How do I organize my stash?

First, I want to say this:

There is contreversy about how many newspapers to buy each week. There are so many families using coupons, that I don't go by the buy 12 papers a week. I have 4 people in my family, therefore, I buy 4 papers not the 9 that has been suggested. The reason I feel this necessary to tell you is because if you choose to clip every coupon every sunday, this can get quite time consuming. It has been suggested that you buy 2 papers per person in your family plus one. I am not in this to become a hoarder, therefore I find that 4 papers per week for our family is more than enough.

Now, on to the organizing, I feel that you will find what works for you based on your likes/dislikes and your family needs, but see the following suggestions for ideas and feel free to tweak them as needed.

Using the Envelope System: here I would suggest you clip each coupon and either sort by expiration month or by category. I did use this at one time but found it ineffecient for me. I have since abandoned this style as I don't have the time for doing this way.

Filing by Insert: This is the style I am switching over to. I have a spare 2 drawer file cabinet, therefore, I am using hanging file folders that are labled with the name of the insert ie: SS 8/2011 would mean Smart Source from August 2011. Then I can go directly to the file that I need and clip only the coupons I need for that trip. It will make my Sunday's less stress and more family time. You can also use expanding file folders or file boxes for this.

Coupon Binder: I am using this style now, but have already gone through 2 binders in the last 6 months. I don't like that I have to lug a huge binder around with me just to have all of my coupons with me. For those of you who want to try this style, I am going to give you the breakdown of mine. I have a 4 inch binder. I have bought baseball card holders and then used cardstock to make the dividers. I tried using it by month but it was nearly impossible for me to function using that style, so I changed to category. In the front of my binder is Grocery Items and the back is Non-Grocery Items.

Side Dishes
Candy
Frozen Foods
Drinks
Refrigerated
Meat
Salty/Snacks-- this is all snacks and chips, crackers, popcorn, nuts, etc
Fish/Fish Fry
Vegetables
Peanut Butter/Jelly/Preserves
Baking
Pasta/Pasta Sauce
Ethnic Foods
Breakfast
Marinades/Condiments
Seasoning
Breads
Cookies
Fruit

Non-Grocery Items:
Medication
Hair Care
Face Care
Dental Care
Ziploc/Reynolds
Cleaning
Baby
Feminine Hygeine
Pet Care
Paper Products
Vitamins-- these are everythign that is a vitamin/nutrient supplement
Shaving
Soap/Body Wash
Lotion/Sunscreen
First Aid
Miscellaneous
Deoderant
Air Freshner/Candles
Laundry
Dish Care

I hope this will inspire you to get your stash organized :)