Coupon Organization & Storage (With McLinky!)

Well, here we are, already 1/3 of the way into February, and I finally got around to cleaning out my coupon binder (Debbie, the Queen of Clutter-Free would be proud!)  Who knew that I had so many expired coupons stuck in there??  Since many of you are probably cleaning house as well, I thought it might be a good time to talk about coupon organization!  We all have a method to our madness - and what works for one might not work for another.  Here's your chance to share what works best for you and get some ideas from others.

First, I'd like to share what works best for me (Jamie).

 

This is a picture of me at Bi-Lo, with my coupon binder and my little store divider.  This happens to be the system that works for me:

 

1)  I use the large coupon binder, with baseball-card holder pages, to organize my coupons.  The baseball-card holders are perfect for keeping blinkies, clipped coupons, and printables all tidily divided up into convenient categories.  I divide my binder into THREE main categories (based on the layout of my favorite grocery)-

• Health & Beauty
• Produce/Meat/Packaged Foods
• Frozen/Dairy

I then divide those categories into more specific sub-categories (i.e. Teeth, Shampoo, Cereals, Pasta, Canned Goods, etc…) If you've attended a workshop, you might have purchased a binder with an organization list already included.  If so, Yay for you!

2) After I research the weekly ads & matchups, I pull out the coupons I’d like to use for each store and put them in my little purse-sized divider.  I then throw it into my purse so that whenever I have time to stop at a store, I have my favorite coupon-matchups ready to go!  My little store divider is categorized like this:

• Publix,
• Bi-Lo
• Food Lion
• CVS
• Walgreens
• Rite-Aid
• Target
• and “Other”(which is where I keep high-value coupons that will work well just about anywhere)

I like to bring my big binder with me, in case I find an unadvertised deal or something that has been clearanced - but the little divider keeps me focused on the deals I came for.

3) And now, I will humbly admit to you that I do not always find the time to actually clip my inserts or printables (GASP!!).  That is why I actually have a THIRD system for keeping printables and newspaper inserts organized until I get to them!  I have a cheap expanding file that I drop the inserts into, according to the week they came out.  (TIP: If you aren’t sure what week they’re from, you can find the date on the spine in tiny print.) 


Despite all the pains I take to keep my coupons “ready for action”- there are some, in reality, that are still hanging out in my minivan, on top the breadbox, and under stacks of mail.  I’m an unorganized procrastinator at heart,  and yet, I still manage to save 50%-90% per shopping trip.  I hope this not only gives you a couple storage ideas for starting out, but also encourages you to “soldier on” in your efforts to save money for your family with couponing (Even IF you are organizationally-challenged like I am!)


Okay, enough about me!  What organization system do YOU use to help corral all those valuable coupons?  Post a link to your own blog post touting your method below!

Top Target Deals: 2/7 - 2/13

This week at Target has a few great gift card deals to lure you in the door!  Here are my favorites, but check out all Kerry's deal matchups at TotallyTarget! 

Top Target Deals:

Buy 5 Quaker Oatmeal ~ Get $5 Target Gift Card
Quaker Easy Oatmeal Express (Golden Brown Sugar): $1.02
Use (5)  $1/1 from 2/7 RP *regional or PRINT
(makes it as low as 10¢ OOP ~ Get $5 Target Gift Card = FREE!)

Buy 2 Gillette Fusion or Venus Embrace Razors @ $6.99 ~ Get $5 Target Gift Card

Use (2) $4/1 Gillette from 2/7 P&G + $2/1 Target mobile Q

(makes it $3.98 ~ Get $5 Target Gift Card = FREE!) 
See other variations on this deal HERE! 

Buy 10 Healthy Choice Meals @ $1.75 ea ~ Get $5 Target Gift Card
Use $1.25/2 Cafe Steamers PRINT
Use $1.25/2 Complete Miles PRINT
Use $1/2 Healthy Choice Meals PRINT
Use $1/1 from Jan & Feb All*You
Use 75¢/1 Fresh Mixers from 1/10 SS
Use $1/2 Cafe Steamers from 1/3 SS
+ $1/1 from FlipClip&Save Target mailer

(Depending on your Q's, pay around $10 ~ Get $5 Target Gift Card = 50¢ ea!)

