Organize: Coupons

I have been couponing on and off for about a year now. I have gone to strategy classes, read books, and researched how others organize their coupons to best utilize their savings. I don't like to spend a lot of time clipping, storing, and rummaging through a bunch of clippings in order to save $0.40 on eight items (and only then, if its not expired). At the same time, a tight budget means more motivation for me to figure out a way to make it work for me. In that effort, I have taken little bits of different strategies to make my own, and I am constantly revamping it.

For me, a physical organizational system is key to getting me to actually give it a shot. It also must be attractive, so I am happy (or even excited) to use it. Again, I couldn't find something that fit my personal organizational needs, so I buckled down and made my own. Yes, I am posting it as a freebie too.

Now the physical organization takes an initial time investment. But it is well worth it when you don't have to spend the time looking for lost and crumpled coupons floating around in your purse and pocket (yes, personal experience does help the cause on this one...)

First: collect your coupons. (Expired coupons can be donated to the military! Did you know that? Just found out myself!)

Second: Separate your coupons into categories. (ie. Food, beauty, pets, etc.) I used tabs in my binder for each of my categories. I also made the divider pages to go with it. You can find them here:
Coupon Binder Dividers

Next, organize coupons as desired within the selected category. I use a new page for each type of coupon. For example, in the food section I have a page for dairy coupons, a separate coupon for frozen, etc. I've made it easier to tell what page I'm looking at by attaching a tag to the pocket with a paper clip (that way, they are still movable should the need arise). These can be found here
Coupon Binder Organizer Tabs. You will find my flag tags for types of coupons, along with months, "use by" tags (that can be laminated for reuse) and store name tags. I also included some blank ones so it is more custom to your personal style. 

I used double sided tape for categories I know I'll keep around as their own page...

For most categories I used paper clips to keep things flexible within the inner workings of the binder. That way, as coupons change in and out I can keep things clearly labeled. I hope these will help you as you organize your coupon loveliness too! Please leave a comment if you do use them and tell me what you think! (or you could leave a comment anyway.)

 There are a variety of different sections but I made sure to include a "Favorite Stores" section to keep my store coupons separate from my manufacturer's coupons. It helps me know where I need to pick certain items up.

As for the "Use by ___" labels, I am not yet organized enough to use them fully. I saw them while internet surfing and thought they were a good idea. Laminate them and use a dry erase marker to keep track of expiration dates, etc. 

Hope you like it! Please,let me know if you do use it! And good luck organizing!