How Do You Organize Your Coupons? - Garland,TX

I use a 3 ring binder and the clear sheets my hubby used to use for baseball cards. I have I think 8 sheets and they are each organized to how I move through my regular store. Snack items, dairy, baby, bath, condiments etc, etc.

Once or twice a month I look through them and pull out expired ones. With the pockets its easy to fold them so you can see the expiration date just by glance. You can also use more sheets so that I literally have a ppocket for every item. i don't use a ton because I dont buy many prepackaged foods but use mostly the toiletries, household goods etc.

I do not go to multiple stores either. Most everything I get at Fry's (Kroger for other states). Even if I know somewhere else may have it for $.50 or so cheaper it's not worth my time or gas. Any other prices that are better I go to Wal-mart and price match all of them at once.

Just as an example, last weeks trip was a big one after returning from vacation....pre coupon/ad bill was $288, I paid $170 and this included all meats & produce. For the most part this will last me about 3 weeks aside from the occaisional milk or bread in between.

I actually find it fun now, it used to drive me nuts though. The binder helped alot! Easy to always have with me in case I need to stop.

I use one of the classic coupon organizers with the tabs by category (dairy, cleaning supplies, pastas, etc.) I try to keep them in order by expiration date in each pocket, but they get mixed up often. I try to go through it once in a while so I can take inventory and see if anything is about to expire. My husband and I want to get a binder to put them into with the plastic sheet protectors with pockets for baseball cards. WE would do it by category and then by date, but everything would be laid out on a page for easy visuals.

I went from using a gallon size ziploc bag, to a regular coupon organizer for years. It looks like a giant wallet.

Now I use nothing again...because everytime we move those coupons don't work in the new city.

Good question...I'll be coming back to get ideas.

I organize mine according to what they are...

Household goods
Frozen foods
Snacks
Meat
Dairy

and so on

Then I place like items together and put them in order of expiration date, earliest to latest. Then I paperclip them together and put them in a little accordion folder that is easier to take into the store with me.

Every week when I clip coupons I sort them and then go through my different sets. If I know a coupon is going to expire before I get to the store I go ahead and take it out.

Then when I am ready to make a list and go shopping, I go through all the local adds and my commisary's website and match up what's on sale. I make my list according to store and clip the coupons I am using at a particular store together and put them in the front of my accordion folder with a little sticky that says what store those coupon's are for.

When I get to the store, I only take out the coupons I am going to use at that store. If I end up not using them, I put them in the back of the folder when I leave so that I don't get them confused with the other coupons. Then when I get home I put them back where they belong.

I have one of those small accordion wallet types. I organize each pocket by how my grocery store is laid out. If I know that the produce department is first, followed by the bread, then condiments, then soup etc. Those coupons will be in the first few pockets, because I will need them first. If I know I have a coupon for something, I will pull the coupon as I put the item in the cart. That way I know if I need/want to get two if the coupon calls for it.

I stopped cutting mine until I plan to use them. It was terrible trying to organize them all the time.

I actually put mine in a small photo album. I really don't sort it as it has only 100 pages. I just flip through it once a week and put all the ones about to expire in one place. If I see a sale I have a good idea where that coupon is and see if it is worth it. If I am not going to use it I actually leave them on a counter near the enterance with other clipped coupons or in the rack with the flier.