One of the best things you can do to save money is to actually
use all those coupons that you have!! I don't know about you, but I used to spend hours cutting coupons and scouring the web for coupons on all the products I use then when it came time for checkout, I either forgot my coupons or realized that I forgot I
had coupons for things I bought!! That sure don't save any money, but it does annoy the hell out of me!!!
There's a few different ways you can set up your couponing system and you'll have to find what works best for you. First, you have to organize and seperate your coupons. You can do this in a variety of ways:
By Category- Seperate your breakfast foods, dairy, health & beauty, etc...within each category you can break it down further. In your breakfast food category you can seperate cereals, frozen food items etc. Health & Beauty can be broken down into shampoo's, makeup, toothpaste...you get the idea, right?
By Expiration Date- Seperate your coupons by expire month and then by date, with the one's expiring soonest up front.
Sort Alphabetically- Bagels, Canned Goods, Cereals, Dairy etc.
Now that you have your coupons organized, let's talk about a way to store them all and make sure they make it to the supermarket with you!
Coupon System #1- Accordian File
You can buy an accordian file just about anywhere-CVS, Walgreens Target- and they come in a variety of sizes. You'll have to choose what works for you. I for instance, have such OCD that I can not stand when a larger coupon has to be folded (why aren't they all the same size anyway?!) so the longer type accordian file is better for me! I prefer a fabric or plastic version just because they can take more abuse than the one's made from what feels like a file folder.
You can use each pocket to store your different categories (or expiration months) but leave the first one empty for coupons you plan to use for your shopping trip! One with tabs works best that way you can label each pocket and know what's in each one!
Coupon System #2- Coupon Binder
If you're a Coupon Queen, this system will probably work best for you. You can purchase any type of binder you like, but one with a zipper will be most helpful. You won't have to worry about coupons falling out and you can also hold other couponing supplies like scissors, a calculator and a pad of paper. Zip it up, throw it in your bag and off you go!
You'll want to fill your binder with those plastic sheets that kids use for trading cards. Fill the pockets with your coupons and then use tabbed binder dividers to sort even further!
Coupon System #3- Index File Box
Boxes are great and sturdy for storing coupons. Try a recipe box or an index card box- you'd be surprised how much these little guys can hold!!! Most index card boxes come with dividers or you can make your own out of old cereal boxes, just be sure that the dividers are tabbed you can easily label and see what's in each.
Now what good is all this organizing if you forget to use them?? Before you go shoppign write out your list and then go through all your coupons and see what you have. Any item on your list that you have a coupon for be sure to mark it in some way (a big 'ole C for coupon, an asterick, a heart, whatever- just be sure you know you have a coupon for it!!!) so you don't buy it without using your coupon.
I always go through my soon to expire coupons just to see if there's anything that I normally buy but maybe don't need right this second but is worth it! Make sure you don't buy it just because you have a coupon, that's not going to save you money!! Also, some coupons are only good toward the purchase of multiple items so if your not going to use the item it's not worth saving the dollar when your throwing away something you paid $3.79 for!!!
It will take a little time at first to set up your couponing system and figure out what works best for you, but once you do- it'll become second nature. You'll be saving money like a pro!!
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