Knowing how to organize coupons is crucial to saving the most money, and time, at the grocery store. While there are many coupon organizer products on the market ready to buy, making your own coupon organizer will ensure that you have a system that works for you.
How to Organize Coupons
There are many different ideas about how to organize coupons. I started out with a small accordion-style coupon organizer, but I quickly realized what a pain in the neck it was to shuffle through the different sections every time I wanted to pull out a coupon or glance through the coupons I had on hand. I even remember one time when my baby managed to grab hold of my coupon organizer and toss it out of the shopping cart, distributing my coupons across the floor.
I was intrigued when one of my blogging friends show how to organize coupons with a coupon organizer binder. I had never seen or heard of such a system before, but I soon created a similar coupon organizer for myself and found it to be a much easier and more logical way to organize coupons.
In the approximately two years that I’ve been using a coupon organizer binder, I’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t. I invested quite a bit of money in my latest iteration, but it works better than ever.
If you need to make a new coupon organizer, late summer and early fall is the perfect time to do so; you can take advantage of great deals on back-to-school supplies. Here I will walk you through what I have learned over the years about how to organize coupons and I’ll show you how I created my brand new coupon organizer binder.
Start with a durable binder
Skip right over those inexpensive plastic-covered cardboard binders and splurge on something that will hold up. My first binder was pretty to look at, but it wasn’t long before the plastic started ripping at the seams and the whole thing fell apart.
My second binder, from Staples, had a reinforced rubber spine, durable plastic cover, and a clear window into which I could slip a picture my son drew for me. It held up very well, but it still wasn’t perfect.
For my current coupon organizer, I decided to use this pretty fabric-covered Mead Five Star zipper binder. The spine is curved, so it’s comfortable to carry under my arm, and the plastic won’t rip apart.
I consider myself to be a rather casual couponer, in that I don’t buy stacks of newspapers and I only print coupons if I’m sure I’ll use them. So for me, a 1 to 1 1/2 inch binder works perfectly fine as a coupon organizer.
Essential Coupon Organizer Features
At first I steered away from zippered binders because they seemed too big and fussy, but now I really appreciate the zipper. It keeps my coupons and papers secure just in case I drop my binder, or pick it up the wrong way. No more chasing after flying coupons!
I really like having a zippered compartment on the front of my binder. I plan my shopping trips in advance and like to pull out the coupons I plan to use before I head to the store. The compartment on the front is a perfect spot to keep these coupons, and it’s transparent so I can see what’s inside.
The interior contains an accordion file with three compartments where I like to store a small notebook and any large paper print-outs (like Groupons or other daily deals). There is also another zippered compartment and spots for three writing implements.
Coupon Organizer Accessories
There are a few must-haves that I always carry in my coupon organizer:
Pen, Pencil and Highlighter – I use these to write and cross off my lists, or highlight items in the store flyer
Scissors – a small pair is good to have on hand in case you need to clip something in the store. Sometimes I pick up a flyer as I walk into the store and find a coupon or two that I want to use. Other times I have newspaper inserts that I haven’t had time to clip yet.
Calculator – I know, most people have fancy cellphones that do the job just fine, but I tend to forget to charge mine. I also find the calculator on my Blackberry a little inconvenient to use. You can get a basic calculator for $1.00. As an added bonus, it’s a great way to keep young kids occupied–my son thinks it scans barcodes, takes pictures and makes phone calls.
Notebook – I have a stenographers notebook that I use to make grocery lists and meal plans. I like that it’s divided into columns so I can have two separate lists on the same page.
If your binder doesn’t have specific places for the extras, just purchase an inexpensive zipper pocket that attaches to the rings.
Coupon Organizer Pages and Dividers
Many people use baseball card pages for their coupon binders, and really they work just fine. You can find them at office supply stores or at department stores. In my local Walmart they can be found near one of the registers where trading cards are sold.
I decided to take things a little bit further and invest in different types of pages that would streamline the chore of organizing coupons. I grew to hate sorting my coupons in my old coupon organizer because most of them wouldn’t fit into the pockets without folding. That not only took extra time, but I couldn’t see my coupons at a glance.
Here’s what I bought this time (with links to Amazon.com, where I ordered mine):
Business card sheets – The horizontal pockets open on top and are just the right size for most coupons
3.5×5 card sheets – These are ideal for slightly larger coupons
Currency sheets – The absolute perfect solution for printable coupons and full-width newspaper insert coupons! The horizontal pockets open at the top and your largest coupons will fit without folding
I purchased one set of each and found all of these sheets were of high quality and are very durable. I distributed the different sheet types between the various sections of my coupon organizer. This was definitely a much pricier solution than regular baseball card sheets, but it is so much more convenient for me that I felt it was a good investment. Besides, the money I spent was recouped in the savings on just one shopping trip.
