Coupons 101 - Lesson 2 - Organizing Coupons

Now you have all these coupons but they are taking over your house, huh? Well, its time to organize those babies! There are many methods of doing so. I suggest you try a few and see what works for you.

• Binder & baseball card organizers- This involves clipping of the coupons. So steal your husband's old card sheets and have at it.


• Clip when needed- A lot of the sites for specific stores will tell you the date the coupon came out as well as the insert brand. I have started doing this since I get 2 (on average) papers a week meaning lots of coupons! Clipping each is a hassle for me.


• Clipping only what you will use- This method isn't recommended unless you are very brand loyal. You never know when the shampoo you usually can't afford will be on sale & free after coupons!

No matter what approach you choose you can keep it very neat by organizing into categories. I also have a few tips for that.

• Find a filing system- for loose coupons or ones you have clipped to use that week. It can be by grocery category, expiration date or aisle. Just find something that doesn't overwhelm you or sticking to couponing will get old fast! Trust me, I have went on strike and gave away all my coupons once!


• File coupons ASAP- "I know I have a coupon for that now where did I put it?" This has came up at my house more than once. To ensure everything stays neat keep on the ball about filing them the day you get them.


• Find a coupon wallet- or shoe/recipe box, binder, ect. Just something you can grab to hold your coupons while you shop. For the record, if you have your 1 year old hold them they may get ate! (Yes, another personal experience!)


• Purge expireds- But wait! Don't throw them away! Did you know that some military families overseas can use expired coupons up to 6 months out of date? Note- They can only use manufacturer coupons. If you know a family on base send them there. Otherwise, there are sites that list bases that need them. The Coupon Tree is looking for a base to adopt, so if you know of one personally please let me know.

Coupons 101 - Lesson 1 - Finding Coupons

If you want to save money, one of the first things you need to do is learn about coupons. Even if you have used coupons you may not be aware of all the places you can find them. There are tons of coupons to be had if you know where to look. Such as-

• Newspapers-Usually the Sunday paper will have coupon inserts such as Red Plum, Smart Source & Proctor & Gamble.
• Magazines- Lots of women's and parenting magazines have manufacturer coupons from time to time.
• Instore- Sometimes people will lay coupons on the shelf they won't use. Often you can find tearpads and "blinkie" dispensers hanging next to items.
• On/In products- Peelies can be located on the outside of the packaging and some manufacterers put coupons inside their boxes.
• Online- There are tons of internet printables around the web like here and here!
• Manufacturer- See if they have a website, many times they offer printable coupons under special offers. You can also contact the company (by mail, phone or email) to ask about coupons. Some companies will send you coupons if you have a compliment or complaint about the product. I have had lots of luck with this, often getting high value or coupons for free products!
• Junk mail- Be sure to look before you toss it!
• Store loyalty mailings- When you sign up for a loyalty card many store will send you coupons.
• Ebay- If you are looking for multiples of a certain coupon they can be found on ebay to purchase. Sometimes a deal is worth it.

I hoped you learned a lot. There are more great posts for beginners coming soon!