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Home Ā» Money Savin' Ā» Coupons + Frugal Fun Ā» How to Make a Coupon Binder

How to Make a Coupon Binder

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There are many ways to organize your coupons out there. The method I have used this past year that has been wonderful + a huge time saver is the file folder method. It is a great way to start couponing the simple easy way.

But, I do love a change now and again and as I was looking at the massive pile of non-insert coupons I have accumulated, I thought to myself, its time to organize them. Now, there is no right or wrong way to organize your coupons, you just need to find the right way that works for you. Don’t get too caught up on making an elaborate system, just remember that you are doing this to save money.

I will be using my binder for my non-inserts/printables + favs, however all my inserts will still be in my file system of organization.  Binders do take a while to get started, but once up and running they are great to have with you.  There is a great video made by Penching Your Pennies on How To Create a Coupon Binder, which is fun and very informative to watch. I set up my binder in that fashion. If you dont have time to set up your own binder, you can order them pre-made up for you from  from Prospering Families or Coupon Magic Organizer.

Things you will need:
PhotobucketA nice big sturdy binder. I like the zippered binders because I don’t have to worry about any coupons falling out. I found a fairly inexpensive one at Walmart (cost $9.99) that came with a zippered pouch inside it..bonus. You can just use any non-zippered binder as well.  There are also lots of great options out there for cute binders like the coupon clutch or the stylin binder.

Insertable Tab Dividers (Mine currently use about 25 dividers)

Scissors, Calculator + Pen in a zippered pouch

Plastic Trading Card + other sized page protectors. I found a nice wide variety of different plastic sleeved pages and have tried them out. Here are my 3 favorites (but just know you can just by Trading Card Pages for your whole book, you will just be folding a lot of the bigger ones. )

Photobucket8 pocket page protectors: these are way better than the trading card size because its a little bit bigger, and easier to get the coupons in & out.

You can buy the 8-Pocket ULTRA PRO Platinum Card Protector Pages – 100 count box on Amazon for $13.29 + shipping.

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3 Wide pocket page protectors. I love these for the bigger coupons I have, or for putting together my doubler ideas (I just add the doublers + the coupons corresponding in one pocket.)

You can buy the Ultra-Pro 3-Pocket Pages (Landscape Style) – 100 Count at Amazon for $13.41 + shipping.

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The 6 page protectors: These are great for internet printables, really long coupons, ect.
You can order as many as you could use here (25 is around $6.50 + shipping)

PhotobucketThere is the traditional 9-pocket trading card pages. These are great, but most of the coupons I used in there needed to be folded..and I dont have too much time to be folding coupons. You can buy them atAmazon.com-100 count
for only $12.99.

PhotobucketAnd there is the 4-pocket trading card pages. This one I didnt order, but looks like it would be great to have in a binder, the bigger sized pockets would work for rainchecks, and square shaped coupons. You can order it here for .26 per sheet.

Once you have your supplies you can begin to put your Binder together. There are so many ways you can choose to organize your coupons in a binder, some people do it alphabetically, some clip every coupon and keep them in a binder. What I am doing is using my binder for my non-insert coupons (such as blinkies, home mailers, tearpads ect, and then adding any of my other insert favorites or coupons I love. Plus when I notice something might be great to double I might toss it in too.  Do what works for you!

Here is how mine functions:

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I add the Weekly Store Grocery & Drug Store Ads to the big pocket in mine. I have all my club cards and savings cards in a little key ring that I can take out when I go couponing. There is the zippered pouch that has scissors, a pen and a calculator in it.

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Then when you go past the zippered pouch I have all my free coupons right in front. I had a tendency to wait to use my free coupons, and had let some expire (which totally kills me by the way). So now I wont forget to use them.

The next section is tabbed with store name categories.
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I like to keep store specific coupons, policies (if I run into trouble and had to email Customer Service I will print out that email + keep it there in case the same problems arrive.) and rainchecks in this area.
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Then Its all my Store Categories!

Here are the Categories I use for my non-inserts. If you are wanting to make a book for ALL your coupons you might need a few more categories than I have. (For example under Dairy you might want Cheese, Yogurt, Milk categories, ect)

Baby
Baking & Spices
Beauty
Candy
Canned & Packaged Foods
Cereal + Fruit Snacks/Granola Bars
Chips, Nuts + Popcorn
Cleaners
Condiments
Cookies/Crackers
Dairy
Frozen
Juices
Laundry
Meats
Medicines
Oral Care
Pet
Produce/Bakery
Restaurant
MISC

As a busy mom I upkeep the coupons by going through the binder once per month, taking out all the expired ones. If I am waiting at the dr.’s office or at my kids sports practice that is a great time for me to add new ones, and remove the old ones too.

Have fun and above all else remember, that there is no right or wrong way to organize your coupons. Just do what works best for you!

How do you organize your coupons? Have a cool tip?  Please share.

(P.S. I would totally love to have one of you do a guest post on the way you do it too…email me if you are interested!)

