As you can see, I desperately need some accountability... seriously! Remember when I cleaned out my messy pantry? Well, this is the same kind of accountability I need! The only difference is that I'll be clipping and organizing my coupons.
Over the last few weeks I've gotten so behind on coupon clipping and the picture above is the embarrassing mess of procrastination! Today's the day! I've got my scissors ready and I'm determined to have an organized coupon binder that other couponers will be drooling over! Hold me accountable and tonight I will have a new picture up--hopefully a picture of organized coupon beauty!
If you want to jump in on this coupon organization challenge, then please do so! I hope we all can motivate one another to clip away!
113 comments:
I am behind too. I keep forgetting to buy more inserts every time I am shopping!! Arggg. Maybe I will remember tomorrow. Good luck with that and have fun!!LOL
You can do it, I have faith in you. Clip those babies...
Leighann
I need to organize my coupons too. I will hold myself accountabile as well and finish organizing my tonight.
Thanks for the encouragement.
ok I don't feel so bad now! I am taking classes right now and couponing has taken a back seat. You have to see the mess that is my coupon system!
Gosh I dont even clip and my mess is ten times bigger! I think tonight will be my night too. I need some organization! Hopefully you will motivate me!
That looks just me right now. Yesterday I thought, "how did this happen?" I could not find coupons I needed for the store yesterday that I KNEW I had (somewhere..... :)
We went to Disney World a few weeks ago and I had just been collecting the coupons, not sorting or clipping, since we returned. So, last Sunday, I did the Glade deal at Target and then spent the gift cards on the zipper binder for my coupons. Sunday night I spent about an hour, (while watching Desperate Housewives), organizing my coupons and new binder! I LOVE IT! Thank you for the idea!!!
I am right there with you. I haven't clipped my coupons from the past two Sundays. I am traveling out of of town next week and plan to get caught up when I return. I am super jealous that you will be in order by the end of tonight and I will have to wait for another 2 weeks. Best of luck...You can do it!
I thought I was the only one! Since I work full time it is so diffcult. I will be taking the challenge Sat!
I am doing the same thing today! Had my son bring down all his extra trading card page inserts and have scissors in hand - I am toasting you with my hot tea as I get started!
I hear you Collin! I'm so out of control that I fumble through all my untighty coupons at the store while people stare at me with pitty lol...I have even misplaced good coupons and couldn't find them until I got home and tore my binder apart! lol
I gave up on baseball card holders. Too much upkeep. Toploading sheets for me. 2 binders. One for foods(grocery store) and one for places like CVS, Rite Aid etc.. I get behind ALOT, but every once in awhile I catch up(for a day:). I just know that I am saving $$$
I know the feeling, we get about 6 newspapers each sunday (the local paper has a couponer special they run) Anyway - you mess looks like a piece of cake to what we had going on. My hubby clupped and I organized into the coupon book and took out old expired ones and so on so forth. Boy was it exausting.
We still have a few more things left to do, but we had got most of it done.
So, I totall know the feeling - good luck!
You have no idea how happy I am to see this picture! I had an image that you surely must have it all organized in order to find these deals. Haha! In order to live up to the ideal platform I had you on in my mind, I stayed up until 11 last night clipping/organizing my binder. Anyways, I hope you're able to get it done today! Thanks for encouraging us. Haha.
You have helped me so much, thank you! So let me tell you how I organize my coupons. I have 3 binders: SS, P&G, and RedPlum. When my coupons come, I just write the date across the top and put it in its folder. Then when I need a coupon, I just go to the folder and clip the one I need. That way i don't have to clip all the coupons, since I only use about 20% anyway.
I am very behind also. Today is the day!! I am getting ready now. Can't wait to see your new organized coupon binder picture!
At least they are all in one place!! I have several 'stashes' of coupons...ugh...and I'm determined also to get organized!!!
Girl, that was me a couple of weeks ago. I decided no more! I sat through two full hours of TV and clipped, purged, and organized.
