My Coupon Organizing (System?)

As with most of my posts, this is not just a statement of what I am doing, but also an explanation of why I chose to do what I did...hope you enjoy!

After careful consideration, I have decided that I do have a coupon organizing system...of sorts. It's actually a work in progress. At the time I am writing this I only get and use my own coupons and only get one copy of the paper...a total noob I know! After browsing around the web last night I became fully aware for the first time just how badly I am going about this, compared to the rest of you "pros" out there. As has been the case, most of the time, I find a great idea and then I over complicate it an it ends up falling by the wayside. This being my third attempt to clip coupons I am determined to make it work this time! Here's what I have been doing...

First I clipped the entire 4/20 inserts collection (which is when my first paper came) and then I created an excel spreadsheet for 4 sheets, broken into categories

• Need it - staples, toiletries, soda, bread etc,
  
• Want it- treats, things I would only buy because I had coupons
  
• Extras - things I have little to no intention of buying but as I mentioned here no item is useless
• Other - Restaurants, entertainment...basically anything not grocery related.

On each of those sheets I have columns for:

• Product
  
• Category
• Subcategory (this is largely just what *I* call it)
  
• Coupon Amount
  
• Date of insert
• Expiration Date

and then I stopped. My 4-27 paper vanished before I could get it and two weeks went by while I waited for the agency to send me the missing coupons, the next set of coupons I clipped was the 5-4 set. I clipped them but became overwhelmed and was unable to transfer them onto my spreadsheet, after that I just kept the inserts labeled as I saw to do here but unless I was following something someone else found, they were pretty much useless to do my own research and deal making.

Then I started going printable happy, but keeping track of those was even harder, either keep 3 various ones on a sheet or cut them all up and make them smaller and (with 3 kids) easier to lose (which I have done a LOT). After forgetting, or *gasp* loosing, the printable coupon I needed when I went to use it, I came up with a system of sorts for them as well. There is nothing quite as heart breaking in the coupon world (or at least mine) as seeing a printable coupon link that I "have already printed the number of times allowed" and being unable to find it, and having to sift through pages and pages only to find I do not have it was not very effective.

So now I have taken the remaining pages of coupons and numbered them. If it was pages of the same coupon then they got a 1a, 1b etc and if it was a page of various coupons (for instance the target ones), I just put one number for that entire page. Then I put them all in an excel spread sheet with the following columns:

• Page number - in some cases there are varying types of the same coupon in which case it would be numbered 1-1, 1-2, 1-2, 1-3 depending on how many are on each page.
• Coupon Amount
• Product
  
• Expiration Date

I have realized that as insanely complicated as it is to put each and every coupon in a spread sheet, you can't beat the efficiency of finding coupons to match up to your grocery or drugstore deals. Even if you don't have a list posted by someone else already the "find" button is all it takes to see if you have a coupon that nobody has mentioned yet. Turns out I am not the only crazy person out there considering a list of every coupon...
Deal Mama Belle is already doing it!

They say you can't serve more than one master (in terms of following a given system), but I think that I can make something work by using parts of other's system and making one that's definitely mine.

So here's my plan...

• Stick to dating the front of the insert, but not clipping them.
• Start numbering each page of the insert and putting each page worth in a spread sheet with the columns I used in the coupons I already clipped.
• Store each insert in date order (newest to oldest) and keep them available
• Cut out only the coupons I need for a given trip and maybe some from the "Want it" category. Put those coupons in order for each store and place them in individual holders. Right now I am using sandwich baggies, but I hope to upgrade soon.
  
• I am also hoping to be able to track how much I have actually saved from week to week, and at least track my CVS purchases in depth.

Well that's it for now, I promise to put up pictures once I have access to a camera and a more defined system is in place. I realize that this doesn't allow for me to benefit from stumbling onto an unadvertised clearance section or unbelievable deal, so maybe I will print out my spreadsheets, put them in a sheet protector and bring a dry erase marker to note the deals that would benefit from a coupon I have. Or maybe since I am a one paper couponer currently, I can afford to put all the inserts in a folder to bring with me, with no less than 2 kids in tow at all times, I don't have the luxury of going back to the car for a coupon I need. Honestly, though, as the Queen of impulse purchases, coupon or no coupon, I don't think my budget will mind me not having the ability to buy something I wasn't planning on. Especially since I do all this in cash and budget down to the wire.

No one system works for everybody, this what I am creating for me. Want to see some others? Check out The "Cent"sible Sawyer