Comments on: 15 Days of Couponing Day 11: Organize Your Coupon Stash

By: Renee

Renee — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 01:56:52 +0000

Great note for Moms about coupon flipping/tipping! Don’t know that ladies would have thought of that, unless they experienced it – after the fact. Thinking you saved moms a lot of work just by that comment. Thanks so much!

By: Mama2two

Mama2two — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:17:20 +0000

Thanks for posting this Briana, I’m a novice and haven’t even gotten to the point of remembering to take my coupons to the store. The organization of the manuf/store and using all the matching lists available has really overwhelmed me. But I’m not giving up thanks to these great suggestions!

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 01:22:29 +0000

I use the binder method and clip EVERY coupon and LOVE IT!! I tried saving the coupon booklets by date but noticed I was missing out on great sales at the stores because I didn’t have the coupon handy plus all my coupons are all ready to pull when it’s time to go shopping. I found that it actually took me longer to mess with booklets each week by clipping just what I needed. Also it was hard to keep the pages neat after clipping the coupons out, so I decided to try the binder method and love it.
Now I do something a little different in addition, I usually buy 5-10 Sunday papers, clip all the coupons (normally takes me @20 min) then I enter them to an alphabatized excel spreadsheet (don’t freak out, it really doesn’t take as much time as you’d think)! It usually takes me @ an hour total to clip and enter to spreadsheet. Unfortunately in my area, I could not find a good match up site so I had to do my own match ups. So, by having my alphabatized spreadsheet in front of my binder (sort of like a coupon inventory), it’s much easier to do my match ups plus when I’m in the store and come across a great deal I just have to check my spreadsheet which is right in front of me so I don’t have to go searching in my whole binder to see if I have the coupon. To save time at the store, I will print a shopping list (even tho the prices don’t match), match up the sales to my coupon inventory, however I pull the coupons as I go once I find the item in the store. I used to pull my coupons, clip them together and place them in an envelope but I was finding more times than not, the store did not have the same amount of items as I had coupons. Therefore before I got to the check out lane I had to go through my big stack of coupons and pull out the ones I couldn’t use. This may not bother some people but it was very stressful for me so I prefer to pull them as I go, then I hand the cashier my envelope full of coupons. $$Cha Ching.. Cha Ching$$ … I am averaging nearly 60-65% savings each time!!
Thanks Briana…. love your site!!

By: Organize everthing | Mynafranklinfororphans

Organize everthing | Mynafranklinfororphans — Sat, 28 May 2011 10:07:13 +0000

[...] 15 Days of Couponing Day 11: Organize Your Coupon StashDay 10: Stockpiling; Day 11: Organize Your Coupon Stash; Day 12: Surviving the Checkout Lane; Day 13: How to Handle Coupon Rejection … I sit down once a week and clip, file and organize everthing so that I’m not overwhelmed. Thanks for writing this article. It’s very helpful for newbies! [...]

By: danielle

danielle — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:37:21 +0000

i select the coupons i will be using for the trip and paperclip the multiples together, then i write the total of each on the front coupon, i then put the stacks of coupons in order by aisles at my grocery(baked goods, canned, frozen…),then once i have put the item in cart i slip the coupons into an envelope so that when i reached the register i have the correct amount of coupons for each item and they r ready for the cashier.

By: e-Course: Organizing Your Coupons — In Good Cents™

e-Course: Organizing Your Coupons — In Good Cents™ — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:44:35 +0000

[...] Bargain Briana [...]

By: kelly

kelly — Sat, 15 May 2010 04:17:10 +0000

I would love to send my expired coupons to the military also. Can you share the address of where to send them please? Thanks so much!

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:29:58 +0000

I use the binder version, but I use page protectors instead of baseball card holders to store the inserts in the binder. They are then organized with divider tabs by type (Smart Source, Red Plum, etc.) and date. I try to plan my shopping trips ahead of time so that I can clip the coupons before I leave. I use a small coupon holder to keep those coupons and the ones for products I use all the time. I keep the binder in the car with me, so sometimes I’ll throw it in the diaper bag when I head into the store. All of my pages for each insert are separated, so it usually is one quick flip through my book if I stumble upon something that’s clearanced. If I didn’t take it in, I’ll make note of the clearanced item and check my binder when I get back out to the car. If it’s a good deal, I’ll go back into the store for it.

