Coupon Organization

7/28/2011

Hello fellow Couponers!! I hope you were able to score some great deals this week. This weekend we will see 4 Coupon Inserts. This means TONS of great deals!! Make sure to check back on Sunday for a few of my favorite deals!

Moving on to lesson #2 – Coupon Organization

Being organized with your coupons is probably the most difficult and time consuming part of couponing.   However, proper coupon organization is the key to your success.  There are many different methods of organizing your coupons.  There isn’t a right method of organizing your coupons, do what works best for you. I personally use the binder method because I am a very visual person. I like to see what coupons I have available and have them with me every time I shop.

1.)   Binder Method:  This is simply a binder that you purchase at the office supply store – either zippered or non-zippered.  Stick some baseball card holders inside to hold the coupons.  Use tab dividers to separate your binder into categories like Frozen Foods, Refrigerated Foods, Breakfast, Baby and more. Each Sunday clip all the coupons from The Blade Coupon Inserts. Once filed, you will be able to easily view what coupons you have and they will be neatly organized by category. Most people who use this method cut out every coupon in the Sunday paper.  I only clip the coupons that I know I will use. For example, we don’t have cats so I don’t clip cat food coupons. 

 

PROS: Your coupons will always be with you and readily available.  This allows you to snag last minute clearance items, price drops or unadvertised sale items.

 

CONS: There is an initial cost associated with purchasing the supplies. It takes a lot of time to cut and organize hundreds of coupons each week. It is also an ongoing project staying on top of expired coupons.

 

2.)   Filing Inserts by Date: The filing method is definitely the easiest method of coupon organization. Just be prepared that you may miss out on a deal now and then by not cutting out all of the coupons.  Each Sunday when you get The Blade coupon inserts, take a sharpie and write the date on the front.  Then file them in a large folder by date. Each week when you make your shopping list you will only clip the coupons you need. You can easily go back and find the coupons you want by using the Saving Money Network Coupon Database or from my weekly coupon match-ups.  

 

PROS:  This method saves A LOT of time!  No more spending hours each week cutting out coupons that you won’t use. You are only clipping the coupons you need when you actually need them.

CONS:  Your coupons will not be available to you at all times so you may miss out on clearance items or price drops.

 

Make sure to check out my blog Saving Money in Toledo for more great deals!!