Organizing the Stash! (A Peek Inside My Pantry)

Every so often (not often enough) a girl's gotta organize her stash. We get all these fabulous deals, and often times I find my pantry begins to look a bit like this... (I have 2 small pantries in my house.)

Not so organized... Notice, I couldn't even fit all of my stockpiled tomatoes in! This was NOT working for me.

So to clean this disorganized mess up... and finally be able to find what I need... I decided to separate the items in my pantry into 3 categories:

• Throw Out (if expired)
• Donate (if not going to be used)
• Keep (but keep organized!)

When all was said and done, I was able to fit everything in, donate some items, and unfortunately, throw some expired ones away. The items I kept, I organized by expiration date. Meaning, if I had several boxes of pasta (which I always do), I put the first to expire on top. You get the idea. The below picture is my canned goods pantry. The shelves are steadier and it keeps me organized in this small way.

My other pantry has wire shelving, so I keep most of my dry and boxed foods as well as my larger stockpiled items such as juice, oil, etc. in here.


Here's the set-up of my pantry pictured above:
(Top - Bottom)

• Cereals and Breakfast items (Top Shelf)
• Baking Goods
• Pastas and Other Dry Goods
• More Dry Goods
• Broths, Dry Beans, Soup-Type Items
• Larger Bulk Items or Stockpiled Items on Floor

So, when was the last time you organized your pantry?! I encourage to as you see things getting out of hand or as you stockpile different items. Keep it organized so that you know what you have on hand. It doesn't save you money if you can't find what you're looking for. You'll end up (like me) going to the store to buy more only to find you had it all along!

I love Grocery List Day!

Believe it or not, I actually look forward to my grocery list making day. In my not-so-organized life, it's fun to find organization in making a grocery list. I love to see how many items I can find coupons for and all the savings to be had!

This week, I figured I would walk you through my process of coming up with the best deals for the week. First of all, I'm primarily a Publix grocery shopper, though I do make a run to Walmart if I need a no-name brand item such as dishwasher detergent. I still much prefer Publix and try to get all I need in one shopping run.

Thursdays are my shopping day, which includes me running to Walgreens, CVS, and Publix. I always hit CVS before Publix so that I can try to "score" a $10/$50 CRT from the price scanner machine! My Publix considers CVS a competitor, so they take these fabulous coupons.

To plan my list, I start out with items that are a MUST HAVE such as milk, eggs, bread, etc. Then I check out my good friend Sarah's blog at Fiddledeedee. Every Wednesday she posts the Publix deals for the week. Since my area's Publix sales start on a Thursday, this is ultra convenient for me! I take all day Wednesday (off and on throughout the day - Please people! I don't have a full day to devote to making a list!) and create my list. Here's how my list looks as of 8:45am this morning. I may add items that I won't end up purchasing, but I list out all the items that are a maybe or will help me with my meal planning for the week. Once I've completed my list, I definitely tweak it and decide what is actually necessary. This is how I write it out:

Milk:
Eggs: $1.89
Juice:
Barilla Lasagna Pasta: BOGO $1.99
Mt. Olive Pickles: BOGO $2.79 - 2 $.50/1 Blinky = $1.79/2
Wrigley's Orbit Gum: BOGO $2.17

As I start going through it, I check my coupon binder for coupon-matchups, and if I can't find something I'm looking for, CouponMom.com is my favorite resource. I check out all my coupon websites that I frequent including Coupons.com, Coolsavings, etc. You can check out the full list on the right hand side of this blog. Then if I really need a coupon for an item, I will often check the brand name's website to see if they are advertising savings or do a search through SwagBucks (I can earn a little money while searching for money!). Other sources for coupons are through competitor grocery stores such as Food Lion, Target, or Albertson's (in my area).

Check back tomorrow to see my final list and the deals I found! I hope this helps all you newbies to stick with The Coupon Game! It really is so much fun!!

Organizing The Coupon Game

In my attempt to organize my posts and deals on this blog, I have decided to get into a weekly schedule of what you can expect to find at The Coupon Game each day. You'll find my schedule on the right hand side in the green section. Although this is my new schedule, I will still be posting the latest and greatest finds as I come aware of them in order to pass the savings along to you!

But to give you a better idea of what you can expect, here's a brief summary:

... on Monday
After Sunday's coupons come out, I'll highlight any new deals to be had using the new coupons or any deals that have come to light over the weekend.

... on Tuesday
There are always great Giveaways and Sweepstakes online, so if you love to win free stuff, you'll want to check out Tuesday's post! Who knows, you might start finding some giveaways here at The Coupon Game!

... on Wednesday
Rather than showing Freebies throughout the week, this will be an easy stop for you to grab your freebies each Wednesday - all in one place.

... on Thursday
Since Thursdays are my Publix shopping days, you will continue to see my weekly deals at Publix every Thursday.

... on Friday
I hope to come up with a weekly Money Saving Tip that will help you (and me) save money outside of couponing. There will be a linky and I hope that you will participate in sharing your ideas!