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May 20, 2010
Coupons + Frugal Fun

Comments

  1. doxilady says

    April 21, 2014

    I use a Box..Its a good size box that locks on both sides, and I used the left over wedding programs for the dividers, with folded index cards heighten and affixed with clear tape,I Wrote on the index cards what is in that category and added lots of stickers of what was in that particular slot. This is what “works” for me. I tried the binder method..In factI have a BEAUTIFUL fully loaded binder for sale right now..LOL But I don’t have the patience or the time to put my Q’s in all those little slots. I have arthritis and it just plain hurt. My Box has CUT {pardon the pun šŸ˜‰ } my clipping and categorizing time in half, and no more pain in my fingers and hands. I agree whole heartedly with the comment I read that said. No way to coupon is wrong or right. As long as you are saving money,, Oh and HAVE FUN!!! I know I sure DO!! lol

    Reply
  2. Gina says

    January 20, 2014

    Amazon sells an assortment package with 50 pages of different sizes. 10 pages of each size. Good to start out with, then see which sizes you like.

    http://smile.amazon.com/Coupon-Binder-Pages-Assortment-Sleeve/dp/B005ELP9KQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390269986&sr=8-1&keywords=coupon+pages

    Reply
  3. Nicole says

    November 12, 2011

    OK This is brilliant, I am so excited. I have to be honest, I believe I am going to copy you on this “Binder Idea” because it is awesome. I alwaysssss lose, forget or EEeekksss let the great coupons expire, so I hope this will give me more time to plan rather than play catch up after losing all my great deals.
    Thank you!

    Reply
  4. Melinda says

    June 16, 2011

    I have been hearing people taking about couponing, excpecially with the TLC show. I am excited to find a place that has great tips on how to get started. This my summer project, to get organized and started.

    Reply
  5. Kymberly says

    February 7, 2011

    This is wonderful. Thanks!

    One question (months late) — do you have suggestions for people who (gasp!) don’t clip coupons. I keep them in the inserts, filed by week, and pull out what I need when I need it.

    When a blog says “use -$1 from 1/25 SS” I can grab that set of Smart Source (SS) and only THEN do I bother to cut them. I used to clip everything but I fell behind by just a few weeks and got buried.

    The only flaw in my plan is that sometimes coupons are clipped that later are not used so I have a small subset of “clipped” coupons too.

    Reply
    • Karrie says

      February 7, 2011

      Yes, I nomally tell people to use the file folder system when they are first starting out couponing like you are doing. File the inserts by date and packet. šŸ™‚ Only clip as needed.

      Reply
  6. Erin says

    May 21, 2010

    I have a binder with the baseball card holders. I organize my coupons by alphabetical order by brand name. It is what works for me.

    Reply
  7. Karrie says

    May 21, 2010

    Okay…Yes, Bonnie! You did inspire me with your cute binder..it made me get that binder-bug..and I am so thankful now that the hours it took to make this binder are over…lol.

    Cant wait for your guest post!! Its gonna be amazing!

    Reply
  8. Bonnie says

    May 21, 2010

    WHAT?! I don’t get any credit for inspiring you to go back to the binder. Pfff. Sad day. And what is this with buying a new binder? I thought the one I gave you was hip and awesome. Oh bother. We need to chat about another certain post coming up…..TTYL! šŸ™‚

    Reply
  9. christina says

    May 20, 2010

    I have my coupons organized like your post. So easy to get to when you find a great deal. I bought baseball card holders for my 3″ binder and it is packed with coupons! I picked up the holders at Target (by the registers where they have the baseball cards/collectors stuff). I paid 5.99 for 35 of them and I bought another larger pack of 65 when I saw them on clearance for 6.99. I wish I would have bought another because now I’m in need of more. Yikes!!! Thanks for the great idea of putting the Free ones in the front.

    Reply
  10. Jens says

    May 20, 2010

    I bought my Ultra pocket pages in all the sizes you’ve mentioned at a local sports and gamers store for $1 for 5 pages. I saw that tip on a few other sale blogs and decided to check out my local store–instead of ordering large lots of pages from Amazon and paying shipping. This way I could buy exactly the amount of pages I wanted!

    Reply
  11. Amy says

    May 20, 2010

    This is a GREAT post! I have a small coupon file that I have been using, and I have been wondering how to take it to the next level!! Thanks a bunch!!

    ~Amy šŸ™‚

    Reply
  12. Gigi says

    May 20, 2010

    Hi – I used my binder I bought from Saveathomemommy.com for a long time. (loved that binder!) Until I outgrew it! šŸ™‚

    Now I use a pink 3″ 3-ring binder with the trading card inserts. It’s a huge binder, but it works for me. I keep it in a big tote with the open side up. That way it’s kind of like a file box – I can reach in and grab coupons whenever I see an unadvertised deal!

    I get some grief from friends who see my mammoth binder…but when I tell them how much I save with it, they stop laughing. šŸ™‚

    Reply
    • doxilady says

      April 21, 2014

      That’s RIGHT me too.. Then when the laughter or eye rolling stops, I Hear “TEACH ME!!??”

      Reply
  13. Grace says

    May 20, 2010

    That’s awesome!!! I currently use a little accordion organizer that fits in my purse. I love that and looks easier to use than standing in the grocery sifting through all the coupons. The only thing is my planner/wallet is big too. It’s seems like a lot of things to bring when you go out. Does it easily fit in your purse?

    Reply

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Karrie

Hello & Welcome!

I'm Karrie. Come join me on my money savin' adventures but beware: you may find yourself wanting backyard chickens, making freezer meals and dancing along with me to 80's music.
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