I expect to see a nice, tidy binder tonight, missy! *wags index finger*
I am there with you. I started this morning and have been working all day. On my behalf though I am also cutting coupons from the girl scouts to donate overseas. Remind me not to volunteer for that again;)
Help me! I don't know how! My system is a file box with folders for each month. I have to go through every page to find the one I want. Post some tips so we can all be organized together!
I'm with you on this! I ALMOST got to it last night, but didn't quite make it. Perhaps your challenge will be the motivation I need to make it happen tonight! The coupons are all clipped, just need to get into the binder. Thanks for all that you do!
I tackled my EXACT mess this morning, too! I was SO behind with all the fantastic printables that have come out over the last week or so. I'm almost finished catching up... you can do it!
You can do it!! I just got finished doing some catching up myself...now I feel like I can breathe again...or at least catch my breath before running for the next deal! :)
I will have to show this to my kids who complain about my assigning them clipping and sorting as their chore each week. The printed coupons get about 1.5 inches thick but I keep reminding them that the payoff is theirs too. It's a great feeling to pay nearly nothing for a whole bunch! Thanks for the camraderie!
oh my goodness...I TOTALLY almost took the same photo of my MESS ... I was looking over at in the passenger seat of my car and I thought "eeeesh. what a mess"... but I didn't have the courage to take a pic. You are a brave girl. Go Brave Girl Go!
Can someone please give me the corporate number for Target thanks
That was me this morning. I'm caught up now - YAY! There's nothing like getting your coupons organized and ready to use!!!
This post made me LOL!!! I thought I was the only one with a huge amount of paper clutter and coupons to sort and organize. I'm so glad that I am not the only one. I'm going to organize it today, too! Meet you at the end with an organized binder and a sigh of relief!!!
There was a GREAT follow me Monday about how Collin organizes her coupons, it helped me out a ton!
Just a quick add: We converted to two traditional coupon holders for things that multiple people shop for- 1 for groceries and 1 for household stuff and pets. Finally, all the toiletries (stuff that only I shop for) is in the binder with baseball card slots. It has really encouraged hubby who does most of the grocery shopping to remember the coupons! He only has to carry the ones that might apply to his list(LOL) or to what gets in the cart.
haha! i just finished after 2.5hrs of clipping, filing, and organizing. Ready for a beverage and a nap:P
Easiest way to cut is with a large paper cutter. No more sore hands from the scissors!
I am so happy to see that I am not the only person who is behind on organizing coupons. I usually organize in the evenings but was busy this past week watching my beloved Yankees and couldn't take my eyes off the TV. I hope to get everything organized tonight during "must see TV." :-)
I was in your position a month or so ago. You can do it!!! :)
my coupons are a total disaster! I need serious help!
That same thing happen to me to!!! SO on Sunday I had my hubby stop and get me a new coupon book "THE ONE I ALWAYS WANTED" LOL because mine was a great big mess too!!! Now I'M all cleaned up....Y'all all have fun :)
I'm with you tonight! I am planning to pick up a binder tonight so I can get a little more organized that my little zip lock baggie. But, on the other hand, I would like something that's easily transportable and with me all the time. Hmmmm...
Here is my favorite tip for you: buy a zippered compartment insert to put inside your binder at the front. (something for like pens; it has three holes on the side; Walmart around 97 cents)
I keep a pair of sissors, calculator, pen and clipped coupons that haven't been sorted. Like I stick them in there when I'm out and about. I also try to put them right where they go as I clip so I don't get too behind.
That was me last night! Sat for hours clipping and organizing ONLY b/c my husband said...I love that we are saving money and using coupons but seeing coupons and paper clippings on every table is driving me NUTS! lol
I think I will post a picture of my coupons tonight too! Mine are in my coupon binder and then I have3 bags of coupons I need to go through. I am such a slacker. I will post a before and after. You made me motivated!!!!
i think that looks neat compared to my mess...
My coupon book is out of control too! Once you get behind, it's so hard to catch up!
so glad im not the only one! goodness me i have a TON of coupons to go through! my husband asked me if my new way of saving money was to not go to the grocery store... but i hate spending full price so i guess so! both babies are sleeping so couponing here i come!!!
