Organizing Coupons: What Works for You?

When I first started couponing, ages ago, I just used one of the small, accordion-type coupon organizers. This worked fine until it filled up and was basically ready to explode at any second.



I switched and used the binder system for a long time. The binder system is just what it sounds like: a 3 ring binder similar to this one.



I like the kind that zips all the way around so nothing can fall out. The coupons are sorted using baseball card sleeves and/or picture sleeves. I loved the system but was so bulky and I really hated when I would go somewhere that I didn't usually coupon and find a deal and not have my binder with me.

I really wanted a Couponizer (and still do really), but I didn't have the extra money to spend while I was having my coupon identity crisis, so after a lot of thought and a little creativity, I used some things I already had laying around the house to make my own coupon organizer.

I took an old DayRunner I had sitting in the drawer from when I used to be organized (read: before kids). Then I took some standard envelopes (from a box that I got on clearance at Wal-mart for 66 cents), sealed them and cut part of the front off to make a pocket. I punched holes in them so they fit the rings in the planner. I used my $4.98 clearance Dymo labeler from Target to label the envies with categories. I already had some credit card pouches for the DayRunner so I used those for my store cards and it also already had a calculator in it and a zippered pouch in the front. It's about 5x8, so it fits in my purse.


It was all fine and dandy until I added billions of coupons and now I have to hold it closed with a rubber band. So...I'm still searching for the right system for me.

What works for you? Envelopes? File boxes? Binders? How do you stay organized?!

Add coupons to your store card

There are several places you can visit to add coupons to your store card. Once you add the coupons you want to your card, when you go to the store, the discount automatically comes off. Now, do you know what makes this even better? You can use a manufacturer's coupon with these coupons! I know people are getting killer deals by using this system.

Shortcuts lets you add to many different store cards. You can find a list of stores here.

The Unilever site and the P&G Esavers lets you add to your Kroger card. Let us know what other stores work with these!

Disney Crocs at Gabe's!

Do you have a Gabriel Brothers store near you? If you do, fly there! They have Disney Crocs for kids for just $12.99! I also saw some Dora and Spongebob as well as some limited grown-up sizes for the same price.

It's a good place to check on a regular basis. Today they had new Juniors stock in from The Limited, New York & Co, Urban Outfitters and more. I even found a pair of dress pants for my son for $1. If you need school uniforms, I saw Izod khaki shorts for $4.99/pair and they were on the same rack as the pants I bought for $1, so they might be marked down as well. Those are great to start school off in and even at $5, you are saving!

Preview of June CVS Deals

June will be here in less than a week so it's time to start preparing for the CVS June Extra Care Bucks deals.

Freebies this month:

CVS Pharmacy Sheer or Plastic Bandages 40 ct - $1.99
Free after ECB (Limit 2)

Listerine Smart Rinse 250ml - $3.49
Free after ECB (Limit 2)
There are coupons out there for the $1 off the Listerine (4/27 RP) to make this one profitable.

Oral-B Cross Action Manual Toothbrush 2pk - $6.99
Free after ECB (Limit 2)

Other good deals:

Huggies lotion, Hair & Body wash 15oz or Washcloths 20 ct - $3.49
Receive $2 in ECB (limit 5)
Coupons from 5/18 SS for $1 off make the final cost 49 cents!

Brut antiperspirant, aftershave, cologne or splash - starting at $2.69
Receive $3 in ECB (limit 5)
Coupons from 4/6 SS for $1 off make this one profitable!

Here are the rest of the deals for the month:

Spend $19.99 on Sun Effects Sunscreen Lotion or Spray 4 or 6 oz - $5 EB (Limit 5)
Spend $10 on Dove Skin Care or Deodorant products - $3 EB (Limit 5)
Nu Hair Regrowth Tablets 50 ct or DHT Blocker 42 ct - $5 EB (Limit 5)
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Rejuvenator Puffs Refill - $2 EB (Limit 5)
Miracle Hand Repair or Miracle Foot Repair 8 oz - $2 EB (Limit 5)
Kerasal Ointment 1 oz or lotion 4 oz - $2 EB (Limit 5)
Buy (2) Softlips Lip Protectant 2 pk. - $2 EB (Limit 5)
Buy (2) Purell Hand Sanitizer with Aloe 8 oz - $2 EB (Limit 5)
Zest 3 pack, Safeguard or Ivory 4 pack - $1 EB (Limit 5)
Blade Shower Gel 12 oz or Emerald Mist Body Spray - $1 EB (Limit 5)
CVS Men's Shampoo in Haircolor - $2 EB (Limit 5)
CVS shave lotion, pre-electric or after shave 3-9 oz - $1 EB (Limit 5)
Gillette or Old Spice product - $2 EB (Limit 5)
Degree Clinical protection for women or for men 1.7 oz - $2 EB (Limit 1)
Nice n' Easy colorseal conditioning gloss 1.96 oz - $2 EB (Limit 1)
Mitchum men's or women's clear gel anti-perspirant 2.25 oz - $1 EB (Limit 5)
Sleepright select no-boil night guard - $5 EB (Limit 5)
Dentemp or DOC Denture Repair kit - $1 EB (Limit 5)
Buy (2) sea-bond denture adhesive 15 ct - $2 EB (Limit 5)
Cepacol mouthwash 24 oz - $1 EB (Limit 5)
I white product - $5 EB (Limit 5)
Assorted GUM dental care products - $1 EB (Limit 5)
Smart Mouth long lasting mouthwash 16 oz - $1 EB (Limit 5)
Crest whitening rinse 32 oz, crest pro-health or scope original 1.5 L - $2 EB (Limit 3)
Any diabetes essentials products - $2 EB (Limit 5)
One Touch Ultra mini meter - $5 EB (Limit 2)
Bayer aspirin with heart advantage 30 ct - $2 EB (Limit 5)
Citrucel soft chews 60 ct - $5 EB (Limit 5)
CVS acid reducer 150 mg 65 ct - $2 EB (Limit 5)
Any little tummys product - $2 EB (Limit 5)
Fleet laxative suppositories products listed - $1 EB (Limit 5)
Bonine adult 8-16 ct or for kids 8 ct - $1 EB (Limit 5)
Any Dulcolax product - $5 EB (Limit 5)
Digestive advantage 30-32 ct - $1 EB (Limit 5)
Rohto V Eye drops 0.4 oz - $2 EB (Limit 5)
Bausch & Lomb alaway drops 0.34 oz - $4 EB (Limit 5)
Vagisil creme 1 oz or moisturizer 2 oz - $1 EB (Limit 5)
Howard Leight earplugs 2 or 10 pr. - $2 EB (Limit 5)
Murine earlgate 3.3 oz - $7 EB (Limit 5)
CVS pharmacy cotton swabs 500-625 ct - $2 EB (Limit 5)
Auro-dri 1 oz $1 EB (Limit 5)
Ivarest anti-itch cream 2 oz - $1 EB (Limit 5)
Arnicare pain relief gel 2.6 oz - $5 EB (Limit 5)
Staph or poison ivy care product listed - $2 EB (Limit 5)
Stingeze 0.5 oz - $1 EB (Limit 5)
Bright Beginnings infant formula 25.75 oz - $3 EB (Limit 5)
Huggies mega wipes 208-232 ct - $2 EB (Limit 5)
Stuart prenatal supplement 100 ct - $5 EB (Limit 5)
Naturally Pomegranate dietary supplement 16 oz - $3 EB (Limit 5)
Buy (2) Perrier 0.5 L or S. Pellegrino 16.9 oz - $1 EB (Limit 5)
Mega-T Green green tea 30 or 90 ct - $3 EB (Limit 1)
Buy (4) South Beach Diet 2.11 oz or Balance Nutrition Bar 1.76 oz - $3 EB (Limit 5)
Homedics Shiatsu Massaging Cushion - $10 EB (Limit 5)
Maxell CD-R 10 pk. - $1 EB (Limit 5)
TDK DVC Camcorder Cassette 60 min. 3 pk ger $2 EB (Limit 5)

No Coupons This Weekend

Remember, as is the norm with most holiday weekends, there are no coupon circulars in the paper this Sunday.

Instead of clipping new coupons, I'll be sorting through my old ones, getting rid of the expired coupons and saved circulars and studying the Memorial Day sales to see what deals I can find. Who knows? I might even take some time to relax and enjoy the 3 days off!

Enjoy your weekend too! Happy Memorial Day everyone!

Free and Cheap Summer Movies for the Kids

A good boredom fighter that won't break the bank is free or $1 summer movie clubs. Most national and regional chains offer something like this. We always try to hit a few of these over the summer. Most are movies the kids have already seen, but they love going to the theatre to watch them on the big screen anyway. Here are a few you might want to check out:

Regal Cinemas Free Family Film Festival

Regal is again offering FREE family movies. Movies start at 10:00 am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The "festival" runs for 9 weeks. Start dates vary by location, but most begin mid-June. To find theatres in your area, visit the Family Film Festival page.