I also purchased a set of twelve divider tabs, which allowed me more sections and better organization than my previous binder provided. The sections in my coupon organizer roughly mirror the aisles in the grocery store I use most, as well as the order in which I tend to shop.
Don’t feel embarrassed to use your coupon binder!
Back when I started using a coupon organizer binder, I didn’t know anyone else who had one. At first I felt a little bit self-conscious, silly and dorky, but those feelings were quickly erased by numerous compliments from complete strangers who admired my organizational skills.
I soon realized that shopping and saving money had become so much easier with a proper coupon organizer that I didn’t care what people thought, anyway. Now, no doubt thanks to Extreme Couponing, I’m seeing coupon binders all over the place.
There really isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for how to organize coupons, but I hope I’ve given you a few ideas that will help make couponing easier for you!
Next time you go shopping, make a mental note of your habits, and then decide if any tweaks to your coupon organizer system can streamline the process even more.
ahhh! Thanks so much for this post! I have an accordian file (separate ones for grocery stores and other things like restaurants or oil changes), and while it’s handy to stick in my purse or bag, I do find it a bit tedious in the store, esp. if I’m shopping with the kids.
Ok, so now I have a few questions, if you don’t mind!
-do you organize the coupons in any way within the sections? So like if you have several pages with dairy products, do you just put one coupon in one spot and flip through?
-do you keep store coupons in here too, or is it just grocery coupons. I’m thinking like Kohls or Michaels that send coupons in the mail.
Hi Sophie,
So glad you found this to be helpful!
I really don’t organize my coupons in any particular way within each section. I know some people get to that degree of detail and might organize by product type or expiration date. If I have identical coupons I do stick them in the same slot to save space and make things easier to find. Since I don’t have a ton of coupons it usually isn’t a problem to just flip through a couple pages and see what I have.
Yes, I use my binder for everything. Usually I keep miscellaneous store coupons in the file section or one of the zipper pockets rather than the clear pages. I do have a (currently unused) “Baby Needs” section into which I would file anything related to baby stuff, including clothing. I don’t usually drag my whole binder with me into a store unless I’m on a grocery shopping trip. For other stores I’ll just pull out what I need and put them in my purse or an envelope.
Hope that helps!
Wow, what are the odds. My coupon binder was also lost/stolen roughly 2 months ago. It still makes me sick to my stomach to think about it. So many high value, long expiration, and no expiration coupons just gone. Plus I had many of my inserts just tucked in there. And all of my CVS Extra Bucks & Rite Aid UP Rewards….Ugh, stomach turning right now just thinking about it again.
Starting over was hard, mentally. I actually picked up the binder you have and another one and ended up returning the one like yours. The one I got had 2 accordion style pockets in the front closed by a Velcro flap and a zip around part for pencils, scissors, calculator etc. Before I had photo sleeves that opened on the inside so as I turned pages sometimes the coupons would fall out. I was grouping by ‘Hair Care’ ‘Cosmetics’ ‘Oral Care’ or whatever in each pocket, so sometimes the pockets were full. This time I went with baseball card inserts, but only 1 pack I do want another pack I think I’m going to try the 3×5 sheets you posted, they look awesome! I got some awesome dividers at Staples this year during their BTS sales.
I’m not completely back up and running, but I’m getting back into the game.
Cute blog!
Thank you so much for visiting! I’m so sorry yours was stolen too 🙁 It’s a lot of work putting one together and it’s sad that people don’t respect that. It’s been a while now, but I still find myself mentally matching up sales with coupons that I had in my old binder and I’m still feeling the loss. My new binder is full to bursting though. Best of luck as you rebuild!
Although I’m not a dedicated coupon user,(yet)I do use them occassionally. I have been trying to get more involved but organization is what has kept me from doing so. I find myself clipping coupons and forget to grab them when I go to the grocery or even worse, I’ll have them in my possession and forget to pull them out at the register. That last one just irks me but I am hoping to get better. Reading this post was very helpful,so hopefully I can get myself organized and benefit from the savings. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for commenting Dee! It can be hard finding the time to just sit down and get organized. I have times like that too. I usually clip and file my coupons on Sunday while I’m watching TV. Once you have a system that really works for you, it gets easier.
Hey! I love this idea and Expecially the binder! Do you know where I can find it? It was sold out on one of the websites. If you had a spare for sale or know any place I can find it, please let me know. Thank you! ????