Organizing Coupons

Don't let the title scare you. It's not as dreadful as it sounds!

You have a few different options for organizing coupons, and you can also combine methods to find a system that works for you. THAT is the key to a good system: It works for YOU.

Option 1- Filing Inserts: This is the method that Couponmom.com creator, Stephanie Nielsen recommends. You collect your inserts and file them according to their company name. So you might have files labeled "Smart Source," Red Plum," " P & G," & "General Mills." You mark the date on the front of each insert using a Sharpie. When it's time to gather coupons for a shopping trip, you pull out the corresponding insert, & clip only the coupons you need.

Pros: You are only clipping coupons AS YOU NEED THEM. You have less coupons to lug around.

Cons: You miss out on a lot of unadvertised sales since you don't have your extra coupons with you.

Option 2 - Accordion File: With this method, you would clip all of your coupons each week, for items that you typically buy, and file them by category. Then you would take your accordion file with you on each shopping trip.

Pros: It's lightweight & you can easily tote your file with you & have all of your coupons available when you spot unadvertised deals.

Cons: You can not view several coupons at once. You must constantly flip through your file and each stack of coupons to remember which ones you have. It keeps your hands very busy. It does not allow you to store a pen & calculator. There's no way to display your shopping list.

Option 3 - The Binder: This is the method I use & I find that it works really well for me. I use a 1" 3-ring binder, with baseball card holders & dividers. I clip ALL the coupons for the items I normally buy, and tuck them into the slots. The rest of the coupons stay in the inserts, which are then filed. This binder goes with me on every shopping trip. You can totally customize your binder according to the way you think and shop for your groceries. This can be by store departments, alphabetical, store aisles, etc.

Pros: You can easily view several coupons at once, thus also building your memory for the coupons you have. It is easy to find a particular coupon. You have room to store a calculator, pen, shopping lists, & individual envelopes/pockets for different stores. And best of all, you always have your coupons with you for all of those unadvertised deals, clearance items, impromptu shopping trips, etc.

Cons: It's big. It can get heavy. You are doing a lot of clipping. It takes extra time to add your coupons to the binder.

The key is just to find some kind of system that will work for you. Each one has it's benefits, but the one that fits your lifestyle, organization method, thinking process, is the one that's going to work best for you.

If you like the Binder Method, but don't like the idea of pre-clipping all of those coupons, I have a trick to help the task go faster. Having most of your coupons with you, you can really maximize your savings by being able to take advantage of the deals you didn't know about, & avoid extra trips to the store, hoping to score the deal.

Option 4: Use a clipping service like CouponDeDe.com or ClippinCraz.com. With this method, you use an online coupon clipping service to order your coupons and whole inserts. You will still want to choose one organizational method above to store and carry your coupons.

Pros: You save time by getting the coupons already clipped, unless you order whole inserts. You only order the coupons YOU want. You can order several "like" coupons for your favorite products so you can really stock up.You can order back inserts for weeks that you weren't able to buy newspapers. These sites are very user-friendly.

Cons: You will have to pay postage/shipping costs. If you're ordering coupons for the current sale week, they may not arrive before the sale ends. You might order too many of certain coupons and some or all might expire before you can use them. They could get lost in the mail.

*More info about this method: You can also try Ebay.com for coupon clippers. (Make note to NEVER buy printable coupons from any clipping service or you run the risk of counterfeit or photocopied coupons.) When using clipping services, you could ask a (local) friend if they would like to combine the orders & save on shipping costs. 

Once you start building up your coupon stash, you will want to have a system in place so that you can start organizing right away. Otherwise, the task will be overwhelming, you'll be missing all the great deals, and some of your coupons will start to expire. All of your excitement and effort will be lost.

Ok, now that you've got all of your coupons organized, let's put them to work, shall we?

It's time to learn how to find good deals.

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Coupons, Coupons, & Coupons! Oh My! Types of Coupons & Where to Find Them

Coupons are everywhere. If you're not into couponing, you can easily become immune to them & not even notice. However, when you become a savvy couponer, you can spot a coupon from a mile away! So where do they come from?

