I have been getting lots of requests for tips on how to organize coupons. Here are a few methods you can check out and see what works for you. If you are brand new to using coupons, I always recommend you do it for a few weeks before you invest a lot of time or money. It is nice to really see how much time you have to dedicate to this first because this can become very time consuming!
OPTION #1: CHEAP AND EASY.
This is the method I use almost exactly.
I have a small makeup bag that I use- it has color coded envelopes inside that are labeled meat, produce, dairy, baby etc… I only cut coupons on Sundays that I am pretty sure I will use- say diaper coupons or coupons for eggs or high value toothpaste coupons etc… I file those away when I can in each envelope and the makeup bag is usually in my purse. You can probably get a small expanding envelope like this and accomplish the same thing.
When the time comes to do my shopping, I make my list and then I actually go back and cut the coupons I need for the week. In my opinion, this is the least time consuming method but you will miss out on deals from time to time by not cutting tons of coupons. For me, I would rather miss a coupon here or there than spend hours each week managing a complicated system.
PROS: Very simple, easy to manage, inexpensive, less cumbersome, small time investment.
CONS: You will not have every coupon available to you at all times so you may miss out on random deals you find in store.
For the inserts, I have two storage bins that I put them in. I put the most recent on the top and I toss them quarterly. One box is for SS inserts and the other for RP and P&G. There are times that the coupons have not yet expired and I miss out because I tossed them. But again for me it is all about the least amount of maintenance possible. So I’d rather miss a $1 coupon here and there than have to manage piles and piles of coupon inserts.
Some people will organize the inserts by date in a file box. That is even better than my method but it does take a few extra minutes to label the files and put the inserts away. Also you will have the investment of buying the file box and folders etc..
You can watch a video to see exactly how this works here.
OPTION #2: MORE COUPONS.
The binder method is really popular for couponers. You can take a ton of coupons with you everywhere and this might be a good option for those of you that do massive trips, like to buy large quantities of products, get a lot of newspaper subscriptions etc…
You can purchase a zippered binder just about anywhere and most people use baseball trading card inserts inside. Some people like to organize their coupons in categories- such as meats, produce, health and beauty supplies, cleaning supplies etc.. and some like to organize alphabetically.
I believe the majority of people that use coupon binders tend to cut a lot of coupons each week and file them in the binder. If you decide this is the right method for you, keep in mind that you do need to stay on top of expired coupons. So this method is going to be much more time consuming.
PROS: Lots more coupons readily available when you shop, coupons are easily accessible.
CONS: Considerably more time consuming and bulky to carry around.
You can see a video on exactly how to organize a coupon binder here.
What method do you use to organize your coupons?
Katie K says
I have done the binder method for about 7 months now, but it is very time consuming. I love that I have all of my coupons right there with me and that I can take advantage of unadvertised deals, but I am getting burned out on all of the clipping. I’ve fallen behind in the past month and have just started labeling my inserts and clipping the coupons that I will for sure use. I’m still trying to decide if I’m going to leave the binder method behind or pick it back up again. Thanks Charlene!
Charlene says
I’d love to hear how much time you spend on it Katie. To me it seems like everyone uses binders and I am already tired just looking at them 😉
momto3 says
I like putting each insert by type (SS, RP, etc) and date in a full sheet protector and putting them in a big binder. I also have sheet protectors with categories on the front for coupons I print from the internet. And my last sheet protector is for Target coupons that I can match up. I normally dont take my binder with me shopping as I use sites like these to get the info, so I can just get the coupons I need and put them in business sized envelopes for each store I visit. I cant imagine trying to cut them all out and put them in individual baseball card slots, in the long run in might be more efficient but I dont have the time. Its nice to just get the paper, stick the insert in its place and be done!!
Rachel R. says
I am fairly new to using coupons and so far I am just using e-coupons and printables (no newspaper), but I am using a small expanding envelope to organize them and it is working well for me. I do get confused about which deals are happening where, but I’m trying to take it slowly. 🙂
Whitney says
I do a method similar to you Charlene, although I do cut EVERY coupon instead of storing the inserts… I think I might move to storing the inserts though to cut down on a little more time.
