[hopegirl19]

It tends to be very overwhelming for me to keep everything up to date. I print a lot of coupons online, and when I buy my 5 papers, I tend to fall behind and I just wondered if anyone had a schedule.


Thanks,

Monica

[Z and G's Mom]

I found myself in a similar situation with both my couponing and my house cleaning! So I sat down one day and wrote out a list of everything I typically accomplish in a week - from vacuuming to washing sheets to scrubbing bathrooms. Then I got out 7 pieces of paper and wrote one day a week at the top of each. I took my master list and began to assign various tasks to various days. I put larger tasks like bedding washing (which I LOATHE making up the beds!) on days where I didn't have as much running as usual which for me is Wednesdays. Tuesdays was a whole house vacuum. Etc, etc, etc. Every day had about 5-6 tasks I needed to accomplish so I wouldn't keep feeling overwhelmed. This also helped me not to put it all off until the weekends!

After I assigned all of the household tasks, I wrote out all of my couponing tasks in a master list and assigned them each to a day. Sundays is my big couponing day. I clean out my binder and clip all of the new q's I will definitely use. Mondays I use to put all of the q's in my binder. When I was riding a q train, Tuesdays were the days I would start pulling all of the q's for my envies. Weds and Thurs were my shopping days (I don't live in a huge couponing area so I don't need to worry about stock). Fridays I would begin researching for the next weeks sales and Sat was my off day.

Having everything written out for me in black and white REALLY helped keep my brain on task.

Also, you are buying a lot of papers and probably have STACKS of inserts. If you are clipping everything, it can get overwhelming very quickly. My suggestion is to either clip only what you absolutely know you will use and file the rest of the inserts in a filling cabinet according to date and type or just file everything and clip when you need them for a sale. I started the clip only what I need and file the rest strategy about 8 months ago and I LOVE it!

[momabrown3]

I use a coupon binder.I mark the plastic sheet with a board marker on the coupon that expire for the month.I do that the 1st day of the month.It lets me know what coupons expire that month.At the being of the next month I pull the expired coupon an wipe of the marks from the pass month then remark.

[tagarza]

I have a hard time too! I keep meaning to set aside certain days for certain things but I've yet to do that. I started couponing a few months ago but I had been keeping inserts since January. I got the binder, etc and finally sat down and kinda organized it. I only got everything cut and most filed, some were still in the big sleeves in the front of that particular section because I was still tweaking divider names. Now fast forward and a stack of inserts the size of my binder and I am once again behind. I have been doing projects around the house and my normal cleaning so it's tough to find time. I have GOT to come up with a schedule but first I have to catch up !

I want to clip and file everything because I'd like to be able to flip to a coupon in my binder if I find an unexpected deal or clearance. That is my goal but I am not there ! Now that I'm couponing I consider myself a work at home mom

[MillerTime710]

I have my binder in sections and I clip every Sunday and stuff my binder back up, removing my expired and sending them to military families overseas.

[hopegirl19]

GRRRR I just typed out a long post thanking everyone for responding and that I found all the info usefull and that Z&G's mom is right on it with the schedule and I am going to do exactly what you did. I also said thanks to momabrown3, and i liked that ideal with the erasable marker. And to Tagarza, I am right with you in that I wanted to have all my coupons for those occasional awesome deals where you need all the coupons with you. MillerTime 710, thank you also for your comments, I think Sunday will be my big day for coupons too.
Don't you just hate when you loose your post when you take time to type out everything...oh well...life goes on..

[MooMooMoo]

I'm always so excited on Sunday for the new coupons that I clip and file them as soon as I get home from church. I may or may not do my shopping on Sunday though. Our grocery ad runs Wed - Tues, so I have usually hit the store for the deals w/ the coupons I had before the Sunday paper came out and still have 2 more shopping days after it came out.

There is a store convenient to where my kids have weeknight activities. I drop them off, head to the store, come back and pick them up, and can do this 2-3 times a week. Or sometimes, I just sit in the car and sort through my stash, purging expireds, etc.

[lilcouponguy]

I am glad you are able to make a list of things. Sometimes thats the only way.

[cwymer]

I get overwhelmed and behind also. I been couponing since September 2011 and still learning! So I've read the responses to your questions and find them very helpful. Working a full time job, keeping house, family of 6, a parrot, a cat, two dogs and trying to stay on top of couponing is hard and there is very little room for much else.

