I love my coupon pouch because:
1. It was free
2. It is easy to slip into my purse (and I don’t take it out- so no chance of leaving it behind!)
3. It is discreet
4. It is not awkward or cumbersome
Here is the gist of my system:
1. I use a cosmetic bag I have had for years (free!) that is super sturdy.
2. I have a series of envelopes- mostly with categories for my coupons like Produce, Dairy, Baby etc..
3. I color code the envelopes so it is super easy to peek inside and grab the maroon cleaning supplies envelope or the blue dairy envelope etc… If I need to find a coupon I just peek inside and usually can just grab the envelope and skim through it quickly.
4. I have separate envelopes for stores I shop at a lot- like Target and Safeway- that I get frequent store coupons from or catalinas. I grab the yellow Target envelope as I am heading to the store and peek through to remind myself of any prices to check or deals I want.
5. I have a separate envelope for FREE items- this is very important as the worst thing is to have something for free and forget it or have it get lost in a sea of coupons and expire. I hoard these coupons to really maximize my savings so it would be easy to forget what I have.
6. I have a misc envelope that serves to hold restaurant, retail store, auto shop etc.. coupons. Since I have this with me at all times I am never kicking myself for forgetting to bring a certain coupon when I make an unscheduled stop.
The calculator is always in the front as it is so important to keep track of your dollar amount if you are on a budget, or keep track of your total if you are doing a promo deal (like the spend $30 get $10 at Safeway). I also find it much easier to do quick unit cost comparisons to make the best decision when I buy.
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I totally understand the binder issue..
It just seems too much to bring a binder,
but it does look easier to organize and such.
My personal secret weapon is my boyfriend.
I ask him to hold on to coupons and to do calculations on my graphing calculator (I don’t need a graphing calculator but the big screen helps a lot).
Oh my shopping trips are mommy’s time alone! My husband would totally mess me up 🙂
I agree the binder looks impressive but I think it would be more cumbersome than helpful for me. I originally started with a box that held 3×5 index cards that I wasn’t using at the time. I have actually outgrown that box and am in the process of upgrading to an old wipes box (since they are plentiful in my home right now) and am working on creating dividers. I find that I do better with dividing by experation date best then I arrange them by department for easier finding. My Kroger has a starbucks inside and I take a few moments at the tables to quickly make sure I haven’t forgotten any deals that I was planning to pick up.
My coupon organizer was free too! 🙂 I use an old snap lid Rubbermaid container. Much like you, I have envelopes with handmade tabs. However, I marked them A-Z because it is easier for me to remember where I put the coupons then! 🙂
Great job on being frugal!
this is pretty similar to my system however i keep all my coupons in one index card sized plastic accordion folder. i like to keep it small and manageable too, if it gets too full i pull out coupons for things i’m pretty sure i won’t buy but keep them at home until they expire just in case.
Ok, my shopping (usually at night except for weekends) is done at night, sans kids who stay with daddy. That’s my me time. And I wish I could use a system like described above! I started with a bigger receipe box but outgrew that within weeks and now I am using a plastic rubbermaid shoebox with lid and I do have the envelope system, for now with product catogories but am changing to A-Z brand names. AND the sad part is my box is bursting at seams now and I haven’t even clipped yesterday’s coupons yet!! Yikes, how to you keep such a small pouch?? Do you only get one set of inserts or do you keep them elsewhere?? Thanks!! PS- I’m still kinda new at this, only been doing it for about 3 months. Shoot, I still sit in my car and cry when I get hassled over coupons…LOL. Though NEVER in front of cashier!! LOL. And usually only cry when accused of photocoping, coupon fraud, etc. (Sigh)
Hi Tracy, The number of inserts I get just depends- I get at least 2 a week sometimes up to 7. My pouch is exploding right now but I would rather miss a deal than drag around some huge thing. Plus I have a stockpile of HBA items so it is easier to say no to a great deal. I clip about 20% of what is in the inserts and anything less than .50 I usually don’t bother with. When I plan a trip to WM or whatever I go through and cut anything I might want that isn’t in my pouch.
Also, regarding stinky cashiers- I totally know how you feel and trust me it will get better. I have learned to sniff out the crusties and I either go for the young kid that doesn’t care or the manager. Also, I noticed your confidence level changes the way the cashier behaves. If you walk in with an attitude that you own the place they seem to respond better. If anyone accuses me of wrongdoing I politely ask them to call the manager over immediately so the mgr can explain to me why customers are treated so shabbily in that store. If the mgr is equally rude I ask them to write down the store # and both names and let them know I will be calling their corp office to let them know they have lost a customer.
Also, I avoid problems. If I have consistent problems at a store I just don’t shop there anymore. I’d rather drive 10 extra min than have the stress. Also, I fly under the radar. It is very rare that I go into a store and buy 25 items that are free. I don’t bother with trial sizes that are going to be a headache and I never, ever, ever have overage (I always have something to eat the overage.)
Anyway, let me know how things go and remember you are not doing anything wrong. You are putting your family first and the cruddy cashiers can go you know where. They are probably treating you badly because they are jealous.