Goldfish 6.6oz $1.66
Use 75¢/1 PRINT

(makes it 91¢ ea!)

Orbit Gum 3pk 2/$4 *Some stores have it marked down to $1.52!
Use $1/1 PRINT
(makes it as low as 52¢ for a 3-Pack!)

...and, if you get stuck there for awhile, you can also get:
$1/1 Target Cafe Kids Meal PRINT

Rite-Aid Highlights: 2/7 - 2/13

It must be the week of free Dove Men's Care!  More of that at Rite-Aid, plus a great deal on Nivea items and the last week to try your hand at the Proctor & Gamble promotion!  Here are the best deals in my opionion - for more bargains, check out IHeartRiteAid! 
NOTE: Don't forget to watch all the short February Video Values to score great Rite-Aid printable coupons!  If you earn 20 Video Credits, you will be able to print a $5 off $20 coupon to make your deals even cheaper!

Best SCR Deals:

Dove Men Care Body Wash 13.5 oz $4

Submit $4 SCR (Limit 1)

Use $1.25/1 from 1/31 RP or $1/1 PRINT, or $1.50/1 PRINT

(makes it FREE + $1.25 Overage!)

Nivea Lip Care or Nivea Body Wash: $2.99

Get a $5 Rite Aid Gift Card wyb $15 of Nivea (SCR #56)

Use $2/1 Body Wash from 1/3 RP
Use B1G1 Lip Care Product RP 2/7

Nivea Moneymaker Deal:
Buy (4) Lip Care + (3) Body Wash @ $20.93
Use $5 off $20 Rite-Aid Q
Use (2) BOGO Lip Care + (3) $2/1 Body Wash

(Pay $3.95 ~ Get $5 Gift Card Back!)

GE Reveal 4 pk Light Bulbs $2.50

Submit $2 SCR wyb (2) (Limit 1)

Use 40¢/1 Video Values Q
Stack WITH $1/1 from 1/3 RP

(makes it 10¢ ea!)

Comtrex $3.99

Submit $1 SCR

Use $2/1 from 2/7 SS

(makes it 99¢ ea!)

Dove or Mars Miniture Bagged Candy $3

Submit $1 SCR wyb 2 (Limit 2)

Use $1/1 Dove Rite-Aid Video Values Q
Use WITH $1/2 from 1/31 RP

(makes it $1 ea)

G.U.M. and Crayola Toothbrushes, Flosses $2.50

Submit $1 SCR wyb (2) (Limit 1)

Use (2) $1/1 from 11/15 RP

(makes it $1 ea)

KY Yours+Mine, 3oz or Intense, 0.34 oz, $18.99

Submit $5 SCR #2 (Limit 1)

Use $3/1 Rite-Aid Video Values Q
Stack WITH $5/1 from 1/31 SS or PRINT
(makes it $5.99 ea!)

Coupon Deals:

Duraflame Firelogs 50% off
Use $3/1 PRINT

(makes it cheap!)

Pedigree Dog Food 75¢
B1G1 Pedigree Canned Dog Fod RP 1/3
(makes it 37¢ ea!)

Stayfree Maxi Pads $1.99
Buy 2
Use BOGO from 1/3 RP
Use WITH $1/1 PRINT, PRINT or print (IE), print (FF)

(makes 49¢ ea!)

Carefree Liners: $1.99

Use $2/1 Video Values Q from january
Stack WITH $1/1 PRINT

(makes it FREE!)