I have been doing this for three years and have gone through a few different methods… the binder method did NOT work for me. Way too time consuming and hard to keep up with, plus I never had enough room for it in my shopping cart.
I have 2 accordian files about 5×12 inches… one for food and one for health and beauty. I have many sections clearly labeled meat, dairy, make-up, etc. and I just seperate the coupons I think I will use into those categories. Any coupons I don’t think I will use still get kept in much more general envelopes at home (Food, Baby, Dog, etc.). That way I always have to coupons, even if I didn’t think I would use them.
Also in my accordian files are large envelopes with each store… I have Vons, CVS, Rite Aid, Target, Walgreens, and Other to keep the store-specific coupons together. I put any coupons for deals I am planning to do at those specific stores in those envelopes to have it all ready to go.
I have found through trial and error that it is easiest to keep up with couponing if I can just organize the coupons into stacks based on their section and thow them into their slot. I try to limit my clipping and organizing to once per week, and culling old coupons to once a month.
🙂
aflmom says
I tried a modified approach for awhile–filing by inserts and clipping them when they matched up with my lists AND I also had a binder for ‘loose’ coupons and organized by categories. I’ve given up on the binder. I just throw loose coupons in a drawer and go through them occasionally. Yes, I miss coupons for clearance deals, but I don’t have time to shop clearance deals anyway. If I’m at a store, I may check, but I don’t go to a store just for that. I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t worry about getting in on every deal or every mm in spite of buying for a ministry. As it is, I rarely have time to get to WM or Target. Publix and the drug stores take up all my time!
Jessica says
My method is almost exactly like yours except I file inserts by date. Doesn’t take long…just one file folder per month. I clean out inserts every 6 months.
jaidee says
i was using the label and file the insert and then cut when you need them method for the last year – but it was getting really unorganized and messy (about 80% of them were expired) – i just started doing the baseball card binder method and LOVE IT! i find clipping coupons really relaxing and i do it while i watch TV at night – the hubs has even been helping and i just file away – super easy. if you have multiple inserts i just match up all the pages, clip them and file at once. its way more organized and i have already seen a huge increase in my savings. yesterday i was at cvs, got a $2 off xxl maybeline mascara coupon from the scan machine. i found an xxl mascara with the 50% off tag on it and i flipped right to my beauty tab and there was another $1 off coupon (i would have never known if i had one or even where to look for it with my other method) whooo hoo free makeup and more money for my beauty bonus ECB! i had been feeling kind of burnt out with couponing and now switching methods has really made me get back into it. id say i spend about 2 hours a week, but then again i just started 2 weeks ago so havent had to scan for many expired q’s yet. just my $.02
Katie K says
Charlene, it only takes a couple each week, if I stay on top of it, but I get burned out and let the inserts pile up. And I print internet coupons and plan on categorizing them later, but then they pile up. Then I have to do a whole bunch and it can take 5-7 hours. It’s really pretty simple if I make myself clip and organize as soon as I get the coupons. I have two binders, one for food products and the other for nonfood items. I like Momto3’s idea though, that sounds simple!
Randi says
I recently switched back to the binder with baseball card holders method. I tried the file box method, without clipping any and just clipping the ones that I needed that week, but I found that I often would overlook them and assume I didn’t have it, or think I grabbed it, get to the store and in fact I didn’t grab it.
For me the binder works the best, but I’m a little OCD, so I hated not having my q’s with me and seeing, say a Clorox on clearance and knowing I had a q at home for it. Like you said, if you’re okay with missing a few deals then by all means don’t spend the time on the binder. I would estimate that I spend about *2 hours total each week clipping, sorting and organizing my coupons. I also pull the q’s that I know I’ll be using for the week and stick those into a little expandable file I keep in my purse along with my RR’s and Ecbs, etc. Now I also have some “help” since my girls help seperate the like pages and stack them, and sometimes they help clip (be careful with high value q’s though!). My binder is filed by catagory, and the catagories are in alphabetical order (air fresheners, baby, cereal, desserts, drinks, etc).
*Now if I didn’t have Charlene’s hard work to help I would totally be drowning in coupons and match ups, so it’s really a time saver checking out her hard work 😉
shelly says
I have a zip-up binder that I bring along with me with the most used coupons and also have the file cabinet at home that has the extras listed by date and paper.
