Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images
Before we jump into purchasing boxes, notebooks, plastic sleeves, or filing tabs to organize coupons, let’s explore a few options to discover a plan for you. In this organizational section of coupon-ology, you can choose so many ways to file your coupons.
From filing by category, expiration date, or a combination of both to using an accordion file, box, binder, or notebook, your options are unlimited. Though I will not cover each of these options, I will share three ways (Part 2a, 2b, and 2c) that I have filed my coupons:
- Part 2a: File Box with individual coupons
- Part 2b: Binder with full inserts
- Part 2c: Notebooks with all coupons cut and filed
Part 2a: File Box with Individual Coupons
When I first started couponing, I used a small accordion filing container. I had a few categories (refrigerated, frozen, grocery, paper/plastic, cleaners, and toiletries). As I was a coupon newbie, I only clipped and saved coupons of brands and products that I purchased on a regular basis.
Staying brand loyal held me back from seeing the deep discounts in our grocery budget, but I have learned. If you use a shoe box or index card container or another small container for your coupons, save coupons for products you purchase, no matter what brand it is.
For example, our family regularly purchases Scott toilet paper. However, I save coupons for all toilet paper brands within my system. This way, I can stock up when a great sale comes along paired with the coupons.
With this system, you are saving the coupons you might use and ignoring coupons you won’t use. In our home, I do not keep pet coupons as we currently have no pets. When our fish died, our children wanted a frog. We suggested waiting until we returned from our vacation. By the time we returned home, they had forgotten their “need” for a frog. 🙂
How to Setup a Coupon Box
1. Find a container
A shoe box works well as you can place the lid on top. Before spending money on a container, search your home for a workable solution.
2. Choose your categories
Some savers file by expiration date. Honestly, I’m not sure how that works as I rarely know the expiration date on a coupon I seek. If you decided to file by expiration date, then your categories would be the months of the year.
If you choose to file by coupon type, then you will want to decide on your categories. You can be as specific as you need. I still need diapers, so I have a baby category. You may need a pet category. Choose categories that fit your family’s needs. To help you get started, here is a sample list of categories:
- Beverages
- Refrigerated
- Dairy
- Frozen
- Canned
- Boxed
- Desserts
- Snacks
- Meat
- Condiments
- Cleaners
- Laundry
- Paper/Plastic
- Baby
- Pets
- Medicines
- Hair
- Body
- Face
- Dental
3. Create section breaks
My filing container came with tabs where I wrote the category and slid the paper into the tab. To make your own tabs, try using 3″x5″ or 4″x6″ cards and adding a clear plastic tab to the top. You can write your categories and slide them into the tab creating your own customized coupon box.
4. Add your coupons
File your coupons to your filing system under the appropriate category.
This box organizational system served our family well when I started couponing. Without spending any money on the setup, I used what tools I had around our apartment. I did not upgrade to my coupon binder until 3 years ago. So, I used this method for over 10 years with great results.
The size of your organizational system does not matter. The goal is to find the coupons you need when you need them. In discovering and using an organizational system, you will save time and energy while redeeming those coupons to save your family money.
Next week, I will share my experiences with using a coupon binder with full inserts. Stay with me as we discover a few ways to organize your coupons. The key is finding a system or a combination of systems that helps you in using time wisely. Happy organizing!
Question: Which type of coupon system do you prefer?