We use the side of our fridge as the hub of information in our home. There we post our weekly menus, monthly and weekly calendars, and my cleaning lists.
Do you have a hub of information in your home?
Printables Sources: Menu Plan Monthly Calendar Weekly Calendar Cleaning List
Yesterday I showed you my coupon binder where I organize my coupon inserts.
Today I’ll show you what I take with me to the grocery stores and drugstores.
After making my shopping list and matching my coupons to store’s deals using Southern Savers, I cut out the coupons I need and put them in my expandable coupon organizer. I take only the coupons I need for that trip and any that I want to check on a price with.
I added a couple of tabs for the stores I shop at the most. I usually shop at multiple stores and that helps me keep my deal coupons for each store separate.
I keep a small calculator in the very back pocket to use in figuring up the total cost of my items while at the store or the cost of an item with a doubled coupon, etc.
The most critical item I take with me to the grocery store is my list notebook. I purchased this notebook at Ollie’s a year ago and got two in a pack for $5. It is a hard folder that easily sits up in the grocery cart and helps me stay on track in the stores.
In it I usually keep my store specific grocery list, my menu plan, and any Southern Savers matchup printables.
Because we have a very tight grocery budget for the month (currently $170 a month) I have to know exactly how much I am going to spend before I even get into the store. I use my price sheets that I have previously gathered to write down the price of each item . While we were living on one salary, we needed to stay on a budget of about $150 a month to make sure we had enough money to cover all our expenses. Now that we are on two incomes again, we have decided to only slightly raise our budget and continue putting our extra money towards our savings and paying off all debt. (We’re on the Dave Ramsey plan!)
It is hard to do sometimes, but we usually get out with spending between $25-$50 a week. To do that I am intentional in planning our menu and using coupons wisely as well as buying at the store with the rock bottom price.
I have learned through out the past couple of years that couponing has a lot of benefits, but it can be dangerous. When you’re on a budget, sometimes you just have to let some deals go. I try to only purchase deals that I can use to make meals for the week or stockpile on personal care items (toothpaste, shampoo, etc) I also am mindful of not purchasing so many processed foods, even if they are great deals.
I hope you have enjoyed seeing how I coupon and grocery shop, and hope that it has given you some ideas for yourself. I’d love for you to share a link in the comments if you have shown your own couponing system on your blog before or share any tips for saving money while grocery shopping!
I love to coupon, save money, and live frugally. I started couponing when I was in college, and my system has evolved over the past few years. I changed my system as my needs and our family’s needs changed. I think that is important to remember when choosing an organization method for your coupons. What works for you now, may not work two years from now. Be willing to learn, change, and customize your system.
Here are the basic components of my coupon organization system:
Let’s start with the…
I bought this binder at Wal-Mart several years ago for around $10. It has served me well, and has lots of convenient storage areas.
One of my favorite features is the expandable file area on the front.
Here I keep my sales papers for the week for grocery stores and drug stores. I also keep my Staples rewards under the “Misc.” tab.
Let’s take a look inside…
There are pockets for pens and markers, my store savings cards, and coupons that I cut but haven’t used yet. I added a pencil pouch that holds a small notebook, post its, a calculator, and a small pair of scissors.
There are several sections to my coupon binder.
First, I keep a list of the coupon insert schedule handy in the very front. I can easily look each week to see how many inserts will be in our Sunday paper, or if there are no inserts for the week.
Second, I have baseball card protector sheets that hold loose coupons that come in the mail with free samples or on products I buy. I know these coupons are not normally included in the coupon matchups I use online, so I can just flip through them individually to determine if there is a deal for the week with those coupons.
Third, I have my weekly coupon inserts from the Sunday papers. This is the largest section of my binder.
I do not cut my coupons out of my inserts until I need them! I plan my grocery trips around what is on sale, and use Southern Savers website to match my coupons with the items I will buy. She tells you the date of the insert for each coupon matchup and by not cutting them out, I can easily just go through whichever insert I need. I will also search the coupon database for any items I will be buying that are not part of the store’s weekly sales.
I put each week’s inserts into a separate sheet protector and add a post-it note with the date written on it. These serve as tabs that I use to find the inserts I am looking for.
Fourth, I have a couple of sheet protectors that I cut and sewed back together to form pockets. Here I keep coupon booklets that I receive in the mail (mostly P&G or store specific booklets). I simply cut a slit in the top piece of the sheet protector half way down and then sewed a straight stich across to seal the top pocket on my sewing machine.
Fifth, I keep copies of different stores’ coupon policies. These are handy to have when you are planning your trips and to take with you to the store in case there is ever any question from the cashier about your coupon usage. Surprisingly, store clerks often do not know the store’s policies.
Sixth, I have two pocket folders. I purchased these from Staples for $1 each and in one I keep retail coupons and in the other I keep coupons I clip from magazines.
And last but not least, I keep a copy of Coupon Mom’s Grocery Saving Strategies in the back for reference.
It’s a full load but it helps me keep everything in place and available when I need it. I use this binder at HOME, not the store. I have tried to take it to the store with me, but it is just too bulky and is not effective for me.
I keep it in a pretty file box that I received as a wedding gift when I’m not using it. It normally stays in the office and I get it out when I plan my weekly shopping trips.
Tomorrow I’ll share what the second part of my coupon organizing system- what I take to the store with me.
Do you coupon? And if so, how do you keep all of those coupons organized?
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