coupon organization ideas & some printables ♥

so let's talk coupons 

:) 

such a touchy subject for some, i know 

... if it works for you, great.  if it doesn't then that's great too. 

i started using coupons last year, (as in planning & checking flyers)

and found i really save some money if i stick to it and stayed organized... 

by being able to see which coupons i have and applying them to what is on sale every week

here are some supplies i use to keep everything going with this system ...

sharpies - index cards - post-it tabs

binder, binder labels, binder bands 

(from Staples) (thank you Martha)

and baseball card protectors - not pictured

and of course a super cuter pencil case (from my instagram gal pal here)

(totally not necessary, but way more fun if you have a cute pencil case)

now let me start off by saying i'm not a die-hard couponer

i don't buy things just because they're on sale or because they're free even though we don't use them

 ... and i don't go to 14 thousand stores every week  just to get a bargain. 

i generally shop at Target & our local grocery store, Wegmans

... and i am brand specific. for some things.

when you've found a soap that doesn't irritate your skin or a shampoo that works great for you hair

i think you should be brand specific ... just be smart about buying those particular items when they're on sale, and preferably when they have a coupon circulating ... double savings!

we also have a few heavy duty shelves in our basement that hold over-stock ... 

so when something is on sale and i have a few coupons for it,

 i'll buy 2 or 3 instead of just one since i'm getting the item at such a discounted rate 

(most weeks i buy 2 or maybe 3 newspapers to get extra coupons -

the cost of the paper is minimal compared to what i'm saving on product)

... for instance, we use dove soap, a coupon comes out for dove products once every few months. when it does, it's usually on sale at one of the stores i shop in. so with coupon & sale combined, buying a few boxes will get us through to the next coupon and sale week (most times i always have some left, so i just adjust how many i buy for next time)

i also like to keep a clipboard (hanging on the shelves) with a list of all the products we use and how many we have left ... so when i see that coupon for soap, i can just check the list to see how many are left, and then how many to buy

did you know Target has their own coupons? online... yup!

Target lets you use their coupon combined with the circular coupon! 

(well, they do here anyways :)

and if that item is on sale as well ... it's a huge savings.

i love Target sales... so i take a few extra minutes when i'm making my grocery list, to go check their coupons and see if any can be combined with what i have ... i save a bunch in the end

so back to the binder ...

i started out by making some dividers and printed these on heavy card-stock

and i wanna share them with you!

(download & print your own here)

then used my post-it tabs to label the sides for easy filing

use a 3-hole punch to tuck them into that pretty binder :)

slip a few pages of baseball card protectors in between each divider and you're ready to cut!

some categories have only one or two coupons in them, but i know right where to go when i get to the store and find that the yogurt is on sale this week, even though i didn't see it in the weekly flyer

most of the coupons i use are for food items, paper products & health/beauty supplies

i make some of my own cleaning products, laundry detergent & fabric softener

so i don't have much of a need for cleaning coupons, even though i have a section for them

:)

i also carry a small coupon folder in my purse that holds every day coupons

 (i only bring the binder when i'm doing my major grocery shopping trip)

craft stores, restaurants, or just general shopping coupons are all tucked into this cute little aqua organizer right inside my purse for easy access, or when i'm on a spontaneous lunch date with the hubs and remembered i had a coupon for wherever we're eating (which almost never happens ... i always forget to use my coupons when i'm shopping & having fun ... guess i'm only in coupon mode at the grocery store for some reason :)

(oh, and at the craft store ... i do remember at the craft store

i'm there waaaaay to much to not remember to use coupons on stuff ... oy)

so hear ya go ... this is how i do coupons

:)

i actually thought this was going to be a really simple post

but a lot goes into using coupons ... and trying to decide how much time you want to invest into things based on what the results are, is also important. 

 ... i've found now that i have a bit of a system in place, it's a lot easier to think about using coupons to save on groceries.  once you get into a routine and figure out what works best for you then stick with that ... it might be more couponing, it might be less.  

i also try to meal plan at the same time, which is a whole other long post ... 

a doozy of a post :) but i hope to share that as well ... i'm working on it a little at a time.

my binder system is slowly taking shape :)

they all live on the counter in our kitchen/office area

and i'm currently working the household & meal planning binders

i'm kinda crazy with planners ... i love them ♥ 

and i really big fat heart my Jen Jones planner from here :)

i'll talk about that a little bit in my meal planning post

i also have a Much Ado About You printable planner from my IG bestie here

that i use more like a journal & scrapbook for me

kay, now just for fun ...

 i made you guys a cuteified grocery list

cause planning a trip to the grocery store, with coupons, 

is way more fun with a cute grocery list ... yes. it is.

download your super duper it's gonna be a fun week to grocery shop grocery list here :)

it actually looks just like everything else i do

notes everywhere, little things here and there ... all over ... random

yup. that's me :)

do you coupon? tell me about it in the comments ... i wanna hear please.

much love ♥ and gladness in my heart

linking up here:

A Crafty Soiree ♥ Yesterday on Tuesday

Whatever you Want Wednesday ♥ Free Pretty Things for You

live laugh linky ♥ live laugh Rowe

Party Time ♥ the 36th Avenue

Weekend Wrap-Up Party ♥ Tatertots & Jello

Sundae Scoop ♥ i heart naptime

Party Junk ♥ Funky Junk Interiors

Junkin' Joe ♥ the Cottage Market