Yesterday I posted that I had a plan to clean up my desk… and I did it! But not only did I clean up my desk, I created a new coupon center! Now I have a place to do my bills and I also have a place to keep my coupons until I have time to clip and file them.
This was my desk yesterday…
And this is my desk today…
What I love the most is that little corner I created for my bills. If there is a bill that needs to be paid by mail or needs to be filed, it will go on a shelf so it will never again get mixed up with coupons like this!
Since I sit at my computer right next to that desk (see my entire office here), I will naturally place any coupons I print on the desk. But, they will not stay there! They will be moved to my new coupon center just a few feet away in the next room…
This is the new home for my paper cutter, my coupons, any flyers I have, coupon books and other things like my Shaw’s game tickets. That pile of paper right next to the cutter are coupons that I need to cut and file. In the envelope right behind that stack of paper are coupons that I already cut but did not file yet.
I file most of my coupons by expiration date so I have to type them all into a spreadsheet so I know what I have in my coupon box (see my system here). That’s my coupon box in the back. And to the left of the box are coupons I just need to go through and decide if I want them or not. It’s an organized mess!
Truth be told, I really prefer to cut my coupons at my desk. But, that’s okay! I can just move the paper cutter over when I’m in the cutting mood then put it back where it belongs!
Now my plan for today is to get all my coupons cut and filed. It may seem like it’s a tedious task to type them all in a spreadsheet, but I think it takes more time to flip pages of a binder. And purging with my system is super easy! It’s what works best for me.
This is a glimpse of what my spreadsheet looks like. If I spot a deal on Chock Full of Nuts coffee, I can quickly see that I have a coupon for that coffee in my 6/30 envelope. No flipping through binder pages to see if I have a coupon!
I’m just glad to finally get things cleaned up. And I think with a place for everything, I will be able to keep things organized. The one thing I forgot to show was my stack on inserts. I have them in another spot all filed by date. That pile will be dwindling since I have not purchased a paper in weeks now. Instead I order what I need from My Coupon Hunter. It’s cheaper for me than buying papers (I don’t use many insert coupons) and way more convenient!
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Great job Darlene!
I need to clean up my desk too!
I personally find too much paper very overwhelming so I organize my grocery coupons online using this free online app I found on http://eventbin.com
I use microsoft word which is what came with my computer. I sort alphabetically to print. When I went to delete entries I just sort by date and delete entire rows of expired at once. Then I go back to alpha to print again.
I do spreadsheets on my computer with excel. Very easy. Is that what you used, D arlene? Helen, you probably have excel if you have a pc. Mine is Microsoft excel.
How do you do the spreadsheet? It is a program you bought? I tried handwriting one. i did it for about 2 months and stopped. lol