You can do it--make us proud! :) i was on a coupon high after making a convert of the lady behind me in line at Target yesterday when she saw my total go down from $107 to $22 (including 20 jars of skippy pb in that). So catching her enthusiasm and realizing how couponing is truly serving me, i found the motivation to stay up 'till midnight last night organizing my piles (they looked like yours!). Now that everything is locatable in my binder, i'm ready to go from stealth shopping to taking no prisoners again!
Don't feel bad. I have 20 people coming to my house tomorrow to do a coupon class. I have no idea where my powerpoint presentation is or any of my samples. I am so far behind as well. We won't be mad if you don't make your deadline. Greys is on tonight too!
my bed looked like that the other day... i was like its taking over my life!!! haha but i lovvvvvvvve it!
I'm with you. Well, not really, because I don't think I'm going to catch up right now. But I'm with you in the sense that I should!!
I think your system (binder) works great, but what you might want to try is making a self rule for clipping and filing. My rule is that anything I print today must be filed either before bed tonight, or first thing in the morning tomorrow. I'd rather spend a few minutes each day than an entire hour, or more, after it's all piled up. It's so much easier to tackle. I've also made a rule that I do my inserts the same day/time every week, which for me is first thing in the morning on my day off.
I haven't even started my coupon binder, I have about a foot stack of coupons that need to clipped and organized!! ok, that's going to be my project this evening!, after I finish up the house and get me some starbucks! maybe I'll post proof on my blog!
I spent 4 hours the other night clipping coupons! I wish you well... Good luck!
LOL - it's funny that you wrote this b/c I JUST finished reorganizing all of mine!! You can do it!
How funny I couldn't read any blogs today until I did my clipping and storing of the last 3 weeks stuff! Then to see you have the same problem cracked me up!!
;0)
Jessica
Hi Fellow Coupon Bloggin Friend!
This is such a timly post because I said the same thing yesterday. I started and finished all (ok maybe a few left) of my printables but I have a ton of Newspapers Coupon Clipping to do. So...I think I will post/link on this very topic and see If I can get er' done too. You seem to have a ton of motivation!! Thanks for being mine.
I try to purge my coupons at the end of each month. And I try to clip each week (usually day before I go grocery shopping). Sometimes it may take me a day to clip then another day to file in my coupon small accordian holders. I really need to upgrade to a binder.
I am going to rent a movie and work on some couponing tonight. I vacilate between my binder and file folder so it isn't too difficult I know that the last week or two are in the file folder. By the time I move them from the file folder to the binder it is time to clip again. But I will work on it tonight!
Doesn't look messy to me! Mine are in so many different places, I couldn't begin to take pictures!
LOL! I thought I was the only one! I did 1/2 last night (clipping) and I'll sort & file tonight. I hate having to catch up!
Like many others have said, I'm glad I'm not the only one struggling to keep up with everything! This week I decided to spend half my lunch break eating, and the other half organizing my coupons..I'm almost done, and the relief just feels great! Thanks for the encouragement!!
I had to do this very same thing a few days ago because it was getting to the point that even having some coupons organized, I still couldn't find the particular coupon when I wanted to use it.
I am sure that you will be able to get your coupons organized!
My house looks the exact SAME way! Too funny! We're in the process of moving, so I'm trying to hold back before I shop and buy more things that I'll have to move. I still need to get more organized though I've got clipped coupons in the pockets of my binder... so not me! I'm with you, let's get organized!!
I feel your pain. I just spent 15 minutes looking for my Walgreens diabetes book.
This is what I've been doing all day. Finally done and off to get some 40 cent/lb. turkeys!!!
LOL I throw all mine in a box and hide them under my bed. I pull out the box when i start my list for each store. I am so behind it is scarry.
I am about 4 or 5 weeks behind on clipping coupons and putting them in my binder. Now I don't feel so alone. lol
I will try to get a start on clipping today.
I'm just glad it's not me. I perpetually have assorted coupons to file, and I'm not even hard core! (I have only an accordion file in my purse, as well as back inserts filed in binders in case you post an awesome deal that doesn't require multiple of the same coupons.) I need to go through mine to remove expired coupons, but I don't see that happening today. Good luck!
