Coupon Organization

Okay, my last post I will snag from my beloved www.addictedtosaving.com. I promise!
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One of the most common question I get asked is how to organize coupons. It seems that this is a question I receive from newbie couponers all the way to experienced couponers. Organization is a tough challenge. Especially when you are receiving new coupons every Sunday, printable coupons, coupons in mailers, etc etc! I’ve used two different organizational methods. I started out with using a coupon binder (see Method 1 below). I now file my inserts by category and date and only cut coupons when needed (see Method 2 below).

I USE METHOD 2! And I keep the box in my car so if I find a good unadvertised sale I can walk to my car, cut out only the Qs I need then go and purchase the items.
And for my planed trips I just sit in my car before I go to the store and cut the ones I need. I realize that will not be the easiest way for everyone, but it works for me. I cannot stress how IMPORTANT it is to find an organization method that works for you, no matter how you end up doing it. When I first tried couponing in 2010 I tried cutting out every Q and it got so overwhelming that I quit. But now that I found a way that works for me, I LOVE couponing. And remember SAVE your inserts until all the Qs are expired! -Lacey

Method 1: Coupon Binder

Step 1) Buy a 3 ring binder. Preferably a binder that has zipper to keep it closed (and to keep loose coupons from escaping!) **UPDATE – An awesome source that sells coupon binders is Coupon Clutch. Go HERE to check out their binders!




Step 2) Buy Baseball Card holder sheets. (There should be 9 holders on one sheet). Use these sheets to put your coupons in. I put coupons facing the front and the back of the sheet. That way, I can hold 18 coupons per sheet.



Step 3: Cut each and every coupon on Sunday and organize your coupon sheets by category. (Put multiple copies of each coupon in just one spot – that way all copies are together) Some people organize the sheets by store aisles to make it easy to find as you are walking through your local stores. I organize my coupons by category (i.e. pasta, side dishes, produce, dairy, protein, pet products, cleaning supplies, toiletries, etc etc). That way, if I need cheese, I know to go to my dairy section of my binder and I can see all of the cheese coupons available. You can use whatever categories work best for you. The goal is to make your binder easy to use and more importantly easy to find specific coupons.



Step 4: In the inside front cover of my binder, I include important coupons that I don’t want to forget about (they are high value, maybe expiring soon, freebies, etc etc). I also keep a pair of scissors as well as envelopes for mail in rebates.

PRO’s:

You can easily carry all of your coupons into the grocery store with you.
You won’t miss out on any great deals because you will always have your coupons on hand.
It is easy to find any coupon that you need since they are all categorized in an easy to find manner.


CON’s:

You have to cut each and every coupon from Sunday’s paper which takes a bit of time. (Why do you cut EVERY coupon?? Because you never know when an item will be dirt cheap, FREE or better yet a MONEYMAKER!)

Carrying your binder in grocery stores is a bit bulky.



Method 2: Filing Inserts

Step 1) Find a box or plastic container that is large enough to hold multiple inserts when they are standing upright.

Step 2) Organize your coupon inserts each Sunday. If you buy more than one newspaper, put all SS (Smart Source) coupons together, all RP (Red Plum) coupons together, P&G, etc etc.



Step 3: Combine multiple copies of the coupon sheets within each insert. (See picture below). You are doing this so that when you need a coupon in the 2/21 RP (Red Plum from Feb 21st), you will have each coupon next to each other within 2/21 RP. You will only need to flip through the insert once and all copies will be there making it easy to find and easy to cut (you can cut all copies at once – although be careful that you don’t cut off the expiration date or barcode!)



Step 4) File Your Inserts By Date and Insert Name. On the front cover of each insert, I put a sticky note with the insert date and name. Otherwise, I would have to look at very very small print on the front binder of the front page to see what date the insert was from. I file my inserts in a box with the most recent inserts in the front and oldest inserts are in the back. In the very back I keep my All You Magazines, store flyers, etc.



PRO’s

You only cut coupons when you need them. This eliminates the time spent cutting each and every coupon on Sunday nights.
Your inserts are organized in an easy to find manner and since you have all duplicate insert sheets together, it makes it very simple to cut more than one copy of a coupon.
You will become very organized with your grocery list. I have learned that because I have to cut my coupons before I go to the store, I will stick to my grocery list and will not waiver. Sticking to my grocery list helps my budget because I know exactly what I will spend before I even step foot into the store.


