Thank you to Julie at A Cheap Chick’s Ray of Sunshine for this guest post on her new coupon method!
Every time one of my frugal blogger buddies posts about their coupon organization methods I have to check it out. I love it when there are pictures too. I read every word about how they decided on the method, how they set it up and how they maintain it. Why? Because I’m cheap and I refuse to shop without coupons. The problem? I’m seriously lazy. Really.
That said for all the world to hear, this lazy chick has been on the prowl for the easiest way to be "The Coupon Lady" and keep her sanity. I’ve tried so many methods, all good, none I was willing to keep up for more than a couple of months. First there’s the cutting and the sorting and the filing. Then there’s the fishing them out before I shop and usually while I shop. And don’t even get me started about weeding out the expired ones. It becomes such a chore I create dumping grounds for clipped coupons to file later. Any guess when later is? Yep, right before I start to make a grocery list. It’s insanity. A simple grocery run can turn into hours when you add a weeks worth of coupon filing to it.
Necessity being the mother of invention, I decided I needed to invent a better way for me. The one place I can ALWAYS be found is in front of my computer (geek). So, I invented a way to coupon while sitting on my butt in front of it. It’s a miracle! No more stacks of coupons all over the house, no more guessing what coupons are expired, no more finding out a week later that I really did have five coupons for that cereal that ended up being free, not just two.
Keeping My Head Above Coupons
To save my sanity I created an Excel database! It filters columns for multiple ways of finding the right coupon. The filing method is by "insert" rather than "coupon" plus a small alphabetical file for clipped coupons.
I enter my coupon data one time. Aside from the typical information you enter into a coupon database, I’ve included a column for the insert name and date and a column to "x" when I use the coupon. The X triggers an automated cell to turn red and read "used" instead of "available" so I can see it quickly next time around.
A note about the inserts – I get two of most inserts. One midweek and one on Sunday. They are often slightly different. I label my insert in a big blue Sharpie marker with the date and whether it’s midweek or Sunday. If I have multiples I number them as well. I enter the information in the database this way too. It just makes looking for coupons later that much easier.
Taking The Expired Thorns Out Of My Side
Coupons expire fast! If you want to see how fast your life goes by, just look in your coupon file.
Since there are two piece to the filing system, there are two means of handling those pesky expired coupons. For the insert method, I just wait until all of the coupons I plan to use in an insert are expired then I just throw it away and delete the rows for the whole insert – two steps – easy, peasy. For the clippables I filter my database by expiration date and brand. I can go from letter to letter and I know exactly what I’m looking for. Again, Delete the rows and pitch the coupons.
There is an automated column that says "current" or "expired" that is triggered by the expiration date so I don’t try to pull expired coupons for shopping.
Making My List- No Need To Check It Twice
My new method was really working for me. Then I realized my coupons were in the computer but I was hand writing my list. Silly. So, I developed a grocery list in the same workbook on a different tab. Big deal you say? It’s not just any grocery list.
Here’s how it works:
The first section is for mix & match sales, it keeps track of how many items I’m purchasing to get the deal. It works great when I create the list using the number of coupons available and work my purchase requirement from there. The second section is for the rest of my list whether on sale or not.
The input section allows me to enter as much or as little information as I have. It’s highlighted and all in the same area to make input easy. The automated section calculates my coupon + my store bonus coupon amount and subtracts that from the price per item. If I enter the quantity, price and coupon amount of my list, I will know my total before taxes, immediately.
Another great benefit I’ve found using this list – I can send my husband to the store and he really understands which thing to buy for the sale and how much it should cost.
The con – My list calculations are based on double coupons. For my stores that means any coupons .50 and under get doubled. Coupons .51 and over are raised to $1. I haven’t created an alternate list yet to accommodate triple or quadruple coupon sales.
My little database is a work in progress just like everything else in my life so I make little changes to improve it’s performance as I use it. I will try to re-post as improvements are made. If any of you would like a working copy of my database & grocery list it can be found here. I have copyrighted it, but only so it does not end up tweaked then distributed for sale. Please feel free to download it, change it up and do whatever works for you. If you find a great tweak please let me know, if I incorporate it into the sheet I’ll give you credit for the improvement when I re-post.
Thank you Melissa for the opportunity to share my new coupon method with everyone!
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