... on Saturday
I have started a new post for the "Best Of" CVS and Walgreens Deals. This is to give you a preview of the savings you can find starting on Sunday of each week.

... on Sunday
I'll be hangin' with my family. Everyone needs a day of rest.

The Organized Homemaker

I know, I know, I just started this blog, but I've decided to ADD another to my list of things to do.

I've been told I'm not happy unless I've got 10 plates up in the air at one time! Well, my other blog is about organization. I have wanted to organize my housework, chores, and time for years, and somehow it feels like this is the year to get started on it!

I desire my children to grow up with a good example of what a wife and mom should be. Sure, my house will never be perfect, and that's okay. But the Proverbs 31 woman is a great example of who I want my husband and children to see in me.

To follow me in my journey to organization, you can check out my other blog at:
The Organized Homemaker

I also have a link to it under my profile on this blog. You will see "REAL" life organization and hopefully you can relate to the daily issues I face.

Coupon Mom Video

The Coupon Mom is who got me started with all of my Coupon Gaming, so although this video is from Memorial weekend, it's still great to watch for all the of new coupon gamers. It also touches briefly on the Price Book concept (recognizing sales in cycles and stocking up).

My Organized Coupon Binder

I was looking for an opportunity to share with ya'll the way that I organize my coupons. I'll first tell you that I started with a 1" floppy binder and within a week of excited coupon gaming, grew out of that "tiny" binder. I've graduated into a much heavier (somewhat burdensome) zippered binder with many more compartments. The only thing I wish I had was a strap to carry it with... maybe I'll make one!

So, here's my "not-so-little" black book.

I purchased this binder at Target for $9.99. And it works great for me! I typically put my coupons for the day's shopping in the front mesh zippered pocket.

When you open the tension-stringed compartement on the front, you see I have my weekly fliers, extra SmartSource, RedPlum, & P&G inserts filed here. If I receive/purchase multiple coupons, I don't always cut them all out, but rather keep them in their magazine or insert in here.

When you open the book, here's what you see. I keep a CVS ExtraCare card and any other discount card (in case I forget mine), scissors, pen, sharpie, calculator, and Rainchecks here. The pink zipper pocket is for any extras that are in process.

I like to 3-hole punch my Rebate Forms and keep them in the front of my binder. It's an easy reference to help me remember the requirements I need to meet to get the rebate.

And lastly, I am a micro-organizer and like to keep my topics very individually organized. I think I have 18 different page dividers!

See many more Coupon Organizing Examples at Keeping the Kingdom First!

Organizing Your Coupons

Some Great Information from A Full Cup!

Are you buried in coupons? Do coupons expire before you can use them simply because you’re unable to locate them? Do you get frustrated when you’re shopping and remember that you have a coupon for an item that’s on sale and you can’t find it?

Well if you’ve experienced any of these, here are some helpful organization ideas to help you take charge of your coupon madness.

Where can I keep all of my coupons?

• Recipe Box
• Three Ring Binder with baseball card holder inserts
• Accordian style File Folder with dividers
• Shoe Boxes
• Envelopes
• 4x6 photo albums
• Baby Wipe Box

Okay so how do I organize my coupons in these devices?

• Recipe Box - You’ll need divider cards for your recipe box. You can purchase index cards or simply make them yourself out of cardboard. These cards will represent different categories to sort your coupons. Everybody sorts their coupons differently so there is no universal rule. Here are some different ways to label your dividers:
  • Alphabetical by product name (GM, Kelloggs)
  • Alphabetical by item type (Cereal, Milk, Paper Towels
  • Alphabetical by General Category (Dairy, Meat, Paper)
  • Store Name (CVS, Target, Walgreens)
  • Expiration Date (this might work better if you only have a small amount of coupons)
  
  
• Three Ring binder with baseball card holder inserts - this device allows a lot of storage space for your coupons. Many people choose this method because its so easy to see your coupons. Again, categorize them however you seem fit. Many people will carry around a dry erase marker to write notes on the baseball card inserts while they’re shopping. Just a little bonus!
  
  
• Accordian style File Folder with dividers - this is probably the most popular way to organize your coupons. They come in all different sizes and colors. Again, you’ll need to choose categories that will make your shopping trips easy. In addition to simply choosing your categories some people go the extra step and have a folder for each store that they shop. It really depends on the number of coupons that you need to organize. Another option is to have an accordian file for “grocery items” and another for “health and beauty items”.
  
  
• Shoe Boxes - you can use this method as you would the recipe box method.
  
  
• Envelopes - this method works well if you don’t have a lot of coupons to organize. Some people choose general categories (dairy, meat, paper) and some people choose to label their envelopes by stores (CVS, Target, Grocery Store).
  
  
• 4x6 photo albums - this method is similar to the baseball card insert method. You have clear holders to see your coupons easier. Again, sorting the coupons is based on your preference.
  
  
• Baby Wipe Box - you can use this method as you would the recipe box method.

Thanks to A Full Cup for this information!