Marla says
I have been at it for about 1 1/2 yrs…Now that I have a decent stockpile, I use basically your method (#1)…I make a list, clip what I need and carry a small expandable for some extra coupons on items that our family frequently uses. I also simplify my shopping by concentrating on 2-3 places…ie. Harris Teeter (esp when they have super doubles or triples) and Rite Aid…I do occasionally go to CVS and Costco and shop Amazon etc. This really helps out on the time management. Time is $$ too, and you need to consider this…Otherwise, it can be very consuming, and with 3 kids, I would rather spend my extra time (haha) elsewhere. Thanks for all that you do!
Hailey MacDonald says
For the last year or so I have done the small expanding file for my coupons… I think I actually got it at the Target dollar spot. It worked fairly well for me, I had them (kind of) organized by categories like health, household, food, frozen…
The biggest problem I ran into with this method was I would end up standing in the aisle at the store when I saw a good deal and have to sort though all the coupons in the category in hopes of finding a coupon that I thought I might have for the product in question. I didn’t mind doing that on my solo shopping trips, but when I had my not-quite two year old with me it was just an invitation for disaster!
Last month when my son and I were on a quick trip into Rite Aid he was holding onto the organizer and instead of being a nice boy, he flipped it upside down and there went all the coupons!
I’m trying the coupon binder on a smaller scale right now to see how it works and what I think. It was a lot of work to set up and organize as far as putting coupons into the baseball card holder pages, but my Safeway shopping trip this morning went smoother than normal when I could flip through those pages and see pretty quickly what coupons I had available.
I have a clear plastic pencil pouch in the front of my binder that I put the coupons in for my shopping trip, and add to as I find more to use at the store as I shop. So far so good!
Alison says
My method is very close to Charlene’s. I put my inserts in a storage bin sorted by month – all SS, RedPlum and PG from one month in the same storage bin. When I need a specific coupon, that’s when I clip from the inserts. I usually print out my shopping list for each store using my computer printer, fold the papers in half and place the coupons inside the folded paper shopping lists.
I wish I were better an throwing away old inserts. Throwing them away quarterly sounds like a good idea. Otherwise, you’re overwhelmed with all the coupons (as I am right now). It’s just hard for me to throw them away knowing I might miss out on an upcoming deal.
Serafina says
I have to say I am a happy binder gal. I did start out using the filing insert method, but soon found that I spent MORE time that way in the end! It was unwieldy and I simply couldn’t shop easily on the fly. Much more time spent organizing shopping trips, finding coupons, AND clipping took longer once I started clipping coupons and the inserts started looking moth-eaten. It simply made me want to swear!
I only spend 1-2 hours a week (and I get 2 newspapers, so twice the amount of different inserts) organizing, clipping, and filing. I do a quick purge every week of expireds. If you match all the inserts and get into clipping mode, it goes much faster, but I do have to say for my mom (who does not have the “organizational” or “logical” mind), it takes her twice as long. SO, for me, I prefer this method even though it is time consuming up front. I never worry about missing a deal or finding a coupon. I can almost instantly find anything. I often now don’t even make shopping lists and can do the weekly deals on the fly. When I have large shopping trips, I do use a small coupon organizer I keep in my purse and pull the coupons ahead of time and place in this one, which is divided by stores and has all of my catalinas/CRTs, etc.
Jasmine says
I tried the file away the inserts method for a minute and I totally sucked at it. I ended up never going back to clip the coupons I needed, and just had so many expired. I ended up just not doing deals at all b/c of it.
So I am a binder person. I typically only buy 2 papers every week, so it’s not a TON of coupons to clip. I clip every Sunday night, when my husband has boys night, and I usually have it all clipped and organizing by the time I am done watching a movie on Netflix; so a couple of hrs. I actually find it relaxing and cathartic as well. I kind of look forward to it each week (nerd alert! haha).
But I do not always take my binder to the store with me. Usually only on my big trips when I can go after my kid is in bed and daddy is home to stay with her.
In addition to my binder, I have a cloth coupon organizer that I bought on Etsy (like this one: http://www.etsy.com/listing/66433745/coupon-organizer-holder-caddy-attaches) that I keep in my purse. I have tabs in there labeled for each store, plus a few extra catagories. Basically I have Kroger, CVS, Wag’s, Target, Baby Stuff, Pet Stuff, Candy, etc.
