Mega Insert Organizing ROAK

[Chrysalis101]

I have a VERY WONDERFUL friend who works for a newspaper. When she realized that this coupon thing was not going to just be a fad for me she decided to help by bringing me all the left over inserts she had each week. This was the first week she's done this for me and she gave me a stack (I'm not exaggerating) a foot thick. I have between 50 and 100 copies of everything! Who wants to be her friend too?? To be clear, I'm not complaining AT ALL. But I do have a problem now, how do I organize all these Qs so I can do ROAKs, trades, trains and possibly sell them on e-bay?

There will be an envie full of inserts from last Sunday (4/17). Winner(s) will be randomly chosen using a generator. You'll have an opportunity to tell me which Qs you want (but all will be from (4/17). I'll pick on Tuesday 4/26.

So, how do I cut, sort and organize so many Qs?

[CW&M Mom]

When I cut a lot at once...I sort per page...I staple a portion of the coupon that won't affect reading it..and I cut around it.

[blossomed]

I would suggest purchasing one of those big arm paper cutters. I would cut and sell the "hots" as soon as I got them. I would also consider setting up a station at my house - with a file drawer system. At the station include envelopes, stamps, a calendar (where I would notate when any hots are expiring (then as that date draws closer you can make sure you have moved all of them?) and really having the computer and HCW close by makes sense too!

I use a lot of paper clips to keep things neat.

Wow lucky you!

[kjo890]

First, I'd sort them into stacks according to the week & brand (SS, RP, etc.). Then I'd pick one from each stack to go through and flag which coupons you want to keep vs. which ones you want to sell. Then you already have an idea what is in the rest of the stack.

I'd then go through and find the "HOT" coupons and take those out. Put them in a stack and trade/sell/use them.

I'd probably recommend waiting on cutting out all the coupons from each individual insert until you have a trade or you need to use them.

[cody82414]

What an awedsome find!

I file full inserts by the dates in a hanging file system.
I enter them into the database immediately
and when needed,
I take 5 sheets at a time to clip identical coupons.
I do not use staples though.

Good on you!

[trvaliant]

I had a friend give me stacks for about 2 months too, I just stacked them by date-it wasn't the prettiest organizing ever-but when I needed an insert, it was pretty easy to find. When you have 100 or so, it's not so efficient to put each of the inserts into files, and sort each page together-unless you have little kid helpers maybe...
The coupon database is a life saver though.

[lrehman816]

I sort all of mine in a file cabinet by date and then clip as needed. It seems to be the easiest for me, and when someone is looking for a particular coupon I know exactly where to find it.

[Dorsey]

When will we be seeing you on extreme couponing? Everyone has great suggestions. I'd enlist a couple friends to help me. Pay them in coupons. To bad you don't live in MI, I'd volunteer for the job.

[cpaige]

Wow!! What a nice thing for your friend to do!!

I would make stacks of each (SS, RP, etc), write on the cover page SS 4/17 in black marker. Next sort them into page piles, and clip them together. I Like the binder clips, they hold everything together very well. Once you have your page piles, using a large binder clip, clip them back to each other so that they are still with their section, yet separate. Does that make sense? Since we pretty much always know what will be in the inserts before they come out, check out that thread and write down the ones you know are hot ones. This way, as you are making your page piles, you can have them already to go and can be clipped right then and there, or later.

And as a PP said, def make yourself a work center!! You don't want coupons taking over your work space.

[stephpinktree]

That's a great friend! Like Ireh said, I use a file box. I use a folder and write the date of the insert on the outside and file them away until I need to cut out a coupon. I use to cut each out and that was taking up a lot of space. So I store them away and it is easy to go back to them and clip when there is a sale.