So many times when I am in the stores I hear people say that they always cut out their coupons and never use them. I am a big believer that the number one key to saving money is being organized. If you don’t know what coupons you have and where they are, then you will spend a lot of time cutting and never save much. But, have you ever thought about how much money you could be throwing away each week?
One of the first things I tell new coupon shoppers is to save their inserts. When I first started cutting coupons I would only cut out the ones I thought I would use, or the high value coupons, then I would throw the remaining coupons in the trash because I didn’t want the clutter of all those coupons lying around my house. As I began looking through upcoming ads, and online blogs I realized that daily I would wish that I had cut out one of those coupons that I had thrown away.
What I learned very quickly was that even if I didn’t think I would use a coupon, I might decide I wanted it later when I could get something for free, or better yet make money on it! There are lots of things that I am willing to purchase if I am going to make a few bucks, and saving my coupons each week has proven to be a very wise decision.
Here are a few tips for using those saved coupons and dealing with inserts:
Utilize preview sites
Sites like A Full Cup offer previews of upcoming store ads. You can go online and view upcoming ads so that you know which coupons you may want in the future. I check these ads on a weekly basis so that I always know what sales are coming up, and then I can keep my eyes open for those coupons. I can also go back to my saved inserts when I see a great deal and cut out a coupon that I didn’t think I needed when I originally went through my inserts.
Here’s an example: This month at Walgreens there is a $5.00 money maker on Bayer Contour Meters, if you have the coupons for up to $30.00 off the Bayer Meters. These coupons were in three recent inserts. As soon as I saw this in the preview, I was able to go back through my inserts quickly and find six coupons for these meters! Since each coupon was a $5.00 money maker, I make $30.00 off something I might have thrown away.
Use a Coupon Database
A Full Cup, Hot Coupon World and Coupon Mom all offer great online databases of coupons. Each week when I make my shopping list I look online to search the database for coupons on items I know I need to purchase. Often there is a coupon for the product I need or a similar item listed in the database. I can then go back through my coupons and find exactly what I am looking for in a timely manner.
Be Organized
Do you have a plan for how you cut out and store your coupons? It took me a while to come up with a system that worked for me, and I know that everyone’s system is different. Here’s a summary of how I organize my coupons:
1) I go through the inserts each week and cut out and file the coupons that:
· I know I will use (i.e. It’s for something I normally buy)
· I think might go on sale (Some products like Colgate toothpaste are always on sale or free after coupon or store rewards, so I know those coupons will be money makers)
· Have Long Expiration Dates (If it’s April and the coupon doesn’t expire till July, I most likely will find a good deal before it expires. Also I feel like it’s more worth my time to cut and file if I am going to carry it around for 3-4 months.)
2) I place all remaining coupons in a file folder and label the file folder with the date the coupons were issued (I use the date the coupons were in the paper as a reference because all the coupons have different expiration dates, and this is the date that most databases use to identify coupons)
3) I file the folders by date with the most recent in the front. I just use a plastic Rubbermaid box that is designed for folders for storage.
4) When I am ready to clean out my coupons I go through the oldest folders and cut out any remaining coupons that are still valid and file these in my binder, or in a envelope that I keep in my coupon box.
Yes, this will take a little extra time, but I have found that I save time on the front end because I am not stressed about cutting and filing all the coupons from an insert, but I still have them when I need them.
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