Note: Today’s post is a guest post from Tracy Stitchen of FoodCoupons.net. When she asked if she could write a post for me I was thrilled, and asked her if she could put together something that would help me keep better track of my coupons (and get me a little organized) and she did just that. Make sure you stop by and see her when you’re done reading. 🙂 Take it away Tracy.
One of the most frustrating parts of couponing is arriving at the grocery store only to realize you’ve left your coupons on the refrigerator door. Here’s a simple guide to getting your coupons in order so you never have to experience anything similar to Rotten Mom’s disastrous foray into extreme couponing.
Before deciding where to organize your coupons, though, it helps systematize your coupons. Separate them into categories such as the following:
1. By expiration date. Organizing coupons by the days through which they’re valid can help you never waste a free dollar again. Opt to clip coupons together according to month—even week—of expiration.
2. By product. Dairy, breakfast cereals, produce, meats, hygiene… By this system, you never hesitate which section of your coupon collection you need to turn to.
3. By alphabetical order. Not only can you sort items by product—peanut butter, jam, orange juice—but you can also sort each coupon by its brand—Skippy, Smuckers, Minute Maid, and the like.
Once you have a method for this madness, it’s time to maintain your sanity by actually bringing your coupons to order.
1. Use Envelopes. Although experienced couponers may well be beyond this, beginners find multiple (and multi-colored) envelopes useful for categorizing coupons. The pink envelop can be for coupons that expire in May if you’re organizing by expiry date, the white envelope can be for hygiene product-related coupons if you’re going by product category, and the blue envelope can hold coupons listing products beginning with the letter A to the letter G.
Envelopes can be difficult to sort through but they’re especially easy to stuff in your purse, unlike a large binder (which we will get to).
2. And put them in a box or filing system. Loose envelopes full of coupons are just asking to get knocked off the table by the cat and chewed up by the dog. Once you have the envelopes organized, you can stash them in a shoe box, accordion file, binder, or anything that fits your fancy.
If envelopes aren’t your thing, try using an index card or recipe box. With proper labeling, this is a cute and effective way to keep your coupons in line.
3. Use a wallet-sized accordion file. I find these particularly handy because they can carry a fair number of coupons and still fit in my purse. Try investing in a fabric organizer if you’re in this for the long run—paper rips and plastic cracks (and makes a bit of a racket). Make sure the accordion file or wallet has tabs on which you can adhere or write labels for your coupon categories.
4. Make your own or buy a coupon organizer. If you want something more heavy-duty than a simple wallet full of coupons, you can opt for a regular three-ring binder with zippers, inside pockets, and plenty of card holder inserts (like for baseball cards) to hold your coupons or even an actual coupon organizer like this one from Etsy.
If you’re into DIY, check out this beautiful tutorial by 2 Little Hooligans for a coupon holder complete with space for a notepad, pen, and calculator.
About the Author:
Tracy Sitchen is a veteran coupon clipper, stay at home mom, and aspiring writer. While she loves shopping, she loves the chase of the deal even more! She’s recently been writing on printable Swansons chicken broth coupons along with Venus Razor coupons over at her blog where she shares deals and discounts to help every day people save money.
I love this – thanks so much for all the great tips!