“Dear Jill,

I just started trying to use coupons last month, and I have some questions. I feel like I’m spending too much time cutting coupons out, and then so many of them expire before I use them. I can see why more people don’t do this as it is a huge time commitment. Do you have a better way to streamline this coupon cutting process?”

Simone J.

Absolutely! If you’re cutting every single coupon out of your newspaper inserts each week, then carrying them all to the store with you, you’re spending far too time and energy. In fact, this cut-and-carry-all method really is the “old way” of couponing.

Since 2008, I’ve been teaching consumers a much faster and less labor-intensive method of couponing, which I call the “clipless” method. Instead of cutting every single coupon that comes in the coupon inserts, you’ll only cut the coupons you need for this week’s shopping trip. The next time you plan a trip to the store, you’ll again cut only the coupons for that subsequent trip, and so on.

With this method, you’ll save each week’s coupon insert intact, clipping nothing until you need it. Instead of cutting and organizing hundreds of loose coupons, you’ll create a library of coupon insert booklets to refer to each week.

How do you know which coupons to use for your shopping trip? Coupon sites and blogs around the country write weekly shopping list that include coupon matchups. Coupon matchups are simple shopping lists that detail items at low sale prices paired with the coupons you need to cut those prices even more. I write weekly coupon matchup lists for seven supermarkets and drugstores, including national chains, on my blog at JillCataldo.com.

For example, a coupon matchup might read “[Name-brand] toothpaste is on sale for $1.99. Use the $2 coupon from the 3/5 SS and get it free.” In order to take advantage of this deal, you’d clip that coupon from your inserts, then add it to the coupons you plan to take to the store. The “3/5 SS” is an abbreviated reference that tells you in which insert the coupon is located. In this case, this refers to a coupon in the March 5 SmartSource insert. You’ll also see the RedPlum coupon insert abbreviated as “RP” and the P&G Brandsaver insert abbreviated as “PG.”

Each week, I plan my shopping trips by browsing through each store’s shopping list and selecting the items I wish to buy. Most coupon matchup lists can be printed, emailed, or saved on a smartphone. Then, I cut the coupons that my list is calling for, and this entire process usually takes less than 30 minutes each week — far less time than cutting, organizing, and storing every coupon.

You’ll likely notice you’re using coupons weeks to months after you receive them in the paper. Over time, you’ll see that coupons often line up to better sales as they get closer to their expiration dates. Often, the week you receive a coupon is not the best week to use it, because the item will go on sale for a lower price at a later date.

I’ve found an accordion file is a great place to organize whole coupon inserts. After I remove my coupons from the newspaper, I write the date on the front. (If you forget to do this, the coupon inserts are dated in tiny text along the spine, too.) Then, I pull each insert that my week’s shopping list is calling for, cut only those coupons, and take them to the store.

With this method, you’ll never waste time cutting coupons you won’t use, and you also won’t have to weed expired coupons out of your wallet. Once every coupon inside an insert has expired, you can remove the entire insert from your file and recycle or discard it. On the first of each month, I post a list of expired inserts to remove from your files on my blog.

— Cataldo, a coupon workshop instructor, writer and mother of three, never passes up a good deal. Learn more about Super-Couponing at her website, www.jillcataldo.com. Email your own couponing victories and questions to jill@ctwfeatures.com.