[Katticus]

Originally Posted by MillerTime710

I have my binder in sections and I clip every Sunday and stuff my binder back up, removing my expired and sending them to military families overseas.

I'm new to this.. sorry if this is a dumb question but where do you send your expired coupons at? I would like to start sending my expired coupons to military families.

Thanks!

[DebB831]

Originally Posted by Katticus

I'm new to this.. sorry if this is a dumb question but where do you send your expired coupons at? I would like to start sending my expired coupons to military families.
Thanks!

Those currently serving overseas can use expired MFG coupons up to six months past date at their base commissary. You can probably start by checking out this thread here for more information.

[Katticus]

Thanks!

[anetgirl]

My schedule changes frequently, (especially in the summer), but I try to do as much cutting and filing that I can on Sundays after church, during naptime. I will pull the expired coupons that I see while I'm at it, but I usually go back later in the week and pull all of them, just whenever I have a few minutes to spare.

[badgirl11]

I usually sit in church and take out the expireds and cut coupons. I know, I know, but hey with a baby and husband and housework and job huntingg, it's the only time I can get it in. I then take all my recycling to the bin in the parking lot of the church. 3 birds 1 stone: spiritually renewed, couponing done, and recycling . . . all in 1 hour.

[One_Kayla]

I personally spend part of Saturday planning my weekly "savings" trip (sometimes includes groceries and sometimes doesn't, but it always includes coupon-focused deals for stockpiling). On Sunday morning, before it gets hot and too many people go outside, my partner and I go out shopping. Between our runs, it usually takes about three hours, and by going early, I avoid holding up cashier's lines quite as much. After the couponing grocery run, I come home and cut coupons with my partner while drinking coffee, and after we've cut and organized them, we put away the items we bought. Granted, we have no children, so things tend to be much more peaceful than if you tried to do this with a full family.

[Judybats]

I pick up my papers every Saturday Morning at 9am. I come straight home and collate & staple my inserts. I cut what I'll need for the Sunday sales and give the rest of the Qs to my partner in crime (my mother). She cuts them ALL out for me My binder is organized by category and each category has a number (#1 is Antacids and Tummy Aches, #2 is Aches and Pains, #3 is Baby, etc). When mom cuts out the Qs, she writes the corresponding number on the back of the last paper-clipped coupon. She uses numbered white envelopes to file the numbered coupons in. When she and I are ready to file (which is usually Tues or Wed night) she pull out her #1 coupon envelope calls out #1 and gives me all the coupons that go with #1 tab, etc etc. While I'm filing the new coupons, I scan the ones that are there an pull them out as we file. I pull out old Qs and file new Qs at the same time. I have to keep up with it or I get very overwhelmed and it stresses me out!!

On Saturdays after I get the coupons and collate the inserts, I spend a few hours looking over the matchups and pulling Qs. This helps me get up and get out on Sunday Mornings to hit the sales (I'm usually home by 11 on Sundays and all Drugstore shopping is done for the week... My RR expire every other Sunday.. haha!)

One big tip: I love to read over AFC and other coupon blogs. I can waste lots of time doing it. I keep an open MS Word Document and edit copy paste deals that I like so that I won't have to waste more time going back to find it. This saves me a lot and helps cut down on the Saturday Planning time.

[KiniMarii]

Sunday: pick up papers in morning and organize ads and inserts. Clip coupons out (I cut out ALL of them) and put all the like coupons together in the evening, then pull one of each ad and circle items we're likely to buy/use.

Monday: Pull any coupons I'm keeping and organize into binder (I pull expired ones while I'm at it). Set aside coupons for my mum, my brother and his girlfriend, my best friend, my grandmother, and MIL. Organize other people's Qs into labeled pockets to give them later. Make note in ads of any Qs I have to match to sales. Check for new IPs and print any I can use, then organize into binder.

Tuesday: organize remaining Qs into accordion file for use in trades on AFC. Write down any deals from ads and make note of Qs that match in my notebook, pick the best deal for items I can get at multiple stores and cross out the less desirable sales.

Wednesday: rewrite list of deals (I PM at Walmart, so I like the list clear and organized). Make grocery list and determine how many "extras" I can get to add to stockpile (how many nonessential deals can I actually afford to do).

Thursday: Check for new IPs and print any I can use, then organize into binder and add to list of sales if any match.

Friday: Organize any Qs I've received in the mail during the week.

Saturday: Go shopping, then come home and toss ads to make room for next week.