When I am clipping, I take out any Qs that I know I will for sure use. I put them in the file for the store I am likely to get the best deal on that particular item. Kroger is kind of the catch-all and I will put things I am unsure of in there and just know to look for them there later if I see the deal at a different store.
When I go through the blogs that I follow and write down all the deals I plan on doing that week, I will pull coupons from my binder and place them in the particular store tab, along with my detailed list of deals for the store.
That’s what works for me. Sorry, I wrote a novel ;D
Jennifer says
To being with I order 8-10 whole inserts every week because I live in a rural area and we do not get alot of coupons. When they come in I sort all of the pages and start ripping (I use the edge of my kitchen counter because it is square). As I am ripping them out I seperate out the coupon that I know I would never use even if on clearance and put those into an envelope that I “share” with some friends. Then I file the remaining coupons into a clear shoes box size container that has locking handles on it. I have dividers for each catergory and then small envelopes to break the catergories down further. I take this with we whenever I go to the store and it is always in my van otherwise. The container fits nicely in the seat of the shopping basket and the locking handles help to keep me and my toddlers from dumping it out!
Dee says
I do a version of your method #1. I have two coupon wallets – one with dividers by category (w/ a small pair of scissors tucked into the front), the other with dividers by store.
I print a lot of coupons on-line and try to cut and file them right away. With the inserts, I cut the coupons I know I will use right away and file them. I write the date on the front of the insert and tuck it in a drawer in my kitchen desk. Every couple of months, I give my stash to my best friend’s daughter-in-law or take them to the public library coupon exchange table.
I read through the store sale fliers and read the blog match-ups to make my lists. I tuck my coupons into the corresponding slot in my store wallet. I still take both wallets into all stores in case I find a deal I didn’t anticipate.
I also immediately cut the ECBs, UP rewards, etc off of receipts and file them in the store wallet.
It must be an easy enough system to navigate because my husband is using it now that I am out of commission with a broken leg. Hubby was going to the store for eggs. He found the coupons just where I told they would be. Then he went to RiteAid for me and found the $10 in UP rewards in the Rite Aid section of the store wallet.
The binder/baseball card system just looks so daunting to me.
silvia says
Mine is close to yours but I keep the inserts that I do not clip in my car I bought the binder clips. I clip each weeks inserts together and label them with the date on the front page. That way if I find items on clearance or on sale I just go to my car and clip them. So I never miss a deal. 🙂
Denise says
I love love love the binder method. I have been couponing for 2.5 yrs using this method and i don’t think i would ever go back to the envelope system. I use a regular binder (not zippered so a little less bulky) and only clip coupons that I know I will use. The rest get donated to my mom and sisters. I clip all the coupons on saturday, including the web coupons. In all it takes me about 1.5 hrs. to clip, sort, file, and throw out expired coupons. I file them into their tabed catagories. I have one just for Target qs : ) I spend way more time reading blogs than I do actually clipping/sorting!
Katie K says
Haha, Serafina, this made me laugh: “It simply made me want to swear!” I can relate!
jaidee says
@ jasmine LOL nerd alert – i am a total coupon nerd… cant wait for sunday at 8pm – kids are in bed and im watchin netflix and clipping away! my friends laugh because im 29 and they say im more like 89!!!
Sam says
My method is simple, and doesn’t cost anything, but you can miss a coupon here or there. I use a drawer specifically for my coupons. When I receive the inserts. I use a sharpie and write the date on it. I sort it in three piles RP, SS and PG. Usually couponer mods such as Charlene and other blogs and forums are so awesome, they put where the coupon is located, either in RP, SS or PG, I just grab that whole insert and flip through it to find the coupon. If I have two of the same insert, I put the same date on it. Then I clip the coupons, and bring the what I need for shopping trips.
The downfall is the inability to go to the store with your coupons.
