Does your coupon binder look like mine right now? I hope not, but at some point they do need some TLC! My kids went back to school today so that will give me a little time to get it taken care of! I know some of you have kids home until Wednesday or even later, so you might have to wait until then, OR get them to help you!
** FIRST – I want to tell you something you already know… when you have a clean, organized binder or storage method and coupons cut out, life is soooo much better! When you need to go to the store and have no coupons to take with you ready, it is frustrating as you know that you are just wasting money. Start off the New Year by giving yourself the gift of saving money by being able to find those coupons!
Sadly, we have not gotten a lot of coupons in the past few weeks. This will make it easier to get everything sorted out though.
If you have inserts just piled around start by getting them all together by insert. OR this also applies if you get really behind in cutting them out.
Always start by cutting the most recent inserts out first. These can be the most import ones to get cut out for a few reasons.
- Have the furthest expiration date
- You are not yet sick of cutting and will cut out more
- None are expired
- Coupon matchups are currently out for them
I store my coupons 2 different ways. Each week I cut out 3 of my inserts (every coupon) and I organize them in my binder. You can see how I organize my binder HERE and how to make one. The other 6 or so inserts I store in a file box as whole inserts.
I label in big huge numbers the date that the insert came out. You can find the date by looking on the spine of the insert like in the picture above. Then I store them in the file box until I need a coupon and cut them out as I need them.
I started doing it this was because my binder was getting too big when I cut out about 10 inserts a week. Plus it was taking me too long and I was putting off doing it. If I can have at least 3 of each coupon with me in my binder I am really happy with that. If it is a HUGE sale and I have planned ahead I can cut out the additional coupons I will need and add them to my binder OR I might have to actually try and come back to take advantage of a deal if I don’t have enough coupons on me.
If you get too far behind get some help, or just start over! No worries just jump on in where ever you can! Last night I paid this little girl $5 to pull all the inserts out of the papers and sort them for me. It took her 2 hours, it would have taken me an hour, but sooooo worth $5!
Part comedian, part Dad, part athlete. He will boss around your children while they play ball.
Just as angelic as she looks, this girl could easily raise a Village by herself, and all the children would grow up to be President.
Self proclaimed, she would be a webkinz dog. Because, "they're cute, and puppies are too. And they're sweet and they always get along with other puppies."
This mini-Martha Stewart can handle ANY craft you send her way. She isn't all bows and rainbows, she's got karate kid moves!
Not "Pick-Me-Up" like caffeine, she wants you to pick her up! AND NOW!
Anything that can be destroyed WILL be destroyed!
Practically Perfect in Every Way for now! Nicknamed "The Panda" she is rolly polly and lives by the motto, "the little one, is KING!"
The resident Labradoodle, Miller got his name because Mom won and got to name the baby! Need something chewed up? He'll take care of it. Especially if it's expensive..
How do you obtain so many inserts? Do you just buy extra newspapers or what?
I buy 6 papers a week. I have 5 delivered to my house and I buy 1 on saturday. Then I usually get a few more inserts from neighbors and friends that don’t want theirs!
Great idea having little bit help you. I think a 7 year old in my house will be making $5 tonight 🙂
Tiffany – That is a great about cutting and storing. In the past I had always tried to cut ALL of my q’s as they came in, but that was so time consuming. I like your idea of cutting q’s from 3 inserts and then filing the rest.
We get the Sunday paper delivered and depending on what comes out I buy 3-5 papers (at the local 99 cent store.) This morning I picked up 10 inserts from our neighbors recycle and/or trash. I am on my way out and do the rest of my walk and see if I can find anymore inserts before the trash and/or recycle pick up. I only take from recycle or trash, unless I see the homeowner and ask if I can take their insert. I can’t believe how many people literally are throwing money away.
As always I am gratefully for all the advise you and Paul give. I had the opportunity Saturday night to give a fellow shopper some q’ing tips. I was shopping at Wal-mart and this lady stopped to ask me questions. I recommended both of your sites for couponing 101 info.
thanks for this!
I’m having to set up a new coupon binder out of necessity instead of want. I went to Kroger & left my binder in my cart in parking lot. It was taken to customer service but the person who claimed it was theirs wasn’t me :(. So bummed! Got physically nauseous when I thought of all the free/high value coupon I had in there. I felt naked & ill prepared when I went shopping for party stuff on 12/31!! So….making a binder is a have to this week!
Happy to get lots of new coupons to begin my stash.
Thanks for all you do!!
Just got back from the 2nd half of my “morning” walk. Picked up 7 more inserts and one had 2 extra P & G inserts. Getting coupons and exercise. My resolution for 2012 is to be in better shape physically, monetarily and spiritually.
I have a small stock pile of free items that I plan to donate to the Montgomery County food bank. This year I plan to do more and donate more.
@Peggy – So sorry to hear that. Taking someone elses binder is up there with taking inserts out of newspapers and not paying for them.
Tiffany,
When you bought your binder di you buy any inserts for it? All the reviews on Amazon for the binder say its just a shell, with nothing inside. I plan on getting one but didn’t know if there is something else I needed to by besides the baseball card inserts. Thanks for all you do – yours is my favorite site!!
Thanks TC!
Inside I have baseball card pages and the dividers for the sections. I have at time added some page protector pages for pages of coupons or printable coupons, but really I just have baseball pages!
Where did you get the black file ‘bag’ for the overflow of inserts? I have been looking for one for a while, but I can’t find a cute one for under $50 and I hate to spend that much on a bag whenI’m cutting coupons to save money. (P.S. A great big Thank You to you & Paul for all you do to help us save money!)
Dont you LOVE that?!! My friend Samantha gave that to me. I think she found it at Staples? Samantha?
I LOVE that cute little deal you keep your inserts in 😉
I had my son clean out mine last night too! Out with the old in with the new!
I carry scissors in my binder so I can cut coupons out of my extra inserts if the deal is too good to pass up.
I would love to know where you can get drink coupons like for water, gatorade, etc. I never have any luck with those. I have even tried their websites. Also where do people find those 2 liter coke or pepsi coupons. Also things like applesauce cups which my girls use for lunch. Banquet tv dinners and micheals frozen dinners. thanks
They have mostly been on Facebook lately…
You should also try Twitter. You should “friend” or “like” your favorite brands and favorite stores on Twitter and Facebook. Stores and companies are putting out special coupons just on Twitter or Facebook.
I have started a tradition of gathering coupons on Sunday nights (a few gas stations let me have them for cheap cheap due to the strong possibility of the papers not selling by the next morning). After I get my papers (between one and twenty!), I sit down with my hubby and watch “The Walking Dead” or “Dexter” while sorting. While I wish our local paper put the inserts into the lovely plastic bags the bigger newspapers have been doing, this is definitely a good alternative to being bored out of my mind.
That is what I try and do also!
Hi Tiffany,
I get all your tips, and I feel good helping my friends on their need and stretching my income. I would like to remember that all expired coupons can be turned to many churches that will send them to our military families.