How to Organize Coupons

You have finally jumped into the exciting world of coupons but now you do not know what to do with all of them. After clipping coupons from Sunday papers and printing coupons from the internet, a big pile of coupons will soon form. Putting all of them in a large envelope for safe keeping is a good way to put them away so they are not scattered everywhere, but you will find that it is too hard to find exactly what you are looking for. You will need a way to organize all your coupons so you can easily find them. You will also want to use something that will allow you to carry your coupons with you to the store. There are lots of different ways to do this but there is not a best way. One method of organizing may work for one person but not for another. Here are a few options to get you started.

1. Use a small expanding file folder that is sized for photos. You can organize your coupons by using broad categories such as baby, dairy, or pet. You can arrange these categories in alphabetical order or in the same order that you would pass each category in your grocery store. Many people find that they outgrow this method very quickly, especially if they get multiple Sunday coupon inserts each week.

2. Use an empty craft or fishing box. You can create your own dividers for categories out of index cards to organize your coupons. Using a box allows you to fit and carry more coupons.

3. Use a large binder with baseball card holders. For this method, you can buy binder dividers to separate your categories. This method is especially useful for people who get multiple inserts. Each coupon can have its own slot and all the multiple coupons can fit too.

Like I said before, each person will find that one method works better for them than others. A large binder is probably the easiest way to organize your coupons. You can put the binder in the seat of the cart and flip through the pages without having to fumble through a stack of coupons. However, this may not always be the best option. For example, people with babies probably will not be able to carry both their baby and a large binder/box into the store. In addition, the baby has to sit in the seat and there would not be room for a binder or box. For these people, a large expanding file folder that can fit into a purse would probably be more beneficial. Each person's situation and coupon experience will determine which method is best. Also remember, these are only a few options. There are many other ways you could organize your coupons, so get creative and find the best method for you.

By Brandi Yates

I am a stay at home mom of three children and I am always looking for ways to save money. Here you can find discount coupons and Coupon Organizers

How to Get Organized in Early Spring For a Great Summer

Winter is coming to an end and you are looking forward to a summer of fun and accomplishment but what do you do first? You know you need to start getting ready. You have the energy and desire to do something but what should you do? The weather is getting a little warmer, the sun is out longer and you feel like doing something. It is still too cold to spend much time outside.

Your yard is still snow covered or the ground is too soft and muddy to work on it. You would like to put all your winter clothes and winter stuff away but you know there might be some more snow and cold for awhile yet. This time of year is the limbo time between winter and summer. The extreme difficulty of dealing with winter is over but there is enough winter left that you cannot just put everything away and only have your summer stuff out.

You need an organized plan to use to jump start your summer preparations. Here is a plan that will get you organized and moving forward towards a great summer:

1) Go through your winter clothes. Anything that is ripped, stained and beyond repair needs to be thrown out. All the winter clothes that are still good but that you did not wear at all can go into a bag to drop off at your favorite charity. This includes clothes that are too big, too small, that are really not you or that you just do not like for whatever reason. This is the perfect time to do this because you will not be needing these clothes anymore soon.

2) While going through these clothes you should make a small list of your wish list for the types of winter clothes you want to get next fall. Put this list in your planner book so you have an early jump on your ideas for next year.

3) Get out your spring and summer clothes if you had them put away for the winter and put them in your closet. There should be room because you have removed some of your winter clothes in step 1.

4) Go through your spring and summer clothes and make a list of what you really want to get now. This will be your shopping wish list to use in the next few months to make sure you are looking for what you really need and want.

5) Put away any remaining Christmas decorations and anything else related to winter. It is still too early to put away everything needed for winter. You will still need boots, coats, mittens, hats, shovels and salt. What I mean is to put away things that are not needed for winter but that are reminders of winter.

6) The big thing to do is to finish your indoor projects. You really need to push to finish any home painting or remodeling projects now. Spend the time and money to get this out of the way. Once the nice weather hits there will be a lot more distractions on your time. Trying to work on outdoor projects and indoor projects at the same time is just too difficult and draining. Planning travel and fun activities around your remodeling is
frustrating.

7) Move your cars out of the garage and sweep your garage floor as much as you can. Where I live they use a combination of sand and salt on the streets to deal with the ice and snow so my garage is filled with both. You will be needing to sweep again later in the spring but it really helps to get as much dirt picked up now as you can.

8) Sweep your sidewalks and the main areas of your driveway where most people walk. By spending some time sweeping you will be minimizing the amount of dirt tracked into the house.

9) Vacuum your car and clean and straighten it out. Do not put away your winter stuff yet. Where I live in
Wisconsin we can still get snow up through the middle of May. So you really need to wait to put away winter stuff until winter is for sure done.

10) Do some straightening in the garage. It is too early to put away the winter stuff but you can spend some time working here to make the big cleaning easier later.

11) Look at your equipment for your summer activities and make lists of what you need. If you golf, see if you need golf balls. If you fish, make a list of the fishing tackle you want to buy. If your outdoor tools are in poor shape, put together a list of what you need. Put these lists in your planner book so you can start getting these things as you can afford them.

12) If you have kids or are a biker, get your bikes out and fill up the tires. If your bikes need to be fixed either fix them, get them to the bike shop or buy new ones. As soon as the good weather arrives everyone will want to go for a bike ride.

13) If there are any Christmas decorations still up outside, get those removed and put away.

Here is a list of tools you will need to get these things done:

- Big garbage bags and ties. You will use these bags to throw out your clothes as well as haul any other clothes to charity.

- Paper that fits into your planner book and pen to make your lists of the winter clothes you would like next year, your list of the warm weather clothes you want now, your list of equipment needs for your summer activities and your list of outdoor tools for your outdoor summer projects.

- Boxes and bins to pack away your winter and Christmas type decorations.

- Broom, dustpan and garbage can.

- Shopvac or vacuum you can use outside.

- Air pump for the bike tires.

- Motivation, energy, time and money to finish those indoor projects.

You can see from this list that the work will be a combination of indoor and outdoor work. Doing these types of tasks will be a pleasant reminder of the wonderful summer weather that is coming and all the fun you are going to have.

About the Author:

Hans Hallanger is The Organized Man. Do you dream of having more free time, of a simpler life, of less stress, of an uncluttered home, of well-designed storage systems and about getting more done? My website, http://www.organized-way.com/index.html is full of easy ways to quickly improve your life. Sign up for my FREE newsletter and get a FREE Ebook titled "Seven Ways to get Organized Right Now".