Coupons 101 part 4 – How to organize coupons

Coupons 101 PART 4– How to organize your coupons

(To read my earlier post click link Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

Since I wrote this post I have upgraded to this binder….it works great the the extreme coupon shopper! (ME)

Once you start to collect coupons you will notice very quickly they turn into a huge pile of clutter. The only way I will use coupons is if I can easily find them, and have them organized. Everyone has their own way, I have used several different methods but this is what works for me. This is a photo of my coupon binder, I found the binder at Walmart for $24 it seems to cover all my needs.

In the front on my binder I have clear sheet protectors , I have them labeled for my catalina coupons and one for rebates for the month. I also have one for each store I shop at example, Albertsons, Target, Walgreens…. In side of each pocket I can put that weeks ad, coupons I plan to use at that store etc. That way if I don’t want to haul my whole binder in with me, I can just take that stores packet. But most the time I take my whole binder in with me, because I never now what I might find on clearance, or sale….and I will need my coupons for that.

I have 20 sections in my binder, each of which have several categories. I use 3 ring photo sheets, some have a spot for 4 photos and others only hold 3. I know some people use card collection sheets to hold their coupons. But I found the sections were too small for my coupons. One thing I like about using the binder I can always add or take out a page as my needs change.

I love that I can zip it closed, when I used a box I was always spilling my coupons all over the place. The binder keeps every thing in place really well.

Before I up graded to getting 6 papers a week, I used these small photo albums you can find for $1 just about anywhere. I clipped holes in the side and put them in my day planner. This worked great when I only got one paper. ?But now that I get 6 Sunday papers, I quickly out grew my day planner.

These are the categories I have in my binder,

1. Dairy –milk, Ice cream, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, butter, cheese, other dairy
2. Breakfast-Kellogg’s cereal, Post cereal. GM cereal, other cereal, granola bars, Quaker products, breakfast mix, frozen breakfast, other breakfast
3. Beverages- soda, fruit juice, veggie juice, powdered, other
4. Canned- fruit, veggies, soup Campbell’s, soup other, broth, chili, sauce, other
5. Condiments- mayo, pickles, olives, salad toppings, salad dressings, ketchup, mustard, peanut butter, jelly, other
6. Grains-Dry pasta, mac& cheese, Hamburger helper, rice, side dishes, potatoes, baking- Brownies, cake, muffin, frosting, sugar, oil, flour, other
7. Snacks-fruit snacks, nuts, popcorn, gum, candy, chocolate, crackers, cookies, chips, other
8. Frozen- bread, rolls, pizza, dessert, pasta, veggies, dinners, meat, Asian, other
9. Food misc.-diet, health, Mexican, Asian, ?meat, other
10. Baby- diapers, soap, food, other
11. Medication- laxatives, aspirin, Tylenol, cough drops, muscle pain, cold meds, tums and pepto, first aide supplies, other
12. Paper – tissue, t.p., napkins, paper plates, cups, Ziploc bags, glad bags, other
13. Soap-hand soap, body wash, Dove product’s, Olay products, Shampoo with 2 full sheets,
14. Personal care- deodorant, feminine, razors, shave gel,
15. Toothpaste- Colgate, crest, kids, mouthwash, toothbrush,
16. Make up- cover girl, olay, Revlon, maybelline, other, skin care, lotion, chap stick,
17. Dish soap- liquid, powdered, laundry soap and products,
18. Home- other cleaners, carpet, floor, window, Clorox, Lysol, bathroom, glade, air wick, oust, febreze,
19. Pets-food, care, other
20. Batteries