We all do it. We have the best intentions when it comes to saving money and staying organized and sometimes it just doesn’t seem to work out. A lot of us are busy and think that we just don’t have time to clip coupons, keep them organized, and remember to use them. I use a simple system at home that takes about ten minutes of my time each week when we receive our coupons and ads. It then keeps everything organized and easy to find so I actually use it when I am running out the door to do some shopping. This system also keeps it easy to get rid of anything that has expired. I promise it only takes ten minutes a week and it has potential to save you a lot of money.
1.) Start by getting an small box or index card holder like I use pictured above. The index card holder is the perfect size and it comes with dividers so you can easily organize the coupons by their expiration date. I do this once a week on Sundays. Stack all the coupons you have in one pile throughout the week. You can store them in the follow-up bin you use from our Clean up the Clutter post. On the day you choose to clip coupons you can pull out the coupons from the mail, the newspaper, etc. Gather them all at once grab your coupon box and some scissors and you are ready to go. In ten minutes you should be done.
2.) Take your dividers and write out the months of the year. Then start to clip your coupons. While clipping I place them all in one large pile. When I am done clipping I recycle all the coupons I did not use and then I organize the coupons I did clip into separate piles based on the month. I go one step farther and organize them by date after that. Then place them in the correct monthly tab of your organizer. This method makes it simple to see what has expired and toss it and what you still have to use. It also allows you to see which coupons will be expiring soon so you do not miss using them before its too late. You can see in the picture above that I have my Water and Ice card. In the very front of the organizer I put loyalty cards that I only need now and then and do not keep in my purse. I also put store and restaurant coupons I have. This keeps them all in the same place, contained, and easy to find when I am heading out to shop. I just take a quick look and can easily see if I have any store coupons to use.
3.) Lastly, store all your ads and coupons in one easy to find location. I have a drawer in the bar cabinet in my kitchen that is my money saving drawer. As you can see at the top of the above image I have a pile where I keep the current grocery ads and any store ads I may need for that week. When next week comes it is easy to grab the stack and throw it in recycling and replace it with the new ads. This way you always have the current sales at your fingertips. This is also where I place my coupon box. The other stack consists of entertainment coupons. If we are ever at a loss for something to do we can take a look at our stack of money saving options. Lastly, pictured at the bottom of the picture you can see some envelopes. These are the return envelopes that are given in all the junk mail you receive so you can mail in offers you are given. I save these envelopes. It makes a perfect place to make my shopping lists and then I place my coupons in the envelope for safe keeping. Now I have my shopping list and all my coupons in one place and nothing gets lost while you are out and about.
And that is it. A simple and quick system that will help save some extra cash. Now you can use that money you saved to take that vacation you want to go on… or maybe it is time to redo a room in your house. We can definitely help with that as well.
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