Coupon Organization – Binder Method

There are many methods and organizing systems available to organize your coupons. My preferred method is the coupon binder. There are several reasons I prefer this method. One, I can easily take my coupons with me to the store, so that I can match the coupons up to any unadvertised sales that I find. Two, my coupons are sorted by subject, so that I can easily find any coupon that I am looking for. Three, I like to easily be able to see what coupons I have available so that I don’t forget to use a coupon. This is especially nice when the coupons for free products show up in the paper! Fourth, I have a way to organize all the additional coupons that I find (i.e. in the mail, in store, in magazines, etc.).

Here is how you can create a coupon binder for yourself:

Find some kind of three ring Binder. I prefer the Binder with a strap – which makes it a lot easier to carry and shop with. I also, suggest that you find a Binder with a zipper. This will help protect your coupons from falling out, etc.

Inside your binder, you will have two sections. The first section is the Store Section:

In the store section, you will have a 3-Pocket Coupon Storage Page or 4-Pocket Coupon Page for each store that you shop at.   Attach a tab to each of these pages, labeling the page with the specific store’s name.

1. This first pocket is for your rain checks. (Rain checks are a slip of paper that you can ask the cashier for if a specific advertised sale item is out of stock.  The rain checks reserve the advertised price for after the sale is over and they have more in stock. You can also use a manufacturer’s coupon with a rain check!)
2. The second pocket is to put store coupons in. These are the coupons put out by the store (sometimes in their ads, in mailers, etc.). These coupons will say for example “Target Store Coupon” or “Rite Aid Store Coupon.”
3. The last pocket is for your shopping list.

The next section in your binder is for the Manufacturer’s Coupons:

This section will be divided by tabbed divider pages- one for each section. I have three main sections in my binder:

• Food
• Household
• Personal Care

Behind each tabbed category are the baseball card holder pages.  On each of these pages, I put a small label on the top right hand side of the page labeling the subcategory. Each subcategory starts out as one page, but I will often add an extra page as needed. I list the subcategories in alphabetical order, so that I can easily find what I need. Here are the subcategories I have for each main category. You can use these in your binder or make changes that fits your family’s needs.

• Food: baking goods, bread, cereal, chips/crackers/snacks, condiments/seasonings/pb/jam, dairy, dessert/candy, dinner kits, drinks, fruits and veggies, granola bars, meat, Mexican, pasta and rice, pizza/melts, and soups.
• Household: air fresheners, cleaners, dish/kitchen cleaners, dusting/floor care, fabric cleaners, misc. household, paper/plastic products, and office supplies.
• Personal Care: baby supplies, body wash/soap, deodorant, eye care, facial cleansers and moisturizers, hair care, lotion, makeup, medicine, misc.hygiene, oral hygiene, shaving supplies, and vitamins.

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