Q: What is the best way to organize coupons and REMEMBER to take them to the store?

Daryl: Thanks for writing. I appreciate hearing from readers such as you, and it's interesting to know of your questions and concerns.

Organizing coupons and remembering to take them to the store is a good topic for discussion. In responding, it's important to state that there is more than one right way to do many things, and certainly that's true of dealing with coupons. Therefore, I'm not recommending the “best” way; I'm just suggesting a way that works.

I contacted a friend who is the “coupon queen” of our neighborhood to learn what has been successful for her. She emphasizes that hers is a very simple system — there are more elaborate ways of handling coupons, she points out — but she finds that hers works well. It makes sense to me so I'm happy to pass on her explanation as follows:

• Shop at one store.
• Know the store well and make out a grocery list according to the layout of the store: produce/meat/bakery/canned-packaged/cleaning/dairy/frozen.
• Label 3 envelopes (3 ½” x 6 ½” size), one for the current month, one for the following month and one for the third month and beyond. (Example: August, September, October and beyond) Reuse the envelopes by crossing off the month and adding a new one.
• Cut out the coupons (the most time-consuming part of this effort) and sort them into the envelopes according to expiration dates and needs.
• Move them forward according to the months.
• Check the coupons, prior to going to the store, and add whatever else is needed to the grocery list.
• Place an asterisk ( * ) by items on the list that have coupons.
• Paper clip the coupons to the back of the list so you don't forget them.
• Enjoy the benefits of smart shopping.

I hope this is helpful to you. Please feel free to contact me again if I can be of further assistance.

          -- Daryl