Couponing Series Part IV: Maintaining Your Coupons

You've gotten your coupon folder, clipped/printed tons of coupons and used them!  Yes, you've done it!  Congrats!  Eventually though, expiration dates will come and go.  Or, you go through your coupons and notice some for products you will never in a million years use.  Here are a few tips for maintaining that beautiful stash of coupons you've worked so hard to accumulate.

To clip or not to clip. 

• When I first began couponing, I would cut out anything that was inside of a dotted line rectangle.  Now that I am more discerning with my time and the products I purchase, I am more selective when it comes to cutting out coupons.  For example, no one in my immediate family wears dentures or is going through menopause.  I do not buy baby formula or frozen White Castle burgers.  Therefore, I do not cut out those coupons.
• That being said, I do cut out coupons for products that I might or might not ever use.  If it is not a definitive 'I will never use this product even if it showed up at my front door free, gift wrapped, and swimming in a pool of chocolate', then I cut it out.  These random coupons are useful to have on hand when going through the clearance tables and bins at Kroger.  Sometimes you get lucky and have a coupon for a Managers Special item enabling you to get a steal of a deal.
• I always cut out coupons valued at $0.50 or less.  A $0.50 off coupon translates to an instant $1.50 off the product price when tripled at Kroger.  Or, it means a $1.00 off when doubled at Meijer.  Sometimes, when paired with a sale, a  fifty cent coupon tripled to $1.50 off will get you free product.

Purge expired coupons in a timely manner.

• It is important to me to stay on top of purging expired coupons.  My coupon folder gets cleaned out about once every 30 days, usually around the beginning of the month.  I get frustrated when I can't find coupons if my folder is stuffed with expired paper.  This task is easily accomplished while watching TV, while watching your kid at practice or when sitting with your 8-month old gremlin who cries every time you leave the room.  Simply recycle the old coupons or let your children play 'grocery' with them. Or even better, consider sending expired coupons to military families.   

Enlist the help of family members.

• Ask younger children to help cut out coupons. When my four year old gremlin 'helps' me cut out coupons, I have to remind her to place her incisions OUTSIDE of the dotted lines and take care to avoid the numbers at the top and bottom.  She does a decent job, and I just try to casually mention to the cashier that the shark-tooth edges of my coupons and taped-on expiration dates were created by my daughter...not me.
• Ask older children to help weed out expired coupons.  This exercise can provide practice to a child working on their chronology or calendar skills.  Or, use this task as a punishment for leaving their room a mess.
• Have your spouse help you with either of these tasks during commercials of the football game or Grey's Anatomy.

All of this sounds like a lot of work and it is.  But as you are cutting, filing and sorting out expired coupons, you will be reminded of the coupons you have on hand.  By having top of mind awareness of the coupons you have in your stash, you will know instantly when you have a coupon for that next great deal.