Organizing Your "Carry To Store" Coupons

[nrpeace17]

BzyBee, your briefcase is fabulous! I do something like this, but on a smaller scale.

[BamaLady]

Went to the local office supply place this morning and ordered this:

http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?...1602&An=browse

Well, the one I saw in their catalog is similar, just a tad smaller in height.

I've got to have something better than an envelope that keeps falling down out of the seat of the cart.

In my post further back upstream, I've gotten a little better organized when in the store, but still need something better, and hope this will be it. I've quit wearing my glasses in, since I can't see the shelves with 'em on anyway. :rolleyes:

Switched from a big billfold to have to keep up with to a pocket sized change holder about the size of a credit card, and fold my green inside it. My store card and driver's license are on my keychain, which is clipped to the basket of the cart.

I guess I'm a sight, with the sale paper all marked up and spread out, coupons clipped to the envelope, writing and figuring furiously as I mumble to myself about cents off how many and expiration dates.

Its fun, though, and my favorite cashier just runs those coupons across the scanner without batting an eye.

For here at the house, I commandeered an old tray out of the 'fridgerator. It works for now to file them by groups: eatable, personal grooming, household, etc. (Necessity is the mother of invention, and as soon as I saw it in the back room, I knew what I could use it for)

The little filer will be here tomorrow, I'll see how it works and let you guys know.

Y'all have fun shopping!

[letsallsucceed]

I am trying to organize my coupons. I have read through the organization thread but am feeling pretty overwhelmed. I am very impressed with the posters in that thread but to me those are advanced techniques Right now I have most of mine still in insert form but it is taking me way to long to dig through and pull the Qs I need.

I am wondering what the experts on the boards opinions are on whether to organize alphabetically or by category.

By category seems more logical to me but sometimes it gets messy and it seems like you need a lot of subcategories to keep everything straight. On the other hand if you do alphabetical... well I have never done it that way so I don't really know.

I am kind of looking for some pros/cons of both methods.

Please help a semi newbie who is drowning in inserts... pretty please? :help:

[queenofthehivemomof5]

i have done it both way with catagories and alphabetical. alphabetical works better for me because there are less binder pages with nothing or little in them that way. And because that is how my mind works. I see snapple on sale..I go to the S page and find my snapple coupons.

[Jinxy]

Right now I have a binder filed by category, but I have been thinking of changing it to alphabetically.

[jonnysmomma]

i have mine in categories but Im thinking that alphabetically might be better, but id need to get a bigger binder/folder for my coupons but thats not in the cards at the moment. For some reason im able to recall most of my coupons(the ones I have set aside as "trade" coupons as well as my own personal coupons) from memory. I dont always remember the value of the coupons but thats ok. I have been really into couponing for a couple months now and I have a very nice stockpile to show for it. *grin* My hubby had to sit me down and tell me that i dont need EVERY good deal, just cause its there. And hes right....Stockpile the heck outta TP but leave the oatmeal bowls alone already(im drowning in them) Pick and choose your stockpiling battles!

[sbp]

I have mine by category for a couple of reasons.

I don't have to be constantly moving the coupons around because I'm just close enough to being anal that if I had them alphabetical they'd all have to be truly alphabetical and not just with the A's together..

Also, it's nice to have them by category so that if I'm in the toilet paper aisle (just as an example) and I REALLY need toilet paper whether its a good deal or not, I can look at the shelf prices and all my toilet paper coupons at once and work out the best deal, instead of flip flopping around to C for cottonelle and Charmin and then to Q for Quilted Northern, etc.

When I first started my binder, I actually sorted by month of expiration and drove myself crazy with that, so switched over to category.

The great news is that there is no right answer here. Everyone has their own system that works best for them, it just takes some experimenting to come up with the best way for you!!

[nrpeace17]

Category filing works for me. GASP, I don't use the binder method.

[YouPdWhat]

This is what works best for me. I have a small area I keep my inserts in. When I get them I put the date at the top, they are then put in a stack by date. I only pull & cut when there is something I need or when there is one that you know will be a good one. I have 4 small couopn organizers. I have 2set up by stores ( 2 slots for each store ), 1 I use for WT's / peelies / tear pads, etc., the last one I use for those coupons that are good ones that could be used at any time. I have an over the shoulder very light weight small tote that I put everything in ( I have left mine too many times in the store / cart to carry in single ).

[tamsour]

I am strange... I do it both ways.

My food binder is by category. because that is how I shop, I know I need frozen breakfast items and I don't care which brand, I just want frozen breakfast items at a good price.

However on my HBA binder I have it alphabetized. I know I need 3 lorel products to get my ECB, so I flip to the L page and browse for Lorel coupons.

See my difference?