If you are new to couponing, organizing those infernal little slips of paper can seem like a next to impossible task. There seem to be no two that are the exact same size, making it so that even if you have them perfectly organized, they still may appear a little bit messy. There are a few different ways that you can organize your coupons, and you may choose your method depending upon how many coupons you intend to keep and use. You may store them in a notebook, an expanding file, or even in a file folder. It just all depends on how you prefer to have them organized. Here is a look at 3 different methods and the pros and cons of each.
*The coupon binder
This is an organization method that has gained a great deal of popularity recently. For this method, you will need a 3 inch binder, several pages of baseball card holders, and some regular sheet protectors. Use the sheet protectors to hold a title page for each category. Use the baseball card holders to hold the coupons. This can be a good way to keep your coupons organized, as you can always be able to flip easily to the page you want. It also makes it easy if you see any unexpected deals, because you will always have your binder with you. The main disadvantage is that all coupons are not the same size, so they will not always fit properly into the baseball card slots. This method usually does work best when you have a lot of coupons.
*The expanding file
You can buy small accordian style folders that are just the right size to hold most coupons. These mini folders can fit easily into a purse, and are easy to carry with you. These can hold most any size of coupons, and if you do not have a lot of coupons, they are the best option. It is much less cumbersome than the binder. If you have too many coupons, however, you may find that your little expanding file will no longer close properly. If you have that many coupons, this is when you may want to move up to the coupon binder.
*Files at home
This is for those who carefully plan their coupon shopping trips. You can take the coupon inserts from the daily newspaper and the mail, date them, and put them away in a file until you need each one. This is the easiest and least time consuming way to file your coupons. However, you may find yourself at a disadvantage if you see a deal that was not advertised in your weekly circulars, and you may have to make a second trip.
These are just a few of the ways that you can organize your coupons. You can try them all and find the method that works best for you. Remember that there are nearly as many ways of organizing coupons as there are people who use coupons. You just have to find one that works for you.