The Way I Do Coupons

This is probably a little too much work for some, but it's what I finally settled on as the best way for me to keep track of my coupons. In the long run, I think it takes less time than the way I used to do it. I used to clip my coupons every week and sort them by category into several small accordian folders: one for food, one for health and beauty and one for household. Then I read of a different idea and adapted it for my own use.

I keep my coupon circulars in a 3-ring binder. Being a scrapbooker, I have plenty of page protectors. If you don't know what that is, it's a plastic pocket with 3 holes on the margin. You slip your scrapping page inside and put it in a binder. (They come in larger sizes, too, but 8.5 x 11 is my scrap size of choice.)

So, each week I put my circulars in the plastic sleeves, one circular per sleeve. I use a permanent marker to write the date on the margin of the sleeve, and the initial of the circular--V for Valassis, for example. The two 'biggies' for coupons are Valassis and Smart Source. There are several others that appear periodically, like Proctor & Gamble.

I've been playing the "Grocery Game" for several years now. If that was the only thing I did regarding my shopping, I'd leave this coupon method as it is. GG gives you a list of sales each week and which circular you can search for a coupon. But I also want to use coupons for CVS and other places. So I list my coupons each week in a notebook. At first, this might seem like just one more job to do. But, of course, I don't use every coupon in every circular. So jotting down a list of what I might use from each one only takes a few minutes. I divide them as I used to divide the accordian folders: Food, Health & Beauty and Household. I write the expiration date next to the coupons and if I need to buy more than one item. I don't write down the amounts, although that would probably be a logical step. If I'm going to use a coupon, I'm going to use it no matter what the amount on it.

When you do this for a while, you start to become very familiar with what is available. So when I glance over the CVS circular, for example, I pretty much know whether or not there's a coupon someplace in my binder.

After using a coupon, I cross it off the list. Towards the end of every month, I take a quick look at my notebook and see if there are any coupons about to expire. Some will just go in the trash, but if there is an item I need, I will clip that coupon and see if I can find the item on sale.

So, anyway, that's how I do coupons. It does take me some time, but is well worth it for the money I save. Oh, and those page protectors? When I've used up a circular, I take the empty sleeve, change the date, and use it for a new one.