Friday, March 26, 2010

An Organized Way To Save

I have always been a couponer. I have very early memories of rainy days with my mom at the kitchen table, sorting her coupons. She would pay me a penny for every two coupons I cut. A good way to get them cut AND keep a crazy kid out of her hair no doubt. So, I guess you could say I got the "bug" from her, watching her work to save her family money.
When we were first married, we were poor college students living on $20 a week for groceries. Little did I know that would help us prepare for being missionaries! :)
I have always used an envelope system of sorts to organize my coupons. Then I moved to the plastic accordion style folder. The folders just kept getting bigger and bigger, but the problem was always the same. They would not close very well, making it ridiculous to carry around, and impossible to stick in my purse.

So, now I use baseball card holders. I'd like to tell you that I came up with this idea on my own, but it is not an original.


I am able to sort them by category, and then they go into this big file folder.


I misplaced the tabs to write on shortly after purchasing this file folder, but I have been using this system for so long, I just remember where it goes. Paper products, cleaning supplies, refrigerated, frozen, canned, etc...


It all ends up neatly. Now, there is no way I can fit this in my purse, but I have gotten over that, and have come to love this new system, and have a lot less "lost coupons" that I didn't see and then they expire before I can use them.
Do any of you have special ways that help you save?

5 comments:

Tomesia said...

very cool. i've seen the ball card organization before, but i didn't really get how it is easier-but it does look like you could see things at a glance vs. my envelope system. i may have to try that.

Rachel said...

That is so awesome! Do you just take out the ones you're going to use and take them with you to the store? That is seriously a lot of coupons!

Tamara said...

I actually am a dork and carry the whole folder in. I have one too many times only took the coupons I thought I needed, and missed a great deal.
I don't care looking like a dork though if it saves us a buck or two...or hundred. :)

Elizabeth Eckard said...

For so long. What you mean, Mara, is that you are just such a genius, you already have it memorized after only a few weeks...or a month. You are just great!

Steph said...

I had to go searching through your blog archive to find this post :D

I am in desperate need of a coupon sorter revamp, and I remembered you posted something about this a while back!

Thank goodness for archives. This will totally help me!