AMC Theatres Summer Movie Camp

The AMC Summer Movie Camp starts June 25 and runs through August 6. All movies start at 10:00 am on Wednesday morning. If I recall correctly, this camp used to be free, but this year they are charging $1 admission. It's all good though, because all admission proceeds will benefit Variety – The Children's Charity and the Will Rogers Institute. You can also purchase a KidsPack, which includes popcorn, a snack and a drink, for a discounted price of $3.00.

For a list of participating theatres, check out AMC Theatres.

Cinemark’s Summer Movie Clubhouse

Cinemark's Summer Movie Clubhouse runs for 10 Weeks, featuring a different movie each week. Showtimes and start dates vary by location. It's usually the first show of the day. In my town, movies start at 9:30 am. All 10 movies can be purchased in advance for $5.00, or can be purchased separately at the box office for $1.00 per show. For more information about the theatres in your areas, visit the Summer Movie Clubhouse web page.

These are the big 3, but I'm sure there are others out there doing similar things. Check with the cinemas in your area to find out what they're doing. Feel free to share the information with us!

Summer Reading Incentive Programs

If your home is anything like mine, the "I'm bored" and "There's nothing to do" statements start on the 2nd or 3rd day of summer vacation. I try to look for free things to keep my kids busy and summer reading programs have always proven helpful. Most programs offer incentives - ranging from free books and gift cards for the child to donations to the needy (which is a great way to get a lesson in about helping others). Books keep their minds sharp, teach them things and help alleviate boredom. There are so many benefits to summer reading - not counting the freebies! They can participate in all of the programs at the same time so when they read one book, they can record it for each program they are participating in.

Here are a few programs I've found for 2008:

Half Price Books
Feed Your Brain – Kids read 15 minutes per day and complete a reading log. Completed logs can be returned to either Half Price Book locations or CiCi's Pizza and redeemed for a $3 shopping card to Half-Price Books or a Free Kid's Buffet at CiCi's. You can do this every week from now until August 2! You can find more information at HalfPriceBooks.com.

Barnes & Noble
Kids read any eight books — library books, books borrowed from friends or books bought at Barnes & Noble — write about their favorite part, and bring a completed tear page to a Barnes & Noble bookstore. They can then choose a free book from a list of paperback titles. Find out more at Barnes & Noble.

Book Adventure
Book Adventure is a FREE reading motivation program for children in grades K-8. Children create their own book lists from over 7,000 recommended titles, take multiple choice quizzes on the books they've read, and earn points and prizes for their literary successes. It works a little like the Accelerated Reader program if you're familiar with that. This one's not just for summer either. Check it out: Book Adventure

Scholastic Summer Reading Buzz
Read 4 books and Scholastic will donate a book to a child in need. You can also enter a sweepstakes to win a dream vacation. Reading logs, games, message boards and more are on the Scholastic website.

Public Libraries
Most public libraries have Summer Reading Programs as well. In my area, they not only reward kids with an incentive, they also have activities at the library like magicians and storytellers. They're great for when you just need to get out of the house for a while. Check with your local branch to see what they've got planned this summer.

I'm sure there are other programs around. Please leave us a comment and let us know of any others you've found!

Free Teddy Grahams and more!

Who doesn't love Teddy Grahams? Get yourself a free sample from Scholastic by clicking HERE.

Walmart also has some great samples available! Check these out.

Free Playtex Gentle Glide Sample

Free Excedrin Sample

Free Crystal Light, Kool-Aid or Country Time Drink Samples

Freebies for May 17

Free Museum Admission - If you have a Bank of America ATM, Debit or Credit card, you can visit a number of museums free of charge the first weekend of every month. Click HERE for a list of participating museums.

Free Fruitista Freeze at Taco Bell - These look delish! Click HERE, then look for the "Download Coupon" link on the bottom right hand corner of the page.

Free Onion Rings - Looking to treat Dad on Father's Day? How about making a trek to TGI Fridays for some beer battered onion rings? Click HERE for a coupon.

Best Deals at Kroger (prices valid thru 5/19)

I finally had a chance to do some grocery ad-studying this week and decided to hit my local Kroger for some of their 10/$10 deals. Since my Kroger (Dallas/Fort Worth area) doubles and triples coupons, I was able to get some great deals. Here's what I found:

Barilla Whole Wheat Pasta - 10/$10

Use 50 cent coupon from 5/4 SS insert (doubled) - FREE!

