My Hybrid Coupon Organization Method

Thought I would share a shot of my personal coupon organization method and the one that I teach and help you prepare at my Coupon Workshop! The handcrafted file box holds the uncut inserts for the last 3 months and the binder holds clipped coupons by category. I carry my binder with me whenever I shop...which means I have to throw it in the car every time I head out. I keep it in a tote bag that makes it easy to do so. Other options might be to use one of the zippered binders with a handle. This system works for me because it does not require that you clip every single coupon you get your hands on but does allow for a method of carrying coupons with you when you shop to catch the surprise deal. I think it is the best of both worlds!

Blessings,

Donna

Living Word Fellowship Coupon Swap

Tonight I have the privilege of sharing with a group of ladies from Living Word Fellowship about coupon organization! I'm so excited. You can have the best coupons in the world, but if you don't know where they are or don't have them with you, they don't do you a bit of good! We all have been there...you notice the great clearance sale at Target and just KNOW you have a coupon that will make that nail polish FREE or close to it, but don't have your coupons with you!! Organization is everything, isn't it! However, we can't easily clip every coupon that comes into our possession...or we won't have time to head to Target to shop! It's all about balance. And the ugly truth is, we won't get every deal...and frankly, we shouldn't. When I see a bargain and pass it up (either because I don't have the coupon, don't need it now, or I don't have enough cash to make it happen) I can smile to myself and know that God has a bargain waiting for someone else and He just let me in on it!

Blessings,
Donna

Coupon Grammar

Now that you have chosen your favored method of storing your coupons, it's time to learn some basics. Since my son and I use a classical method of homeschooling (Classical Conversations), I know that, in order to learn anything, you must FIRST learn it's grammar...its specific vocabulary...its language! I'm sure you have noticed that, indeed, couponing and couponers have their own language. It is, however, much easier to learn than Latin or Spanish, I promise!

Coupon Grammar:

 BOGO or B1G1:  Buy one, get one free. Buy one item at full price and get the same item free. Don't forget, you can use a coupon on each item when purchasing a BOGO deal, further improving your savings. Also, don't forget that if you have a B2G1 coupon, that can be combined with a BOGO deal to save even more. For maximum savings in that instance, purchase 6 total items and use 2 B2G1 coupons to make the cost of 6 items the regular price of 1. I still have quite a stockpile of Duncan Hines cake mix from that lovely "trick".  (Please do not think I mean "trick" as in "unethical". ALWAYS follow the rules! This is completely LEGIT!)

Manufacturers' Coupons (MFr or MQ): A manufacturer's coupon is published by manufacturers for money off their own product and may be used at any retail location that accepts coupons. Some manufacturers' coupons might have a store name printed on them (such as Publix or Kroger) but, as long as it states that is a manufacturer's coupon, it can be used at any coupon accepting store.

Store Coupons: This is a coupon published by specific retail stores to be used at their own establishment. Some stores, such as Publix, accept competitors' coupons. Check your stores' coupon policy.

Coupon Stacking:  Coupon stacking is the simple procedure of using both a store coupon and a manufacturer's coupon on the same purchase. Many retail establishments allow this. Again, check your store's policy.

Store Coupon Policy:  This is the written policy used by particular retail establishments to govern their coupon policies on such details as the use of competitor's coupons, the legitimacy of coupon stacking, etc. It is a really good idea to have your store's coupon policy in your coupon binder or box with you when shopping. This prevents needless difficulties with knowledgeable cashiers. I have found, however, that cashiers are really being well-trained these days in their coupon policies since couponing has become so prevalent. However, I have recently had a new cashier say I couldn't use a manufacturer's coupon and store coupon on an item at Target. I politely indicated that wasn't the case and she checked with a more experienced cashier who confirmed that they both could be used. 

Catalina: Catalinas are coupons that print out at the register.

Tearpad Coupon: A coupon on a pad hanging close to the product in the store.

Peelie Coupon: A coupon that you peel off a package.

Blinkie Coupon:  A coupon dispensed near the product in the store usually from a "blinking" red box.

eCoupon Coupons: Coupons found on the  internet and uploadable  to a  store card.

Internet Printable Coupon (IP): Printable coupons found on the internet.

Red Plum Sunday Insert (RP): Insert from Red Plum found in the Sunday paper.

Smart Source (SS): Insert from Smart Source found in the Sunday paper.

Proctor & Gamble (P&G or PG): Insert from Proctor & Gamble found in the Sunday paper.

     

First things first...

Well, before you start furiously printing out coupons off the internet (and believe me, I have really downed a few trees doing this) and buying 20 copies of the local paper, you must decide how you plan to organize and store your coupons! There are a number of effective methods of coupon organization, all with pros and cons. You must decide which method or combination of methods will work best for you and your family.

First, there are two basic ways to maintain your coupons...clipped or unclipped. I know that seems like an obvious statement, but many people don't consider that fact. They assume that all coupons must be clipped. I use a hybrid method of clipped and unclipped. Obviously, you must clip coupons before using them, but they don't all have to be stored that way. I'd like to first discuss the clipped methods since they are so familiar and, I believe, more common.