By: Belinda

Belinda — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:05:28 +0000

I can’t seem to open your link.

By: Shash (Crazedmommy)

Shash (Crazedmommy) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 06:54:46 +0000

RT @bargainbriana: @Shash I rarely clip! I keep the full inserts and then I clip when planning shopping trip: http://tinyurl.com/cecoj9 …

By: alyssaavant (Alyssa Avant)

alyssaavant (Alyssa Avant) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 05:55:18 +0000

Reading @bargainbrianna‘s 15 days of couponing http://tinyurl.com/cecoj9

By: Lorrie

Lorrie — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 01:01:28 +0000

I go through the ads at home and write down what I want to buy and pull the coupon at that time (ie: Pledge Multi Purpose Spray, 3.99, -2.00 Manf C – 1.00 Target C = $.99 OOP). I place all coupons together in an envelope marked with the store I am going to and clip the ad to it. I also take another empty envelope with me and as I pick up the items in the store I take out the coupons from the first envelope and place it into the second envelope. This helps me to keep the two groups apart and easier to deal with when I get to the checkstand. (I use the envelopes I get from junk mail for my coupon sorting so I am recycling also!) I always keep my coupon box with me and if I see a deal I can quickly go through it to see if I have a coupon for the item.

I sort my coupons prior to checkout such as all Target coupons together and all manufacturer coupons together, etc. I also make sure I give coupons for free items to the cashier as they check the free item so they don’t have to scan through the receipt to find what the actual cost was, it helps the cashiers out and they are more willing to take my many coupons. I hope this helps. I find this system works well for me and it saves me time at the store and I don’t take as much time during checkout. Happy Couponing!! Lorrie

By: Ann

Ann — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:08:40 +0000

OK, I need help! When you are actually at the store buying your stash, how do you know when do you pull out your coupons? At each product when you are picking them out or at the cash register? I seem to spend too much time trying to figure out which coupon to use at the store and end up putting each coupon that I am going to use into my pocket as I pick up the item. Then I am walking up and down the aisles, trying to find the procuts that match the coupons that I have in my hand. Any suggestions? It takes me forever and I get frustrated. Thanks

By: Lorrie

Lorrie — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:27:53 +0000

I also file all my coupons alphabetically by Manufacturer. All General Mills together and filed right before all my Gillette items and so forth. I started with one small file box but now have a shoe box of coupons since I buy/obtain 4 newspapers per week. By using this system I save so much time getting my coupons together before I shop and I can glance through my box while at the store very easily. (I hardly ever leave my house without it!!). It does take a bit of time to clip all the coupons and file them but I find I save time and money in the long run. Also, I usually watch a movie with my family on Sunday nights so that is my time for clipping and filing!! It works for me, hope it helps you.
Thanks for your wonderful website!

By: Sherri

Sherri — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:42:59 +0000

I cut EVERY single coupon...first I staple all the like insert pages together, then make ONE cut for each coupon. I then file them in alphabetical order...A-Z, by BRAND. SO Crest toothpaste would be filed with Carmin tissue...under "C". Any Post cereal would be filed under "P", along with Pepperidge farm products....and so on. I find it easy to find what I need, when I need it this way. I carry two sterlite containers-with handles. In each container is A-Z dividers with tabs. So in one container I have A-M and the second one I have N-Z. I carry them EVERYWHERE ....ALWAYS! You never know what you might spot in a clearance section-there is no wasting time going back home to get a coupon or missing out on those deals! Sherris last blog post..Brett's sermon

By: Jill W.

