How do you organize your coupons that you are using at the store to keep your shopping experience less stressful? I carry an accordion style folder and it has a section for each store.
If you are new to Couponing, you might want to take a moment to read more in my Getting Started Couponing series. It will teach you how to coupon like I do!
EllenO says
I use a large 3-ring binder with baseball card pages. I use dividers to sort coupons by type – frozen food, dairy, cereal, snacks, toiletries, etc. I also have a section to hold coupons I clip for my mother in law (I do her grocery shopping and try to save her a bit of $$ with coupons also). The dividers are the kind with a large pocket, which I use for the occasional HUGE coupon. I make my list up in advance and get out all the coupons I will need and put them in some extra pages I have up at the front of the binder. I do take the binder along because I often come across unadvertised specials or clearance items for which I have coupons. About once a month I go through the binder and pull all the expired coupons, and note all the about-to-expire ones (and make sure any good ones get used before they expire!)
I have a separate notebook for restaurant and other coupons – I use photo pages for those since so many restaurant coupons are very large. I try to keep that one by the front door so we grab it on the way out (we have two cars so I can’t just leave it in the car, which would be easier!)
Mary Moore says
I use a 4″ binder with photo page inserts. I have it divided into section. The front has the stores I shop most (CVS, Walgreens, Winn Dixie and Food World) Each store has a full size plastic page protector. I put my list in the page protector for that store as well as any coupons that are store coupons and any coupons that match my list. Then, I just have to take everything out of that page protector when I get to the store and I have my binder if I happen across something else!
Jennie says
I use the extra envelops we get with our bills. I write down my list on the outside and stick my coupons for that store inside. I still take my small binders in with me in case there is something on clearance, but most of my coupons are ready inside the list.
Jennifer Johnson says
I use a binder in alpha order and divided for stores, with their coupons. I also have a 3 prong school folder for Resturants, fast food etc that i keep in my car at all times. I put my coupons in ziploc bags with the store name on them with the coupons I plan to use. My shopping list also on a excel spread sheet that tells me the retail amount, then mgr coupons, store coupons, then double with the final price with tax. For walgreens and CVS I do two transactions for the rewards first then a second trans paid for with my rewards. My 16 yr has helped/helping me find my grove so to speak since I am new at this.
Jen Carl says
I actually prepare the coupons I need for that store and organize them by aisle and I have my list organized by aisle as well. That way if there is a product that’s not available, I just pull the coupon, stick it in my purse to go back into my binder at home and keep going.I don’t take my binder with because I use a clipless method and I leave my inserts whole. I may miss out on something here and there, but I save my sanity because I have a screaming 2 year old who doesn’t want to be there. I can get a cart full and get in and out of the store in 15 minutes.
Tammie W says
I have my grocery list on excel sheet and I am a believer the longer you are in a store the more you spend. I never take my full coupon binder to the store only the ones I have picked to use based on sales or expiring. I usually calculate dollar amount I am spending to stay in budget. I have it organized by store with food and paper seperate for each store. If find something on sale I don’t have a coupon back, I live 5 minutes away and I can go back for that item.
Coupon Rachael says
i do the accordion style as well.
when the store ads come i make my list and as i go i pick out my coupons from the different categories i have them filed under in the accordion folder (breakfast, household, beauty, food) and put the my store file slots in the back of the accordion file (target, wally, wags).
Laura S. says
I take my binder with me everywhere just incase I run in to a nice clearance deal while shopping! I use envelopes for each store and write my list on the front and how many coupons I have for each item. I also write my OOP total. Makes it so much easier at the register!
Pamela Cofer says
I have two photo albums with those “baseball card pages” in them. One whole book is for food, the other, non-food. Each is broken down into categories that I shop the most, with a blank page in the very front for speciality coupons like Target’s & Publix’s coupons where you get a gift card when you buy xxx. (I also go through and when I have coupons for the xxx that I have to buy on those speciality coupons and I put them in the slots next to the speciality coupons, so I can really see what I have and what I need. :)
kati says
I bought a photo album binder from target with dividers set up in the order of the aisles at my Kroger (where I shop the most). The first few pages have spots for FREE coupons, Target, Publix, ECBs, etc.
But I refuse to cut out EVERY coupon…it takes way too long!! so I only cut out the ones I think there’s a chance I will use and the rest of the inserts I keep in a binder at home organized by the date of the paper so I can find them easily if there’s a good deal somewhere.
Dana says
I use a binder. actually it’s a photo album that is bursting at the seams! At the front I have envelopes taped inside that are labelled with the different stores I go to. I have envelopes for wal-mart, food lion, CVS and Rite Aid. I have slots inside for Dollar General and Target because I don’t go there as often. In those envelopes I keep store coupons, ECBs, and all the coupons I’m using that week.