Blogging Update

I am SO excited! I haven't posted in awhile because I am working on a new blogging project. I plan to launch a whole new blog September 1st! I'm taking the month of August to read, research and start writing as well as doing the web design for the blog. When it launches I will be posting the link here and then I will be using this blog only for family adventures :) This blog will also be linked in my new one so that those of you who want to keep up with my personal adventures can do so :)


Also, I am taking a Facebook break for awhile, but I'm currently exploring twitter and how I can best utilize it for my blog :)


Follow me Alli's Twitter :) 


Also, if you need to contact me feel free to shoot me an email alli@greatlakeschurch.net

My Coupon Binder

I found this binder on sale at Walmart for under five bucks. If you're going to sort coupons with a Binder, you definitely want something with a zipper and that is heavy duty. I take my binder with me into the store and the zipper makes sure nothing falls out. Mine has some cool pockets on the inside too so I can store inserts, pens and all that jazz. I use the pocket on the front for my list. I wish mine had a handle or a shoulder strap, I'm thinking of getting crafty and making one :)

This is what the inside looks like. I use baseball card sleeves and organize with categories. I also have a sheet in the very front that I put my coupons in for that particular shopping trip. 


I really like this method, but there are some downsides. We'll look at both. 


Pros: You can see all your coupons without having to rifle through them. This is great if you do a lot of unplanned shopping and you see a great deal and want to find the coupon that goes with it. It's also good because the coupons don't really fall out and you're less likely to lose coupons. 


Cons: It's time consuming. Clipping the coupons to fit just right takes extra time. Also, going through and taking expired ones out and putting new ones in takes time. It can also be pricey to start with since you will have the cost of the binder and the sheets. 


My Fix: I was exclusively using the binder but now I'm also using the box :) (I also use file folders for whole inserts that I haven't clipped or that are duplicates of inserts I've already clipped...more to come on this in another post)

What I started doing is clipping my coupons and putting them into two piles. The box pile is all the coupons I want to keep but I know I'm not likely to need them in a store unless I've read about the deal online in which case I can pull the particular coupon out before leaving my house. The other pile is for coupons that I want to put in my binder, that I know I may come across an unexpected deal in the store and need to coupon.  This has saved me an incredible amount of time and it has also kept my binder clear of coupons I might not be likely to use.


As you can see there is no right or wrong way to organize your coupons. It all depends on what works best for you. I've tried pretty much all the methods now and am getting a better idea of what works best for me. I also know that it might change down the road. I'm cool with that :)


What method works best for you?

Just a Short List for Thursday :)

1. Yay! For babies! My friend Roslyn gave birth to Baby Jade last night :)


2. Katie and I took Klaeyton to the lake the other day and man did I get burnt. Thankfully I only burn the first time I'm in the sun in the summer. Sad part= I wasn't in the sun until July. 


3. We're busy busy with summer fun. Zoo. Lake. Books. It's a blast. 


4. I'm redoing some couponing things so that I can post about my binder and my newly revamped coupon organizational system. 


5. I'll be posting that today :)


6. Jules is almost crawling. She gets on all fours and then rocks back and forth. She tries to scoot forward and always ends up belly flopping. It makes me smile. 


7. Yesterday Klaeyton was building a train track in the living room and Jules kept taking the pieces of the bucket and trying to put them together. Watching them play together warms my heart. 


8. So yeah I'll admit that I'm totally stoked about the last Harry Potter movie coming out next week :) nerd? me? yes. 


9. I keep feeling these urges to make some changes, like God is trying to tell me something...now if I could only figure out exactly what it is :)


10. Oh lists...how I miss you :)