Many of you have asked me how I store and haul my coupons. I’m not going to lie: I have yet to perfect my system(s), but with each attempt, it seems to be getting easier as I go! I’ll take you through my coupon storage evolution, and perhaps you will find a system that meets your needs along the way.
Particularly if you are a couponing newbie, I know storing and organizing your coupons can be quite daunting and prove to be an overwhelming task, to say the least. I’ll confess that I still find the process a bit too much at times, and I’ve been couponing my entire adult life. Truth be told, most Sundays, I dread the task of clipping and organizing; sometimes it drags in to Mondays as well. (Does that make anyone feel better???)
The Envelope – For years, I carried a small, laminated envelope around in my purse. (I believe it was an extra “thank you note”-sized one.) This worked fine for my needs at the time: it fit in my purse (which was exponentially smaller in my younger, pre-mommy days!), and held about two or three dozen coupons. Being the hyper-organized person, I still had them in a categorized order, even within the small envelope.
NOTE: Some people use a more complex “envelope system” to store and organize their coupons. Most will keep a set of envelopes in a shoe box, or similar sized container. Each envelope will hold a category of coupons.
The Expanding Coupon File/Accordian – I found a plastic expanding coupon accordian holder for about $3 at Big Lots a few years ago, and happily used this for quite a while. Even with the small(er) pre-mommy purse, the coupon file was portable enough to fit in my purse. It had about 13 sections, which I labeled based on categories that made sense to me. This worked when I was still heavily buying store brand items, but occasionally kept my eye open for deals on select other products. You can pick one up at Target for under $5.
If you haven’t the time, desire, or resources to create your own coupon binder, OR if you wish to surprise a couponing friend with a gift, I suggest The Coupon Clutch. It’s a super cute, highly fashionable binder, and available in various styles. It remains on my wish list.
Another option is the Coupon Magic Organizer. This is a system, including a 2″ zippered 3-ring binder, comes equipped with all the materials you’ll need to get started. You can buy individual pieces for an existing coupon binder you may have, or purchase the entire system — all in one place. With both The Coupon Clutch and the Coupon Magic Organizer, there are almost always coupon codes floating around — I suggest trying Retail Me Not, or a good ol’ Google search.
There are, of course, many other ways to organize your coupons. Some use an envelope and box system, as I mentioned earlier. This is a modified version of the coupon binder, in my eyes; it just uses envelopes instead of binder pages to hold the coupons. My friend Heather, over at Family Friendly Frugality, uses a large accordian folder to hold entire inserts — she eliminates the clipping all together by keeping track of her coupons on the Coupon Database!
Whichever way you choose, you need to make it a system that works for you. Don’t make it more work than it needs to be for you. Most importantly, keep your eyes on the prize: having a method in which to store and organize your coupons, to help you save more money each and every time you shop! :o)
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--Barbara
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