I’ve had a number of readers write to me lately asking how I organize my coupons. To be quite honest, I don’t think I’ve found my perfect coupon organization method.
I currently use the insert method where I label each insert with the date and only clip as I need. However, I worry about missing out on extra savings when I’m at the store and find a great unadvertised sale or clearance deals. I also still have a large quantity of loose coupons that I receive in the mail and print online, so it’s difficult to keep track of those. I’ve often thought about switching to a binder method, but I’m just not sure where to start.
So I thought I’d put the question to my dear readers!
How do you organize your coupons? Do you use the binder method? Are there any drawbacks to it?
Do you have a better way of utilizing the insert method? How do you ensure that you don’t miss out on unadvertised/clearance deals?
If you have links to posts you’ve written, feel free to include them in your comments.
If you have a question you’d like to ask fellow Deal Seeking Mom readers, please feel free to email me! I think having a variety of perspectives is really valuable, and I thank you all for your input.
debbi
I use the binder method. I just upgraded to a 4 inch zipper binder to accomodate all of my coupons! I have it organized into categories and I love it because I can just flip through and find what I need if im in the store and I find an unexpected deal.
Nicole
I use a combined binder/insert method. I take each insert, separate the pages. I then cut the coupons out of as many pages as I can stand (my hands get tired after a little while) then I alphabetize the clipped coupons. The pages I don’t clip, I put in document protectors in the back of my binder. I also have tabs on my baseball card sheets, so that its easier to get to the letter I need. I only put one page in the document protectors so that I can just flip through the sheets to find the coupon I want. Since I don’t usually get the same coupons as others (mainly different amounts, but sometimes totally different coupons), I don’t really bother labelling the pages. Plus I go through the pages 2-3 times a week, clipping a couple pages each time. This way, I never really have a ton of pages to clip.
Diana
I use the coupon binder method and I love it! I put my coupons in trading card holderss and organize them by general categories. I got the idea from watching this you tube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3byETfcMXc&feature=related
Mary Martin
I use a combination of the binder and insert method. Typically, I buy 3-4 papers a week and clip all the coupons I know we will use out of just one of the inserts. I place those coupons along with my IPs and ones I get from friends and in the mail into my binder. By doing this, if I run across a deal at the store, I have at least one coupon for the item and it clues me in to the fact that I should have a few more. If it is a phenomenal deal, then it’s probably worth the trip back to the store especially considering the two stores I generally shop at are only a few miles from home.
MoneyMateKate
I just shifted from 2 stuffed-to-the-gills plastic accordian coupon folders to a box. Not sure if I like it yet though.
Kelly
I started out using the shoebox method. I would cut out all my coupons and organize them into envelopes labeled “dairy”, “breads”, “cosmetics”, etc. Now that I accumulate alot more inserts each week I’ve found that I spend too much time clipping. Now, I have switched to simply putting the date of the insert on the outside cover and stacking them in a drawer. Of course, you cannot bring that many inserts to the store with you, so you have to plan ahead to do this method. I agree that it is hard to find a method that is easy and also where you can have your coupons with you at all times. I’ve heard of people doing the binder method, but I think that would bring me back to clipping a whole bunch (since I get like 5 copies of newspapers each week). Lately I have simply cut out 1 copy of Smartsource, RP, and P & G (if there is one) from that Sunday’s paper and put them into my shoe box. All the other copies of inserts I put labeled into my drawer. This way if I find an extra deal that I didn’t see on a blog at the store, I do still have at least one coupon to use. If anyone has a better method, I’d love to hear about it!
Tracie Merritt
What a great Idea ,Zipper Binder.I use a binder also I have upgraded from severals sizes of boxes but I would get so many coupons crammed in I would miss some. I love the Binder but always fearful it will get tipped upside down and I dont want to deal with that.I am trying to come up with some type of ledge that is lightweight and can hook to the cart.I am a hard core couponer.I never shop with out coupns unless I absolutley have to have it.I always save 80% or more .I do alot of free.I love it!! I love this site!!
Keep up all your hard work it is greatly appreciated!!
Lori
I also use a binder with card holders and I sort by catagory for the coupons I’m pretty sure I will use. Theninthe back I file the inserts by dates for the items I don’t think I will use. I can pull those and cut them out if I hear of a good deal that I can’t pass up. I like to be able to flip through my book quickly when I’m at the store.
Renee
I love coupons. I save probably about 50% on all of my grocery type shopping. I’m not a good organizer when it comes to coupons. What I tend to do is not cut them out until I need them. A lot of the websites I use when I coupon reference the flyer and date. It makes it easy to find the coupon I need.
Tiffany
This is a little video I did explaining how I organize my coupons….
https://theivanovskys.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-i-organize-my-coupons_31.html
This is another video I have done explaining how I cut them all out!!!
https://theivanovskys.blogspot.com/2009/09/video-on-how-i-cut-my-coupons.html
Tiffany
mylitter.com
Karen
I’ve been using a large index card box. It’s worked pretty well so far. I always bring it with me. Lately, though, with the internet coupons, it seems to be maxing out. I think I’ll investigate the zippered binder/trading card holder method.