Hannah says
I don’t buy mass quantities or get tons of inserts each week, but for me the binder method is truly the way to go. I have to have my coupons at my fingertips when I’m in the grocery. No way can I trust myself to have every single coupon pulled prior to going shopping. I’m a mom, with a mommy brain, and I will often forget coupons. Then when I see it in the store and say “oh yeah…we need yogurt!” I can flip to “dairy” in my binder and get the yogurt coupon. I got a great binder at http://www.couponorganizerpro.com. Comes already put together and there’s 9 and 3 pocket pages in it. I just didn’t have the time to do all the assembling myself, and this one was pretty cheap. I get tons of compliments on it.
Valerie says
I do basically your option #1 with the inserts by date in a file box. I also keep an old baby wipes box with separators to organize loose/printable coupons. I clear out the inserts when there is mostly expired coupons in them. I’ll cut out the few that are still good and put them in the baby wipe file. The one thing I do differently is that the loose coupons are in alphabetical order by brand rather than by category (dairy, produce, etc.). I find it’s easier to find the coupon for Maybelline if it’s filed by M rather than just anywhere in the beauty group. I would never have enough time to cut out all the coupons from every insert I get and I barely have enough time to get the sales from blogs, much less matching up clearance items, etc. And I’m ok with that! I haven’t had to pay for toothpaste, shampoo, razors, soap etc. for months, so I’m happy enough with that.
Maegen says
I always love finding out that someone as “big,” as you uses my method!
I tried the binder method, and I’d still love it someone else would do it for me!!
I just could not keep up…I got sick one week and didn’t cut and trying to do them all the next week I felt like I was in a coupon chain gang. My one tip is to write the date of each insert with sharpie at the top. Makes them much easier to find. Oh, and mine are actually in two kitchen drawers I wasn’t using.
One downside to this system is I don’t have a good place to put non-insert coupons, like from mailers. I tend to throw them in with the inserts, but then they sometimes get lost in the shuffle.
Charlene says
Well I will assume “big” is a positive description of me Maegen 😀
Jessica T says
I really like the file box system. It seems to work for me 😀
Ronni says
It’s all about the Binder for me….I buy 2-4 newspapers a week and clip only one set of inserts. I then label the rest of the inserts with the date and file them in sheet protectors at the end of the Binder. When I shop I check all the deals on MFA and pull my Q’s, place them in a small wallet with 3 compartments and go shopping. Easy!
Stephanie says
I have a Coupon Clutch (maybe they spell it with K’s??) I love the thing, but honestly by binder/clutch is a hot mess right now:-) I work full time and I just don’t have time to do that and everything else I’d like to do. So I have some full inserts, some clipped sitting in the front of the binder just waiting to be filed and clipped. I’ve been doing more online deals lately and not so many shopping trips. I need to get back on the ball because it is really good when I put the time in. I have still been taking it with me when I go shopping.
Melissa says
I started with the Binder method. Hated the baseball card protectors – changed to protectors for 3×5 photos – worked a little better. I would clip everything I thought I might like, sort them, file them, then leave the binder at home! I don’t want to carry any more items than necessary when I go shopping (I was a mom that NEVER carried a diaper bag). It didn’t take long until I would clip coupons and file them in 3 sections: health & beauty, household and food. I did not sort them any further and I hate going through them to toss the expired coupons. So far this was way too time consuming.
I am basically doing the #1 method, with a few differences. I have a file cabinet near my computer with hanging file folders. I keep each week in a separate folder. As most of us do, I have several websites that I frequent, so I have chosen one that creates a shopping list for each store. I print that shopping list, fold it in thirds (no bulky accordion file) and place the coupons needed for those deals in that folded paper by store. Extra coupons that I didn’t use each week get tossed back in the 3 generic sections of the binder. I keep a small envelope as well with coupons that I am fairly sure I will use.
Yes, I miss a deal on occasion. If I see something on clearance and I know I have a coupon at home, I will make note of it and go back for it later. If it isn’t still there when I go back, I wasn’t meant to have it. I am still saving a ton of money and I have a stockpile of stuff we regularly use. I don’t see any reason to buy something simply because it is a deal. My method really takes almost no time.
Carla M says
I use a binder, but mine also has pocket folders inside (like an accordian folder). That’s where I put P&G inserts and GM type stuff. Inserts that are pretty much the same every time or easy to recognize. So I don’t cut everything.
Charlene – this may have been asked already, and I’m sorry if it has, but what do you do with all your internet printables then?