Most coupons come from your Sunday newspaper. Each week, there is a combination of the following 4 inserts:

Smart Source (abbreviated as SS)

Red Plum (abbreviated as RP)

P & G (Proctor & Gamble) abbreviated as P&G pr PG)

General Mills (abbreviated as GM)

(The abbreviations will make more sense a little further into our coupon lessons.)

Most of the coupons that come in the newspaper inserts are called "manufacturer coupons." Occasionally, you will see what are called "store coupons," that are from a specific store, (think Target.)

"Where else can I find coupons?"

You can find printable coupons online which are called "Internet printable coupons." These can come from coupon printing websites, such as Coupons.com, or from official product websites, as well as store websites & product Facebook pages. You can print these coupons right from your home computer. There is usually a 2-print limit per coupon, per computer. You are not allowed to copy any printable coupons. It MUST be an original print out. These are also manufacturer coupons unless you are printing specific store coupons, such as Target coupons from their website. Most stores accept printable coupons.

Another type of coupon is called a "blinkie." You may have seen those tiny little blinking machines on store shelves that have coupons that automatically come out and are usually for the product on that shelf. You are allowed to take a few of these, even if you're not planning on using them during that shopping trip, but please don't empty the whole machine!

There are also "peelie" coupons. These are the coupons which are stuck to the front of certain products. It is not okay to remove these coupons unless you are buying that product. You don't necessarily have to use it during that shopping trip.

Then there are "tearpad" coupons. These are similar to the blinkies, only they are just on a tearpad near the products. Sometimes, these coupons are for products other than the ones near it and sometimes they are for things like milk, meat or produce. You are allowed to take a few of these.

Another type of coupon that you may have never heard of is a "Catalina" coupon. This is a coupon which prints out of a machine located near the register, as your receipt is being printed. Typically, it is $$ of your next purchase in that store.

The machine also prints "store" coupons which can only be used in that store.

You will also find coupons tucked inside of products that you buy & coupons in your mailbox.

When using coupons, you are allowed to use ONE manufacturer coupon, and ONE store coupon on the same item. This is called "stacking." You can never use 2 mfr. on the same item. There ARE times when you can use 2 STORE coupons on the same item. (think Walgreens) You can read about that HERE.

When reading a coupon, don't focus so much on the picture, but the words printed underneath it. Manufacturers will sometimes put a higher priced item in the picture, even though the coupon might allow you to get different products in the line than the one pictured.

Watch your coupons as they're being scanned, making sure none accidentally get skipped.

Never photo copy a coupon, even the printable ones. It is illegal.

Get to know your stores' coupon policies. These are easily obtainable online on each company's website. Print a copy to keep with you. Also keep in mind that you will probably know more about a store's coupon policy than a cashier will. Be patient. Be kind.

Don't start using coupons right away if you're not matching them to store deals! If you're using a 50 cent coupon on a higher priced item, you are not getting much savings. But if you WAIT until that item goes on sale for a low, low price AND combine that with your coupon, you are saving LOTS of cash!

Now that you've learned about all the types of coupons and where to find them, let's talk about how to organize them!

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Couponing 101: Getting Started

So you're new to using coupons & have no idea where to start. Or maybe you've done it in the past, but gave up & want to start again. Great! Let's get started! Here are some basic things to get things going.

1. First, START SAVING COUPONS! Grab all of those inserts out of the Sunday paper & keep them somewhere....in a box, bin, file box, drawer, etc. Be sure & write that Sunday's date with a SHARPIE right on the front. If you have some not marked, just look at the teeny print on the outer fold of the insert. Look really close. The date is there. Get multiple newspapers or sets of coupons, if possible. Ask friends, relatives & neighbors to save the inserts for you if they will otherwise be thrown away.  

2. SAVE other coupons! Save the ones you get along with your store receipt, the ones stuck on or tucked into products you buy, the ones you print online from places like Coupons.com.

