There are several ways you can organize your coupons. Organizing coupons isn’t hard, but it does take a little time and effort. I recommend doing what works for you. You can use the envelope system, accordion style organizers, shoe boxes, file folders, coupon binders, and more.
I tried the coupon binder a couple of years ago and the truth is, my coupon binder didn’t work for me. At one point it did, but I let things go. I got behind with the organizing and it ended up being a pain to keep it up and to carry it around everywhere I went! I ended up giving it away to someone that wanted it and I went right back to my old method of organizing my coupons– the accordion style organizer below.
This accordion style coupon organizer was only $1 at Target! You can also find these organizers at the dollar store. If you want a fancier one, you can pay a few dollars more. The reason I love my coupon organizer is because it’s small enough to fit in my purse! I take it everywhere with me. I never leave it at home because it’s always with me. When I need my coupons, it’s always there.
The great part about these organizers are the slots inside used to keep your coupons organized into categories. I have my coupons organized by the following:
- Freebies
- Groceries
- Restaurants/Fast Food:
- Department Stores
- Rewards Cards
- Gift Cards
Here are a few of the coupons I keep inside each section for when I need them:
1. Freebies: I keep any free coupons I receive in this section. I currently have three free product coupons for Hillshire Farm Products, 1 free class to the Tumble Gym in my area, a free medium cherry limeade or drink at Sonic, and one free bag of Ghirardelli chocolates.
2. Groceries: I keep my manufacturers coupons in this section for any groceries that I need to purchase. Because I only print the coupons I know I need and use, this section doesn’t become out of control. I usually use the coupons up right away on my next shopping trip.
3. Restaurants/Fast Food: I keep coupons such as pizza specials, Sonic specials, Chuck E.Cheese, or any other deals on fast food that may come my way. Although I don’t eat a lot of fast food, these come in handy when we are on the go or if we need a quick meal to pick up in the evenings!
4. Department Stores/Retail Stores: I keep coupons such as Bed Bath & Beyond coupons, Bath & Body Works coupons, and JCPenney coupons and more in this section.
5. Rewards Cards: I keep rewards cards such as my Walgreens Balance Rewards card, Once Upon a Child rewards card, Commissary rewards card and more in this section.
6. Gift Cards: I keep all of my gift cards in this section. I currently have a Lowe’s gift card, Walmart gift card, Starbucks gift card, and an Olive Garden gift card in this section.
Organizing my coupons this way works for me. I like to have everything I need in one place. Every now and then I take a few minutes to go through the organizer and toss any expired coupons. If this organizational method doesn’t work for you because you need more space, then you could always purchase a larger accordion style organizer or move up to the coupon binder.