Simple Coupon Book Organizing

couponbook2 225x300 Simple Coupon Book Organizing

If you are new here at Mojo Savings, you may be a little overwhelmed and wondering, “Where do I start?”. 

When I first started really getting into couponing, I felt like I had to go out and get every deal that came along. Not true. Start slow. Not every deal will be what you or your family needs/wants. That’s ok. And even if you miss a deal, that’s ok too. It will come back around again!

First things first, “Where do I find coupons?”.

1) Your Sunday Paper – There are usually 2 coupon inserts per week but this varies.
2) Printable Coupon Sites – Coupons.com, Cool Savings, Smart Source, Red Plum, and PP Gazette are all good places to print free coupons. 
3) Websites – Often times individual companies will offer coupons on their own sites.

coupons 300x184 Simple Coupon Book Organizing

Let me warn you, it is easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of coupons you can accumulate in such a short amount of time. My suggestion is to only print and cut out the coupons that you will use. I don’t cut coupons just to have the coupon. (I got so backed up during the Holidays that I actually had coupons on my printer that had already expired!!)

Now that you have some coupons, let’s address the question, “How do I organize my coupons?”.

There are many different ways to organize your coupons and they are all good ways. The trick is to find what works for you – and this may take some trial and error.

I have gone through several methods and am still tweaking my current one to make it just a little better. I have tried keeping all my inserts and dating them, but found this too cumbersome when I needed to hit the store. I also tried keeping a notebook folder with baseball card inserts to hold the coupons. I didn’t like having to fold all my coupons to fit the tiny squares.

Which led me to my current system. I was given a Photo album that is approximately 6″x8″ and holds 4×6 photos (pictured above). It has a 1″ binder and about 50 sleeves inside. When I saw it, I knew it would be an improvement over what I had going (which was a mess!). 

couponpage 300x183 Simple Coupon Book Organizing

All I did was take sticky labels, hand wrote categories on them and stuck them to the individual pockets. (I prefer specific categories because then I don’t have to search through 50 coupons to find the right one.) This is really so simple it’s almost embarrassing…lol. I like the size of it because it isn’t big and bulky. It is always ready to hit the store. 

Make your categories ones you can work with. Remember, this is your book and needs to be functional for you! 

Here are my categories:
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes/Floss
Mouthwash
Deodorant
Hair Care
Body Wash & Soap
Razors & Shave Cream
Medicine
Feminine Products
Band Aids & Cut Relief
Vitamins
Lotions
Cleaning Products
Laundry
Dishwasher Detergent
Dish Soap
Air Fresheners & Candles
Paper Products
Coffee, Tea & Creamer
Juice
Baking Needs
Soup
Breakfast Items
Biscuits & Rolls
Potatoes, Pasta & Rice
Pizza
Snacks, Chips & Crackers
Lunch Items
Meats
Yogurt & Dairy
Frozen Vegetables
Canned Vegetables
Frozen Dinners
Fruits
Condiments
Candy
Desserts & Sweets
Household (batteries, light bulbs..)
Pets
Toys
Trash Bags & Ziploc Bags 

I hope this helps you see that your coupon book doesn’t have to be fancy-smancy. Find what works for you.

Do you have any suggestions on how to improve my system? What do you find works best for you? I am always open to new ideas!! Let us know in a comment.

  • Share/Bookmark
Print

If you like this blog please take a second and subscribe to my rss feed

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments: 12 comments

All the fields that are marked with REQ must be filled

  • Danielle
    January 4th, 2010 at 1:47 pm

    I really like your newest suggestion of organization!! I have been trying to do the baseball card holder way & it’s just not working…I may have to switch to the photo holders!! Thanks for the tip :)

  • dawn
    January 4th, 2010 at 2:02 pm

    i have been using a file type but i am really thinking strong toward some pencil bags that go inside of binders. this way you can zip them shut plus they are inexsensive and no way they can slide out as you are flipping your pages! Will be donig that soon and hope it helps someone else with an idea.

  • admin
    January 4th, 2010 at 2:17 pm

    Dawn,
    That’s a neat idea about the pencil holders. I hadn’t thought of that. But, then again, I promised myself I wasn’t going to spend any money on a new system…lol. Where can you get those the cheapest?
    Lisa

  • Sara
    January 4th, 2010 at 2:51 pm

    I’m currently using a small accordian folder for mine, but I do get frustrated that 13 slots don’t allow for very specific categories. I end up with conglomerates like pasta/cereal/crackers and then find myself wondering if that’s where I should file one for rice. But, the ability to open it up and easily grab out of all the categories for a shopping trip is convenient, plus it fits nicely in the purse I already use. The big “pocket” at the front I use for a small notepad for shopping lists, a pen, and the coupons I plan to use on my current trip.

  • Katarina
    January 4th, 2010 at 3:02 pm

    GREAT idea Lisa! I’ve been thinking of tweaking my system too (baseball cards holders) because I too have a HUGE pile of printables and inserts! My mom is coming to visit me next week and I was going to make her cut them all! I may have to go get a photo album! And I also like the pencil holder idea Dawn!

  • dawn
    January 4th, 2010 at 3:07 pm

    i was thinking about checking the dollar stores! plus i will be able to keep a pen or two in the case.In the long run i think it will be easier to open the book to get to the pencil holders just sit it in the shopping cart faceing upward.Plus the printed coupons should fit into them nicely. that will be a project for me this weekend.

  • admin
    January 4th, 2010 at 3:12 pm

    Dawn,
    Be sure to give us an update when you finish yours!
    Lisa

  • Alana
    January 4th, 2010 at 3:32 pm

    My sister does it this way also.

    http://www.justniftythrifty.com

    I still stick with the baseball cards

  • admin
    January 4th, 2010 at 3:36 pm

    Alana,
    Good for you. You have to do what works for you!
    Lisa

  • Tonya
    January 4th, 2010 at 8:18 pm

    I have a regular 3 inch binder. For each category I took a letter envelope and hole punched it to fit in the binder. I stick my coupons inside and tuck the flap into the envelope. It also has pockets in it so I keep rebate forms and coupons I haven’t got around to cutting in those. It works well for me and I’ve decorated it with random free stickers I’ve gotten. Also if I’m going to a certain store like Walgreens or Target I can just take out that stores envelope. :)

  • admin
    January 4th, 2010 at 8:28 pm

    Tonya,
    Sounds like you found a great system!
    Lisa

  • Rebecca
    January 4th, 2010 at 9:02 pm

    It looks great! Dollar store is a good idea, I bet they would have photo albums there!

Leave a reply

Name (Req)

E-mail (Req)

URI

Message

Subscribe for Free via email:

Delivered by FeedBurner


Giveaways

Check Back Soon...

Categories

    open all | close all