Where to purchase coupon organizers

With such differing opinions it can be confusing which method to choose, so I'll discuss some of the pros and cons of the coupon insert filing method below, so you can decide what's right for you. Honestly, I think it has more to do with your goals for couponing and your personality which way you like to organize coupons, and that's why there's so much disagreement of whether to clip coupons, or not.

If you choose to organize your coupons with the no clip method it's pretty simple to do. You merely file the insert by date received or issued , and then use a coupon database see more in Step 4 below to help you know what deals will work with those coupons, and pull them when needed. Once you've chosen to clip, or not clip, only part of the work is done. Now you've got to finish the details of choosing a method to organize coupons that works for you, and set up your system.

As I mentioned above, if you've decided to file inserts you really need to use a coupon database to help you match deals to coupons, and alert you to what coupons should be used in what weeks.

This will help you know which coupons to pull, since you can easily forget what's in there without assistance. Frankly, even if you clip your coupons these companies which help you match coupons and sales can be a big help and time saver for you, so you may want to look into one. Get free printable here. If you decide to clip coupons, no matter which option you choose below, they both require you to categorize your coupons.

The reason is that once you clip all those little pieces of paper you're just left with big stacks that you can't find anything easily. I've created a list of coupon categories you can reference, with both main categories and subcategories, to help you get an idea of how you should categorize your own coupon collection.

In addition, I've created a two page printable version of the categories and subcategories you can use as a table of contents in your binder, for example, if you choose that method. I've given a little more instruction on categories in the coupon categories article itself, so be sure to read it and familiarize yourself with the suggested categories when setting up your organizational system as part of this Challenge.

Here's where I lay out the two main organizational methods for clipped coupons, so you can choose which one will work best for you. They are the coupon binder ad the coupon box or wallet. Many people use a coupon binder to organize coupons. To make one, create tabs for each of your main coupon categories see above and dividers for your subcategories if needed , and place them in a large, sturdy three ring binder.

Place the coupons in special divider plastic sleeves, such as for baseball cards, or those shown below designed for coupons. Then, carry your binder with you on all your shopping trips and flip to the right page to retrieve coupons as needed. The other option for organizing clipped coupons is to place them in a coupon wallet or coupon box. Basically, all of these types of coupon organizer systems are portable filing cabinets for your coupons where, instead of retrieving coupons by flipping pages in a binder you thumb through the tabs and fing the coupons where you filed them.

Here's one of the best explanations of how to organize coupons using a coupon box or wallet I've found. I've embedded the video of Carrie Isaac's explanation below because sometimes "seeing" how someone does it makes a lot more sense than me explaining it in writing. Although Carrie uses a box for her organizational system, unless you do a lot of couponing a simpler wallet will most likely work for you, if you choose this method. To the right is a small expandable file coupon wallet, which is perfect for someone who does not clip many coupons, and therefore does not need to have lots of categories.

It is small and light weight, so it is easily portable and not too unwieldy. You've got to regularly add new coupons and cull old expired coupons from your organizational system, or it will quickly become useless and outdated. Therefore, the fifth step in the Organize Coupons Challenge is to get in the habit of adding new coupons to your organizational system about once a week.

In addition, since many coupons expire at the end of the month get in the habit around the beginning of the month of combing through your coupons to remove all the expired ones. Remember, you can do these steps while watching TV or listening to music, or if your kids are old enough you can enlist their help in these tasks and make couponing a family affair! Please note that you can donate your expired coupons to military families living overseas , if you're interested.

I've got more detailed instructions at the link. In addition, coupons generally follow cycles, similar to sales cycles, so even if you didn't get a chance to use a particular coupon before it expired don't feel bad or make a special trip just to use it. Instead, be patient and a similar coupon will most likely come back around again.

You can purchase a MyCouponKeeper here:. April from Saving For My Family blogged about how she organizes coupon, and being a couponer she has a great system. She used to use the filing method, but stopped.

She said, "I used to use the File Method where you file the whole insert and just cut the coupons you are going to use. I quickly realized that I was missing out on clearance deals or unadvertised deals. Now April uses a coupon binder, separating her coupons into categories and filing them behind the correct tabs click the link to get a free printable on this site listing my suggested categories and subcategories.

I just chose four of her pictures to share on this post, but I encourage you to go over to her blog post and look at all of them. I thought these four really explained her system well. First, I love how she's got many of her supplies organized and stored within her coupon binder itself, in a little three ringed pouch, holding her scissors and other supplies.

The second picture shows all of her tabs in her binder. The more coupling you do the more categories you should have so you can find everything quickly. The third picture shows the plastic sleeves she holds her coupons in, within her binder.

And finally, the fourth picture shows the expandable folder, which is also tabbed, she also uses. If you don't have that many coupons such a folder this size or half the size may work well for you too. Megan from Life of the Lorenzens shared her organizational system, which is to use a tabbed coupon wallet for organization.

My time is worth way more than that to me. I usually only clip coupons for specific products that I know I buy regularly or new products that I really want to try. Megan knows herself.

She knows she isn't going to use lots and lots of coupons, so why waste her time and energy making an elaborate system when something simpler will work for her. In addition, she makes a routine of dealing with the few coupons she uses. She explained, "I have a system in place to clip coupons on Sundays before planning my menu for the week.

If you focus on it for only a couple minutes each week, and you are a small-scale couponer like Megan, this should be more than enough to keep you organized most of the time. Another reader, Pamela, uses a little accordion type wallet holder for the same reason, and showed the picture below.

She explained, "I prefer the accordion holder style; fits in my purse and I have a different color for retail stores, restaurants and all their shopper cards. The front pocket is empty so as I pull out a coupon I put it in front so by checkout they are all together. Many of the examples on this page show how readers have organized their coupons when they decide to clip them.

However, if you use the insert filing method for organizing coupons you don't clip many, if at all, but instead save the inserts and grab the ones you need when you need them.

A reader, Jennifer, submitted this photo showing how she organizes her coupons when using the Grocery Game, which is coupon database which you use when doing the insert filing method. Jennifer said, "I use the Grocery Game, so this is my full size file. I also have sections for my favorite stores, dinner night out, and services.

Jennifer M. She also explained, "I also have 3x5 note cards in each category to separate expiration dates. I save a lot of money couponing and now swear by it, but you have to be able to be flexible with brands which I never was before. I use the binder method with the plastic holder things that my husband used to hold his hockey cards. It works best for me.

I use one binder for food items and another for non food items. I like to see my coupons. You can swap these coupons for ones that are useful to you. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters. I just left my coupons in Walmart and they don't have them!

I leave them in the cart and forget to take them!! I love that first picture! That is a really cool organizer. I have a similar cheaper one. I rarely use coupons anymore, so I don't use it. However, when I did clip coupons, I needed to go thru my coupon holder once every couple weeks or once a month to see which ones are expired.

Some grocery stores double or triple coupons. That's pretty awesome. Other stores have their own coupons that you can only use at their store. I think that is a bit unfair. Keep up the great work!

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