Here are my coupons. They are taking up our whole family desk–believe it or not there is an actual computer under there! Someone please help…I am so unorganized lately. Sad to say–I can’t wait for a coupon break! Speaking of organized-How do you organize your coupons?
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My Name is Josie and I live in sunny Southern California and I am a stay at home mom to three beautiful boys. We all know that living in California is a task of it's own and saving in California IS possible! I started this blog mainly to share all the awesome deals out there and show others how to save in any area of life. Even though you may make the commitment to be frugal and pinch your pennies doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice!
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I actually just sort my inserts by type (SS, RP, P&G, GM and restaurant). I can’t even imagine getting a binder! The SS stay in their own stack organized by date and then the RP is another stack and I keep the P&G on top of that and so on. I use the deal matchups from the blogs and coupon databases to locate what I need. I just pull the inserts when I need them and return them to the stack and then just use a small organizer to take to the store. I live in a small apt and I keep all of this under one side of the bed. I keep all of the ads I have for the week in one stack on my counter and throw them out when I am done. I just don’t have enough space to let coupons consume anything! Good Luck organizing Josie!
I have tried just leaving the inserts together and clipping as I need them but have always found that I go to the store and see something I know I have a coupon for–but is sitting in that pile at home!
Hey Girl! I put mines in a 3 Ring binder with Baseball card holders to hold the coupons. I only have a few sections but to me it is easier that way. I have seen some that have alot of sections but to me that just is not my style. I do what works best for me.
My Binder consists of:
3 Ring Binder 2 inch (soon will be 3in)
Sheet protectors
Baseball card holder sheets
Pencil holder (has 3 ring binder tabs)
Scissors
pens
calculator
I have the pencil holder first then after that I put my Sheet protectors.
I have atleast 10 in the front. I keep weekly circular for eash store I shop at indivually in ther own sheet protector, Along with the coupons I am going to use with my list for the store. Cardena’s, Tapatio, Food4Less, Albertson’s, Vons, Ralphs, CVS, RiteAid, Walgreens & Target.
For example in RiteAid. I have the weekly circular, My Video Value Coupons, Rite Aid Coupon Booklet, and my list of things i am buying that week with my manufacture coupons i am using. SO when i go to that store I have eveything in 1 spot. I do bring in my WHOLE Binder to every store just in case my scenarios dont go as plan and i can put a filler in or if i see clearnance items and it is a good deal i can have my coupons with me accesable and easy.
Then after all the sheet protectors. I have sections Tabs labled:
Healthy & Beauty
Household Items
Cereal & snacks
Baking & Cookies
Groceries
But in al the catagories i have atleast 10 Baseball card holders
For example in my Groceries section on the first page of baesball card holders I have all my meats (sliced, lunchmeat, hot dog, prepacked meats)
2nd page Cheese’s (all dairy products) 3rd page canned food ETC. Makes it more organzied in each section for me that way.
On Sunday it is PayDay (that is what my 9 yr Daughter says). She helps me cut and put coupons in ther designated area. She just loves helping. I have a sone that is 7 and a daughter that is 3 but my son is like “whatever” and my 3 yr old is not that good at cutting on straight lines LOL. Sometimes it can be COUPON OVERLAOD but I do love saving money. Also
on my BInder I used my neices old binder and i still kept her pictures that she drew on it and my son and my 2 daughters colored a sheet for the back which just adds that final cute touch.
Well I hope this helps you out. I know If i was not organized like this I would never save MONEy with COupons. Also having help from my 9 yr really helps me out.
Love to hear what you put together!
Christle
Sounds like you are very organized! I tried the coupon binder but it just was too much to go through-and I’m a tad OCD and hate folding my coupons
I love that you get your children involved with clipping. My son just looks at me and says “More coupons?!” LOL. I love “payday”! what a great way for your daughter to relate to saving money
No No don’t take a coupon break! I just found you last week and I am fairly new to couponing and you have saved me literally tons of money already( Vons delivery deal , Rite Aid candy deal, Food 4 Less free cheese and more . You rock girl really. My stuff is a mess too. I use a combo of the binder method and dating the circulars. I also live in Riverside. Anyway just wanted to say keep up the good work.
lori
Thanks Lori! I’m soo kidding about the coupon break! LOL I just can’t keep up.
My husband really thinks I need a coupon intervention 
Coupon Intervention… LOL I dont think he would like that cuz then you will be paying regular price (YIKES) I cringe at the idea….
Yikes! That looks like my mess!!! I’m the wrong person to give advice on this topic! ha!
I think we can all relate to that picture. There are times when I can’t see my desk, computer, or scissors because they are buried under a pile of coupons. It’s called trying to juggle a home, a husband, kids, fur babies, and strategic shopping all at the same time. It’s sometimes too much. It happens to us all…and it’s okay to take a break every once in a while. Then when you come back, it is actually fun again (after you get caught up that is)!
Like Lori, I also use a combo of the binder method and dating the inserts. I clip and file items I know my family will use. These go in my binder sorted by category, in baseball card sleeves.Then, the rest of the inserts get dated and filed in a file cabinet out in the garage. This way, in case I come across an awesome deal on something I didn’t originally clip, I can go back and easily find it.
I have also tried just dating the inserts in their entirety and clipping as I need, but this method didn’t work for me. Too many times I would come across an unadvertised deal that I knew I had a coupon for. It was so frustrating to have to walk away from an item that I could get at rock bottom price because my inserts were neatly filed away at home. Then I had to decide whether it was worth coming back for…and if it would even still be there. There are also more times than not that I have to change a deal scenario around because they are out of an item that I had planned on purchasing. This is especially important at Rite Aid where I use the $5/$25 coupon. In the past, I would just go to the store with the coupons I planned on using. If they were out of an item, my whole planned trip would be a waste. Now that I use the binder method, I have plenty of coupons on hand to re-work my scenarios right there in the aisle.
This is what works for me. But everyone has to find what works for them at the stage and season of life they are in. What works for me today may not work for me tomorrow. It’s all about being flexible and giving yourself a break when you get behind…even when your desk is buried under a pile of coupons
. Walk away, spend some time with your family and come back to it when you feel refreshed. Until then, let it be…it will be there, looking just like you left it, when you are ready to tackle it.
P.S. Have your kids and husband help cut, sort, and throw away the trash. This is what I do when I get behind. There have been times when I haven’t clipped or sorted in a couple weeks. This is when we all sit on the floor and clip together. With all hands on deck, I am able to get it done in a fraction of the time. Then instead of it being an overwhelming, daunting task, it actually becomes kinda fun…doing it together as a family!
Good luck Josie!
Hello, Just wanted to share that you can get the LA TIMES paper, Sunday only for .38 a week. The offer code is 900111. I laugh because there is a coupon for EVERYTHING!!! Just wanted to share. Kristen