Charlene says
Carla they sit on the printer 🙂 I print soooo many because I have to check for sizes and such on the matchups. I let them sit there until I plan my shopping trip then I toss the ones I don’t want and cut the ones I do want. If it is something I don’t need for that specific trip, I just keep them in a pile and my lovely husband cuts them for me. I think for me couponing has to be a very minimal time investment because all my extra times goes to MFA. If I didn’t have a zillion hours of matchups each week I might be more organized 😀
Tiffany T says
I have a small expanding envelope like you linked to in your post and I keep a file box with hanging folders that are labeled by date for my inserts. I go through my inserts only when I need a specific coupon, which truthfully I find is not that often (if my husband didn’t like reading the paper I could probably get away with only printable coupons and canceling my paper subscription). Then I go through my inserts about quarterly, but before I toss them I go through them and clip the handful of coupons that might still be good and put them in my expanding envelope file. In that file also is printable coupons I might have printed and insert coupons I clipped and ended up not using. I go through that about once a month to pull out the expired coupons. I find it works for me and its not all that time consuming, which is important to me. And say I printed off a ton of printables, but haven’t gotten around to clipping them yet – I have a file in my box where they are temporarily stored.
kadie says
Hi my name is Kadie and I use a binder.
I used to have the little coupon holder thing, then I became a hard core couponer…. I use binder with baseball card holders… I DO NOT cut every coupon. Coupons that I know I would use. If I go into target and i see there clearance… i will take a pic. then come home and look on some websites with the “coupon list” then go through the inserts and BAM go back into the store… i shall be doing this at target soon, hopefully. been very busy…. and also my “back stock” has been pretty well so i barely have gone to the grocery store.. basically for milk…. nuts!
Tammy says
I clip the coupons I know I will use and keep them in two expanding file envelopes with labeled sections. One envelope for Food one for Body.
I get about 20 inserts. I use a sticky note and attach it to the bottom of the insert. On the sticky note I write the date of the insert and the last coupon expiration date. I stack the inserts on top of each other, oldest on the bottom. This works best for me because I can find what I need and easily know what is ready to be recycled.
Jessica says
Awesome information. Thank you! I’ve been couponing for a year and am just feeling like I’m getting the hang of the mess. The binder ust seem like to muc for me and so far I’ve settled on a 3 part system. The weekly inserts and All You coupons are filed by source in a file box and I use an online database to do my matchup from those. My printables and randomly collected coupons I enter into a simple spreadsheet on my computer so I know what I have and what folder it’s in- the randoms go in a misc. folder and the printables are seperated into 3 different folders (location marked on the spreadsheet) so they’re easier to find. My thought there is that I should have to search through 2/3 less coupons if I’m looking for a specific printable. And I keep a small organizer in my purse for my high value and definitely will use. So far so good, but it still takes up a lot of time. And I do miss deals here and there by not having everything with me al the time.
Melissa says
I just started using coupons a few months ago, and I bought a little accordion-style “coupon filer”. I file by category and have mostly used online coupons and whatever deals come to me in the mail. Some weeks I’m good at making sure I find coupons for most of the things I need at the store, and some weeks I don’t have time so I just don’t do it.
Courtney J says
I do a modified version of the binder and the mini expanding folder versions.
I go through the inserts each week and clip the ones I’m pretty sure I’ll end up using, like you do Charlene. I put those as well as any printable coupons I’ve printed but not used yet in a zippered binder with baseball inserts. I also keep coupon booklets like the Safeway ones or Home Made simple in the expandable file part of my binder. In my mini expandable file folder (bought at the Dollar Store) I have sections for each store.
I try to just do store visits once a week so when I’m putting my weekly deals together, I put all my coupons I’ll need in that store’s section of my mini file holder (I call it my coupon clutch). I also keep all my indvidual store coupons like CVS’ $/$ or Rite Aid’s VV coupons in their section in the clutch. I just can’t rock the whole binder to the store ’cause when I go I have at least 1 if not both of my kids with me and it’d be impossible to do the binder in the store with kids.
For the rest of the inserts I keep them stacked in my office closet according to date and go through and eliminate some and toss ’em about every 6 months.
