As a long time couponer, I’m still trying to find that perfect system. I do know you can get quite a crazy mess going if you don’t have a good system or keep your coupons organized. Find a system that works for you and stick with it.

10 Ways to Manage Your Stockpile of Coupons

Whether you decide one day that extreme couponing is something you want to try or you work your way up to it gradually, you might find that your limited organizational skills simply can’t keep up with your proclivity for clipping. If your house is starting to get buried under layers of coupons, it’s time to get things in order. Here are a few ways to cope with the coupons.

1. Pare it down. It can definitely be difficult to toss coupons that offer spectacular savings, but do you really want to let your stockpile push you out of house and home? You need to make a decision to keep your couponing to a set (and manageable) amount in order to control the clutter it causes.
2. Stick to a few stores. One good way to pare down while you organize is by selecting a few stores that have the best savings and sticking to coupons that can be used there. This way you’ll save time on both clipping and going out of your way to shop, and you’ll also cut the detritus of unused coupons.
3. Clip what you’ll use. It can be tempting to go for items that you wouldn’t normally buy simply because the savings are so good,  but try to be realistic. If you’re buying items that you really won’t use, you’re not actually saving; you’re spending unnecessarily. And skipping over these items will save you time as well as space.
4. Opt for online. More and more paper ads are now popping up online, along with coupon codes that can only be redeemed through web shopping. Although a few holdouts may stick to paper, you’ll be surprised by how much easier organization can be when the majority of your coupons exist in the virtual world.
5. Coupon software. Forget about setting up a complex, nested system of files on your computer to store your e-coupons. Instead,  get yourself some couponing software that does the heavy lifting of organization for you and makes finding what you need a cinch.
6. Set up a filing system. Extreme couponing requires extreme storage and organization, so get yourself a filing cabinet to devote to the cause. This will ensure that coupons are off of counters and tables and tucked away where they can easily be found again.
7. Sort by store. It’s best to start any organizational effort with broad strokes, so begin by creating sections for types of stores (grocery, department, sporting goods, and so on) and then further break down these categories with files for specific vendors.
8. Sort by item. Once you’ve got your basic setup in place, you can further separate coupons into groups by item. For the grocery store, you could create categories for canned goods, meats and cheeses, frozen items, and so on. You could even assemble them by aisle, if you want.
9. Sort chronologically. Now that everything has a place, you can put the coupons in chronological order in each folder, with those that are closest to expiring at the front of the file. This will make is easy to toss those that don’t get used in time.
10. Sort alphabetically. You can arrange folders alphabetically at all tiers of your organizational structure (including online). This will allow you to quickly find whatever you’re looking for, from coupons for Albertson’s to the Ingles weekly ad, or canned peas to Cheerios.

Extreme Couponing Tip: 10 Tips for Keeping A Manageable Stockpile is a post from BargainBriana. Have you signed up for NoMoreRack for daily deep discounts on your favorite products? Keep track of your daily deal purchases and bills with Manilla .

I’m always look for new ways to organize my coupons. A few days on twitter, several of us were discussing our strategies. My new system was described as being an “overachiever” by some. Which I find it hilarious because it is normally an area in which I do not overachieve! My new system does look purty and it is giving me more space for all my inserts and I feel more organized.

Alicia over at the Discount Heroes and I have teamed up to give you some ideas to find a system that will work the best for you. If you are new to couponing, I don’t recommend going out and buying a ton of stuff at first. You need to play around and see what works best for you. You also don’t have to have a complicated system. However, in an effort to try to streamline my inserts, I came up with this method of sorting them.

First, I use the “insert” method, which means I don’t clip every coupon from my weekly inserts. I just clip as needed based on my weekly deal list. I will clip coupons for items I am always buying like toilet paper, frozen pizzas, etc. (Yes, these are the two most important items to have in our stockpile!) You can read more about the advantage and disadvantages of each method in one of my previous posts.

Let’s run down some of my past filing systems I’ve used:

None of these were sturdy enough for heavy duty coupon stash. So here’s what I’m using now:

Yep, a mega size box. The cost was $7.99 or so from Office Max.

