, newest 1st. I think I'm going to put my loose coupons (sorted and stapled) in my original small coupon box, by date expiring (not sure about this).

I don't take any q's with me to the store except those I'm going to use- I may miss out on a deal here or there, but in the grand scheme, it's not that often I run into a great deal. I do keep my "special" coupons in a smallish coupon wallet that's always in my purse- the freebies, hot things I know I'll use, deal or not, ECB's, RR, special stuff.

[House_Of_Six]

I have a question....How do you know when to get rid of a certain file. I have inserts from 5/08. How about the P&G inserts do they only go to till the end of the month then I can toss?

Just was wondering with the very experienced couponers what their organization is with getting rid of inserts if there is a certain time frame, or they have it marked on calenders when to get rid of them.

Thanks!

[Moma]

Originally Posted by House_Of_Six I have a question....How do you know when to get rid of a certain file. I have inserts from 5/08. How about the P&G inserts do they only go to till the end of the month then I can toss? Just was wondering with the very experienced couponers what their organization is with getting rid of inserts if there is a certain time frame, or they have it marked on calenders when to get rid of them. Thanks!

you could look thru the insert and find the oldest date...then write that on the front and when you hit that date...voila..in the recycle bin...or..off to a military family!!

[zaxandpax]

new to couponing. trying to get organized and maybe start trading??

1) how long do you keep the flyers?
WAG
SS
PG

the WAG flyer seems to expire each week.. is there any reason to keep it after the end of the week?

SS & PG flyers after a certain time period, do you clip coupons you want and trade/trash the rest? it seems like some of those coupons had March expiration dates. That seems like a lot of filing.

[luckimomma]

I keep the weekly sales ads (Wags, CVS, Target, etc) for that week, or at least until I KNOW I won't get back to that store.

As for the coupons- it depends on how you want to sort and file them. I always get at least 3 or 4 papers or more, I've tried most of the methods around, and so far, the easiest for me is to date the insert, then tear the pages apart, staple the like ones together, then use a binder clip to hold that whole week together. I keep them in a file box, with hanging files, sorted by company- SS, RedPlum, P&G, my grocery store. My loose coupons (from stores or the mail) I have in a smaller binder with baseball card pages.

I don't throw out ANY coupons until they expire, you never know what might be a money maker- never thought I'd buy a glucose meter, but I've bought several. or rather they've given me money to take them home, Cover Girl makeup breaks me out, but I still buy it, and give it away- since they're paying ME to take it.

[jolly321]

I am in the process of organizing the same way as luckimomma. In the two months I have been here, I have attempted 4 - 5 different organizing methods. The best thing I started was taking the inserts apart and stapling them together. However, I am stating to organize them by date in hanging folders.

Also, I keep all Q's even if I don't need them or I think it is only .50 off. Every week, I find a sale that shocks me and I use those Q's. A good example is this week .25 off Country Crock butter. The med size is BOGO. Therefore, use two of the Q's on the BOGO item and you saved .50 and got one free.

HTH

Originally Posted by luckimomma I keep the weekly sales ads (Wags, CVS, Target, etc) for that week, or at least until I KNOW I won't get back to that store. As for the coupons- it depends on how you want to sort and file them. I always get at least 3 or 4 papers or more, I've tried most of the methods around, and so far, the easiest for me is to date the insert, then tear the pages apart, staple the like ones together, then use a binder clip to hold that whole week together. I keep them in a file box, with hanging files, sorted by company- SS, RedPlum, P&G, my grocery store. My loose coupons (from stores or the mail) I have in a smaller binder with baseball card pages. I don't throw out ANY coupons until they expire, you never know what might be a money maker- never thought I'd buy a glucose meter, but I've bought several. or rather they've given me money to take them home, Cover Girl makeup breaks me out, but I still buy it, and give it away- since they're paying ME to take it.

[mccoolcarol]

I cut mine out and put them in a binder. If you just staple them together and file them how do you know what coupons you have? Do you just look through each one to see whats on sale? I'm still trying to figure out the best way to organize them.

[luckimomma]

Originally Posted by mccoolcarol I cut mine out and put them in a binder. If you just staple them together and file them how do you know what coupons you have? Do you just look through each one to see whats on sale? I'm still trying to figure out the best way to organize them.

Use the coupon database here- tells you where to look in your stash, by the type, date, amount and source.

I HAD to start filing by insert- there was no way I could keep up and still have a life- I ended up with too many unclipped or unfiled loose coupons that I had no idea I had... I still use a smaller (1") binder for my loose coupons- those tearpads, blinkies, clipped but not used, ones.