Organizing Your Coupons
Where is that coupon?? I know I had it in my purse somewhere!!
Sound familiar? It’s definitely frustrating when you’re in the checkout line at the grocery store and the only reason you bought the $4 box of cereal was because you had a $2 off coupon and now you can’t find it anywhere! It may also be a little frustrating for the person standing in line behind you watching you empty the entire contents of your purse on the counter while you search frantically for a coupon that may not even be there. I know. I’ve been on both sides of that one!!
The more unorganized you are when it comes to coupons, the less likely you are to use them effectively, if at all. So here are my tips for staying organized:
Invest in a Coupon Organizer (or two!) - You can get these at Walmart in a variety of colors and sizes. They are small enough to fit in your purse and they are expandable, with numerous sections that can be labeled. I have two of them – one for grocery coupons and one for coupons I would use elsewhere, like the larger retail stores. Sort your coupons in the organizer and make a habit of putting it in your purse or car whenever you leave the house. That way you’ll always have your coupons on hand when you need them.
Set Aside Time to Clip Coupons – If you schedule specific times in your day or week to clip coupons, the more likely you are to have them when you need them. Go ahead and print and/or clip the coupons for items you know you are likely to buy and put them in your organizer(s). If there are other coupons that you are not as likely to use unless you run across a great sale, put them in a file folder or other designated place and clip them if/when you need them. This way, you’re not wasting time cutting out coupons you are not likely to use.
Browse Online Coupon Sites When You Have Time – Don’t be overwhelmed by the number of coupon sites on the Internet. You will notice that most of the reputable sites have a lot of the same coupons, although some will add a few that are exclusive to their site. You are usually allowed to print each coupon more than once. If it is a good coupon, print as many as it will allow (generally you can print it 2 or 3 times). You should never photocopy or scan the coupons to make extra copies – this will invalidate the coupon. Start by choosing one or two sites that you like and check them once a week for new coupons. When you have extra time, browse a few additional sites. Only print the ones you are likely to use, otherwise you are going to waste a lot of ink and paper. Be sure to set your printer to print in “grayscale.” You do not have to print coupons in color for them to work. Printing them in color will go through printer ink at rapid pace and that is not cost efficient!
Make Your Organizer Store-Friendly – I do most of my grocery shopping at one particular store. I know the layout of the store and set up my organizer accordingly. Label the organizer sections according to the grocery store departments (e.g., Fresh Produce, Dairy, Can Goods, Paper Goods, Meat, Frozen Foods, etc.) or by specific aisles – whatever makes sense for you. Then sort your coupons and put them in the appropriate sections of the organizer. I leave the very first section of my organizer empty. Before going to the store I pull out any coupons I know I will be using that day and put them in the front section. As I shop and identify additional coupons I will be using, I locate them in my organizer and add them to the front section as well. That way, when I get to the register all the coupons I need for my purchase are at my fingertips.
Weekly Clean-Out – Once a week or so go through your organizer to check for expired coupons and take them out. You’ll be adding new coupons on a regular basis and you don’t want your organizer to get cluttered with old ones you can’t even use anymore.
Checkout With Ease and Enjoy Your Savings! – I can’t guarantee you that taking these steps will completely alleviate the slight groan you may hear from the person in line behind you when they see you pull out a stack of coupons but, if your coupons are organized, their wait will be shorter than they anticipate. And believe me, if I’m seeing $$$ being subtracted from my total, I can handle a few groans here and there! 
