Believe it or not I don’t spend all day couponing and blogging… I also have a day job!  That said, the more organized you are the more efficient you’ll be, more fun you’ll have and more money you’ll save.  When you start couponing you will inevitably be overwhelmed by the sheer number of coupons you have to keep track of.  Don’t give up!

Expert couponers all have different ways of organizing their coupons. I’m going to share the method that works for me, and then a few other ideas. Choose a method that works for your lifestyle, personality and preferences.

• Get several copies of the Sunday Paper. Subscribe, ask family and friends, go by Panera on Sunday and find abandoned papers and yes if you must…BUY them.  It’s worth it.  I buy (or find) 8 papers each week depending on how good the coupons are.  You should buy an even number (easier for B1G1 deals esp. in FL) and buy enough that you will be able to stockpile for the size of your family until the next time a deal comes around (usually a 6-8 week cycle).  For example, there are just two of us in my household so if Pasta Roni is B1G1, we won’t use more than 8 before another good deal on that type of product comes around.
• First, I cut out all my coupons.  The ones that I don’t think I’ll ever use I set aside in an envelope to give away, trade, sell or use if a fantastic moneymaker deal pops up on one of those items.  For the rest, I organize them into the categories (see below) that you usually find together in the store. (You can adapt this list and add to it or take out sections you won’t use). I also keep a Misc. section in the back of each main category and if enough of one type of item is there, I’ll make a new section for it.

• For the coupon storage I use baseball card inserts (found in the front of Target or Walmart) and 4×6 photo inserts (office area) in a zip-up 3 ring binder. This allows me to accommodate a variety of coupon sizes.  I put all coupons that are the same (I usually have multiples of 6) together in one pouch. I love this method because I always have all my coupons with me, I can see what they are for and when they expire and I can get them in and out quickly.
• For each main category, I have a labeled tabbed divider (mine have pockets so I can throw coupons in there that I find at the store).  For the smaller categories, I just use a label in the bottom corner to indicate which section it is.  You could also use post-it flags to designate those.  I try to keep the amount of “stuff” that isn’t coupons to a minimum so my binder isn’t so heavy/bulky. I do keep a pair of kids scissors in there for on-the-go clipping.

Coupon Categories:

1. Personal Care
   • Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Styling Products)
   • Body (Bar and Liquid Soaps, Deodorant, Lotions)
   • Face (Cleansers, Moisturizers, Cosmetics)
   • Feminine Products
   • Dental (Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Mouthwash, Whitening strips)
   • Shaving (Razors, Cartridges, Shaving Cream)
2. Household Supplies
   • Paper Goods (Paper towels, toilet paper, tissues)
   • Cleaning Supplies
   • Air Fresheners
   • Laundry (Detergent, Fabric Softeners, Dryer Sheets)
   • Dishes (Dish Soap, Detergent, Sponges)
   • Disposables (Ziplocs, Foil, Garbage Bags, Paper Plates)
3. Groceries
   • Dairy (Milk, Cheese, Eggs)
   • Chips/Sodas (i.e. Junk  Food Aisle)
   • Breakfast (Cereal, Snack Bars, Pop Tarts, Coffee/Tea)
   • Snacks (Crackers, Cookies)
   • Frozen
   • Meat
   • Deli
   • Bakery
   • Canned goods
   • Pasta/Rice
   • Baking
   • Seasonings (Spices, Oils, Condiments, Marinades)
4. Pharmacy
   • Allergy
   • Pain Relief
   • Cold Medicine
   • Other
5. Baby
   • Diapers/Wipes
   • Food
6. Pet
   • Cat
   • Dog

Below are some common organization methods and some of their pros and cons.  I  can’t emphasize this enough: Come up with a method that you are comfortable with, that minimizes your effort and provides maximum savings.

Binder/Baseball Card Organizer Method: This my method of choice because it allows me to organize every coupon I have and be able to categorize and find them easily. It also makes it easy to find the expiration date.

Filing Whole Inserts: Most deal websites (including this one) show which Sunday insert a coupon came from. For example  50¢ Betty Crocker Brownie Mix  SS 1/2, means you could go to your filed copy of the SmartSource insert from January 2nd and clip out the Betty Crocker coupon.
Pros:  You don’ t have to clip the coupon until you use it. Those you don’t use never get clipped.
Cons:  You don’ t have all your coupons on hand when you are in the store so you have to make a list and cut all your coupons before you go.  They are not as accesible for random clearance deals and you may forget what coupons you have.

4×6 Accordian  File: For this method you get yourself a small plastic accordian file and categorize your coupons in each tab.  I used this method at first but found it drove me nuts once I had a lot of coupons.
Pros:  Small, fits in your purse
Cons:  Difficult to see exactly what coupons you have and when they expire.  This only works well when you have a small number of coupons.

Here are a few links to check out about how to organize your coupons:

Tipnut

Sharing My Two Cents

Won’t Be Soon Before Long

Surviving the Stores