As a mom with 2 young kids I’ve found that this method is the easiest way for me to stay relatively organized with as little “stuff” to carry into the store as possible.
Alison says
Jessica, I like the idea of keeping track of Internet coupons in a spreadsheet. Sometimes, I print coupons and then forget I have them. Thanks for the tip!
Sandra says
Here’s a great resource for clearing out expired coupons:
http://taylortownpreview.com/id20.htm
When my box of inserts is getting too full, I will go to this site and see if there’s anything still in date that I would buy in the inserts and if not, I start tossing. Some of the coupons are useable for a long period.
Meg says
i do the zippered binder. It really doesnt take that long to clip and put them in the sleeves. (i do 6 papers per week) Everything is organized by food..cleaning supplies…medicine…paper goods…personal hygiene..makeup…etc. it goes everywhere with me. i have gotten some of my best deals that werent advertised. u never know whats going to be on clearance!! As soon as i print a coupon from the internet..it goes directly into the binder. I am a mother of two and very busy…but this method really does not take that long after you get started. I guess it just becomes second nature 🙂 And i never throw coupons away…even if my family cant or wont use a product..if i can get it for free or close to it..then it goes in my donation box.
Debbie says
I have done it so many ways and find the binder the best way to do it. On Sundays, I only cut the coupons I need for the week or for items I particularly shop for. I put the coupons in binder along with any other store coupons I have. Then, I store the inserts in an according file for later use. I only keep up to two months in the file.
Once a month, I cut the old coupons and package them up with all the other coupons sent to me from around the US and ship overseas. I finally found the easiest way to cut them. I use my rotary cutter! I got 10 inserts cut in less than an hour. Yeehaw!
If you throw away your expired or unused coupons, think about sending them to our military overseas. They don’t receive coupons over here.
Jessica says
I have been couponing for four years and use the binder method and can’t imagine another way. When I get all my inserts on Saturdays (Dollar Tree has early edition Chicago Tribune for $1) I cut ALL the coupons and file them in my binder. This way I always have all my coupons and never miss a deal. I only spend about two hours cutting and organizing, because since the same coupons are filed together I can just stick them in behind the ones that expire sooner. I usaully get four papers and stack the identical pages on top of each other so it is like only cutting one insert. All my catergories are labled and in alphabetical order and within each catergory the coupons are in order by expiration date so it makes clearing them out a breeze. I pull the coupons I know I will use on my trip and they go in a blank page up front. Since everything is so organized I don’t spend time trying to sort through an accordian folder or kicking myself for having my coupons in a drawer somewhere at home.
Ashley says
I just started using a binder after using 3 different small expanding folders (one for each store I shop). It was a significant time investment (I would say 4-5 hours) to get started because I had to transfer all my coupons and figure out how to organize. Now that it’s organized I don’t think it takes me any longer than when I was using folders. Mine is super organized and I think that helps. I have 5 sets of divider tabs in mine. (1. store coupons 2. Health & Beauty 3. Cleaning & Maintenance 4. Grocery 5. Retail store coupons) Now I would say I spend 2-3 hours per week cutting, printing, organizing, etc. I’ve also just started doing mealplans after I downloaded an app for it on my iPhone. How did I get by without doing that??? I’m saving so much time, wasting much less food and saving money because I’m always making dinner rather than getting to the point of not knowing what to make so I tell the hubby to pick something up.
Charlene says
Ashley, which meal plan app do you use?
Ashley says
It’s called Paprika. It’s actually a recipe app but does several different things. What I love about it that I can add my meals to the mealplan for the week and automatically add the ingredients to a shopping list. It’s on the pricey side for an app ($4.99) but I think it was well worth it.
Ashley says
i’ve probably already saved $4.99 in wasted food since downloading it!
sandy cooke says
I have a 7 x 5 expandable that has 12 sections. I have each of the 12 months labeled on the tabs. I organize by expiration date. I had a file box from an antique business I once operated and I now use that for the flyers. I really got lucky and did not have to spend out money to get organized.
I love your website.
Thanks
melissa bailey says
can you tell me, if i cut 5 of same inserts ( that meaning 5 of the same coupon) can i use all 5 coupons if i buy 5 of the same product, because u cant use all 5 on one product, correct?