Good luck! It took me 2 days to clip my coupons, get rid of expired coupons, and re-organize my binder. Thanks to your first Follow Me Monday video, I now have the same system as you - binder with the baseball card inserts, and I absolutely LOVE it!!! It is much easier to look through than my previous methods. Thank you so much for all you do! You are an inspiration to others!
My binder has worked great for me, and I can clip and fill it in about an hour. I sort my coupons as I clip them according to the 30 tabs I have. I also have separate tabs for each stores' coupons. The key is the insert pages themselves. The 9-pocket inserts are ok, but the 8-pocket are ideal. I ordered mine from my local baseball card dealer ($16 for 100). You don't have to worry so much about getting the coupons shaved down to the right size with the 8-pocket.
This is EXACTLY the way coupon situation looks at this very moment. With 2 jobs and busy kids, I get behind often. Luckily my little guy likes to help out!
I love to take my kids to Chuck E Cheese (with a pizza coupon, free tokens from reports cards, free tokens from homework calendar -- see website for all offers), and let them run around for an hour or two while I sip my Diet Coke and cut and organize coupons. It's MY time, and they get a great outing.
Funny! I did this last night because it was bugging me. Must be something in the air.
Oh wow! Same here- total mess- so behind! Maybe if you post about how you got yourself organized, it will inspire me, too! LOL Glad to know I'm not the only one!!
I am with you on this but I can never find the time with two little ones at home. I tell myself when tbey go to bed but then I am too tired and not focused.
I am WEEKS behind on cutting my coupons and everytime I see a great deal at the store, I know there is a coupon in my piles. I have a hard time like Nicole above with the little ones. I have six running around and even if I use the whole table the baby climbs up and pulls them all down. The only time I have is when they all go to bed at night and I am exhausted. I wish we could do a weekly clipping party!
I need to hold myself accountable and fast!
lol I did the same thing!
I get 40 inserts a week...and stopped doing them about 4 weeks ago.
Plus I was printing qs and leaving them in stacks.
I finally worked through every single one on Monday.
Not to scare anyone, but it took me close to 5 hours to straighten it all out.
Lesson learned!
How does one arrange to get 40 fliers a week?
It's kinda nice to know even the "professional couponers" are unorganized. Mine are a mess! I want to switch to the binder method & have started, but I'm kinda stuck inbetween the two... I've got to have some time to do it and get organized!!! I hate it when I'm missing out on a great deal because I can't find coupons!
I'm right there with you! I have been so busy getting all the great deals this week that I have not clipped and filed the way I should. Thanks for the motivation to get busy organizing!
I've been working on mine a little bit every day this week. I've been doing the binder thing for a while, but had to upgrade to a three inch and decided to go from 5 basic categories to 25 or so smaller ones....it hopefully will make my life easier but right now i feel like I'm losing it! I find it kinda funny that I haven't checked your blog all day because of it and then I come on here and you're doing the same thing. Glad to know that a "pro" like you can still have a binder mess. :) GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!
~rachael~
Oh, one other thing. I have a solution to aching fingers...a bar cutter!! My husband brought home an extra one from the school he teaches at and it's a life saver!!! Sooooo much easier!
~rachael!~
Well you are one step ahead of me b/c mine are all still in folders! lol...Just put some classical music on your ipod or whatever music makes you get productive and I have faith you will get it done! ;)
Jut got done clipping and organizing for the past two weeks... I feel your pain... but man does it feel great to have it all organized again! Yay!
I am behind too...maybe it's the time of year...so busy lately!!!
I just got mine done this week. My biggest concern is making sure I pull the expired ones out. I hate getting in the store and thinking I have a deal and the darn thing is expired. I have a pocket folder in the front of my binder where I can put the coupons that need to be filed. This way, I can still have them with me at the store even tho they are not filed.
Good Luck and Happy clipping' and filing to all.