But for someone just starting, it’s been an excellent tool.
sati
i use the binder method and i have 2 carry to store binders. they are case its. one is a dual ring binder as well. for me this is the perfect method. i organize by expiration not by type. i tried by type and expiration but it was too much for me . i only cut the coupons i strongly suspect i might need or want for say an unadvertised sale. the rest of the insert i put away till i either need it or mail it out to the military to use the expired coupons.
Amy
I’m using a double accordian binder method. I have them alphabetized by brand. I’m not 100% happy though.
I tried making a spreadsheet so that they would be searchable and I could find coupons that were expiring faster. I think I’m giving that up. It just takes too long to enter everything. It has made knowing what coupons I have much easier though.
I only buy one or two papers a week. I pull the inserts and only clip the coupons we will use. For instance, we don’t have a dog so anything for a dog isn’t cut. I put my cut inserts into a binder and take them to church where we trade coupons.
I’ve been toying with the idea of the binder with trading card type pages, but I’m not sure how to organize it. Should I keep it by brand or should I sort it by type? I’m thinking type that way I can find, say, all the toilet paper coupons in a flash.
I like reading all the other entries and I’m learning lots from you Tara!
Amy
I use the binder method, with a zipper binder I found on clearance last year at Office Max. I use plastic tab separators to divide my binder into categories (baby products, beverages, dairy, etc.) and then use the baseball card protectors to store the coupons. I try to organize the sheets so similar products are on each sheet within the categories, e.g. I have a “Health and Beauty” category but try to keep all of the toothpaste products together. If I have more than one of the same coupon I file them together in the same pocket. I only clip and “file” the coupons I think I am most likely to use, and then the inserts with remaining coupons get labeled with a sharpie marker and filed (the whole stack) by week in plastic sheet protectors which I store in the front of my binder, so I can easily find them if a super deal comes up on your blog for a coupon I didn’t clip. I also have a tab for rebates that includes a sheet holding a special “rebate log” I made on my computer which allows me to keep track of all rebates as I submit them, so I can check them off when rebates are received and so I won’t forget to follow-up on a lost rebate if I don’t receive it when expected. I also have a page where I collect receipts for the Caregiver’s Marketplace diaper rebates in the envelope, so I have everything in one place (including my running total) at the end of the year when I go to submit those. It took me a while to set it all up the first time, and I made the mistake of trying to clip and file EVERY coupon I got at first which was way too time consuming. But maintaining it now isn’t that bad…every week I clip and file the new coupons and maybe every month I will go through and clear out expired coupons. The biggest drawbacks to this method are 1) initial time to set it all up, 2) clipping the coupons small enough to fit inside the baseball card pockets (some have to be folded to fit), and 3) some weeks when I don’t feel like filing the coupons, they start to pile up and then it takes longer to catch up. Overall I think it is a great system, although I don’t usually take the binder in the store with me (which some people recommend) since it’s pretty heavy and bulky. (Sometimes I keep it in the car though, just in case I find a fabulous deal and then I can run out to the car to snag the coupons.) The biggest thing I would do differently is to buy a larger binder as mine is on the verge of no longer being zippable, with all the coupons I’ve collected! Now, for me the hardest part is deciding what deals to go after each week and then coordinating all my shopping trips, with 2 small kids!
Debbie
I use the binder method and cut every coupon and file it in baseball card holders by category. One drawback is that I have TONS of coupons and one binder (currently using a 3″) is packed to the gills. I think I have to go to two binders unless someone can tell me where to find a 5″ binder. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE going to the store with my binder and knowing that I have every coupon I have with me and I never have to worry about “maybe I have a coupon for that at home”. It is a little time consuming to cut coupons, but it is worth the peace of mind I get at the store.
Katie
I use a plastic accordian holder. I have the sections labels by catagory, and it fits right in my purse. I feel a little weird carrying a big binder in the store. Sometimes I may just need to run in to grab one or two things, so having my coupons in my purse is easier to me. I go through them twice a week, and take out the expired and just seeing them over and over makes me remember the coupons I have. I cut ALL the coupons out in the paper, and magazines and keep the ones I get in the mail. I am in a coupon exchange group, so I send the soupons I dont need/want to the next person in my group.
SuzyQ
I have just recently gone from box to binder and I love it. I carry 2 binders with me because I have too many coupons. I have one for food and the other for non food. Each are divided by category and I just go through them whenever I can to get rid of expired ones. I don’t seem to understand why someone would file it by expiration dates though?!?!
It is so much easier to look in the category such as dairy, cosmetics, etc. and find the coupon. I use the zipper binders because I don’t want my coupons all over the carriage or floor.
Stephanie
I use the binder method with trading card inserts. I was only clipping what I know I would use, but have recently been trying to clip all my coupons so that I have them with me and don’t miss out on any great deals. Plus by clipping them all (even if I don’t use them) they will be ready for me to organize and send to the overseas coupon program which accepts expired mfg coupons for the military. I figure a little extra clipping is the least I can do to help support the people who serve our country!
