How to Organize Coupons...when you're facing the crazy mama world with kids!

Okay, a couple people have asked how I am organizing my coupons. Yes, I get giddy when I get to organize, but since coupons have stumped me through my last few weeks as I'm learning how to do it best, I have tweaked and changed my organizing. This was one of the first questions that I asked my coupon friend (aka. the wizard-this is the nickname I gave her b/c she makes it all look so easy!) and the coupon lady from the class. Both of their techniques were very different! I have even asked random people as I see them in the stores how they organize their coupons. A couple friends on the blog have even sent me links and ideas on how to organize too. I love all of this...because then you get to steal a little from everyone to make what works best for you! Like I said, mine is a evolving process as I learn more of what I need, where I need it, and when I need it, but I'll be glad to share my ideas so you can steal too!

I got a little carried away with searching and printing coupons yesterday...so I was literally sitting in the midst of coupons. My entire guest room/office/embroidery room/scrapbook room was covered with coupons and here I was sitting in the middle. I told my friend, the wizard, that it was like the island of Tammy in the sea of coupons...my kids really got into that concept too and it kept them off the coupons...and threw in some vocabulary words that most little ones wouldn't know! (i.e. sea, island, etc.) See, who knew coupons would be so valuable to my family...educational and thrifty!

Honestly, I love all of the already set up coupon books, but they are expensive...and the whole point of coupons is to save money...so I tried to use what I had here...so it's not the cutest thing, but it totally serves the purpose! I'll get a cuter one when I get a coupon for it!! Search ebay, etsy, couponizer (i think that's the name!), and even google "coupon organization or organizer" for ideas!

Okay, this is like coupon organization for dummies...because I'm such a coupon dummy still and I'm sharing my insight from a dummies standpoint (that made sense, right?) First of all, I started cutting all coupons out at the beginning...this is a no no. Learned that the hard way. You want to keep booklets and inserts together by dates...this is the way you will need to look for them later. So, this is my first need to organize. I took this idea from several others...but most of it is from my friend, the wizard! I went on a search...yeah, I even had the kid's "we're going on a bear hunt" singing in my head...to find various things--a box/crate to hang folders, hanging folders, and file folders, rubber bands, sharpee, and paper clips, and a pen. Like I said earlier, it's not cute because I used what I could find (I'd love to have some cute folders--resist and be thrifty!).

The numbered objects are what is labeled on my hanging folders. The * objects are what is labeled on my file folders. If that doesn't make sense, tell me and I'll try to explain more!
1. Red Plum
*dates of every Sunday. I insert the red plums from the paper in the appropriate folder. I also write the date on the outside of the insert because I tend to be bad about putting them back when I am on a quick search. If I have a lot of them, I rubberband them within the folder or paper clip ones that may be loose if I have already cut one of the sides.
2. Smart Source
*Same as red plum...
3. Publix
*Advantage buy
*Weekly Ad-I will put the ad and usually print out advice from the wizard, a friend's recommendation, a blog, southern savers, or hotcouponworld advice when I see it so I don't have to search for it when I go shopping. I put my list in here too b/c with kids I usually start it and get interrupted 500 times...so I can just pick up where I left off later.
*Other-Baby club coupons, magazines from publix, mail outs, etc.
4. Kroger
*Same as Publix...but with Kroger items...I haven't had much luck at Kroger so I don't spend too much time in this section! But I will check prices against Publix's.
5. CVS
*Weekly Ad-same as the concept for Publix...
*Extra Care Bucks-I am on the fence about moving this to my notebook...
*Other-includes coupons the email me, etc. If you go on their site and take a quick flu quiz you get 5 dollars off your next 25 dollar purchase!
6. Walgreens
*same as CVS
7. Baby
*This is where I put all my Carters, Children Place, Kohls, Pictures, Osh Gosh, etc coupons...again, I am thinking about moving them to my notebook that way I would have them if I just decide to go buy the stores...on the fence though!
8. Savvy Shopper
*This is a magazine/mail out that has local coupons. I mostly just put them in the folder, but I do have couple folders that I tend to pull out of this book b/c we visit them more frequently:
*Local-jumpy place, chuck E cheese,
*Zoo-We are members and will get mailed coupons. That way I can grab them when we go.
*Stone Mt.-Same as above.
*Atlanta-all museums, etc. that we may visit
9. Restaurants
10. Other

Okay, since this post is getting SO long, I will add the notebook portion this weekend! This is where I organize all those coupons from blinkies (you pull out of the fun machines at stores), tearpads, peelies (peel off of objects), printed coupons, and loose coupons. I hope this inspired you though! Even if you are not a huge couponer, organizing the ones that you randomly get will still save you money! The problem is they just pile up and we lose them or forget about them because they aren't in a certain spot!

On a side note, October 1st created new coupons for you to print at http://www.coupons.com/ and http://www.smartsource.com/. From what I was told, they only allow a certain amount to be printed so print them today before they aren't available anymore!

Mama Drama Rule #50: Saving money and saving time are great as long as it doesn't cause me to lose my sanity. As with anything, babysteps! That's hard for me to remember with clearing out my house's clutter and keeping my family on routines and organized and starting my venture into pure coupon crazy challenge and chaos...it all takes babysteps!