Let's talk about coupon storage systems

**Cricketlegs** · 09-05-2011, 12:15 PM

Coupon storage is so important! I tried 3 systems before I ended up with one that works for me.

I have the CaseIt 5 inch zippered binder with a 3 inch set of rings and a 1 and 1/2 set of rings(I think it's one and one half). It cost $25. I got it on the case it site.

Next I got Avery inserts. They were a PAIN to find as they are discontinued but I wanted the ones that have 3 sleeves per page as well as a one inch end for labeling the coupons. The top one on each page has to have a paper clip put on it as the coupons want to slide out...a NIGHTMARE I do NOT want to ever have to deal with in the middle of CVS! LOL.

I have 3 groups- Grocery, HB and As and Household.

They are separated with hard plastic color dividers that have plastic pockets on each side .

The first page of my binder has slots for "This Week" then "Check Out" then "Refile". As I shop I slide the coupons, my store card, and my CVS or other store bucks into the "Checkout" so when I get to the checkout they are all there waiting for me.

Refile is for any coupons I decide not to use although I always try to go ahead and put them back into their real "home". This week is for any deals going on I want to make sure I remember as this binder is HUGE to almost bursting.

I keep all my weekly store ads, my stockpile list, ( still a working list that needs a lot done to it) and my pricebook which has barely even gotten off the ground--a true monster.

A zipper bag for pens, scissors, sticky pads, and paperclips etc.

Notebook paper to keep up with how much I am spending to stay on budget.

I am thinking I need another notebook for just groceries. I tend to do household and HBA's at one time and groceries another but my dd always goes with me so we could benefit from a 2 binder system. I do know I want to get the PriceBook into its own binder. It is huge and covers around 12 seperate stores. Huge.

I tend to usually get 4 papers a week. 8 if it is a good coupon week. Dd cuts them for me and places them in one of the 3 categories and I separate file them and file them. once a month we check for expired coupons and on the last push of the month we pull all the coupons that are about to expire by the end of the month and try and work them.

So what is your system?

**Neeley** · 09-05-2011, 01:43 PM

*3-ring binder with pockets made onto the front and back covers. These pockets hold fast food Q's, mall Q's, list of Q's that are attached to store loyalty cards, rebate forms, etc...
*Combination of 8.5 x 11 baseball card sleeves, 8.5 x 11 photo sleeves in various pocket sizes (some that have two sections, some three, some four etc...)
*Notebook dividers
*A pen/pencil connected to a string that is attached to the binder
*A zipper pouch made for a 3-ring binder holds scissors, calculator when not attached to binder cover, paper clips, binder ring with all store loyalty cards, etc...
*Binder clip on front cover to hold shopping list/notepad
*Calculator attached to inside front cover of binder with velcro
*Laminated manila envelopes attached to inside back cover for Q's I decide not to use and ones I pick up in the store. Another attached to inside front cover to hold Q's for the items I have in the buggy.

I get all of my Q's from internet printings or I buy them from the clipping services. I no longer get papers. Our papers are $2 each and by the time I bought 4-6 of them I spent $8-$12/week ($32-$48/month). I spend an average of $12/month on Q's ordering from the services.

**jas** · 09-05-2011, 03:25 PM

Way to go to the both of you! I go the very lazy route and go to couponmom.com and go to my grocery store list click the things I want to buy and cut them out as I am going to use them. I am sure I miss some awesome deals not having a better system but this is how I am rolling right now.

I print out my list with my cut coupons paperclipped to the front and then as I put the item in my cart I put the coupon on the back side of the list with the back side of the paper clip and when I check out it just grab all the coupons on the back side and give to the cashier. The ones I don't use that trip are still on the front of the list.

I have to say that in the end I have little stacks of unused coupons paperclipped together from each trip. Not the greatest system for sure.

You guys rock with your systems!!

**shoiji** · 09-05-2011, 03:56 PM

I just keep the coupon pamphlets in order by date. Then use the couponmom website when checking for coupons. Cutting out coupons takes time and memory for me. Since I mostly do my shopping at the same store and once a week I can easily cross reference the sales with coupons on this website. She also lists CVS and Family Dollar which are other stores I will go to.

I need to go through mine since I probably have a years worth of pamphlets right now.

**Rhayne** · 09-05-2011, 07:01 PM

I started out with home made accordian coupon holder and hated it. Found this Mead zipper binder in walmart for 10. I wanted the case-it binder that Cricketlegs talks about but couldn't find one. I do love mine though and plan on buying another because I want my groceries in one binder and non groceries in another.

The first picture is an accordian type pocket on the inside.

The second picture is the back where I keep coupon policies and extra baseball sleeves.

The third picture is a look at my categories.

The fourth picture is my binder.

The fifth picture is the front pocket opened.

The sixth picture is of the inside when you open it.