Doritos or Rold Gold Preztels $1.99
Use $1/2 Rold Gold PRINT

(makes it $1.50 ea)

Procter and Gamble Good Buys:
*Buy $25 of Proctor & Gamble Products ~ Submit for a $5 Gift Card (exp 2/13)
Vicks NyQuil or DayQuil Liquid, 6oz, Liquicaps, 12ct., $3.99
Submit $1 SCR (Limit 1)
Use $2 off Vicks NyQuil or DayQuil PG 1/17

(makes it 99¢)

Crest Pro-Health Rinse $4.99
Use $2/1 from 1/7 P&G
(makes it $2.99)

Gillette Shave Gel $2.99
Submit $1 SCR
Use $1/1 from 2/7 P&G

(makes it 99¢)

Pampers Jumbo Pack Diapers $8.99
Submit $2 SCR (Limit 1)
Use $1.50/1 from 2/7 P&G

(makes it $5.49)

Herbal Essences Shampoo, Conditioner or Stylers $3 ea
Use Free Styler wyb Herbal Essences from PG 2/7

(like paying $1.50 ea)

Pantene Shampoo, Conditioner, or Stylers $3.50 ea
Use $2/2 Pantene Product PG 2/7

(like paying $2.50 ea)

Clairol Nice ‘N Easy Hair Color $7.49
Use $2.50/1 in-ad Coupon
Stack WITH $1/1 from 2/7 P&G

(makes it $3.99)

Duracell Coppertop Batteries AA or AAA 36 ct. $8.99 w/ in-ad coupon
Use $1/1 from 1/17 P&G
(makes it $7.99) *Less than $1 per 4-pack

★Proctor & Gamble Deal Idea★

Buy:
Crest Rinse @ $4.99
Vicks @ $3.99
Herbal Essence Shampoo + Styler @ $5.98
Gillette Shave Gel @ $2.99
Pampers @ $8.99

Total: $26.94

Use:
$5 off $20
FREE Herbal Essence Styler
$1.50 Pampers
$2 Vicks
$2 Crest Rinse
$2 Gillette
Pay $12.44  ~  Get $5 Gift Card + $3 SCR

(makes it $4.44 for Diapers, Dayquil, Crest Rinse, Shampoo, Styler, and Shave Gel!)

FREE Gillette Fusion Razors @ Target!

If you're thinking about running out to the drugstores today to grab some cheap Gillette razors, you might want to hold onto those coupons for an even ♥sweeter♥ Target deal instead!
This deal was put together by Kerry from TotallyTarget, and uses the new "Mobile Coupons" they have just introduced.  You'll need to sign up HERE with your mobile phone number to get these, and then go to Target.com/Save to download them.  Once on your phone, you will merely have to show the cashier your phone, and they will scan the coupon barcode!  Cool huh?  Okay, here's the deal:

♥Buy (2) Gillette Fusion or Venus Embrace ~ Get $5 Target GiftCard♥

Buy 2 Gillette Fusion manual razor for $6.99 each = $13.98
Use (2) $4/1 Gillette Fusion Razor 2/7 P&G
Use $2.00 Mobile Target Q

(Pay $3.98 ~ Get $5 Gift Card = $1.02 Moneymaker!)

or
Buy 2 Venus Embrace @ $6.99 ea + 2 Olay Body Wash @ $5.49 ea = $24.96
Use (2) $2/1 Venus from 2/7 P&G
Use (2) FREE Olay Bodywash from 2/7 P&G
Use $2.00 Mobile Target Q

(Pay $7.98 ~ Get $5 Gift Card = $2.98 for 2 Razors and 2 Bodywash!)

or
Buy 1 Venus Embrace + 1 Fusion @ $6.99 ea + 1 Olay Body Wash @$5.49 = $19.47
Use $2/1 Venus + $4/1 Gillette from 2/7 P&G
Use FREE Olay Bodywash from 2/7 P&G
Use $2.00 Mobile Target Q

(Pay $5.98 ~ Get $5 Gift Card = 98¢ for 2 Razors and 1 Bodywash!)

Stay tuned for more Target deals later this afternoon, I have to hustle up some Superbowl snacks for my guys, and that means a last-minute trip to Publix first!  (You guys better save me some free shrimp!!)

Simplify Sundays: 2/7

 

Debbie McCuiston, self-proclaimed "Queen of Clutter-Free", does a segment for us each Sunday on simplifying our lives, getting rid of "clutter", and focusing on what's important.  We're really excited about this new segment - and hope you are too!  Take it away Debbie....

