My Coupon Binder

Here is how I do my coupons now. I take my binder everywhere I go!! It is always in my car. That way they are always where I am. I got the binder categories here. PYP has a lot of good examples of coupon binders and some that you can even buy all made up for you.
I start again with all 5 coupon packets of each brand.

Then I spread all the pages out. I sort them all this way so I have 5 copies of each page stacked.

Then I staple the coupons together. I just do this so it is easier to cut out. Also this way you get all 5 done at the same time. Just make sure not to staple over the expiration date or the bar code.

When I have all the coupons stapled together I start cutting. This is a stack already cut out.

And this is the mess that I get to clean up!! lol It takes me about 1/2 hour for this process. I do it on Sunday afternoons while my kids are taking a nap. That way it is done for the week.

Once my coupons are clipped I get out this beauty!! I got this binder at Walmart. It is sturdy and zips up. This feature is huge!! You don't want all of your coupons falling out at the store. Not a pretty sight. Your binder also needs to be durable. All your coupons get quite heavy and will go everywhere.

This is the front of my binder. I have a calculator, scissors, and a pen in this pencil case. These pencil cases are only $1.00 at Walmart.

This is a side view f my binder. As you can see it is quite full!!

This is what the binder pages look like. I just got baseball card holders. Some of the coupons need to be folded in order to fit but most snuggle in good. I got these holders at Target. They were at the front of the store. They are kind of tricky to find so just ask if you can't find them right away.

These are all my different categories. I made a category list at the bottom of this post.

I have 2 dividers where I separate food and non food items.

In the front of the binder are some pockets. In the pockets I keep bigger coupons and all the stores weekly ads.
I know that this may seem like a lot of work but it has really saved me time on preparing for my grocery shopping. I make my lists, go to my binder, pull out the coupons, done!! They are already all cut for me. Each week when I put in my new coupons, I just take out the ones that are expired.

Here are the categories:
REBATES: (this first page is where I put anything that is free with mail in rebate. I also put restaurant coupons here)
BABY(Diapers, wipes, snacks, baby food, formula)
BREAD/CEREAL (Cereal, granola bars, breakfast foods, breads, chips/crackers, rice/pasta)
CLEANERS(Floor cleaners, dish cleaners, laundry, bathroom, standard, air fresheners)
DAIRY(cheese, butter/oil, yogurt, misc. dairy)
DESSERT(cookies, frozen dessert, cake/brownie mix, fruit/jello/pudding, drinks, candy, baking goods)
MEAT (poultry, lunchmeat, seasonings/sauces, breakfast meat, misc. meat)
MEDICINE (cold/allergy, pain relievers, misc)-You could add more categories-these are the only ones I keep coupons for
MISC (Sauces/salsa/ketchup,canned goods, frozen goods, salads/dressing, Pets, misc foods, misc household)
PAPER GOODS (kleenex/garbage bags, plates/paper towels, toilet paper, foils/wraps/containers)
PERSONAL HYGIENE (Facial cleansers, Body Wash, Lotion, Toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, Deodorant, shaving, Makeup, hair care, misc hygiene

I found that it is easier for me to separate food and non-food items. I hope this post helped a couple of you in organizing your coupons. Happy Shopping!!

Coming Next: Pictures of my food storage and pantry.