Lesson 4

Finding the best method of organizing for you is very important or you will have this:

When I first began, I clipped every coupon I thought I might use and put them in envelopes divided by category; dairy, breads, frozen, etc.

It was so time consuming  so I switched to a binder method- again spending hours cutting and organizing coupons.

Again, I found that I was spending more time organizing my coupons and so I became frustrated.

Now I organize by what I call the whole insert method.  It is SUPER easy and I love it.  Clipping coupons takes me less then 15 minutes a week because I am only clipping what I am using on that trip!

To be a successful strategic couponer, you need to find the best method for you so let’s look at several methods and the pros and cons.

Binder Method:

What it is: A binder or a photo album where cut and sorted coupons are organized.  Each page is made of baseball card holders.  Coupons are inserted together by like coupon.  Each page is usually similar products (i.e. cereals, snacks, cheese, yogurt, etc).

Start up costs: A small photo album can be found at the dollar store but these are limiting with few pages and honestly do not hold up well.  Binder “systems” can be purchased ranging from $20 to over $55!  Twenty pages of baseball sleeves runs about $15 on Amazon.com.

Pros:

• All your coupons are on hand during a shopping trip
• All your coupons are pre-cut during the trip and you just grab them out of the sleeves
• Expandable- need more pages= just add them!

Cons:

• Time consuming- you must clip, sort and organize each coupon each week.  Letting just 1 week slide will be double the work the next!
• Fold longer coupons to fit into space sometimes wrecks the UPC code, making it hard to scan
• Carrying heavy binder in store: If you lose your binder you lose ALL your coupons
• Clipping coupons that will never be used, or expire before they do, is wasted time

Tip: Find the insert sheets that are 3 slots per page- they hold internet coupons perfectly with no folding!

Alternate Binder Method:
Instead of clipping the coupons and sorting by category (or whatever method you want)- use full sheet protectors and place each insert into a sheet. Some savvy shoppers use a single sheet proctor for each page and some put the entire insert and keep them in order by date.

Whole Insert Method:

This is my old system. Eventually it was so worn out that I switched to a hard plastic box I got at a steal from Staples!

What it is: Inserts are kept whole and coupons are only cut for the trip being prepared for. Inserts are kept together by the date received.

Start Up Costs: This can range from free – $20.  For free- just keep your inserts whole and stack together.  Put a sheet of paper between each date – facing the opposite way of the inserts.  Write the date on the “tab” sticking out.  Other methods include folders, accordian files, file boxes, etc.

Pros:

• No time is wasted cutting unused coupons.  Only coupons used that trip are cut right before the trip.
• Coupons stay at home, so no chance of losing your entire file of coupons!
• No folding of coupons necessary.
• No heavy lifting required in-store!
• Moola Saving Mom tells you exactly where the coupon is in your inserts via the matchups or database

Cons:

• You may miss out on an extra discount on unadvertised sale or clearance special.
• You have to clip for each trip {using the database and match ups this should not take more then 10 minutes of clipping}
• You need a separate system for loose coupons like internet coupons and tear pads.

So which method is for you?

For me, impulse buys were a budget killer.  Having all the coupons with me allowed me to make impulse buys because “I had a coupon”.  Now that I use the whole insert method, impulse buys have dropped dramatically!  And I take more time to plan my trips to maximize my savings.

You need to decide which way works better for you and your family.  You might like to clip coupons while watching television or make it a family affair (just make sure your kids are straight cutters! ). No way is right and no way is wrong – as long as they are organized so you can find them when you need them and you are happy with it- it is the perfect way for you!