Why do I keep the coupons in the shoebox even though I probably won't use them? I keep them mainly for the Drugstore Game. You never know what will be free after ECBs and coupons at CVS. For example, I recently got a bunch of Herbal Essences shampoos from CVS. I don't normally use that brand but I saved the coupons in my shoebox. Even though it is not my usual brand, I am happy to try it if it is free. I also use the coupons from this box during triple coupon week to get items for free or almost free.
In both the folders and the shoebox, I sort the coupons by these categories:
Folder 1
- Bread, Cereal, Crackers & Snacks
- Baking, Spices, Dessert, Candy
- Canned Food
- Dairy
- Pasta, Rice, Potatoes
- Sauces, Spreads, Oil, Jam
Folder 2
- Restaurants
- Store Coupons
- Cleaners, Soaps
- Paper, Plastic, Foil
- Frozen
- Fresh Produce, Fruit Juices
- Meat
- Toiletries
- Dental
- Medical
- Batteries, Light Bulbs
- Baby, Kids
- Other Coupons, Rebate Forms
My categories have evolved over time and they are still changing. For example, I need to split out my Toiletries category to make it more manageable. Other people who use coupon folders organize their categories based on the layout of the aisles in their grocery store. I have also heard of couponers sorting by expiration date or alphabetically.
When I prepare for a trip to the grocery store, I pull out all of the coupons that I plan to use from my folders and box and I put them in an envelope along with my list and sale ad. This way I am not digging around for coupons at the store. I also bring along my two coupon folders just in case I see an unadvertised deal on a favorite product. I leave the shoebox at home.
This system is working well for me right now but it is constantly evolving. My system does involving clipping all the coupons and filing them. The process can be time consuming. This coupon system may not be the best for you. There are a few other systems to check out:
- Coupon Binder: Coupons are clipped and filed in baseball card pages in a 3 ring binder.
- Filing By Insert: Coupons are not clipped. Newspaper inserts are stored intact by date.
- Envelope Method: Coupons are clipped and sorted into envelopes.
- The Couponizer: Coupons are clipped and sorted into a special booklet. This system looks great for beginning couponers but it wouldn't work for those with a large amount of coupons.
What is your coupons system? I'd love to learn some new coupon organizing tips!
Other posts you might be interested in:
How I Shop for Groceries
The Drugstore Game: An Example
3 comments:
Thanks for sharing Heather! i still have a lot to learn! Do you buy more than one Sunday paper in order to get several coupons? Also, I don't usually shop at CVS...what are ECBs?
I rarely buy a second Sunday paper. There have to be a whole lot of great coupons that I know I will use for me to buy a second paper. I do this maybe twice a year.
These are some of my coupon sources:
- The Smart Source & Proctor & Gamble inserts from the Sunday Washington Post. The Post no longer publishes the Red Plum insert. I get a second set of inserts from the Washington Examiner, a free paper that appears at the end of my driveway on Sundays.
- The Red Plum insert is now sent directly to you in the mail. I get a second insert from a friend.
- The Smart Source insert is now included in a free local paper, The Gazette.
ECBs are Extra Care Bucks. CVS will sometimes gives you ECBs (a coupon you can use like cash toward a future purchase) when you buy a certain product. For example, in the past they gave you $2.99 in ECBs when you bought Crest Prohealth toothpaste for $2.99. So you pay $2.99 now and get a coupon for $2.99 off a future purchase. The awesome thing is you could use a $1 off Crest coupon and pay $1.99 for the toothpaste and still get $2.99 ECBs. This is called the Drugstore Game. Go here for a tutorial.
I think I have coupons that expired in 2006 hanging around my house. I need a system.
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