Before I began couponing in earnest, my organization method for coupons involved clipping a few, putting them in a kitchen drawer and then forgetting about them when I went shopping. Please tell me I’m not the only one who has ever done that! I missed out on a lot of savings because I didn’t have any idea how to organize my coupons.
Needless to say, when I decided to see how much I could save by using coupons combined with other savings strategies, it quickly became apparent that I was going to need to figure out an effective way to organize my coupons.
The Clipless System
Over the last year or so, I’ve tried several systems and decided that the system that works best for me is the clipless, file-the-inserts-whole system. Except for clipping a few coupons that I know I’ll use, I keep my inserts in tact, storing them by date in hanging file folders in a small file box. Before a shopping trip, I take about ten or twenty minutes to scan the coupon match ups at BeCentsAble’s Grocery Gathering and clip the coupons I need. I put the rest of the insert back in the file folder, and I keep them for about four months. By then, 99% of the coupons have expired.
The biggest downside of the clipless system is that occasionally, I will have to pass up a good deal on an unadvertised or clearance item because I don’t have all my coupons with me. However, clipping the coupons for items I buy frequently (like cereal and my hubby’s favorite granola bars) has all but solved this problem. I love that this system takes so little time to maintain.
For more details and answers to frequently asked questions about the clipless system, read this article here. Heather from NWA Deals also wrote a guest post about her experience with the clipless system here.
Accordion or Shoe Box File
Instead of storing inserts whole, some people prefer to clip every coupon and file them in a box or an accordion file. Clipping and organizing every coupon takes time each week, but the benefit is that you can take all your coupons with you when you go shopping so you’ll never have to miss out on a good deal.
Check out this post at Tip Nut for details on these methods of coupon organization.
Coupon Binder
Using a binder filled with baseball card holders or plastic photo sleeves makes it easy to display coupons. Again, the benefit of this system is that you can take all your coupons with you when you go shopping, or you can flip through your binder to find the coupon you need rather than flipping through whole inserts and clipping the coupon before shopping. The downside is that you’ll have to spend time each week clipping coupons and folding them to fit in the plastic pockets. Read more about how to make a coupon binder here.
If you choose to use the accordion file, shoe box or coupon binder, you will have to decide how to organize coupons within that system. Some people organize alphabetically while others organize by product category or by area of the store. A few organize by expiration date.
For more ideas about ways to organize coupons, read the comments of this post. There is no perfect system—you have to make a decision about what system will work best for you, and that make take a bit of trial and error. Whatever method you choose, organization and savings go hand in hand and the better organized you are, the less time it will take to save a significant amount on your grocery bill.
