To clip or not to clip?

[patgallant]

How many folks clip each coupon as opposed to just saving the inserts and cutting out coupons when you are ready to use them?

[mommyd]

I clip every coupon. This way I can give the items I know I will never buy to my friend. It also makes it easier at the end of the month to take the coupons out & send them to Stephanie's cause (The Military Coupon Program). If you find it hard to find time to clip them have your kids do it. When I was growing up I did this for my mom. She paid me 10 cents for every coupon she used. She saved money on my allowance!!!

[Lfwh]

I clip a lot of the coupons but not all. For example, we don't have any children and we really don't know other couples with children so I never clip the diaper or baby food coupons. We don't have any pets at the moment so I don't clip pet food or supply coupons. So I only clip the coupons I know we will use (like toilet paper, soups, sauces, paper towels etc...)

[jujubeanie]

I clip everything. If I can't use them, I pass them on to someone else.

[momof4]

I let my oldest daughter clip the coupons. She seems to enjoy it. I have 4 kids, so I have coupon clippers to last me the next 18 or so years. I clip everything and recycle the ones I don't use.

[mrprice]

I cut them all. Then I go thru, take out what I need. Then I pass them on to friends who go thru and give back what they don't need. What's left is mailed to the Military Coupon Program.

[iluvcoupons]

I do not clip coupons weekly. I use stephanie's system of filing the flyers by date. i use a filing cabinet with hanging files and yellow folders. I label each folder with the date. When I take the coupon fliers out of the paper, I mark the date on the front of each one with a black marker and place them in the folder. I do not clip any at that time. I then go to the Grocery Coupon Database for my state and print preview so I can print out only that days coupon list (for example maybe print only page 3-8) I print it out and put it in with the coupon fliers for that date. When I get a chance I compare the list with the coupons. I have found that the list doesn't always match my coupon inserts. If there are any missing that were not included in the insert, I will draw a line through that coupon on the list. If i come across a coupon that is in the insert but is not on the list, i will then cut it out and place it in my accordian file.

When I get my local store's sale paper for the week, I am ready to go shopping. I log onto couponmom.com's Grocery Coupon Database for my state and then arrange the coupon list (using the arrows at the top of the columns) into ascending alphabetical order. Now I can quickly scan the sale paper and search the database for coupons that match sale items. I can then go to my filing cabinet, pull out the coupon insert and got straight to the coupon that is needed, cut it out (I usually will have 4 or 5 coupons because I get 2 papers delivered every week and if there are coupons that week that I really like I will purchase another paper, and I get my mom's, sister's and mother in law's left overs, which I write the date on and put in the appropriate file of course. I love this method, and when I find a really good deal, or hear about one from one of my fellow couponers on this site, I can really stock up. For instance, when I heard about the free Kotex pantiliners at walmart after $1 coupon, I went to the coupon database and scrolled down to Kotex, found the date, went to my file and voila, 6 $1 coupons and 6 free boxes of Kotex. If I decide I don't want them or need them I will donate them to a women's shelter or heck I might just hand them out to women or girls on the street that may be able to use them.

I have been using this system since April and have saved alot of money and got a lot of really great deals. My cupboards are full and overflowing. When I get a few minutes I plan on going into the coupon database and arranging the coupons by expiration date and keep only the good coupons to make room for new ones. I will probably send the expired ones to the troops thru this site (not sure how it works though, I'll have to look into it further)

I would like to start a binder to replace my small accordian file folder for coupons for the items that I really like and for dog and cat treats and toilet paper, etc. Also to hold the coupons that I cut out that aren't included in the database. And also the ones that I cut out and decide not to use.

The only disadvantage to this system is that when i see an unadvertised special or something i may have missed in my sale paper, I don't have all the coupons with me, so I either have to make a note and come back or miss that deal......but I'm sure there will be many more deals ahead!

I already have my shopping list and coupons clipped for tomorrow and since I know what's coming in tomorrow's papers, I will only have a few coupons to clip tomorrow morning and then it's off to "rob the grocery store" that's what I tell my husband. Tomorrow i'll be "stealing" 8 jars of mott's applesauce for 70 cents each and 4 boxes of ronzoni smart taste pasta for 25 cents a box among many other great steals. ILUVCOUPONS

[Earthelement]

I clip most of the coupons that I know that I will use and file any extra inserts according to date. If I need more of a particular coupon, or am looking for something that I didn't clip already, then I check the coupon database against my extra inserts and find the ones that I need.

[bmblbee100]

I clip the coupons that correspond to my grocery weekly ads that I know I will use that day. I do shop different stores to find the best deals. I usually break it up a few days a week. I use Stephanie's file system, but I have it portable. I use a 2 inch 3 ring binder. I have clear plastic dividers that have pockets. Each pocket has a different week's coupon package. 7/27, 8/3 etc. I also print out the list of each weeks coupons. My binder holds a calculator, scissors and pens and my shopping list. I have a clear pencil pouch which I put in the coupons I am going to use at check out. I have another clear pencil pouch with my cut coupons in individual envelopes...paper goods, cleaning products, etc. I take all coupons to the store with me. The binder stands up in the front of the cart so all of my supplies are handy. (I have 3 kids, but I do not take any of them to the store. I pay my 15 year old to watch the younger 2 while I shop.) That way when I find an unadvertised special on something that I know I have a coupon for I can easily clip it and cut it out to use that day. It took a little bit of time in the beginning to get started and shop, but now I am saving so much it is so exciting. It is like a game to see how much I can get for free. I love it! Thank you Stephanie!

[Zoebelx3]

I started out not clipping and just filing the inserts. But I when I went to the stores I kept finding items that either had unadvertised sales or were clearanced, but the coupons for them would be at home. So now I clip and use a binder system