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| My Binder |
I just got my binder finished! Yay! I still want a nicer binder but for now it works.
I am using baseball card holders- 9slots. I also have holders with 6 per page. You have to organize them so you know what you have and can easily find what you need. I have mine labeled like this:
Personal/Body- Here is where I have mouthwash/toothbrush/toothpaste along with shampoo, deodorant, razors, and feminine care products.
Over the counter- This has all the eye care and over the counter meds for my family.
Cleaning Supplies- Just as it sounds. Cleaning for all rooms inc sponges and air freshener items.
Paper products- This inc. bath tissue, tissues, napkins, printer paper, paper plates ect.
Laundry- Laundry detergents, dryer sheets, softeners ect. You could put this with cleaning supplies.
Baby- diapers, wipes, shampoo, lotions ect. Anything baby.
Pets- Dog food and treats. Then cat food, litter and treats.
Food-I put all of the refrigerated things together, frozen together, shelf ect.
Misc.- I use this section for things that don't have a spot. Batteries ect.
Store Coupons- This would inc. $ or % off certain stores. Such as Lowes, The Home Depot, Portrait deals ect.
Then I have them separated into the actual stores
BJ's
Rite Aid
Target
Wegmans
Some people also use the Clipless method instead of the binder. Here that put all of the same inserts together- RedPlum, Smart Source ect. Date each one. When you see a sale or follow a blog you just match up a sale to the coupon and clip them as needed!
I prefer the binder method because I am able to take all of my coupons with me and see what I have. This way if there is an unadvertised sale on something I have my coupons to match it and wont have to make a separate trip!
I used to use envelopes and the more coupons I had the harder and less efficient this method became. I didn't know what coupons I had. I had coupons constantly expiring and so forth. With the binder I am able to just glance and see what I have. An easy tip: If you have multiples of the same coupon make sure to put the one that expires first in front of the later expiration dates. I've been skimming my binder once every two weeks or so for expireds and place hem aside to mail to our troops who can use expired coupons for up to 6 months!
where do you get all your coupons
ReplyDeleteMost of them are from the Sunday paper. This Sunday there are supposed to be up to 6 add inserts- depending on region. I will get probably two maybe three if I think it is worth it. Depending on what I get here. The rest are from online, swagbucks, and from getting freebies in the mail- they usually send coupons too!
ReplyDeleteFor online I like to use: Coupons.com, Redplum.com, Smartsource.com. For Target- their website. The Rite Aid ones I get from watching their Videos- Video Values.
Swagbucks has a lot of the coupons as well. If you are unfamiliar with swagbucks or don't have an account let me know and I can help set you up!
I found a GREAT zipper binder with a little accordian file in front at Target. I tried the folder like you have but after I dropped it a few times and things fell out of it I finally got one that zipped up. No need to spend $30 on a "special coupon" binder mine was $10 in the school supply section. I also bought a pack of the 4 pocket sheets for larger coupons. Finding the right coupon method is kind of trial and error but I love the binder method! I also have a blog http://tashas-couponadventures.blogspot.com/.
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to get a zipper binder but I haven't found a good enough deal to get rid of this binder. The accordion file- is it big enough to hold your adds? I was also looking for this but was thinking I would have to fold the adds to get them to fit in there. I was also going to use that spot for the stores coupon policy.
ReplyDeleteI use a coupon wallet that I like because it's easy to throw in my purse. That way if I remember something or see a good deal at the store I can check for a coupon there. Saved $44.44 yesterday at Kroger - 27% of an order than should have cost $164.44 - I paid $120. Not bad :)
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome!! I wish we had a Kroger- I always see good deals there from some of the blogs I follow.
ReplyDeleteIt holds full sheets of paper and has 4 slots but the ads would have to be folded to fit. I tried the envelope method, the small coupon wallet, and finally decided on the binder because I was spending to much time looking for that "ONE" coupon with the other methods.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you! I tried all of the above as well. I love the binder. I can ALWAYS find what I am looking for with no problems!
ReplyDeleteBefore I go shopping I like to make a list and pull the coupons I know I will be using. Then I have a spot on my list for the "check the price" and its so easy to pull the coupon if I need it. So I guess I use a combination of the envelope and binder method still but it works!!