Organizing Your "Carry To Store" Coupons

[Felt Like Knitting]

I now cut everything since I'm trading. (I'm still trying to figure out if this is better than leaving them in the inserts.) I leave the trading coupons at home. My "keep" binder has photo sheets. My friend Unsinkable inspired me to put an index card in each divider. That way I can have coupons facing the front on both sides. I use categories (hot cereal, cold cereal, spaghetti sauce, makeup, etc.).

I make my grocery list and pull the coupons I need ahead of time. They are attached to my list and slipped under a large rubber band that holds my binder closed. If I am taking advantage of a special deal on something I usually don't buy, I pull those coupons from my "trade" coupons and take those with me, too.

I'm still learning and fine-tuning my system! :)

[skboren]

I just got back from Walmart. I found the baseball card sleeves/pages in the front with all the collectors and sports cards, between the registers and the book/magazine area. I got a package of 66 pages for $6.97, "Ultra-Pro Hologram Series". The one other option was for a pack of 30-something pages, same type/brand, for $4.99.

[parkgirk]

I use a plastic organizer right now, but am looking for a better solution. i haven't had much luck in finding anything useful. Are there good stores and locations to find something that is portable yet sturdy?

Thanks!

[FutureCouponer]

I use a plastic organizer right now, but am looking for a better solution. i haven't had much luck in finding anything useful. Are there good stores and locations to find something that is portable yet sturdy?

Thanks!

If your open to a binder, Big Lots has 3" zippered binders (Mead/Five Star brand) for $7.. The night before I found that I searched online everywhere and couldn't find one that big with a zipper.. I almost ordered one on ebay for close to $20. I am loving the one from Big Lots, it has pockets on the inside for whatever you can imagine putting in there. Very sturdy.

[Terri4548]

Has anyone tried Mrs. A's coupon organizer or the coupon organizer dot com, price planner? I need a binder and I would prefer that is more the size of a day planner than a regular size 3 ring binder. Thanks

[want-to-save]

For those using binders with baseball card pages...

are you putting one coupon per slot? Or multiples of same product/manu per slot (using only one side of the sheet)? Or putting 2 coupons per slot (one facing each way)?

thx

[andryia]

Wow, I am really impressed by how well organized some of you are. Here's a tip for those of you who are busy/lazy like me and don't like to clip entire inserts. I just pull out my entire insert and put it in a drawer, placing the new one on top of the stack. They are ordered by date this way, and I use the boards and the coupon database to figure out which coupons (from which inserts) go with that week's sales.

When it's time to shop, I use the date printed on the insert to find the one I want, and clip only the coupons for the items on my list. The drawback is that this method doesn't work for spontaneous couponing like when you see a good clearance deal. The upside is that now I dont' feel like a failure for letting weeks of coupons pile up without clipping them. :)

Andrea

[BKHayes]

OK - I'm a newbie - tell me about trades - do you post online or just trade with friends?

[school_sucks]

since its winter I carry my coupons in the many pockets of my coat for multiple stores sales and those that im looking for deals on, then i have my 13 pocket file for the rest that i cut to use sometime, and the inserts go in a folder. i really need a better meathod

[Smiles4U]

For those using binders with baseball card pages...

are you putting one coupon per slot? Or multiples of same product/manu per slot (using only one side of the sheet)? Or putting 2 coupons per slot (one facing each way)?

thx

i only put one coupon/multiples of the same coupon in one slot only using one side of the sheet. If the coupon is too large and I have to fold it, I try to fold it such that I can see the experation date on one side or the other. That way I don't have to pull them out to check experations.

I also buy 6 papers per week, so I don't have a lot of extra room in my slots.

HTH