How to Tame the Coupon Flurry in the Digital Age

SHED THE CLUTTER

Get rid of any discounts you're not going to use, and don't save coupons for items you don't want, no matter how good the deal. Give them to friends, neighbors or fellow shoppers. You can even sell coupons, discounts or loyalty rewards online through auction sites like eBay.

Toss anything that's expired, and remind yourself what you still have to use. It's as simple as going through folders while watching television.

"Be realistic about the coupons you know you're going to use," Humphreys said. "The more you have in your stack, the more overwhelming it's going to be."

GO VIRTUAL

Smart-phone users may find themselves depending less on paper coupons and more on online ones. Download applications to organize these online coupons and other discount cards.

Try the free KeyRing application for your iPhone or Droid phone and ditch those little loyalty cards on your key ring. Register an account and enter your loyalty card numbers online to link your accounts with hundreds of retailers such as Best Buy, Kroger and Nordstrom.

When you're at the store, call up the barcode on your phone and scan it at the register.

Try websites such as cellfire.com, where you can find coupons online and link them to your loyalty card. You don't even need a smart phone for this.

There are also many coupon applications that use your phone's GPS to find nearby deals, such as The Coupons App or Coupon Sherpa. Look for new applications regularly.

You could even keep a list on your phone of all the paper coupons you have, such as by retailer or category, so if you're on the go and you forget to bring your folders with you, you'll recall what you have.