Havent read all the other comments, but-----I dont clip at all. I store the inserts by date and type in files and when I go to websites and look at the coupon natchups-then I go and cut those for that week. It saves me sooo much time. I do look through and see if there is anything outstanding that I will use in the next week or so (like the milk and eggnog this past week) but other than that, it has simplified my life
I started couponing 2 months ago & I'm using a photo book (LOL) to sort my coupons alphabetically. The book is now fat & I think its time to buy a binder.
it's so funny that you are doing this today, because i started clipping and reogranizing all of my coupons earlier today.
good job!
Wow! I am so behind on clipping and organizing my coupons too! It really drives me nuts! I feel like I might be missing out on a good deal because there might be a coupon that I don't know about because it is not in the right place! I hope to do my organizing this weekend! Maybe Sunday morning!
I am a mom of 6 children ~ and I home school them all, so I know how busy we can all get. I take EVERY opportunity I can to stay organized with my coupons and my deals. This past tuesday, I was able to work the polls for our local elections. I got paid $120 a day for my "volunteer" work AND was told to bring something along to fill up the "slow" times. Of course, I brought my coupons & binders. It was perfect. I was able to purge all of the expiring October coupons and file all the new inserts. I spent a good 5 or 6 hours organizing my binders ~ and made $120 in the process :)
I am about 4 hours from being done. I stayed up until 3 am 2 nights ago working on it. I guess that's what happens when you are 4 weeks behind. Collin, I love your coupon organizer. Ever since I changed over to match yours I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT....I've tried everything and this works great. Today I shopped at Kroger Mega sale and my total was $107 before coupons and sales.....I paid $36.
Jennie, what a great idea....I think I'm going to try that....
I would love to see a "Follow Me Monday" about how you organize your binders. My coupons are a hopeless mess.
I buy those small hand size photo albums about 4 X 6. There is enough pages to arrange the coupons by aisle in the store--I have two stores configured in my book. One Walmart, one Dillon (Kroger). High value coupons in the Walmart section--others in the store that doubles them. I use mailing labels with aisle description on each page. Those big folders let me save too many that I never use
Boy that could be my current mess also, i need to get the expireds out, clip what i will use, give the ones i will not, and file in my binder the ones i will, sigh it is too late today and our 5 year old has a field trip tomorrw so it looks like i might get to it by Sayurday.
OM gosh I am sooooo with you on this project!!! I am in the same predicament! 2 weeks of paper inserts and LOTS of printed MQ's to cut and sort. I'm going to have to take one day and just not turn on my computer until I have them caught up!
i am new here. so how do you guys carry around your binders? isn't it heavy?
Honey, I'm there with you...my end table is buried in inserts and ip coupons. Hubby is getting me a new binder for christmas but I don't know if I'll make it! I'm busting at the seams....literally...the corners of my leather binder are busted. hahahaha!
LMAO -- I've spent the last two days organizing my two coupon binders and I'm no where close to being done. I'm updating my books with the new coupons that came out the last two weeks. I seriously thought to take a picture of my "mess" but didn't want THAT floating out in the internet! LOL I'm looking at the plastic picnic table I dragged down here in the family room to work on my coupon books and it's still full of coupons that I've cut and sorted and organizing. It's pretty sad that it's so disorganized or is it pretty sad that I have THAT many coupons? LOL ::sigh:: And who said couponing was easy?
Do you really clip all those coupons? I just organize my coupons by getting like pages of the coupon book and stapling the pages together. I end up having one super book of coupons. I can clip the coupon that I need all at once!
But do well and organize! YAY! you can do it!
That's what my pile looks like too! Pregnant with a toddler, in the middle of refinancing our house and straightening out fraudulent use of our debit card.... no time for coupons! Ack!
I am SO GLAD you are doing this post! I have a TON of coupon inserts back to 8/2/09 of unclipped coupons! I bought baseball card holders from Target by the Pokemon/Bakugan cards by the registers (my Walmart no longer carries them since they remodeled) Well once I got home I ws motivated to create a binder because my envelopes & plastic coupon organizer are jsut not working. Anywyas I found that most of the coupons are much bigger than the baseball card holders. So I didn't start. I am on the hunt for something a little bigger- photo album pages for 3x5's (where there are 5 to one side of a page) OR scrapbook sticker holders? I ws thinking of the baseball ones for the smaller mixed witht he bigger for the larger coupons, & 8x10 sleeves for any rebates. Help any ideas to officially get me organized? I can not wait to see your Hip! THANK YOU so much for all of you inspiration & deals!
