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Couponing 101: Making a Coupon Binder

March 2, 2015 By Sarah Roe 17 Comments

Couponing 101

Do your coupons expire before you ever remember to use them? That’s likely because of organization. Keep in mind, I’m a throw-it-in-a-box person but with coupons, organization is the key to savings. The most popular way of organizing coupons is by using the coupon binder.

1. Use a 3-ring binder: You can start with a 1″ then work your way up if need be. You can also use the old school Trapper Keeper’s too.

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2. Baseball Card Holders: Baseball card dividers can be picked up at most hobby stores, Walmart, Target and Kmart. I love these on Amazon, they’re sturdy and perfect for multiple coupons. This is what you’re seeing in the picture on top. Honestly, this is the best way to organize your coupons in a way you can actually see them. Just fold them and tuck them in. You can stack them pretty deep too.

3. Section Dividers: You’ll need to divide each section to make it easier to find. If you only shop at one store, you can set up the dividers to be each individual aisle at that store. However in my case, I have them divided up by the following sections (in any order you’d like):

Baby Items
Baking Products
Beverages
Breakfast Foods/ Cereals
Canned Goods
Condiments/ Dressings
Cleaning Products
Cooking Items
Dairy
Drug Items
Frozen Foods
Meat
Paper Goods
Pasta/ Rice
Pet Items
Sauces/ Seasonings
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You can add a calculator, scissors or anything else you’d prefer as well. Really, great organization is very personal, it’s all about what works for you. I’ve found this to be the most popular method and certainly the easiest one for me.

Coupon binders make it EASY to save money! Be sure to check out Favado and learn how to save on the go too! Favado is a new app complete with coupon matchups and coupons to your favorite stores.
Bookmark our Coupon Matchup page as well for the BEST deals every single week!

Filed Under: Financial Planning, Frugal Living, Printable Coupons Tagged With: coupon binder, couponing 101, DIY, frugal living, making your own coupon binder

Comments

  1. Laura says

    June 13, 2015 at 7:40 am

    20 years ago I would have loved this. I had so many coupons then and could never quite keep them organized. Now I’m an empty nester and don’t have enough coupons for a binder.

    Reply
    • Angie says

      November 12, 2017 at 11:47 pm

      Have you considered couponing for items for your local mission?

      Reply
  2. belinda says

    July 29, 2015 at 5:10 am

    Need to start couponing..

    Reply
  3. Toni Levidis says

    October 19, 2015 at 11:34 pm

    Starting from scratch Just lost job in August after working for 8 years Need to save on groceries so I can use husbands pay on house bills Thank you!!!

    Reply
  4. Candace says

    October 25, 2015 at 8:29 pm

    I started couponing about 2 months ago…I have 3 toddler boys and decided To start as a hobby But a good way to help my family. Iget so excited about saving money and Feel Accomplished as well. It is a satisfying hobby. Thank you for your tips I am putting my first organizer together.

    Reply
  5. Heidi says

    November 4, 2015 at 5:44 pm

    Just starting out and very excited. Found a couple local groups to work with. They are fantastic. Always seeking new information and ideas. I am an organizer.

    Reply
    • Christy says

      April 23, 2017 at 5:37 pm

      Hey! What groups do you work with for couponing?

      Reply
  6. Sharyn says

    January 10, 2016 at 3:16 pm

    I’m going to start. How do I get coupons without buying papers? What web sites do you use to get more coupons? Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Sarah Roe says

      January 11, 2016 at 4:37 am

      @Sharyn Visit manufacturer websites directly for coupons also CouponDede.com is great for coupons!

      Reply
    • Panda Cuddles says

      November 5, 2016 at 10:08 pm

      you can print coupons on coupons.com, I use it to print coupons for things I will actually buy (preparing your shopping list and going through adds helps to prioritize which coupons to print so you don’t end up wasting ink and paper). There’s an app called “flipp” that I have been using for months now, it is very very useful! It allows you to look through local store ads on your mobile device, circle items that you are thinking/planning to buy that are at a price that seems good to you and even allows you to add mfr coupons that are available to your store member rewards card! It is also a helpful way to create a shopping list that shows where the best deals are for items you want to buy. Coupons, flyers, shopping list, store membership cards, all in one! I would highly recommend it!. There are also other money saving apps like “Ibotta” and “Checkout 51”. I’ve been using both and like “Ibotta” more because I have more use for items they list so I’ve actually been able to cash out money but still working on earning enough to cash out at “Checkout 51.”

      Also, Sarah, thanks for your advice! Very helpful!

      Reply
      • Shannon says

        September 23, 2017 at 3:07 pm

        Same!! I’ve cashed it on Ibotta several times but still have t made enough on CK51 lol

        Reply
    • Vee says

      April 25, 2017 at 11:21 pm

      On Sunday’s the dollar tree usually has the paper, and its only $1.

      Reply
  7. Peggy Smith says

    January 26, 2017 at 3:48 am

    I just downloaded my calculator icon to front of my phone… Less to haul around in binder.

    Reply
  8. rachel hartwell says

    January 26, 2017 at 11:23 pm

    I need help how do i get started with couponing

    Reply
  9. Adrienne says

    April 19, 2017 at 6:03 pm

    Ever since I began couponing, I have always searched for a better way to organize all my coupons. Like many people, I started out with an accordion style coupon envelope made of flimsy plastic that quickly split open and also made finding any coupons very difficult. I ended up not using the coupons that I cut out because it was too much effort to search through my piles of coupons to find the ones I needed. Trust me, if you are considering starting up couponing, you must begin this way by using a binder where you can view all of your coupons. Will it take a little bit more time each week as you place them into the folder? Yes. But it is well worth it.

    Reply
  10. Jason says

    July 18, 2017 at 5:02 pm

    I’ve been using paper clips and an envelope to this point and need something better, so I am going to put a notebook together. We need to track categories as well as dates. Any tips on keeping the dates organized? Or is that just pure discipline going through the book every week?

    Reply
    • Sarah Roe says

      July 18, 2017 at 5:39 pm

      It’s a lot of discipline. Also I used dividers in my notebook, I also had a box like a file folder box that I would put inserts into sorted by dates when I used to get tons and tons of coupons. That helped a lot then I moved them to my binder when I knew I was about to use them.

      Reply

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