Organizing Your Coupons

Now that you know the orgin of coupons, learn how to organize your coupons. Organizing your coupons is the foundation to couponing. Without this foundation, your couponing experience will be a temporary experience. If you do not organize, you house will be filled with individual coupons.

I no longer organize by item categories. I only use the coupon organizer for non published coupons. I bought cardboard filing storage boxes as I did not own a filing cabinet. I labeled one box "Redplum" and the other was labeled "Smartsource." I placed multiple hanging file folders in each box. I placed standard size files in the hanging folders. Each week as I buy multiple Sunday newspapers, I separate the Smartsource from Redplum and file by date. Each of my files are dated based on the publication date of the insert(found on the bound edge of the insert). For example, I may date a file 11/22RP. I include the publication abbreviation after the date. The reason I include the abbreviation because when I am returning files I won't mix the Redplum files with the Smarsource files. I do not cut the coupons until I am preparing to shop for groceries. Also, I create files for each grocery store, P &G and for printable coupons.

The clutch coupon organizers can be purchased at any chain office supply stores. I use this organizer for blinkies, purchased coupons and other non-published coupons.

History of Coupons

I am sure you are wondering when coupon redemption began. Below is a timeline of the history of coupons:

1894: The year that coupons were born. After purchasing the formula for Coca-Cola for $2,300, Asa Candler creates and distributes hand written tickets for a free glass of his new fountain drink.
1895: The year the first grocery coupon is born. C.W. Post creates and distributes a one-cent coupon for his new health cereal, Grape Nuts.
1930’s: Coupons come into their own as many households look to save money any way they can during the Great Depression.
1940’s: Supermarkets come on the scene. Coupons make the jump from neighborhood grocery stores to these new regional grocery stores.
1957: Coupons create a new industry as the Nielsen Coupon Clearing House becomes the first company devoted to coupon redemption.
1965: It is estimated that 50% of all Americans use coupons.
1975: Over 35 billion coupons are distributed and the number of households that use coupons rised to an estimated 65%.
1995: The first coupons appear on the Internet.
1998: America celebrates the first National Coupon Month.
2002: Shoppers save and estimated $3 billion dollars by redeeming some 3.8 billion coupons.
2003: The number of households estimated using coupons stands at 77%.

printed from Grocery Coupon Guide 1/31/2008