Organizing Your "Carry To Store" Coupons

[jennneuman]

I got a binder and photo pages, perfect for coupons, now do I categorize or alphabetize? If you categorize could you list your catagories please? Thanks for the help.

:yourock:

[luvmy3boys]

I do mine by sections at the grocery store. First section is meats, then veggies, then dairy, then frozen, then canned, then snack, then health and beauty which is broken down by hair, tp/feminine, toothpaste stuff, make-up, then I have a household cleaning and then a misc. section.

[JANE4girls]

since all my stores are set up different I do ABC order.

all my free item coupons go on the first page, so I can keep track of them better.

then my coupons by category, not brand

baked goods
cereal
cooking
crackers
dairy
fruit...

if I have coupons that are get xyz wyb lmo, I put one in both sections so I don't lose track of them.

[6months]

I don't use a binder, but my coupons are set up in categories. Meats, Veggies, Dairy, etc. I tried doing alphabetizing but didn't like it.

[queenofthehivemomof5]

I have 3 binders (LOL)

1 binder is small it is for my "Hotties"

Sections in this Binder are
-Frees
-Winetags
-Hotties
-Albertsons
-Dons
-Kmart
-Smiths
-Walgreens
-Walmart
-Other

In the individual store sections I put rainchecks, coupons I know I can get free/cheap stuff at that store etc.

The "Other' category is for the occasional restraunt coupon, pizza coupon, office depot coupon, or local downtown store coupon that I might run across. Like I found a Hastings bookstore coupon the other day in the parking lot or the Hallmark 20% off coupon I found in the local newspaper.

My 2nd binder is for "food" and the pages are marked A through Z with a page for #'s. 3rd binder is for "non food" and it too is listed A-Z with a page for #'s.

Alphbeticaly just seems to work better for me. I have changed my system too many times to count to try and find a better and more efficiant system. I have done categories but it just does not work for me. My brain likes it A-Z.

And yes I DO take all 3 binders with me when I go weekly shopping. I work from the first binder but tuck the other two under the cart just incase I find a clearance or unadvertised deal. People usually thinkg I work for the store because I have a binder and a palm pilot out and they think I am doing inventory or something, so I get asked all the time where stuff is located. Funny thing is, I can tell them 99% of the time what aisle something is on. LOL

[queenofthehivemomof5]

For those using binders, just gotta say that I got some photo album pages (had the hardest time finding top loading pages!) and buisness card pages at Office Depot. And I am LOVING it! The photo sized pages are great for tearpads and the larger betty crocker/GM coupons and the buisness card pages...perfect for peelies! The buisness card pages load from the side down the middle (10 slots per page 5 on each side opening for both sides is down the middle) and now all my peelies dont fall out.

Anyways thought I would share.

[mebarnet]

I use 2 of the 4x6 x 12" long photo storage boxes. One has all of my different tabs for grocery items; frozen, canned, dairy, etc. then I have tabs for grocery stores albertsons, winn dixie, publix and once I know what is on sale, I match the coupons to the ad and put it under that specific tab for the store. I generally do not shop until Sun, mon or tues so I can take advantage of any new q's for that ad that may happen to come out on that Sun. I hate grocery shopping! Also under the store tabs are copies of their coupon policies if I have them and printed online shopping list if available.

Same with my other box which is for hba. Tabs for TP, shampoo / conditioner, etc. then tabs for cvs, walgreens, target, kmart and walmart.

I carry both boxes with me at all times.

I generally do not cut coupons for food items that I do not use or buy on a regular basis but save them in file folders with the date on them. IN each file folder at home, at the front I have a printed list of all of the q's in that weeks ss. I then have another copy of the list in a binder next to my bed which is where I do my organizing while watching tv or whatever.

I did start cutting all of the hba q's though and that is why I have a seperate box for those. I have kicked myself way too many times for seeing a great clearance item I could get cheap or even free but it was not something I normally buy so I didn't have the q. It is worth it to me to carry them all around and it has come in so handy the last few weeks alone during my cvs and wag trips.

The boxes seemed bulky at first but they have worked out great and if I find anything in the store, I just stash it in the front of the box until I can get home and organize it.

As for my home binder. I have one section with the lists of the SS, another section that has current and upcoming ads for cvs and wag so I can flip through and q match the ads (I also have brown large mailer envelopes here so when I do match q's to future ad items, I can mark the ad that I have q's and stick them in the envelope as I find them), another section for rebates I am working on so I can try to match also and for the far dated rebates, I q match and wait for the item to go on sale and then lastly, because of how grocery ad's run, I stick those in the back.

This is the 4th system or so that I have tried and while the boxes were bulky in the beginning, it is so worth it with the extra money I have saved because I had just the right coupon.

[kem]

I use a binder. The 5 year old twin boys are my helpers, they remove my scraps with there toy trators with loaders and wagons. This makes it fun for all!

[WigWamChic]

I am currently using a system of envelopes cut in half double sidetaped to my fridge I am thinking of migrating to a binder style system of some sort.

[tightwadtips]

OK, I have currently had to upgrade, AGAIN, to a bigger coupon box. Now I am using, get ready........a TOOL BOX! I looked around for something that I had, cause I'm too cheap to buy anything, and found it with just a couple of things in it, that I moved to another toolbox. (DH is a *automotive techinician* - don't call him a mechanic, it irritates him, LOL.) So I took a piece of cardboard and divided it down the center, and used one side for food, and the other for everything else. This system seems so much easier, because I don't have to wade through the food at CVS to get to the soap. I also cut a brownie mix box in half and put one half on each side, in the back of the box. (Got this idea here, thanks ladies!) I labeled one box CVS-for all the coupons I have lined up to use at CVS in the next three weeks, and one for This Trip-so that when I pull one out to use them, it goes in the box. The best part is, that I have a ton of little compartments for paperclips, rubber bands, scissors, etc. The bad part is, I have to catch flack from friends and family about my jumbo coupon box, hubby or kids won't carry it, LOL.
This system should last me for quite a while though, as I have plenty of room to grow in it. If I upsize again, I'll have to go to the briefcase, because even though the binder sounds great, I do not have the stomach to buy something that is just for one purpose and give that much money for it. (I did run into a lady at CVS the other day who did though, and she used the Grocery Game. When she was telling me about it, I told her I would just stick to what I was using, because you guys know everything I need to know for free, and I get to make good friends along the way.)