Barilla Piccolini Pasta - 10/$10

Use 50 cent off 2 from 5/11 SS insert (doubled) - 2 boxes for $1.00

Softsoap Liquid hand soap - 10/$10

Use 35 cent coupon from 4/27 SS insert (tripled) - FREE!

Suave Naturals Deodorant - $2.50

Use $2.00 off coupon from 5/11 insert - 50 cents

Bounty Basic Paper Towels - 10/$10

Use 25 cent coupon from 5/4 P&G (tripled) - 25 cents

Lunchables - 10/$10

Use $1.00 off 3 coupon from 4/27 SS - 3/$2

Pringles - 10/$10

Use 30 cent off 3 (tripled) from 5/4 P&G - 3/$2.10

Freebies for May 5

Expectant mothers, celebrate your new addition with a free 3 oz. Soft Serve cone at participating Baskin Robbins on Wednesday May 21. Just print out the invitation HERE and take it in to get your free ice cream!

Get a free sample of Purex Natural Elements when you share their "green" website with a friend. You'll need Flash to view the website: http://www.purexsavesgreen.com/

If (like me) you have a Star Wars fan in your house, don't miss this one! Download a free copy of the first book in the Star Wars: Legacy of the Force series, Betrayal. It's available as an audio book, digital .pdf, Sony e-book, or Amazon Kindle book.

Try a free sample of Mountain Medley granola from Kashi. I've never been disappointed in a Kashi product so I can't wait to try this! Just follow the link: http://www.kashi.com/outreach/off_your_rump/free_sample

CVS Deals: Week of May 4 - 10

Whitman's & Russell Stover Chocolates are on sale for $3.99 this week. In the 5/4 Red Plum coupon circular, you can find coupons for $2 off Whitman's and $2 off Russell Stover. Makes a nice teacher appreciation week or Mother's day gift.

Dawn Dishwashing Liquid (11 oz) is 88 cents. Pair this with the P&G coupon for 25 cents off to get it for only 63 cents.

Crest toothpaste (4.6-6.2 oz) and Oral-B Advantage & Pro-Health toothbrushes are on sale for only $1.99 this week. Matched with coupons from this weeks SmartSource and you'll save even more.

The small bags of Purina Dog & Cat Chow are on sale for $3.99. There were coupons in last week's paper for $1.50 off or you can print a $4.00 off coupon from this site to get it free and help out a shelter in your area!

Venus Embrace, Vibrance or Breeze Razors are $9.99. When you purchase you will receive $5 in Extra Care Bucks. Use the $4.00 coupon from this week's paper and get the Razor for only 99 cents!

Kiss or Broadway Artificial Nail products give you $5 in ECB's when you buy 2. This one can be a money maker if you're store has the $1.99 nail glue in stock.

You can also find some great deals on hair color. Clairol Natural Instincts is $5.99 and you get $1 in ECB's when you purchase. Pair that with the Buy 1, Get 1 Free coupon from this weeks coupons and you'll get 2 hair colors for a net of only $3.99. If you prefer Garnier 100% Color, buy it for $5.99, use a $3 off coupon from this weeks paper and get $2 back in ECB's. Net cost 99 cents!

Colgate 360 Toothbrushes are $3.99 with a $3.99 ECB reward making them FREE!  There is a limit of 5 on this deal, and a few coupons out there from what I understand that can sweeten the deal.

You can find the complete store ad at CVS.com. I know there are other great deals out there. What are you finding this week?

Freebies & Money Makers at CVS during May

Each month CVS publishes a book of deals that are good all month long. They usually have some great deals and several items that are free (meaning you receive Extra Care Bucks - ECB's - in the amount of the purchase price of the item that you can spend on anything in the store). Match these items up with coupons and you can actually "make" some money. Here are the freebies for May:

Aquafresh Toothpaste (Advanced Whitening 6 oz or Extreme Clean 5.6 oz)
2.99 Limit 3 ($1 off coupons - and some $1.50 off - came in 5/4 paper)

Adidas Action Anti Perspirant 2.8 oz
4.99 Limit 3 (May 20th All You Magazine from Wal-mart has a coupon for a FREE Adidas Anti Perspirant and I hear there is a rebate out there from the 4/13 coupon circulars)

Orapik Traveler Twin Pack
2.79 Limit 3

Tums Quik Pak 24 ct
4.69 Limit 2 ($1 off 2 from 3/16 SmartSource)

Freestyle Lite or Freedom Lite Blood Glucose Monitor
10.00 Limit 2

CVS Allergy Relief 5 ct (Compare to Claritin)
3.79 Limit 3

Colgate 360 Clean or Deep Clean Tooth Brush
3.99 Limit 3