Couponing Tips 2: updated binder storage for printed coupons and what I do with the leftover ones

So my printed coupons have grown. My original idea worked pretty swell but I needed a bit more division and organization.  So when I saw some binders and tabs and little pockets marked 1/2 off in the school clearance section of my local CVS-I grabbed what I could. This is what I came up with, mind you-everyone has their own style of keeping their coupons, and this seems to work best for me. It may be too cumbersome for you or simply not your style-so be sure to search the web and the great couponing sites for more ideas.

I put together three binders. Two for regular products (divided into sections based on the isles at the store I shop at the most) and one for organic stuff.  I also took the tabs and duct taped the old ones to the new ones (Spider Man theme there, hey that was like 80% off so why not? Saving is important ya know) to bump the tabs out far enough to be equal the coupon holding sheets. Yes, it hangs out over the edge but I don't mind.  It doesn't look all nice and tidy-but it was not spency to build. And I am all for not putting out extra cash for this project.


My goal is to get the organic book the sheets I have in the other ones, but for now these pocket things will do. I added a piece of card stock to divide up the pocket to give me two sides, just like in the horizontal clear pockets in the other binders.  It works. I also took 3 of the pockets and folded the top corner down to make an envelope tucked edge for the three stores I get the most Catalinas from...Meijer, Kroger and CVS.

That way they don't go flying all about when I open it or pull the binder in and out of the bag I carry these in. Oh, and now I finally have a bag that I can carry all the binders in when I go shopping too!  Got it for free using my points the Kelloggs Rewards program. I guess it is sorta free-after all I had to buy Kelloggs products to earn points to get it-but hey, we ate, we enjoyed and now I have a cute Toucan Sam bag to hold it all.

This bag goes with me to the store, even tho the green one will already have my lists/coupons for that store already organized in (pencil) pouches.  Rarely will I go into a store without this.  If I see something I can score a great deal on and I 'forgot' the bag in the car-I will go back out and get it.  Otherwise, if it is at home and I have made a 'quick' stop for something-I will jot a note about it, then go back next time I pass the store to get the products.  But yes-this puppy is my baby and it shops with me. I will pull out and find additional coupons for non-advertised items and clearance goodies. I have walked out the stores with some 'almost paid nothing for' items by having this with me! Love when that happens!

And if you are curious what I do with all the coupons I get each Sunday-well, I go thru each one (piling up and matching pages from the individual flyers) cutting out only those coupons I know that I know we will use or will even consider. Then I put all the same pages together, tuck them into the outer fold of each flyer (Red Plum, Smart Source and Proctor and Gamble) then pen the date on the top outside cover, and put into large Ziplock bags by months.

When I am doing my lists/pulling matching coupons prior to shopping (by going thru several couponing sites to see store match ups) I may decide to purchase something that I did not cut the coupon for. All I do then is find the correct month packet and go to the listed flyer and grab the coupon(s). This extra coupon thing can get pretty bulky and heavy-so it stays at home. I do all my planning before walking out the door-so I rarely have one of those, "Shucks! I don't have that coupon on me!" moments.  If I do spot something I know I have a coupon for at home-I jot down the store name, item and then can go home and pull it for another time that I may be going by the store.

And that is the basic way I store and use my coupons.