Couponing takes a lot of time. I wish I could tell you a fib and say that I only spend 2 hours a week and save $500, but unfortunately I don’t. I spend about 2.5 hours and save around $200. The thing that I have found that helps me keep my sanity is to make up a Coupon Organizing Schedule and do a little each day.
Here’s what mine looks like:
Sunday – Spend 30 minutes cutting out the coupons I like from the inserts (I don’t cut them all out, just the ones I know I will definitely use with or without a sale) and memorizing what coupons are in the inserts.
Monday – Spend 10 minutes sorting the mail and organizing any coupons I received plus I organize the coupons I printed that day.
Tuesday – Spend 30 minutes preparing my lists for Publix and Winn Dixie. This includes making the list, cutting and sorting the coupons needed.
Wednesday – Spend 10 minutes sorting the mail and organizing any coupons I received plus I organize the coupons I printed that day.
Thursday – Off
Friday – Spend 10 minutes sorting the mail and organizing any coupons I received plus I organize the coupons I printed that day.
Saturday – Spend 1 hour preparing my lists for Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid. This includes making the list, cutting and sorting the coupons needed.
I’d love to hear what you do!
If you are new to Couponing, you might want to take a moment to read more in my Getting Started Couponing series. It will teach you how to coupon like I do!
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Monday – In the morning, I get ready for shopping trips at Kroger and Target. Then I get the items.
Tuesday – I sort out the coupons and file the ones from the Sunday paper and any mail coupons.
Wednesday – Prepare for Walmart trip and do Walmart.
Thursday – Take out expired coupons, put in mail coupons.
Friday – Start planning for drugstores (CVS, Walgreens)
Saturday – Finish planning for drugstores
Sunday – Do drugstore shopping and clip all coupons in the mail.
So that’s what I do. Each step takes like an 1 hour or so.
Very organized! :)
Well I think first of all I need to catch up on my couponing, lol, the next step is to stop falling behind. :) For a while I would sort and organize my coupons on Sunday nights, and grab out any that I knew I would be using for that week. Deals that can’t be beat I’ll try to get first thing Sunday morning (I’ve been known to rush out at 6 am and buy something we have to have if I know it’s going to be popular). I usually shop on Tuesdays and Thursdays since my stores shipments come in the day before. Boy are you right about the whole time thing, I can easily spend 3 or 4 hours a week doing everything if I’m playing catch up.
alright so we all need to go to certain stores to save the most.but……are we spending just that much more on gas. Has anyone taken the time to figure it out. I spend sooo many HOURS organizing, I still feel like I am not, and then i only end up saving like 25 bucks but i thought it was going to be way way more than that. I think i may not be cut out for couponing. HELP!!
I used to feel this way because I had a certain day that I would go to all of the stores. Now I make my list and as I am passing the places I shop while doing other things I stop. This way I am not wasting any gas at all
I do two stores, for sure each weekend and if the sales are great, no more than three. Thankfully the Walmart has saved us time. The stores we go to are near one another, but to go to five or four different parking lots? No way.
I focus my coupon shopping to just Publix and Walmart. I am tired of going to Walgreens and them never having any items on hand that are on sale from their circulars. I do Publix BOGO w/ coupons for great deals. Items that I need that may not be on sale or I am out of are less expensive at Walmart. If you shop all the deals you will be constantly on the road. I work full time and cannot go shopping after work every night. It works great for me. I clip and immediately file in my binder so that when I am done, I am done. I rely on great sites like this to match printables and deals.
I usually start on Weds. by going on the grocerysmarts.com and printing out all the stores plus the items I want at each item. I can’t print coupons from my computer so I just do inserts and some Target coupons if I made it to the library to print coupons that week. Then I go through my grocery store lists and cut the coupons that it says to use, paper clip them to each store and go shopping usually the next day. Thankfully all the grocery stores are in a perfect circle that if I plan correctly I can hit each store I need to and be done in about 2 hours with all my shopping for the week.
I used to spend hours a week clipping and organizing. Now I just put my inserts direclty into a dated folder and then file them. I use a blogger that does my local food store. So now I spend about an hour making my list and clipping. I don’t mind if i miss a deal. If its that great, then I’ll go back to the store.
I file my coupons in file folders by date and type. I color code the folders to make it easier: Red is for Red Plum, Green is for Smart Source, and Purple is for Proctor and Gamble. Each week I try to “memorize” what’s in the inserts so I can be familiar with them. I use blogs to help me match up what I need to buy. I also have pocket folders (the kind that’s cheap now for back to school) for each store that I use most often: Wal-Mart, Walgreens’s, Target, etc. When I print off a coupon that I know I will use at one of these stores I will put it in the folder. I keep these folders in my car and if I go to that store I will take the folder in the store with me and I have my coupons ready to use. I also take the blog’s print off list of items that I have the coupons for; it goes in the folder with my coupons. You can use one side of the folder to hold the coupons and then move the coupons to the other side when you know you are going to use them. That way you can hand all the coupons in one pocket to the cashier.
Sunday ~ Clip all coupons from inserts and seperate what I plan on using and what I plan on trading with my sister-in-law (who’s a coupon addict like myself). :)
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday ~ Check my favorite blogs for Kroger and Dollar General deals, since these are the two main stores I do my shopping with.
Thursday and Friday ~ Plan a week’s worth of menu’s using the newest Kroger circular. Start shopping list. I’ll also go through my coupon binder and remove any expired coupons before seperating the coupons I’ll need for my shopping trip. I’ll also upload ecoupons to my Kroger card, if there’s any I need.
Saturday ~ Go shopping!
i daily cut all the coupons i printed and file them in binder at night, on sunday mornings, i clip and file . i follow this blog and the specific drug store ones for matchups. I do all my shopping on Sunday mornings but I have also gone mid week shopping for really good deals with more internet coupons. I figure my time is a good investment, especially on weeks when i save 100. or more for 2 to 3 hours of work.
I try to just do all the little freebies etc as they come up if I’m online. I don’t go on the computer just for a sample. I print out the coupons here and there online, but only the things I will absolutely use now, to save on ink/paper. I load all the upromise ones and or any non-printables I can grab for a store card. How much time is that, depends on what is out there. I do cut coupons from my paper and whatever is left from my mom’s again being more selective matching them to the store papers that come a few days before, since I have a nice inventory already. All in all I save about 30-50% of my grocery/toiletry/pet bill. I also save on other items.
great post and I that is how I do it. When my girls go to bed it is my couponing time and HGTV or Food Network time. Each day is something and I take two days to snuggle with my girls when they go to sleep. It has really make a difference in my stock pile and overall savings thanks Kristen
I’m new to this all coupon thing, it seems a bit daunting, still trying to figure out the best way to clip/store/plan!!! I’s a shame that I can’t find a store that doubles here in South Florida, one day I wish I’ll be able to save the 50% on my grocery bills :)
I spend 2-3 Sunday night clipping and organizing, matching sales, and memoizing my coupons. Then I feel I am ready for the drug stores for Monday shopping. I go shopping on Monday and spend No more than 30-45 minutes per store, I am in and out as fast as possible. This is my third year so I only get the SUPER good deals. Tuesday I am off, Wednesday I match grocery stores and buy just super good deals.
Thanks for sharing your schedule. Sounds like you have couponing down to a science!
Thank you for giving a schedule. I think this will help me