Coupon Essentials

Each couponing site seems to suggest different ways to organize your coupons and shopping trips, I have tried a few of them, and finally came up with my own that has worked really well for me. Before you jump into the couponing craziness, you will want to get some supplies:

Supplies:

3 Ring binder: with pockets on the front, back, and inside. In the front I place store adds that I want to check out. In the back I keep my coupons for restaurant/activities. When my family wants to go out to eat, I pull them out, and we choose one.

Inside the binder I keep all of my coupons in trading card sheet protectors. I got a pack of them at Walmart for about $5. They were in the checkout area with the trading cards.

I organize my coupons alphabetically by brand or product name (depending on what I typically refer to the product as). This way I can also make my grocery list of coupon items and my stack of coupons for each store easily alphabetical as well, but more on that later.

Many sites refer to the date a coupon was in the newspaper, and which source the coupon came from, but if I have them organized by product, I don’t have to worry about any of that.

Fiskars cutter, to quickly cut all of your printed coupons

LOTS of printer paper, for your printed coupons.

Good stock of toner, for your printed coupons.

Newspaper subscription(s), contact me to get the best current rate available.

Envelop, to hold your alphabetical stack of coupons you plan to use for each store.

Paperclips with tabs, write the name of the store you are using those coupons for.

Pen

Paper, to make your shopping list. Organize it alphabetically to coordinate with the grocerysmarts’ lists, and make it easy to match your alphabetized coupons to.

Scissors, to cut out all of those Sunday paper coupons.

Brush upon your alphabetizing skills! It sounds nutty, but this has made my couponing MUCH easier. Many times I want to double check to make sure that I am purchasing the correct size of a product, and need the coupon for a reference. If they are alphabetical and sorted by store, I can easily check it out, rather than flipping through my coupons over and over in the middle of the isles like I did in the beginning.