3. Get a BINDER for your clipped coupons! Or choose another method that you think will work for you. For the binder method, all you need is a 1 inch 3-ring binder, dividers, & baseball card holders. You'll also want to have a calculator & pen with you at all times. It also helps to have some smaller clear plastic envelopes (5 or so) for each individual store. You can pick these up at office supply stores. This method is time-consuming, but it will save you the most money. 

Once you've started your coupon stash, you'll want to start searching for coupon match-ups, which are store deals that coincide with the coupons you have. For example, let's say "ABC Grocery Store" has their 32 oz. Hunt's Ketchup on sale for $1.50, & you normally buy Hunt's Ketchup. While you're searching the coupon database for deals, you see the Hunt's Ketchup deal, & the database also lets you know that you have a coupon in the Feb. 6 insert for .75 off any size Hunt's Ketchup. You would then clip that coupon & go get your ketchup for 75 cents.

Here are some good places to start for coupon match-ups, but you will also want to find a local frugal blogger that covers your local stores. You can try The Frugal Map or just start googling. These are all FREE:

CouponMom.com

TheFrugalFind.com

Becentsable.net

TotallyTarget.com

WildforWags.com

STLMommy.com (local to St. Louis)
Clippin' With Carie.com (local to STL)

DO'S & DON'T'S:

Do: try to get organized with your coupons as soon as possible in order to reap the benefits.

Do: plan to take your coupon binder on most of your shopping trips. You'll find deals you didn't know about for things you have coupons for.

Do: become familiar with each store's coupon policy & keep a printed copy in your binder.

Do: bring your print out of coupon match-ups with you on your shopping trip.

Do: plan to buy things you/your family eats/uses even if you don't need it right away, since you'll be getting it at a rock-bottom price.


Don't start going hog wild with your coupons, right out of the gate! The secret to savvy couponing is to collect your coupons and WAIT for the items hit a low, low price, then combine your coupon with the sale price. 

Don't expect to see tremendous savings in the beginning. Although you will see some, a portion of it will be going towards your stockpile since you will be buying for BEYOND this week.

Don't: be tempted to buy things you WOULDN'T normally buy. Trade or give away those coupons! You can also create a stockpile of free/almost free items you can't use and donate them to a local food bank.

Don't: buy something on sale with your coupon if you're unsure of the savings. Do the math to figure out 'price per unit'. Sale prices can be deceiving at times. 

Don't: get discouraged! We're here for you! If you want to take a break from couponing, it's O.K.!

Learn where to find coupons HERE. 

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Couponing 101: "I Shop the Weekly Sales. Why Should I Use Coupons?"

Before I started couponing, (that's totally a word, by the way,) I always considered myself a somewhat savvy shopper. Most weeks, I'd look over my store circular (same store every week, even though I have 3 major grocery stores to choose from,) I would look at what's on sale, especially in the meat department, and "try" to plan my week's meals based around that. Now if ground beef wasn't on sale & I wanted to plan at least one or two meals with ground beef, guess what....I was going to pay FULL PRICE. Yes, those 2 evil little words. But I was buying most of the other stuff on sale, so I was still doing good, right? WRONG. Even if I bought 80% of my groceries on "sale," the other 20% which I was paying full price for, basically made it a wash. Yeah, maybe I came out a little ahead, but nothing truly substantial. And just because an item is "on sale," doesn't mean you're getting it at a low price. Products go through "sale cycles" and will have many different prices throughout the cycle. These prices will range from 'full retail price' and eventually a very low price. Something might have a "sale" price, but it may only be 20 cents off. Not much of a bargain, is it?

Have I tried using coupons in the past? Kind of. I mean, I've gone all gung-ho & clipped out every single coupon from the newspaper, organized them by category in a cute little file, went to the store and used 4 or 5 them, only to totally forget about them the following several weeks until they all expired.....Does that count?

Here's a myth about coupons I used to believe: The prices on products will never go really low while there are coupons available for them.