The classic method of coupon organization is a coupon accordion file. While I believe that the dollar store versions of the accordion file lack the categories and space I need, the method is a sound one. Utilizing a file box with your clipped coupons sorted according to category is portable and efficient. And a small dollar store accordion file used with a whole insert filing box method is certainly a viable option.

The pros to the clipped coupon file box method:
     1.  Your coupons are  clipped and categorized.
     2.  Your coupons are portable, so you can take advantage of an unexpected clearance item deal for which  you have a coupon because you have all your coupons with you every time you shop.

The cons to the file box method:
     1. It is a bit harder when shopping to view your coupons (as opposed to the binder method).
     2. Using any method that required clipping all your coupons is more time intensive.
 
Another increasingly  popular method for coupon organization today is the coupon binder. The coupon binder can be used to store either whole inserts or cut coupons To use the cut coupon method, you need a 3 to 4 inch binder, category dividers (either of your own creation or downloaded off the internet), page protectors and baseball card protectors. The binder does take a bit of time to set up. However, it is a very efficient way of keeping your coupons. And for those of you who really want to see a glance every coupon you have while cruising the aisles of Target or Walmart,  this method is for you.

The pros to the clipped coupon binder:
     1.  Your coupons are clipped and categorized.
     2.   Your coupons are portable, so you can take advantage of the above mentioned unexpected deals while shopping since you have all your coupons with you.
     3. Your coupons are more easily viewed while shopping than the accordion file method. If you are visual, this will appeal to you. If you have a good feel for your coupons in your collection, this might not be as big an advantage. Also, if you enjoy flipping through your coupons in a file box to see if you have a coupon for that deal, this might not be as big a pro for you.
     4.  It is easy to combine price book pages with a coupon binder. Simply insert a blank price book page in your categories so you can keep track of the best deals you see on your basic items. This is good way to keep track of your "stock up" price.

The cons to the clipped coupon binder:
     1. This method is perhaps the most labor intensive. A coupon binder will not do you a bit of good if you don't have the time or the will (or the child labor) to keep it updated! I use a clipped coupon binder method in combination with a whole coupon insert filing method. However, there have been times when I knew that I had coupons at home that I had not added to my binder yet when I was out shopping...very frustrating! I guess you can't get every deal! In order to get the most out of this method (or any method, for that matter) you must commit to keep up with it. Schedule some time on Sunday evening, perhaps, to clip, sort, store your new coupons as well as clean out the ones that have expired.(I confess that I don't always do this...I guess that is the classic example of do as I say, not as I do!)
     2. The initial expense of the binder, page protectors and baseball cards can be a bit higher.

Now, on to the unclipped coupon organization methods. The first method is to maintain a file box with your whole inserts kept in chronological order. When you plan your shopping trip (using a website with a coupon match up shopping list, simply chose your items from the store you choose, pull your appropriate inserts and clip the appropriate coupons, print out any to which  the website directs you and clip, put them in an envelope with your  shopping list and head off to the grocery store.

The pros to the unclipped coupon/whole insert file box method:
     1.  This is certainly the most time efficient method! No clipping unless you plan to purchase the   item! No stress at the end of the month when all those coupons that you clipped and didn't use expire! 
     2.  While a file box and file folders  can cost $20 or so at your local office supply store (usually much less if you look for a deal), it is less expensive than the binder method. The folders can be reused...label in pencil...and the file box will last indefinitely. If you use a smaller, portable file box, it might cost more, but can somewhat overcome the one of the cons of this method.
    
The cons of the unclipped coupon/whole insert file box method:
     1.  You don't have any of your coupons with you that don't pertain to your list, so you can't take advantage of those unexpected deals. However, using a portable file box to tote with you can help alleviate this drawback if you are fairly familiar with your inserts and bring a pair of scissors with you...something I always have with me, I might add! Your file box will only be portable if you keep your inserts limited to 4 or less a week. That might even get to be a bit cumbersome. You would be surprised how much less space and weight clipping your coupons eliminates.

Another method of organizing your whole inserts is to keep them in a coupon binder in page protectors. You do have to separate the pages of the inserts so that each page can be viewed, but this is certainly less time consuming than clipping.

The pros to this method:
     1. As with the file box method, it is less labor intensive.
     2. Your coupons are portable so it is easier to take advantage of the unforeseen deal as you shop.

The cons to this method:
     1. As with the file box method, your coupons are not sorted by category so it might be more difficult to locate the appropriate coupon. However, I believe it would be easier than with the portable file box method.

Have I confused you yet? As I mentioned when discussing each method, hybrid methods of clipped/whole inserts are also options. For instance, if you get more than 10 inserts a week (which I do) You might want to store half your inserts in file folders in a file box and clip the other half...because you can staple and clip up to 10 inserts at a time, this might not save you as much time as you think, but it will save some time. It also will reduce the weight of your binder. Why do this at all? You will have a a portion of all your coupons with you at all times and can clip ALL the coupons form your inserts when you plan your shopping trip,. The weight of your binder is toned down a bit, as well. You can also simply clip the coupons that you know that you will use...and store the others until they show up in your Southern Savers grocery list! This "half & half" method can be used with your accordion file or file box method as well.

It's all up to you! Consider your time, your preferences and your space and make your choice!

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