I had to trash two amazing coupons – one for $1 off a half-gallon of organic milk and another for a free bread product from the bakery at Albertsons because they expired. Rats!
I’m constantly forgetting to look for or failing to find grocery coupons. Where do you keep yours so that you remember them each time you head to the market?
Here are my top guesses:
1. In a coupon organizer.
2. On the kitchen counter.
3. Stuck to the fridge with magnets.
4. In my wallet next to my credit card.
Maybe the problem is that I keep my coupons in ALL of these places. Need to centralize!
How do you make sure you bring your coupons to the store? I know I would save more money if I could consistently remember/find them.
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price.
I keep mine in a folder next to my desk. This way I look through them periodically when the computer is doing something else, or the internet is down and see what is going to expire. I also can put the ones that I print out right into the folder and then before I leave for the store I just take the whole folder with me.
I have three expandable folders (full of coupons) that I carry in an carry-all bag. I never leave home without it. As soon as I clip coupons, they get filed right away and go into the “bag”. As I leave the house for anything… grocery store, drug store, fast food… I have the coupons on hand.
Amy, where do you keep the bag so that you don’t forget to bring it? Maybe I should keep mine by the re-usable grocery bags.
I’ve tried everything! What I do now is I have my coupons sorted & paper clipped by department and then I slide them into a small manilla mailing envelope. If I cut coupons but don’t have time to get them into the right department at least I can slide them into the envelope and they don’t get lost. I pull them all out when I go through the weekly grocery adds and start making my list.
I use a bunch of old envelopes, each one labelled by category. They’re with the re-usable grocery bags, and always come out with me. They just go in one of my nicer cloth bags, not my purse, so I don’t feel like I need to carry it everywhere.. it just stays in my car till I get to the store or go home.
I also bring one empty envelope that I write my shopping list on. As I shop, I move the coupons I will be using that trip into that last envelope.
The “bag” stays with my purse at all times. Sometimes I even put my purse in it so I dont forget. The bag I use is one that I got from Toys R Us for $1.00. It’s big enough to even carry a few diapers and travel wipes.
I have a coupon box with alphabetized dividers denoting category. I organize the coupons in each category by date so I can see the expiring ones first. Then when I go through the weekly ads on Tuesday, I can easily check if there’s a coupon for a product. There are a few coupons that I keep in my car all of the time.. cat litter and canned dog food just in case I’m out and about and notice that the store’s regular price is good enough to make a purchase. Usually about a week before the end of the month, I’ll check for expiring coupons. It’s not perfect, but works for me.
I have a coupon box, with dividers for things like dairy, dessserts, cleaners, sauces, dressings, etc. I keep it and my re-usable shopping bags in the pantry. I’ve gotten into the habit of always bringing both with me whenever I go to the store.
I keep my grocery coupons in a multi-section coupon organizer, sorted by catagory. A check organizer from the dollar store or Target works also.
When I plan a big grocery shopping trip I look through the coupons to see what I might want to use and look at expiration dates. I compare coupons with store ads and my shopping list. Sometimes I do this at the store even.
I have a separate plastic zip top organizer (flat & smaller than my grocery coupon organizer) for other types of coupons such as restaurants & fast food and retail stores like Bed Bath & Beyond & mall stores. I can easily grab just this one and throw it in my purse when heading into the mall or restaurant.
All of this LIVES in my car along with my reusable bags. I bring the organizers into the house only when I need to add coupons and throw out the expired ones. Then I literally set them in front of the door so I remember to put them back in the car next time I leave the house!
I bought a box of 500 business-sized envelopes from Costco years ago. I write my grocery list on an envelope & keep it magneted to the fridge with my coupons in it, so the list and the coupons always stay together. This system works if you don’t use a lot of coupons–I buy mostly store brands these days. Coupons that I use at non-grocery stores (PetSmart, Rite Aid, Michael’s) stay in my wallet. Also–my canvas bags go back in the car trunk as soon as I put things away.
I keep my coupons in an organizer, which is really a small photo book. A bought one of those small flexible plastic photo organizers from Walmart for around $1.50 then organized it into categories. It’s nice that each page actually fits two categories, because of the divider in the middle.
I keep this in my purse all the time. it’s not too much of a hassle because the book is pretty small (and I like to carry a large purse:) )
I keep my coupons in a zippered notebook. I bought the notebook, dividers and baseball card sleeves at Staples and I put it together myself. Putting the binder together took me about 2 hours. I separate my coupons into categories that work for me. Sunday morning, I print out my list from The Grocery Game, get my Sunday papers, and for about 30 minutes, I clip and store my new coupons, make my grocery list, pull the coupons that I am going to use and put them in the front pouch of the binder. I then take the binder with me to the grocery store. This way, if something is in the clearance bin and I have a coupon for it, I can get it cheap or free. I also don’t clip every coupon out there. I only cut what I need.
Went to the 99c store and got a plastic check organizer with elastic strap. Instead of Jan, Feb, etc. I placed new labels for meat, dairy, etc. In the very front pocket keep the “real good – soon to expire coupons” as a quick reminder and take to whole bundle with me when I go shopping.
I’ve been thinking to start trying to put them in an envelope and keep them in my glove box in the car. Even if they’re not perfectly organized….atleast I have them so when I leave work and remember I need to go to the store……i’m not cursing myself that my coupons are at home and I forgot! I know I won’t lug around a notebook or keep them up to date in my purse….i’ve wanted to invent some sort of coupon organizer for the car for awhile now cuz i’m always on the go….working, kids, grandkids, my boss is a CEO….i organize everyone else’s life but mine is a mess!
I picked up colored clear plastic holders (6×6) in the school supplies area of my local Target Store. White for general coupons, Pink, Purple and Blue for individual store coupons and any I will be using on my next Trip to that store. Like Amy I also have a carry all bag and I toss them in may bag, when I get to the store with the bargains I pull out the colored folder for that store. So far it has worked with out having to dig through all my coupon, also attach paper clips to the holder so I have them handy to clip list and coupons to the folder as I shop.
I keep my coupons, in a coupon organizer, in my car. That way I always have them with me when I go shopping.
I keep my coupons in two envelopes – one for grocery items and the other one for household items so I don’t have to go through an entire envelope in the store if I come across a good sale.
I keep those two enveloped in my purse all the time and take them out on Sundays to put in new coupons and throw out the expired ones. I find that by looking through what you have every week, helps you remember what coupons you have.
I find that if you don’t bring your clipped coupons with you at all times then it is too easy to forget to bring them when you need them.