Seriously, how hilarious would it be if I toted this to the grocery store? It would be a great hidden camera experiment! I already get enough looks for my black coupon organizer and clear coupon file I take with me.

I have these handy dandy file labels which I color coded using the free Avery Software.

Blue are Smart Source Inserts. Red are Red Plum Inserts. Other inserts such as P&G BrandSaver, General Mills, Unilver, etc. will be plain white. The tabs for the same week’s inserts are lined up on the same “cut”.

Each week’s inserts I mark with a Sharpie the date and then file them in the file. TIP: If you have inserts and don’t know which week, you can find the date on the spine of the insert.

Once I get my coupons clipped, I use a small black coupon organizer for my shopping trips.

I organize the coupons in envelopes inisde this organized labeled by the store. I also store loose coupons in envelopes with just a few categories. I also store printable coupons, other loose clipped coupons, receipts, and mail in rebates in a clear plastic file.

I then put the black coupon organizer and the clear coupon file in a tote. I use this one from Walmart because it is a light weight tote.

So head over to The Discount Heroes and see some other ways to organize your coupons. If you want, link up to your post and show us how your coupon organization system or your coupon disorganization system!

More Coupon Organization Ideas is a post from BargainBriana. Have you signed up for NoMoreRack for daily deep discounts on your favorite products? Keep track of your daily deal purchases and bills with Manilla .

Do your coupons look like this?

Lavonne at Economic Endeavors posted an article on how she organizes her coupons. It made me think about how I organize mine. Right now, my coupons are some what organized. I’m never as organized as I want to be. Is anyone? The more organized I keep my coupons, the more I remember to use them, ie the more money I save…so I try to stay on top of it!

My system is similar to Lavonne’s. I basically do the insert method with a few modifications. The insert method does not require weekly clipping of every coupon. Every person has a different style of what works for them. I found, it took me forever to cut them, sort them, and file them when I clipped them weekly. PLUS, I could never remember WHERE I filed them.

So here’s the system I have found that works for me…though I’m always look for ways of improving it.

Each week, I mark with a Sharpie the date of the coupon insert on the front.

I then put them in my red 12 pocket file organizer (picked up at Staples for around $7.99).

These are organized by date and insert type.

I also have a hard box with file folders where the older inserts go.

For my weekly trips, I clip the coupons I need and put them in my handy dandy small black coupon organizer. (I picked this up at Meijer for around $7.99). I should have these tabs organized but they aren’t.

Basically I have a file for CVS weekly deals, Marsh weekly deals, Meijer weekly deals, Walgreens weekly deals. I put all the coupons I need for that week in separate envelopes. I also have coupons that I have previously clipped, in home mailers, or coupons know I will need in the future organized by type in separate envelopes. (It is nice to have these coupons in case I see a great deal that wasn’t advertised or clearance items.)

I also have a separate clear zip up folder (.99 from Staples) that I put all my CVS in home mailer coupons, printable coupons, and Beauty Book Coupons. I also have one of these that I used to put my mail in rebates or any other coupon deals.

This is my weekly ad/extra coupon drawer. It needs cleaned out and organized. Basically this is a drawer by my computer desk where I store my weekly ads and coupons I haven’t filed yet. I would like to say it usually more organized but then I would be lying to you. (At least I can close it and hide it away and pretend like it is not messy!)

and just for fun….this is where all of our incoming mail comes in before I sort it. Actually, this was after I tried organizing as much as I could….as you can tell, that area needs more work!

Links for Coupon Organization Ideas:

Coupon Organization by clipping from Canned Laughter

Sisterly Savings uses the Couponizer. Crystal, the Money Saving Mom, also raves about the Couponizer.

My Good Cents uses an envelope system.

Laura, the Organizing Junkie discusses how she organizes by using a coupon organizer.

Rachel utilizes the coupon binder.

The Simple Dollar also utilizes the coupon binder.

Keren uses a coupon binder.

Mommy Snacks use a file box.

The Centsible Shopper uses a small file box.

How do you organize YOUR coupons? is a post from BargainBriana. Have you signed up for NoMoreRack for daily deep discounts on your favorite products? Keep track of your daily deal purchases and bills with Manilla .