I love coupons. That is, I love coupons when I remember to use them and have them with me. Which is rare.
Although my life is arguably more organized than ever with the help of my awesome 2012 system, those darn money saving slips of paper are where I always mess up. Typically, when the machine in the checkout line spits them out at me, I throw them in the notepad pocket of my Malden, along with stamps, hole reinforcing patches, and the rest of my "planner junk drawer." But then I inevitably go crazy having them back there, or I completely forget I even have them, which kinda ruins the point of carrying coupons in the first place. So then, I leave the coupons at home on my desk, where they are forgotten yet again. Long story short, I spend a lot of time throwing away expired coupons.
During an "I'm going to spring clean because it is 50 degrees outside" moment I was having last week, I found the solution. I was about to finally throw away the box my 2012 refills came in, when I realized I had a clear, top opening envelope in the empty box. I didn't even know I had a spare lying around. So I stuffed in all the non-expired coupons I had around the apartment, and put the envelope in the "etc." section of the Malden.
Then it occurred to me that this system was bound to fail. I know myself, and I know that I won't spend time digging through coupons at the store to see if I have anywhere I can save. And since I make a lot of impromptu trips, I can't always pre-plan my shopping lists and menus. So, I improvised and added a sticky note for quick reference on current coupons:
Granted, this system leaves a lot to be desired. I did this last minute, so I'm missing a lot of detail for most of these. It's working for now, but when I have a free minute (and don't spend it blogging) I'll be designing a page that will sit just in front of the envelope, providing more details on each coupon. I'm thinking I need:
- item
- store
- dollars/percent off
- expiration date
- a check box for when the coupon is used
I think this will cover most of the details I would need for each coupon. That way, instead of flipping through each one, I can just run down the list of what I have and see if anything can be used.
Saving time and money, gotta love it! I'll be sure to share the file as soon as I create it.
How do you store your coupons? In your Filo? Are they a mess, or am I alone on that one?Labels: Coupons, Filofax, Malden
