In yesterday's post I mentioned I'd fill you in on how I currently clip and organize my coupons. After several weeks of trial and error, I've come up with a process that works great for me.
So here is what I do.
Step One. I take my papers (I almost always buy two), and quickly make three piles. 1) the coupon inserts, 2) the ads I'm interested in perusing, and 3) everything else.
Step Two. I take each insert and match the pages up so they overlap. (You'll see why I do this in a minute.)
Step Three. Once each page is lined perfectly up, I only make one cut and viola! out come two coupons.
Step Four. To keep things manageable, I filed my coupons away after each insert as opposed to doing all the cutting and then all the filing. How do I file my coupons? I have two binders – one for food items, the other for non-food. In my binders are trading card and business card inserts that I found at OfficeMax recently (and I had a coupon too!). I file both binders alphabetically by manufacturer. I used to sort by category, but it turned out to complicate things for me as my coupon accumulation grew. By sorting simply A-Z, it's pretty simple to both file and retrieve my coupons when needed. And I'm all about keeping it simple!
For fun tonight I decided to time myself. It seemed like a good week since there were three inserts – a pretty typical week coupon-wise. I also made sure to not race the clock, and just use a regular pace. Guess what? I was done in 34 minutes - in less time than it took me to watch The Apprentice (which by the way, was a ridiculous episode). Not too bad considering how much the things save me each month.
Some folks like to bypass the coupon clipping altogether and just file the inserts by date. This may work fine for you, and if it does, great. But as I see it, at some point you're going to have to go through, sort, and clip. I'd prefer to do it once and be done with it. I also have the added advantage of having all my coupons easily accessible if I'm at a store and find a great deal. Of course, you could always strike a balance between the two as well. The point is to create a system that works for you. Feel free to refine what you come up with or change it altogether if it's not working. I'll probably continue to tweak my own process as I go.
If you have any additional ways to save time with this process, be sure to leave a comment!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi, I found your blog through HCW last night. I’m in Eastern WA. Anyway, just wondering if you cut out every coupon in the inserts, or just the ones that you think you’ll use? Thanks, Tricia
Welcome and thanks for the great question! I actually do cut every one…but again that’s just me. You never know when you’ll find a deal on some random product (and I’m all about trying something if it’s free)! I have a good friend who cuts just the ones she’s likely to use and files the rest. That seems to be a great alternative too!