Friday, June 15, 2012

Let's Talk about Coupon Organizing

I tend to ramble a bit but here goes......
I have had several people ask me which is the best way to organize your coupons. There are coupon binders galore out there and some even sell ready to go coupon binders. Everybody gets into their own groove when it comes to the type of coupon organizing you prefer. Start small and move up to bigger methods of organizing slowly. (I have progressed through all of the following). It is best to start with a coupon accordion envelope if you only work with 1-2 of each insert each week. A coupon binder is good if you do not go over 10 of each insert a week, as anything past this tends to make the sleeves bulky and they tend to slip out as you turn pages. Whatever you do get one with a zipper that closes it, because you DO NOT want to drop it and have coupons go everywhere. So this brings me to my current method.  My coupon bins, which I started using once I hit the 15 or more of each insert per week mark. I will go through my CRAZY coupon bins below. Hopefully I help give a few people some good ideas that they can incorporate into their own coupon organizing.



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I have 2 Coupon bins/totes
One for my Food Coupons
and One for my "non food" coupons
I have made them so that if anyone ever asks me if I have a coupon they need it is easy for them to open the bin/tote and find it. 
I keep them on the shelf above my desk where they actually fit stacked together.
I usually take them both with me on my couponing trips and they stay in my veichle's trunk (to deter theft and break ins into the veichle) in case I find something not on my list that is a good DEALIE. My Food bin always goes into the grocery store with me and I place it on the bottom part of the cart towards me for easy reach down access. 
You don't necessarily have to have 2 bins if you can fit them all into one. Which I DID try before deciding to use 2 bins/totes.

Make sure you get the bins with locking handles so in case it gets dropped the top won't come off.
I found these at Wal Mart for $3.96 each.
This is the inside of my food coupon bin. It has the main categories on blue tabs on card stock.
My main categories are: Dairy, Refrigerated, Snack Foods, Canned/Packaged, Baking, Breakfast, Frozen, Beverages, Albertson's, & Tom Thumb. I suggest you label your main categories according to your liking/shopping needs.

 Behind each main category are my sub categories on tabbed card stock.

 Then come the coupons of course!

 Behind my last category I have my Notepad which is where I keep my lists and corresponding coupons I will be using on my couponing trip.When I go into the non grocery stores (Walgreens, CVS, Target, Wal Mart) I only carry this in with me.

And behind the notepad I have space to store my scissors and an extra pen.

 This is what my notepad looks like. Not big so it doesn't attract alot of attention. My coupons for the trip store easily on the side pocket.

 My Non Food items bin is a bit different and ALOT fuller.

Just like my food bin it has Main Categories but I used Tab Top dividers which I folded and taped into just the right size. (The reason my food bin uses cardstock is because I have found it easier to flip through with the thicker card stock at the grocery store if I am in a rush.)
 In this bin I use envelopes to keep all the coupons separated seeing as the sub categories are more.

I have cut tabs into the envelopes for each sub category. Again your main and sub categories should fit your couponing style/likes/shopping needs. My last Main Categories in this bin include an envelope for Target, Walgreens, CVS, & Miscellaneous Store Coupons (Big Lots, Dollar General, etc.)

If you have any questions about my CRAZY coupon bins feel free to ask and I hope I have helped shed a little light into coupon organizing styles.

I want to thank my hand model Angelina for being a GREAT helper.


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