Simplyfing Organization: Coupons

Posted on April 15, 2008

Coupons are an organizational nightmare. I used to work with a lady that would save hundreds of dollars every month clipping coupons and she had an elaborate file system. You know the one I am talking about: the accordion file you keep in your purse, separating your coupons out by subject such as desserts, cleaning products, etc. I tried this system, and I discovered that it became time consuming and cumbersome. Not to mention that a majority of coupons I saw in the paper were for things I had absolutely no interest in. I made the decision that clipping coupons was not worth the energy, and the money I saved did not pay for my time.

However, I do believe that coupons are a useful way to save a few extra dollars, so I only keep the coupons I get in the mail that I know I might use. The big ones are: Bed bath and beyond and coupons for oil changes or car service. I will occasionally keep coupons for restaurants, especially if they are attached to a menu. I have a slot in my desk for these coupons, and once a month I go through and discard any that are out of date. I wouldn’t say I save a whole lot of money this way, but I do save a lot of time.