CON’s

Carrying your filed inserts into a store is too bulky, heavy and just plain unrealistic.
You have to be organized. Before going to the grocery store, you have to cut each and every coupon that you need. If you forget to cut a certain coupon, you won’t have it at the store which means you won’t be able to buy the item at a cheap price.

You may miss out on deals. If you see an item is marked down on clearance to $1.00 and you know you have a $1.00 off coupon at home, you may miss out on getting the item free. If I see an item that an amazing deal (with a coupon), I will go home, find the necessary coupons and go back to the store for it. This logic is time consuming, but it forces me to determine if I really NEED the item. And, if my need is great enough, I’ll make an extra trip to get it.

It is difficult to find coupons. If I need parmesan cheese, it is impossible for me to remember what insert had parmesan cheese coupons. Use addictedtosaving coupon database!.

I started out using Method 1 and now I’m loving Method 2. The goal for couponing is to be organized. Organized enough so that when you need to put together your grocery list, you don’t have to search for an hour just to find two coupons. Let me know what you think of my methods and if you have a different method, I would love to hear about it!!

Couponing 101

I snagged this one from www.addictedtosaving as well.

I figured if I was going to give you all this information why rewrite it when Liza had it already written so nicely. :)

This article really helped me out when I first started!

Below are step-by-step instructions for beginning the process of saving. You do not need to accomplish and conquer each step immediately. Start slowly so that you don’t get overwhelmed. The goal with couponing is to have a huge stockpile of coupons to use. That way, each week when your grocery store or drugstore releases their weekly sales, you will have enough of a stash to go through in order to match the sales with coupons. If you are just starting cut coupons now, it will only take a few weeks for your coupon stash to be all encompassing. As always, email me or post any questions you might have.

Step 1: Gather at least 2 newspapers every Sunday. I personally will have at least 2 Sunday papers, but when I feel particularly adventurous, I will get 4 or 6 sets. Always get an even number of papers so you have an even number of duplicate coupons. Also, save all of your coupons since you never know when you can use your coupons with an excellent sale to score dirt-cheap or even free items!

Why do we need an even number of duplicate coupons? When Publix (and most every store) has a B1G1 sale, you can use two manufacturer coupons. For example, if toothpaste is B1G1 and you have two $1.00 off 1 tube coupons for that particular brand, you can use both coupons. You will not only get one tube of toothpaste for free, but you will save an additional $2.00 on the purchase!

Mathematical example:
Colgate Toothpaste is B1G1 (reg price per tube $3.50)
With B1G1 sale, price for 2 tubes is $3.50 (you save $3.50!)
Using two $1.00 off coupons, price for 2 tubes is now $1.50 (you save $5.50!)

Save all of your coupons even if you don’t need them right away. You never know when you will be able to get free stuff using your old coupons! If there is a great sale and you can get free cookies or fabric softener using coupons, you will regret having thrown away the coupons because you thought you won’t need them! So, save them until they expire.

Step 2: Print out coupons online. Most websites allow you to print out two coupons per printer/computer. Simply hit the back button a few times and a new coupon will print out. **Tip – print in black & white so that you don’t use color ink. Only print out the coupons you will use so as to conserve ink & paper. When you first realize the vast amount of online coupons at your fingertips, you may be tempted to print out each and every one. However, you will see that only high value coupons need to be printed out right away (they go fast). There is no need to print out and waste paper and expensive ink on hundreds of coupons that will expire and go to waste. So, print out what you need and the high value coupons.

Some of the many sources for online coupons:

coupons.com(you can also use the toolbar on the top right of this webpage)

redplum.com (you can also use the toolbar on the top right of this webpage)

smartsource.com (you can also use the toolbar on the top right of this webpage)

Target.com

pillsbury.com

bettycrocker.com

Step 3: Gather store magazines. Many stores distribute store magazines which have valuable coupons inside. Many stores have magazines right by the main entrance. The nice thing about these magazines is that often the coupons are store coupons not manufacturer coupons. This means, you can use both a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon towards one item! Save these coupons and use when the item is on sale to maximize your savings!