Now I am ashamed. I have been telling myself all week I will get my mess organized and go through all my inserts and throw out all the junk (yes I keep whole inserts). Now you will make me do it otherwise I shall dwell in the guilt of knowing I had the motivation and let it slip away!
I was way behind too so I took the challenge with you today!! I Got it all done,But now I relize that I need a bigger binder!!! Thanks for all your awesome tips d tricks!!
I used to do the baseball card method but it takes too long, and you have to worry about expired ones, and the coupons fall out of the slots.
I just put the inserts in order in a filing cabinet. I have a folder for each month and just slide them in. I put the date on the front of the circular first.
It is easier for me. When I find out about the sales, I go through and grab that insert. For me, it takes too long to clip them all ahead of time, when I won't be using a lot of them.
I have a zipper binder that has pencil pouches in it. Each store has its own pencil pouch and I put a plain address label with the store name on the pouch. When I go to that sotre I simply open the binder and grab the pouch I need.
As far as orders from the Coupon Clippers: I put their invoice letter in a plastic sleeve with the coupons. Then, I put these in a binder. When I grab a coupon, I update their sheet with what I have left.
Hope that helps someone!
By the way, I need help organizing printables better. Any ideas?
Go Collin! Put the kids to bed early, put in a DVD, get snacks and go to it!
ahhhhhhh ur gonna have coupon elbow (similar to tennis elbow) heehee Ali S.
Where on earth do you find that many coupons? I can never find them except in the sunday paper. I guess I just don't know where to look
Help! where can i find good coupons online? and where do you get so many circulars?
I've often wondered how people handle clipping coupons. Not so much how they organize what they've clipped, but whether or not they clip everything. I find it difficult to find certain coupons sometimes when I clip everything and then I see a post to look for a certain coupon in RP or the PG insert or in SS on a specific date for a specific deal. I have resorted to clipping what I know I am going to use because I like the brand and then carrying around the inserts unclipped in my coupon/binder bag in case I see a deal posted I go to that insert. How is everyone else doing coupons that they are not sure they are going to use. I heard one person say to write on the coupon where it came from and what date, but I was afraid some of my more "touchy" clerks wouldn't accept a "defaced" coupon. Debbie
Collin, did you finish??
I was way behind too. I did mine this morning with an 8 week old on my shoulder! But I have to go to Target tonight and I wasn't going to go without all the coupons I knew were hidden in that pile! Good luck tackling it!
I think I've tried every method of organization, and I have to agree, the binder is the best. I bought one that zips and actually has a strap on it, so I just swing it over my shoulder like a purse...little less obvious too for those who are embarassed to walk into a store with a huge binder :)
The filing method never worked for me because I'd find that I would clip out and get the online deals, but then when I got regular deals when I'd do last minute shopping, i'd be paying more than I should.
The binder always stays in the car except sundays when I sort the new ones. I also toss any peelies or tear pad coupons in the front pocket while I'm at the store so I don't have to fish them out of my purse later in the week ; )
Hope that helps...
I just saw this tonight. Actually I saw your finished coupon binder first. I almost want to cry and I wanted to thank you for showing that you too are not perfect. I know you are probably thinking, "well duh, I'm not perfect". But you seem to have everything together and my coupon binder has been a complete mess. It has become time consuming and frustrating. But a few days ago I was determined to get it in order. I'm not all the way there yet, but I've made great progress. Thanks for sharing your story and pics.
I SAT DOWN A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO AND DID ALL MY ORGANIZING I ALWAYS CLIP THEM JUST TAKING CARE OF THEM IS THE JOB. BUT IT TOOK ME ABOUT 3 HOURS TO CLEAN MY BINDER OUT AND THEN REFILL IT. BUT I DO LOVE MY COUPONS.
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