9/18/11 Coupon Inventory

Here is this week's coupon inventory for the Newsgazette. Just click on the following link to get there.
9/18/11 Coupon Inventory

Happy Couponing!
Tabitha

For the Coupon Lovers!

After reading Pick Another Checkout Lane Honey by Joanie Demer & Heather Wheeler from the site http://www.thekrazycouponlady.com/ (She's the gal that was featured on TLCs Extreme Couponing) I've rethought my coupon organizing system. I usually just cut out the coupons that I know we will use and then give away the rest. They suggest keeping them all. Their logic is yes, you may not use that item but if you can get it for free or as a monyemaker by getting Register Rewards or Extra Care Bucks then, you can donate that item and use the store credit on something your family really needs. I hadn't really thought of it that way. So, now I'm trying the whole save the inserts in page protectors in the binder route. To keep track of what coupons are in the inserts I've created a spreadsheet. I am such a paper organizing nerd and I don't care who knows it! So to reduce the workload for you all I'm sharing this weeks coupon insert organizing sheet from the Newsgazette. Let me explain the spreadsheet a little bit. The first column is Qty for quantity. Here you put the number of copies you have of that specific coupon. Next, is item and I think it's pretty self-explanatory. Third is the value of the coupon. The next Qty is for how many of that product you must purchase in order to use that coupon. Last, but not least is the expiration date for the coupon. The coupons are listed in the order they appeared in the insert. For a FREE copy just click on this link Coupons for 9/11/11. I hope you find this helpful and it keeps your hands from cramping up from all that writing this week. Print it out and put it with your coupons and you are D-O-N-E for the week! Now, go spend that extra time with your family!

My Coupon System

Everyone organizes their coupons differently. The only thing that matters is you have a system that works for you and won't stress you out. Here's what works for me;

This is my new fav thing! I have a confession to make. I am a paper junkie, just ask my husband. I am the person that L-O-V-E-S the school supply aisle at Wal-Mart and I am not ashamed. I love the part of the movie, You've Got Mail when Tom Hanks tells Meg Ryan that if he knew where she lived he'd send her a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils! I am the girl who would love that. I am just an organizational freak! What can I say, it's my thing. I love it!

Had to laugh when I saw what it said!

One side is pockets to hold your coupons. The other side is your notepad for your list. Pretty cool, huh? So, I organize my coupon pockets by store. I always take the same route so this is how it's organized from front to back: Meijer, CVS, County Market, Walgreens, IGA, etc. If I'm going to do multiple transactions for example at Walgreens I will make sure to put my coupons in order by transaction. It's just a lot easier than fumbling through your coupons at the register.

Here is the "Big Mama." I don't keep the whole coupon insert like some people do. I go through them and cut out only things that I know we will use and then I donate the rest to friends and family. This is just a plain folder with baseball card holder pages. I am an extremely visual person so this is the only way I have found that I've liked. I started out using a coupon organizer and just putting them in categories. I HATED digging through each category to see if I had the coupon or not. Now, I can just look at each page. I do group things like baby care, meats, hygiene, snacks, etc. The front pocket is for my Walgreens Coupons books. The back pocket is where I carry all of that weeks fliers.

This is what works for me. What works for you?

Price Book

Since studying cutting our grocery bills I've learned about making a price book. The store that we shop at the most is Aldis. So, I started there. I use a 4x6 spiral bound note cards. I divided it into categories; dairy, meat, grains, baking, snacks, hygiene, household. I wrote down the item, its size, price, and then figure the unit price. It is a great way to tell if something is really a good deal or not. Plus, it fits right in my purse so, I can take it anywhere. It sounds time consuming but, it's easier to do in small pieces and totally worth it to help you save even more. Here's an example of my price book:

Item:                       Size:           Price:        Unit Price: (to figure unit price divide the price by the size)
Sausage               16oz (1lb)     $1.99     $0.12 per ounce
Lunch Meat         9oz (1/2lb)     $2.49    $0.28 per ounce  or $4.98/lb - This is a ridiculous price!! You would be better off buying chicken breast on sale for $1.79/lb and slicing it yourself for sandwiches. I can't believe how much money I've been wasting all this time. I hope this inspires you to make your own price book to start saving!

Happy Saving!
~Tabitha~