How do you clip your coupons? For your hand’s sake, consider using a tool other than scissors to detach coupons.
I use a rotary blade cutter which is designed for cutting quilting cloth. With this portable tool, I can cut-out 3 or 4 sets of coupons at one time. In the past, I have used a short blade knife tool. Both are real easy on my hand and much, much faster than scissors. An achy hand will make you think twice before snipping a coupon. Both blade tools are available online and in craft stores.
Where do you put all your coupons? Stacks of unfiled coupons are highly demotivating.
That’s exactly what happened to me, in the past. I had very little time to sort coupons so I stopped using them. Now I know to keep them classified so that they are easier to pull out while I am shopping, to get savings and discounts. You can organize them alphabetically by item type, brand name, expiration date or need-by date.
While some shoppers use a separate tote bag to carry an enormous binder of coupons, I find that it’s better for me to use a smaller file that I can keep in my purse or pocket. There’s less chance that I’ll accidently leave the coupons at home and miss out on savings.
The ultimate way to stay organized is simply don’t cut-out every coupon. If you can’t stop clipping, give away the extras to friends or relatives who will actually use them. For example, if you don’t have a baby, offer coupons for formula, diapers and wipes to a young mother. That’s a stack of coupons you won’t have to sort, file and track, but you will still have fun clipping.
Whether you keep your coupon file in your pocket or purse or use a separate tote bag to carry them, the choice is yours. Quick clipping with simplified sorting and filing will keep you motivated to use coupons to get discounts. Plus this leaves you with more time to shop.