Lesson #2 Organization- where do all those coupons go?

Lesson #2 

Organization.  It has never been a strong point for me, but I'd like to say I am improving!

About a year ago, I started out with 2 little check files I got out of the dollar bin at Target (I think they have some now).  1 was for food, 1 for toiletries, baby items, health/beauty, cleaners etc.   I clipped my normal brands and filed them; however  I did not throw the others away.  I wrote the date of the paper in sharpie in the upper right hand corner & put in an letter size plastic expandable file (also from the Target dollar bin).   

This worked good for me for a long time. I pretty much only did the The Grocery Game (If you decide to do this- please email me & I'll let you know about how to refer to me- they have a referral program where I can earn free weeks) I'll talk more about this later) for Randalls and Kroger, and looked at the Target ads and match up coupons from my memory.  I still saved a lot of money-maybe 25-40%.  The grocery game is nice because it matches everything up for you & tells you which insert the coupon came from, so this is how my weekly shopping went:

1. I would print my lists for Kroger & Randalls from the Grocery game (a 4 week trial is only $1)
2. I'd look at the list and see which store had a better deal that week & decide which one I was going to, or if I was going to attempt both.
3. I would pull the coupons I needed from my expandable file, and put them in an envelope
   
4. I would look at the store ad and write down on the sides of the list anything else I needed that wasn't on her list, but I still had to have.
5. Then I went through the Target ad, and matched up all of my coupons that I could-threw the coupons in an envelope , wrote my list on the envelope & I went on my merry way.
   
6. Notes: I still had both of the small "favorites" coupon files with me so if I got there and saw something else I could have a coupon.

There is nothing wrong with doing things this way- you still save money, but it has it's pros & cons:

Pros: It was easy to do & did not require much time at all- maybe 10-15 minutes a week.  Great if you have a pack of little ones and can't go to multiple stores/trips.

Cons: You don't save as much as if you were "coupon crazy" as DH says.  I forgot coupons all the time unclipped in the inserts, or they got lost in the expandable file.  I am a visual person, so it worked ok-just wasn't the best for me.

Now, I do things a little differently:

1.  I still have a little coupon file- I put store specific coupons in it & keep in my purse at all times.  The first spot is for hot random store coupons that I don 't want to forget about (gift cards, or like the Starbucks free iced coffee coupon that came in the paper a few weeks ago).
   
2. I have a spot for all of my CVS coupons & extra bucks (The ECB's (Extra Care Bucks) I rip off of my receipt & put in there while I am still standing at the register).
3. I have a spot for Randalls Coupons- they mail them & come on register receipts.  Also they have some in the Entertainment Books. THey also have a few super coupons in their ads.
4. I have a spot for Kroger Coupons- they are on register receipts, aI also put my printed version of the coupons that are loaded to my Kroger card via P&G Brandsaver & Shortcuts (both accessible from the Kroger main website)
5. I have a spot for Walgreens (I don't use this much- but sometimes they have a great deal!  They have the Easy saver catalog coupons & coupons from their ad)
6. I have a spot for Home Depot & Lowes- we get them in the mail & buy them on ebay (before you buy on ebay talk to me- I'll show you how to avoid fraudulent coupons)
7. I have a spot for everything else-Bed Bath & Beyond, Linens and Things, JC Penny etc.

So that one goes in my purse & goes with me EVERYWHERE.  I also keep an Entertainment book in my car.

As far as grocery coupons- here's the part where I may lose some of you.  I almost didn't do it, because it sounded crazy to me at first-but after thinking about it-I tried it & LOVE it!

 I have a white 3-ring binder that is filled with baseball card holder pages in it (okay stop laughing).  I bought them used on ebay (okay start laughing again-at least until you look to see how much they are).  There are 50 pages in there divided up with index dividers.  I clip virtually all coupons and put them in there. (after the initial set up- it only takes about 15 minutes on Sunday).  I still write the date on the inserts & put them in the expandable file-(just in case-sometimes I get stuff I would never normally use for free with them & I just donate it).

I take my binder with me into the stores-Really you can stop laughing! :)  I do put it in a tote bag so it is easy to carry & I don't feel like such a dork!  Now I will tell you I have gotten some strange looks when I pull out my binder at the store-but I also get a lot of questions & compliments.  So I do know that not everybody thinks I'm bazerk.

After an entire naptime setting this up (as those with toddlers know this is the only way you can measure time) it doesn't take long to maintain-again, maybe 15-20 minutes on Sunday (during naptime of course).

Well, I'm running short on time- I need to go, but I'll elaborate how I use my stealthy binder tomorrow!