Two things to consider when deciding to get better organized with your coupons are categorization and storage.
Categorize
You will need to decide how to categorize your coupons. Find a method that works for your needs. Common categories are:
grocery store layout (baking, breakfast, dairy)
by expiration date (Jan, Feb)
by product (beauty, teas, coffee, cereal, dish soap, bath soap, etc.)
by alphabet (a, b, c)
My experience is that sorting by expiration date is the least useful. However, some people find that it works for them.
I prefer to organize my coupons by grocery store isles. I also organize my grocery shopping list using this layout. I stay focused and am able to prevent “impulsive” buys. Not only that, but I also save time in the store. If I don’t need anything on a particular isle, I don’t go down it.
Storage
There are many methods of storing coupons. I will share the one that I currently use and that works best for me since I have tried almost all of the other methods.
3-Ring Coupon Binder
I use a coupon binder (see one Here) and I love it! I tried the no-clipping method. It made me a nervous wreck. And once I thought about it, I was cutting out coupons anyway. So why not do it more peacefully instead of feeling harried, pulling file folders in and out over and over again. I actually timed myself. It takes about an hour each Sunday to cut coupons from multiple papers (I get better at it each time). But it took me over an hour each time to search for the coupons I needed using the file-storage method. And I missed out on lots of clearance items I had coupons for because guess what, they were at home in that file folder!
Using the no-cutting method also made me dependent on coupon bloggers which is probably why I disliked it so much; it’s nice to get tips, but my shopping needs are different from the shopping needs of other bloggers. Another bonus? Less storage space is needed!
Besides, cutting coupons feels very therapeutic. Big deal if I don’t use all of them. With my binder, I just head out the door!
How To Put the Binder Together
Supplies
2-inch binder, the kind that zips up is best
baseball card holders (at Target in register area by the trading cards; Walmart in stationary)
tabbed dividers or printed category dividers
sheet protectors (only if using printed dividers)
plastic slash pockets
plastic pencil pouch
Print out category dividers or buy tabbed dividers. I prefer printing my own. I can see them easier. Insert each printed divider into a sheet protector. Place 1 to 3 baseball card holders per category depending on how heavily you use each category. I put the slash pockets in the back of the binder to store things in like ads, etc. And I put the pencil pouch in the front to hold ink pens, calculator, sticky notes, etc.
Binder Tips
Multiple coupons go in the same pocket
Place a coupon facing the front of the pocket and another one facing the back of the pocket
Try to have the expiration date facing you
Organize multiples by expiration dates;
Photo Books
I also use a couple of small photo books. I put Target coupons in one of them to keep them organized. And beauty coupons in the other. It’s easier for me to take the small coupon book in places like Ulta.
To see what a photo album coupon binder looks like, go Here
Envelope Method
This method is easy and very inexpensive. It’s good for the beginning couponer. You will need legal-sized envelopes; the short ones just wont do. If you want to be really frugal, reuse envelopes that a piece of mail came in.
Label each envelope. Tuck the envelope flap inside (or remove it completely). Then write the category name somewhere near the top of the envelope.
Accordion File
These are nice because they have tabbed dividers. The small ones are easy enough to carry around.
Plastic Box
The envelope system works great in a plastic shoe box. Use envelopes to store coupon in.
Not Cutting Immediately
Some people get the weekly newspaper insert and write the date of the insert on the front page. Then, they file the entire insert away in a file folder system by date. Some use accordion folders for this; others use plastic crates with green hanging file holders. Each weekly insert has its own folder. Then, they cut out coupons before going to the store.
This method is not for those — like me– who like to buy clearance items. It would take too much time to find coupons. Those who use this method, use coupon databases and/or coupon blogs to search for coupons that match up with what is on sale for the week at local stores.
I personally tried this and it does not work for me. It was more time consuming. With sales ads coming out on Sundays and Wednesdays, cutting coupons twice a week was not worth it to me. And, I missed out on clearance sales because my coupons were at home in that file and not with me in the store.
To see what most of these methods look like, go here Here
