As a Christian wife and mom, I try to be prudent with the money God entrusts to me. I love to coupon. Over the years I have had a roller coaster ride of couponing. For a time I will do it diligently then for a time I will be slack. What I wanted to share with you is the best system I have come up with for keeping up with my coupons.
I purchased an index card box and index card tabs. I wrote a list of categories that I wanted coupons to be in. I listed them in alphabetical order. My list includes: baby products, salad products, paper products, meat, vegetables, cookies, cereal, etc. I think you get the idea. I printed the list onto stickers (like mailing labels) and cut them to fit on the tabs. You could hand write them.
The sealing ability of an index card box is not strong enough to stay closed if dropped or thrown by a 2-year old. So you will have to come up with some way to close it securely. You could use a rubber-band or you can see what I did. I used the elastic “string” from another type of file folder. I poked two holes in the top and put the ends of the elastic into the holes. I poked two hole in the front and “sewed” a button on the front. I can now loop the elastic around the button to keep it closed.
On Sunday afternoons, I cut coupons. I put them in my coupon box, behind the appropriate category. Once a month I sort through every category. I take out any expired coupons and I organize the coupons within the category by expire date. I leave my coupon box in my van. That way I have it whenever I go to the store. When I go to the store I take my coupon box in and ideally I put it in the child seat up front. That was not possible for a while when I had a toddler that had to sit there. During that time, I would just sit it in the cart. When I get to an item I need to buy or an item that I see on sale that we use, I look into my coupon box, in the specific category, for a coupon to use. I try to use the ones that will save me the most and/or are expiring the soonest.
Happy Couponing Moms!
3 users commented in " My Coupon Box "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackI love using coupons also. Its kind of a new found love. I am not as organized as you are about it though. (Thanks for the coupon Box idea.) But I do write a list of what I need before I go to the store, then I go through my coupon folder, and find appropriate coupons to match those items. And if I have any buy 1 get 1 free of an item I use alot, I just go ahead and purchase that item, even if it is not on my list. Another good way to get coupons, is to shop at a store that gives out coupons (usually they are redeemable at that store only) like at heb, randalls, or albertsons. Alot of times the clerks get lazy and forget to hand them out. Usually if you ask for them, they will give you all the coupons, even if they werent generated from your purchases (someone elses).
i am attempting to start my own coupon box, at one time you could purchase the category tabs at the grocery store but i have searched high and low and cannot find them. can you list the categories you use or send them to me via email..it would really help me out..thanks
Hi William,
Sorry it has taken me a bit to get back with you. Boy have I gotten behind! The end of school, end of regular season baseball, the start of summer, tournament baseball and summer swim league have got me turned every which way but loose.
I did that box so long ago, I looked to see if I still had the list on the computer but could not find it. I’ll tell you what I did. Just make a list of what you buy. Here is a quick list off the top of my head for us:
Meat, Bread, Veggies, Soup,
Detergent - Laundry, Detergent - Kitchen, Seasonings, Pasta, Condiments, Drinks, Ice Cream, Cereal, Medicine
I hope you get the idea.
I then put mine in alphebetical order. Printed it on some sort of stickers (address labels) and cut and stuck them on the index dividers. I think I may have used the back of the ones you can buy that are alpha or numbers.
Hope that helps. Thanks for reading the blog.
Cynthia
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