**hotprincesscm** · 09-05-2011, 07:08 PM

Wow, I feel so coupon dislexic, compared to you guys. I have two small storage bins, that I seperate into food, and non food items. I throw them in their appropriate bin. When I am going to go coupon shopping I look through my fliers and then try and fish out the coordinating coupons from their bins. I tried the whole sports card pages thing in the binder but I found the pockets to be too small, and I had to fold the coupons and it just seemed like more of a hassle. I didn't know how to sort them correctly and I felt like a failure. Maybe I need to study your systems to see if I can make it work better. Because the bin thing is awful and it's not portable to take into stores etc. envelopes didn't really work for me either....so I think maybe a binder with picture album inserts might work better for me? I would love one of those nice zippered ones with pockets for fliers and a pen and calculator etc....but one that's not going to cost me an arm and a leg either.

**Rhayne** · 09-05-2011, 07:14 PM

I get a tiny bit annoyed at the size of the baseball card holder sometimes when coupons need to be folded but i don't mind that much. They do make larger ones that are index card sized. I really didn't want to shell out 10 bucks for my binder at the time but I really needed it. I think of it now as an investment and how it saves me time and money and keeps everything together nicely. In total so far I've spent 10 on the binder, 5 on baseball card holders, 2 on full page sleeves and 2 on page dividers.

**frugalwarrior2** · 09-05-2011, 09:16 PM

I use the case it system but broke the zipper. So my new one has 2 ring binders in it. I am trying out a new non food and food format. I too keep pencils,paper clips in a sandwich bag, and a stapler.
I use the baseball card system. Rhayne I fold over and make sure I can see the date on the back. I put the cut but not yet filed coupons in a gallon bag. When we have 4 ads in 10 papers I don't usually file to the next day and shop tues-thurs.

**Rhayne** · 09-05-2011, 09:27 PM

Originally Posted by frugalwarrior2

I use the case it system but broke the zipper. So my new one has 2 ring binders in it. I am trying out a new non food and food format. I too keep pencils,paper clips in a sandwich bag, and a stapler.
I use the baseball card system. Rhayne I fold over and make sure I can see the date on the back. I put the cut but not yet filed coupons in a gallon bag. When we have 4 ads in 10 papers I don't usually file to the next day and shop tues-thurs.

I fold mine over so i can see the expiration date on the back too but sometimes it's a little annoying. But I don't mind since I'm saving money.

**bumplett** · 09-05-2011, 09:31 PM

I use an accordian style box - I could use a few extra catagories, but I just share with others - such as dental & shaving items are together.

**khaski** · 09-06-2011, 07:09 AM

I sue the accordian style one too...and since I always sit down with it and my fliers before heading to the store, I already have my coupons out and grouped for the trip, and it's an easy size to bring along in case there are any unadvertised specials I can match up once I'm there. Consideing getting a second one, though, just for HBA products, that category can get CRAZY int here!

**Cricketlegs** · 09-06-2011, 09:21 AM

Everything is broken down in mine for example.....

I have mens shampoo in one pile and womens shapoo and conditioner in another. Then I have womens style products. Next I have hair dyes.

My system is very detailed.

I have bathroom cleaners in one and kitchen cleaners in another.

In most cases men is separate from women.

In food cereal is in one. Breakfast with oatmeal granola and poptarts in another.

**frugalwarrior2** · 09-06-2011, 09:32 AM

Mine too Cricket. I need a seconds glance so if I see an unadvertised special I am on it. Time is MONEY! Thats why the see thru pages are well worth the investment to me.

**Cricketlegs** · 09-07-2011, 09:26 AM

My dd is so sweet she went in and made all the names of the categories in my binder on the computer in a really cool font and in a different color for each of the grocery hba and household to help me find stuff fast.

In return I bought her binder system for her so that when she gets back onto her feet and in her own place she will already have a working binder system and be familiar with couponing.

Right now we just use my binder as she lives here but she is my partner and right there with me through out the entire process.

I wish I had been able to have coupon knowledge when I was 23 instead of waiting until I was 42!

**krbshappy71** · 09-07-2011, 01:43 PM

I hop online for King Soopers and Safeway, click the checkbox next to items that I might buy. It "sends" the coupons to my coupon card which is really just my phone number. I don't carry the card.

Then I collect coupons from the weekly free paper, cut out what I think I might use. I have a little box, like a treasure chest? Inside that is regular white envelopes that I've handwritten categories on.

Before I go grocery shopping I check my current stash of food, grab my running grocery list through the month, grab any paper coupons I might want, check Blooming Coupons site again, and take one last look at the online grocery store coupons to checkbox any more that showed up since last time I checked it. I take notes on my grocery list so I know what is a paper coupon and what will be taken off at the register, and any specifics that it said online such as "must buy 2" or "limit 3".

The online grocery store coupons I check randomly, "sending" coupons to the card. I figure if I did want those ice cream Drumsticks then hopefully it had a coupon, and if I never did buy those then I'm not out anything sending the coupon just in case. Most coupons that I send aren't for regular staple items, they're my extra fun food stuff anyhow.