Thanks for your wonderful website! I’m a huge fan and love telling people about it….
Beeb
I do a combo of insert filing and the binder method. I wrote about it in detail here:
https://wontbesoonbeforelong.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-i-organize-my-coupons.html
Stephanie
I use two small,floppy photo albums; one for food item & one for nonfood items. Then I cut whatever I’d typically buy & save the inserts. Works for me!
chelsea
i use a combo of the inserts and binder. When i get my inserts for the week. i put them in a page protector labeled with the date with a printed “context” page that goes in front (that way if im in a store i can look my coupons up that way). For my IP’s and clipped/mailed coupons i use the baseball card holders seperated by letters (in the same way i can look them up easily when finding unadvertised deals. I really have found this to be the least time consuming/and most effective way to organize and use my copons
Stephanie
PS….don’t feel weird about carying a binder into the store. I did at first, but then I saw 3 other people doing the same thing during a triple coupon week at Bloom.
Now almost every time I shop I hear comments about how well I’m organized, how much someone likes my binder, or even get asked where I bought my binder. So it’s fun to explain to someone ele how easy this system is and how they can make one of their own!
Rachel @ Surviving The Stores
Here is my binder system (with pictures):
https://www.survivingthestores.com/2009/03/how-i-organize-my-coupons.html
I’ve found that my brain likes things alphabetized instead of organizing them by category, but you could use the same method and just do it by category.
Melinda M
Here is how I do it :)
https://mindymcintx.blogspot.com/2009/10/before-i-start-let-me-say-that-there.html
Stacey
I use the box method. I have a huge box where I keep everything. I have many different categories so it’s easy for me to find what I’m looking for fairly quickly.
I get 4 or 5 papers each week and I cut everything. To speed up this process I separate all the pages of each insert and match all the like pages up. I staple each coupon and either use an exacto knife or a paper cutter. The coupons come off in little stacks, nice and neat. When it’s time to sort, it goes by quicker since there’s just one set of every coupon (rather than a big cut up mess like it was before I started stapling).
As for what I take to the store, I have a small acordion file that fits in my purse. I have labeled the tabs according to the stores that I regularly shop at. I plan out my transactions for each store and put the coupons in the appropriate slots in the accordion file. I also keep coupons in there that I’ve picked up at the store (blinkies, tear pads) or coupons that I know expire soon, or that I want to price check, etc. I keep my Register Rewards and my ECBs in there too.
I always keep my HUGE box in the car, just in case I find a great deal that I don’t want to miss out on. This system is what works best for me for right now. I really like my acordion file because it’s small enough to fit in my purse, so I always have my coupons with me. But I like my box because it’s big enough to hold everything!
elizabeth
I have a wallet with plastic sleeves in it and I have labeled the file tabs in pencil: Freezer, dairy, box, can, paper, sauces, Jean Pierre (my puppy), retail, restaurant, rebate, free etc….
They are in the order of the isles at my most shopped at grocery store. I ran out of slots (the plastic sleeves are built into the wallet) so I just added index cards with file folder tabs on top. I keep this wallet in my purse all the time bc you never know when a deal will come up.
At the beginning of the week I staple my coupons to the product on sale in each of my sale ads, then I look at my date book for the week to see what days I will be driving past which stores and I stack those papers in that order and place them on the front seat of my car. Don’t forget always have the other coupons with you too for when you come across that irresistible deal!
Happy Couponing!
patty
Thank you all for your great ideas, may have to change my way of doing coupons. I currently use envelopes to organize and then paperclip the coupons I am going to use by where they are located at my local Walmart. (always my 1st store when shopping)
I really appreciate this information from all of you.
Robin
I have combined a couple of different methods and it seems to work really well for me. I personally buy several Sunday papers everyweek. Before I file the inserts, I cut out just one, sometimes two coupons for the items that I know I will use or for items that I know go on sale regularly. I then file the inserts and then place the cut coupons in my binder. This method helps my bider from getting to full and cumbersome. My unfiled coupons, I keep in an envelope and I file them on a weekly basis.
Jennifer
I started by grouping them into categories in a scrapbook-style book. I got tired of flipping through a whole section while standing in the grocery store. So I switched to the binder method. I wasn’t sure about it, but I’m hooked. Here’s a link to my post about my binder organization method. https://savingandgiving.blogspot.com/2009/05/works-for-me-wednesday-my-new-coupon.html
Nicole @ Being Frugal Is Fabulous
I liked the binder method, but the binder seemed like too much of a hassle to carry, so I decided to use a photo organizer that I have turned into a coupon organizer. I needed something that I could fit into my purse, but large enough to carry all the coupons I need and a photo organizer was just the right size. I keep all of the inserts that I don’t use in a hanging folder. You can see my system here: https://www.beingfrugalisfabulous.com/2008/07/lets-talk-about-coupons-part-1.html