Mathematical Example:

Publix has Colgate B1G1. Regular price is $3.50 per tube.
Price for two tubes of toothpaste w/ sale: $3.50
Publix flyer has a 50 cents off 2 tubes coupon (store coupon)
You clipped two $1.00 of one tube manufacturer coupons.
After using all three coupons, Total price for two tubes: $1.00! (**This makes the tubes 50 cents each!)


Step 4: Buy or trade coupons online. I know this seems counterproductive – Buying coupons to save money. But, when there is a great sale, sometimes buying or trading for additional coupons is extremely beneficial. There are great websites you can go to to either buy or trade coupons. (**Tip: trading coupons is an excellent way to get rid of coupons you don’t use!! Trade them to people who do use them for coupons that you need!)

Addicted to Saving’s Coupon Database (Do you need to buy something and want to find out if there is an online coupon you can print out?)
GREAT TOOL!


Step 5: Gather Blinkies & Tearpads. These are coupons you will see throughout the store. As you walk down aisles, you may see tearpads where you can tear off a coupon or blinkies which are the little canisters that spit out coupons when you pull one. I will always take one or two of these coupons when I see them and will hang on to them until the item(s) go on sale.

**Random side note: You will also see coupons attached to items throughout the store. These coupons are called “Peelies”. There are many aggressive couponers who will peel the coupons off of items and save them until they can use/match them with a good sale. Ethically, you need to decide if this is appropriate. I’ve chosen not to do this.

Step 6: Purchase a subscription to All You Magazine. I pay for very few magazine subscriptions. Runner’s World is one of the few I can’t live without and I will pay top dollar for it. However, All You Magazine is worth the subscription price as it is jam packed with manufacturer coupons. You can also buy this magazine in Walmart.

I LOVE THIS MAGAZINE!!!

Step 7: Check the items you already have in your home! I very often will find a coupon inside of cereal boxes or toothpaste boxes. You just have to look!

Step 8: If you sign up online for a sample of a product, once you receive it in the mail, check for a coupon. Usually companies will send samples with high value coupons.

Step 9: Email your favorite manufacturers and give positive or negative feedback on their products. Very often, you will receive coupons in the mail for free products or high value money off coupons. Be sure to include the UPC # so they know you have actually purchased their product and are not just fishing around for free coupons!

Where Do I Get Coupons?

A question I often get is "where do you get your coupons from?"
I am here to answer that question!

Unfortunately 90% of the coupons I use come from the Sunday paper inserts, which as we all know we have to pay for.
There are online printable coupons available, and they come in handy often but just not as often as the Qs that come in the Sunday paper.

When I first started couponing I would buy a Sunday paper (for $2 each!!) and collect the coupon inserts. I was often disappointed because our Sunday papers do not always contain all the inserts available.
So I had to find another way to get the best inserts to maximize my savings.

This became the beginning of the "eBay era". I began bidding on inserts on eBay and I would end up paying around $5 for 5 of one type of insert. After 2 months of this the prices on eBay sky rocketed and once again i needed to find somewhere else to get inserts.

I now have a lady on my coupon forum I order from who lives in Detroit, MI (they always get the good inserts) and the prices are reasonable.
I usually pay anywhere from $8-$12 for 8-15 OF EACH insert. (most of that price is the $5.40 it cost to ship them)
For example this week I paid $12 but I am getting 10 of each inserts and there were 3 different inserts from 3/4 so that's a total of 30 inserts.

I know some of you are still unsure about spending that much just for coupons but if I average it out I will spend about $500 a year in coupons. (which I know, it seems like a lot) but in 2 months I have already saved almost $900 so even with the cost of my Qs for the whole year I have still saved $400 just since January. ($900 2 months savings savings minus $500 for an entire year of coupons)

If you find yourself still not wanting to spend that much for Qs find a coupon buddy and split it! That would cut your cost in half then you only have the amount of Qs you will most likely need. Not very often do I use all the Qs I order but it is the cheapest I have found them.

I would Love to find someone to split the Qs with because as I said I rarely ever use 10 of a certain Q. So if anyone is up for it let me know! :)

remember military families can use expired Qs so send any you have to them!

If anyone is interested in ordering from the lady I use let me know and I will privately give you her info.

Happy savings!
Let me know if you have any questions!