Getting Started: Coupon Organization

There's no right or wrong way to organize your coupons.  You have to use whichever method is right for you.  If you are just starting out you may find it easy to just use an envelope, but if you have been doing this awhile you many need something bigger.  Here are some ideas for organization:

1. envelope - use a plain letter envelope to store your coupons. You may want to have one envelope for food and grocery items and one for personal care, toiletries, pet items, etc.  Keep like coupons together with paper clips so you can easily flip through them as you make your way through the store.
2. coupon organizer - these are a little larger and have divided sections for keeping like coupons together.  They usually have some sort of clasp to keep them closed. 
3. empty check book cover - if you aren't going to carry a lot of coupons with you, ask at your bank for an extra check book cover and use that to carry your coupons in. 
4. 3 ring binder - method is for those who carry a lot of coupons with and like to be organized at the store.  Try to find a zippered one so if it gets turned on it's side you won't loose everything tucked inside.
5. box - you can use some sort of box to store, sort and carry your coupons in.  I have seen shoe boxes used, large recipe boxes and plastic containers with lids. 

Whichever method you use, I highly recommend keeping coupons in some sort of order that follows the way the stores are laid out.  I also really recommend making sure your name and contact info are on your organizer also, it's easy to misplace your coupons, and with the amount of time invested in clipping and printing you are going to want to make sure that you get it back if it's lost. 

I started out using envelopes with paper clips, and then moved up to the coupon organizer, but these didn't seem to work for me.  I had too many coupons and they were taking over my purse - my purse had become a coupon bag and nothing more. 

I switched to the 3 ring binder method of organizing and I LOVE it!  A friend of mine (Thanks, Dawn!) suggested trying it and I am so glad that she did.  I was able to find one for .99 and it's a really nice one.  It has a zipper and a zippered pouch on the outside where I store my lists.  It has an accordian type area where I keep copies of store coupon policies and extra coupon books that I find at the store.  It also has a zippered section where I carry a pair of scissors and pens.  I found a free zippered pencil pouch that I put in there to hold some coupons if I need to set them aside for any reason.  I have divided it in sections by products.  I used file folders to make the dividers for the sections.  My coupons are kept in plastic pages that can be purchased at any hobby store or office supply store.  I use the baseball card size pages for smaller coupons and then I found some pages that hold 4X6 photos that I store larger coupons and internet printed coupons.  Here's a couple photos of my organizer so you can get an idea of what I am trying to explain here:

I organized it so that when it sits in the seat of the cart I can flip through the pages and see each coupon and it's information (exp date, value, size, etc).

My divided sections are as follows:

Stores - this is where I keep store specific coupons

Hang-tags/Wine-tags

Beverages
Snacks, crackers, cookies
Cereals, granola bars
Sauces, spreads, canned items
Breads, pasta, rices, spices
Dairy, yogurt, frozen produce
Meats, frozen pizza
Toothpaste, brushes, mouthwash
Razors, shave cream
Personal hygeine items
Baby
Hair care, body wash, soap, deodorant, medicine, first aid, Q-tips, make-up
Office supplies, school supplies
Cleaning, laundry, paper products, bug control
Pets
Toys, games

Making the switch over to this method was a little time consuming, but well worth it.  The time that I spend setting it up has helped me save time everytime I file coupons or go shopping.  If you are going to be serious about coupons (and why wouldn't you?) and use them as a regular part of your shopping trips I highly recommend the binder method for organization.  Remember, you aren't clipping all the coupons that you get, you are only putting coupons in your binder that you KNOW you are going to use.