Coupon101: Coupon Organization

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010 at 7:24 am

This is Lesson 3 of the Coupon101 section of my blog. If you have not
reviewed the two previous lessons yet, you may do so Here!

This lesson is long overdue, and I apologize for such a long delay in
getting it posted. In lesson 2, we covered where to find coupons, so
now that you have started gathering coupons from various locations,
you need a place to store and organize them. That is what I will cover in
this lesson, I will go over the various ways in which you may find

helpful to organize your coupons.

-DECIDE THE KIND OF COUPONER YOU WANT TO BE-

First thing to keep in mind, is there really isn’t a wrong way to organize
your coupons. You need to focus on a way that is easiest and most helpful
to you and your lifestyle. Some things to take into consideration are:

How much spare time do you have to commit to clipping and filing
coupons?
Will you be coupon shopping for just your necessities, or hope to catch
every deal you can find?
Will you be shopping at a couple of your main stores, or branching out
to any store offering a deal that day?
Do you mind lugging in your huge stash of coupons, or would you like
to be simple and discreet while you coupon shop?

These questions are important and can really help you decide which method
will be easiest for you, as well as the most enjoyable! The more organized you
get with your coupons, the more deals you will easily find. However, the more
organized, the more time you will have to commit to keeping up with it.

KEEP IT BASIC METHODS

When you are new to couponing, I always suggest to keep it small and simple
just for now. It can be overwhelming and mistakes and confusion can happen
easily if you take on too much too soon. Starting out, I suggest filing your
coupons in envelopes, Small accordion type file or a box or small tote and use
the index card method. These organization methods keep couponing very
simple. It is easy to file, sort and to keep organized. In these methods, you
stick to clipping and filing only the coupons you know you will mostly likely
use. For instance, if you have a baby and aren’t Brand specific on the diapers
they wear, you should clip any and all diaper coupons and file them in a baby

category. Then when you need diapers, you can check all your local store ads
and compare prices along with coupons you have on hand and find the best
deal that week! The same goes with other items in other categories.

Clipping only the coupons you are most likely to use keeps it very simple.

If you were to clip and file every coupon you find using a basic method,
you’re going to end up with a huge mess and a lot of time in the store
thumbing though coupon after coupon to find the right one. Not to
mention the time it will take with the upkeep of finding and removing
all the expired coupons. I have made a video on two organization
methods, The Index card method, and envelope method.

-Basic Coupon Organization Methods-

You can also clip and file your coupons into small photo albums, that will
make it easier to take along with you.

-FILING AND STORING AT HOME METHOD-

If you aren’t comfortable with taking a filing system in the store with you,
or maybe you just don’t have the time to do more than run in, grab your
items and leave, then you may find helpful setting up any filing system at
home and making your list and gathering your coupons before you leave.
Just keep the coupons with your form of payment so you don’t forget to
hand them over at checkout!

Filing and storing at home can be good when sticking to a budget
and can prevent impulse buying or keeping you in the store longer than
you want to be. However, with this method you are more likely to miss
out on deals you could have gotten if you had all your coupons with you.

-THE CLIPLESS METHOD-

Another way to file your coupons is the Clipless Method. Since most coupons
are found in Sunday Inserts, All You Magazine and other booklets some people
may find it easier to not clip them out and file only the inserts and booklets
away. For this method, you would write the date the insert was released on the
outside cover of each insert so that you can refer back to it easily as needed.

When I first started couponing, I did the clipless method. I found it great for
the fact there was no clipping or filing. This method may be great for some,
however it was not working for me.

A huge con for me with this method was I found myself spending way too
much time in the store flipping through inserts, trying to remember where
I saw a coupon I just “knew” I had seen somewhere! Then if I found it, I had
to clip it right there in the store. Sometimes I would run across a really great
deal and thumb through all my inserts and just can’t find the coupon I am
looking for, or sometimes I find it, but it’s one that has already expired.

I am a deal shopper. Sometimes I go into a store just to see if they have any

new price cuts or closeouts. So I really need an organized binder so that it

can take me right to the coupon I need if I have it. I also disliked the fact

with the clipless method it is very hard to weed out expired coupons

because coupons in each insert tend to have varying expiration dates.

I have a hard time leaving my binder at home or in the car even. It seems
each time I do, there is always an amazing deal that I can’t take advantage
of because my coupons aren’t with me.

-THE BINDER METHOD-

If you are the type of person with lots of time on their hands, or wants the
ability to grab any deal they see, then I recommend the binder method! In
this method, you clip and file many coupons, usually in specific categories
or orders. The binders are carried with you during your shopping trips and
makes it very easy to take advantage of extra savings on top of sales because
your coupons are filed away and easily found when needed.

A video of my coupon binder:

As you can see, the binder method can be the most organized, but does take
quite a bit of time. You must consider the clipping and filing involved each
week when the new inserts come out. To help manage the time better, try to
fit the clipping and or filing during a time that it can be multi-tasked in, or get
your children involved! I’m sure they would love to help you clip and enjoy
the time spent with you while you do it. If clipping isn’t their thing, maybe
opt to take them to a restaurant with a play area. You can clip while they
play. This has been the case for me on many occasions! You can also see
my clipping method I use to help speed up cutting time here in a video!

If choosing the Binder Method you will need:

-A Binder (3inch is recommended)
You may want to opt in for a zippered one, or one with a handle or strap
Depending on the binder you purchase, it can run you $5 – $30.

-Baseball/Trading Cards Plastic Sleeves $6 for pack of 35 at
Walmart

-Page Dividers with tabs $1 for pack of 5 at Dollar Tree
(you will probably need 2-3 of these, it depends on how many categories
you plan to use)

- A Couple of Pocket or prong folders to hold your ads, Store
Policies, Etc.

Optional
-Index Cards, or Card Stock (can be cut to fit in the plastic
sleeves to make the sleeves “double-sided”)
-Page Protectors
-Extra Binder Pouches (to hold Scissors, Calculators, Pens Etc.)

The binder method is a bit more expensive to set up, but you will
make your money back with the deals you are able to find from
having an organized system! Try looking at thrift stores for your
binder, folders and other supplies. I found my larger binder for
only $0.99 at Goodwill!

This about sums it up for this lesson. Just remember know matter what
method you choose, make sure it is one that will not put more stress in
your life.

*If any of you would like to leave a comment and share the type of coupon
organization you have used and what works best for you, it is welcomed!
I would love to read about it and I am sure others would love your ideas!*

The next lesson in this Coupon101 series is Lesson 4: Know Your Store,
Coupon Policies and More!

What methods would you like to share? Leave a Link to your
Coupon Organization post or post your methods in a comment
below! Thanks so much for sharing with everyone!