How I Organize Coupons Without Spending A lot of Time

Most couponers will tell you 3 different ways to organize your coupons:

1. In a Coupon accordian style wallet with general product types (i.e. dairy, can goods, toiletries, etc)

2. In a zipped binder that holds baseball card sheets full of clipped coupons.

3. In a file with the whole newspaper insert.
I can tell you, I've tried all three.

First, I tried the coupon wallet, but after I got more and more into couponing, it was not sufficient to hold all the coupons I had. Then 1 wallet turned in to 3, and it just became to hard to keep up with

I tried for a long time to do the binder. Clipping multiple coupons and putting them in their own slot under the appropriate heading. I almost drove myself crazy and it would have caused me to stop couponing all together. I simply could not devote the time that it took every week to keep that up. The main reason is because I buy at least four papers every week, that is alot of coupons to clip and organize.

Finally I settled on the whole insert file system. I re-purposed a Rubbermaid file box, recycled some hanging file folders and tabs and created a nice little file system that sits on my desk all the time. I take the inserts out of each week's paper, write the date on the front of each insert and drop it in the hanging file folder with the date tab. I also have a file for Publix, Kroger and Whole Foods where I keep store-specific coupons. And sometimes, I'll get a coupon book from a particular company like P&G and often I drop those down in front, so I can see them and remember I have them.

I use couponing websites like Hot Coupon World, A Full Cup and Southern Savers to help match up coupons to the weekly sales. These sites will tell the location of each coupon that is available for an item on sale. They also have searchable databases that you can look up a certain product to see if there is a coupon available. When I find it on the database I can quickly go to my files, pull the insert and clip the coupon needed.

I keep the inserts for approximately 3 months (sometimes four). Most insert coupons have a 3 month life-span. There are exceptions, so I try to scan them before tossing them into the recycling bin. If there is still a valid coupon that I think I might use, then I cut it out and keep it.

I still use my binder and one of the coupon wallets. The coupon binder is where I keep loose coupons I get from tearpads, blinkies or other locations and internet printed coupons that I am saving for later use. I don't have a ton of those coupons so a few minutes a day putting those away is not that hard.

I keep restaurant, Groupons, Smartcard and other misc activity coupons in my coupon wallet. This way, I will have them in my purse when the need for them arises. I've also started keeping a few grocery coupons in there. Mainly it's organic coupons because I often find the best deals on organic groceries when they are on markdown or an unadvertised sale.

By using this hybrid method of coupon organizing I have been able to save my sanity while saving our family hundreds (maybe thousands by now) of dollars on grocery and other items.

Do you have time-saving coupon tricks? Let me know!


This is linked to Works For Me Wednesday at We are That Family.