Well ladies I hope this finds you well.  Would love to hear some of the progress that you ladies are making. (Hint Hint!) Send some pics or leave a comment.

Today at our church we had  our 11th annual women's conference. The  theme for this special day was "Press on." As I sat and listened to our speaker I was amazed at how God's timing is perfect. We get in such a hurry to get where we need to go or hurry to see people we need to see. Our life seems to slip away in such a whirlwind and lots of drama.  It's not until we get thru the the latest problem or "bump in the road" that we take the time to see how far we have come. I think our challenge to declutter our lives is like this. When we start we can only see ALL there is to do, but we press on. As we dig thru the years of saving stuff and not being able to let go we finally get to the other side. We can see that if we had not  tackled the mountain one thing at a time, we would never have  pressed on to the prize before us.

There are so many things that need to be done, or at least started. It can be a very daunting  project. But we press on. Sometimes, the prize in the end, is to realize that we pressed on thru what we thought we could never do.

When we look at the whole house and all the stuff that needs to go- somewhere- we want to walk away just like we always have but if we put our heads down and only work on what is in front of us, before you know it that area is clean. Just by putting one foot in front of the other, focusing on the task at hand, we understand that we can do it. We can do it because  we have come to believe that we want and deserve a better life. A life that isn't filled with "I wish I had" or "I can't do that" or the famous "why bother". Pressing on takes on a whole new meaning in light of the fact that we no longer want to always take the easy way out. We are finally willing to fight for the dream of a clean and organized home. A home free of chaos, drama and tension. We dream of a home that we can be proud of, that friends will feel welcomed in and family can be cared for and loved. We must continue to press on and not give up. We must for the  sake of  our dreams. We will  realize how strong we are and how capable we are to finally complete a task no matter the amount of time it takes. Pressing on is realizing that the lessons  along the road are there  to help us acheive our dreams. When we complete even the smallest project  we need to take some time to reflect on the lessons that we learned along the way. Remember lessons we learned along the way are to be used to pave the road for future projects. Our lessons can become words of encouragement for those around us, ones that are trying like us to order their lives in such a way that they can live out their dreams. Don't waste this time! God has called us to be women that are willing to teach those around us. He never takes us thru something for just us. In time there will be someone that needs to hear the lessons we learned, the ups and downs, what worked for you and what didn't. Look around- notice the doors He is opening for us, to step thru and be an example of" Pressing ON". Make the desision to make each day count for something bigger than ourselves. If you think about it, being selfish is what got us in this mess. So decide to become a giver of our stuff, our time and our energy. Love yourself enough to share the dream of a true home. It's not all the stuff we own but the time we spend investing in the lives of our family an friends.  That is all that will remain when everything else is clean and the dust has settled. This is the time to step up, determine to make a difference in your life and choose to invest in those around you.

May God bless you as you declutter your life so you can hear His voice and then obey.

SuperBowl Commercial Tip! (Already Live??)

UPDATE: I just went to check the site and it looks like it's already live??  I wonder if this commercial already aired this morning???  Anyway, I went ahead and entered now just in case, and I'll enter with my husband's name during the game.  You might want to do the same!!

If you're stuck enjoying watching the SuperBowl today, you might want to keep your eyes out for the Dockers commercial about the man who wears no pants (believe me, it's not as exciting as it sounds).  If you are one of the first 2010 people to register following the live broadcast of this commercial, you will win a pair of men's soft khakis from Dockers!  (Approx. retail value $30, you will be notified 24-72 hours after the promotion has ended)

Read all the details HERE, but basically, as soon as you see that Dockers commercial come on - grab a pen, write down the instructions, and hop on the computer to enter! 

Taste of Home Subscription: $3.75!!

Got a quick deal in my inbox, just wanted to share before I headed out to church!  Head on over to BestDealMagazines today to get a 1-Year Subscription to Taste of Home for only $3.75!!
That is an awesome price, since the cover price is $23.94.  This would be a sweet gift to order for anyone in your life who likes to cook, but at less than $4, you might as well get a subscription for yourself too!

Is currently discounted to $4.69 - Use code: "WKLYSPEC" when ordering to get this special pricing!