Jill W. — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:24:07 +0000

I tried to keep the inserts for awhile & got so frustrated that I sat down and clipped them all one day-now I keep them on a big flexible wire ring in baggies sorted by category, and in every baggie, the category is sorted by exp. date. I keep my sanity that way, and the 20 baggies on a ring will fit in my (big) purse, too! I then send my expired coupons to the military every other month... I do, however, get an extra set of coupons from my mom (she just doesn't remember to ever use them, so she gives them to me-lucky me) and I do not clip those because I usually get them a week or 2 later when I see her and that just feels like backtracking! Jill W.s last blog post..Mom Most Traveled has some great giveaways going on!

By: Corrie @ "Cents"able Momma

Corrie @ "Cents"able Momma — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 03:07:18 +0000

Like you I keep the inserts (but in sheet protectors in a binder) and only clip the free coupons or ones for items we use all the time. I use a Couponizer for all my loose coupons that I collect and store the coupons that I’ll use for each store during the upcoming week in envelopes. I wrote a post with pictures of my methods: http://www.centsablemomma.com/2008/09/how-i-organize-my-coupons.html

Corrie @ “Cents”able Mommas last blog post..Share the Meaning of Easter with Your Kids

By: Kris

Kris — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:06:58 +0000

I clip and then sort my coupons, and I enlist my children to help from time to time. Sometimes I get so far behind on clipping, though. Arg! It is nice when I’m out shopping and I find things on clearance. Plus, it already takes me a long time to get ready to go to the store, so if I had to take time to clip, too, I think I might give up.

How do you sort Internet printables?

By: Jen

Jen — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 21:40:03 +0000

I use a binder too, I started out using some old photo album pages I had laying around, but I wore those out quickly and switched to baseball card insert pages recently and I love them! I also use a few different size pages throughout the binder for oversized coupons. I found that if I don’t clip, I miss a lot of clearance items. And do the same thing as the poster above me, I sort them and make my shopping lists while I’m watching tv.

By: Sherry

Sherry — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:36:16 +0000

I used to do the same thing, but found I was missing the coupons for items that I would run across as clearanced or on sale. So I switched over from a coupon box to a binder with baseball card inserts. I spend my time clipping coupons and filing them when we're watching our favorite shows on TV. That way it doesn't seem like work and it really doesn't take that much time! Sherrys last blog post..Hen House Deals March 18 - 25

By: Bargain Briana

Bargain Briana — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:50:59 +0000

Thanks for sharing all your tips! Loving them!

Kat – Great post on how you organize your coupons! Looks like you have a great system. Love the idea of filing some items by brand name…that would save more time and I will have to remember that! :)

By: ~kat

~kat — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:38:34 +0000

I use a coupon box and a small coupon envelope for my per store shopping trips. See here: http://www.pointlessramble.com/2009/02/19/organizing-coupons-idea-bin/

~kats last blog post..Microsoft Ergonomic 4000 Keyboard $14.99

By: Heather

Heather — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:01:00 +0000

I've been couponing since 11/08 and have used the 3-ring binder method. Although it takes a little time clipping and sorting I find it works better for me in the long run, especially for those marked down and clearanced items I come across while I'm shopping. I sit down once a week and clip, file and organize everthing so that I'm not overwhelmed. Thanks for writing this article. It's very helpful for newbies! Heathers last blog post..New Blog Background

By: Danielle Miller

Danielle Miller — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:00:33 +0000

I use to sort by category. Waaaay too time consuming. Now I clip every coupon, but similar to you, I file them by date. Since I buy three to five papers each week, I sort the pages to clip five of the same coupon all at once, then paper clip each one together. That way it’s easier to flip through everything in the envelope, and if I need to use something, all five are right there together.

By: 15 Days of Couponing Day 1: We all have to shop! Why not save money while doing it? | Bargain Briana

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:43:25 +0000

[...] 15 Days of Couponing Day 11: Organize Your Coupon Stash [...]

By: 15 Days of Couponing Day 3: Where Art Thou Coupons? | Bargain Briana

15 Days of Couponing Day 3: Where Art Thou Coupons? | Bargain Briana — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:40:34 +0000

[...] 15 Days of Couponing Day 11: Organize Your Coupon Stash [...]