I couldn't be more wrong. I'm sure most of you have seen or heard of someone getting a cart full of groceries for $1.72, or something crazy like that. Well, there is a strategy to that & I'm going to teach you exactly how to be that girl. But we are going to take baby steps to get there, so this will not happen overnight.

I bet you can think of at least 10 items you have purchased in the past week that you paid full-retail price for, right? Would you like to not even be able to remember FIVE things you paid full price for? Yes? Great. Let's move on.

So, you're probably wondering, What is the point of couponing?

The whole goal behind couponing, is to buy the items your family uses regularly, at the lowest possible price, and BEFORE you need them, and in turn, building a stockpile.

What's a stockpile, you ask?

A stockpile is a collection of products that your family uses over the course of a certain length of time, for instance, 3 months. Here's an example:

If you could buy toothpaste for 50 cents a tube, by matching a coupon with a great store sale, wouldn't it make sense to buy 10 of them, instead of paying full price for 1 or 2 (without coupons) because that's all you need right now? You will probably pay less and come out ahead by buying the 10 for 50cents each deal, then buying 2 at regular price. AND you will not need to buy toothpaste for several weeks. Well, guess what? You can do this with almost ALL of your groceries and household items.

"But how do I know when it's a good time to match a coupon to a store sale to get a really great deal?"

We'll get to that in due time. For now, let's take about Types of Coupons & Where to Find Them or head over HERE for a quick lesson in how to get started couponing. 

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Come join us at  The Coupon Club on Facebook for general discussions on couponing. This is a place for readers to share tips, ideas and experiences, ask advice, trade coupons, etc. 

Couponing: Shopper's Secrets

Here are some insider secrets to help you be a smart & savvy shopper....

Get multiple coupons! Having multiple coupons allows you to stock up on items when they are really cheap or free.

Sunday Newspapers: Plan to buy between 2 & 5 Sunday newspapers each week, or ask family & friends to save the coupon inserts for you.

Use a clipping service if you don't wish to clip coupons. Some great ones are CouponDeDe.com, MyCouponHunter.com & ClippinCraz.com.

Get clipped coupons or whole inserts from Ebay. This is a great way to kick start your couponing if you choose to go that route.

Print coupons online using coupon websites such as Coupons.com, Bricks.com, SmartSource.com, & Redplum.com

Get organized & never go shopping without your coupons & your lists!

You have different options for organizing your coupons. Find a system that works for you. Make a plan each week of what stores you will shop at for stockpiling and "need now" items. Create your coupon match-up lists using websites like Couponmom.com, TotallyTarget.com, WildforWags.com, TheFrugalFind.com, and if you're local to St. Louis, get "Clippin With Carie" at SavingMoneyinMissouri.com. 

If you don't know of any coupon websites local to your area, try TheFrugalMap.

Shop Smarter!

Shop alone when possible. You will be able to focus more on what you're doing.

Create a "Price Point" list. Use a simple chart to track prices so that you know when it's a good deal, and when it's just meant to LOOK like a good deal, and you'll know when it's time to stock up. You can print a free one HERE. 

Shop early. If there are other couponers in your area, you'll want to get an early start before items run out.

Bigger is not always better. If you are able to use a coupon on a smaller sized item, the 'price per unit' will usually be cheaper than buying the bigger size.

Stick to your list, unless you find a great deal to combine with a coupon.

Don't pay full retail price, unless you need the item and can't wait till a sale comes around. Then, only buy the amount you really need. 

Check your receipt carefully BEFORE leaving the store. Sometimes deals don't work out as planned. Coupons get skipped. Items ring up incorrectly. Double check your receipt so you can straighten out any errors right there on the spot.

Don't end up on TLC's Extreme Couponing!

Start your stockpile slowly as you find good deals. Stay within your monthly grocery budget. If you're able to get an item really cheap or free, buy more than what you need for that week. 

Donate. When you feel you have gone a little overboard with free stuff in your stockpile,(which you probably will at some point) donate some of the extra items to a local food pantry or put together a care package for a soldier in the military.


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