Organizing Coupons: Binder Method

*You may have seen this post before as a guest post... but it's making a debut today on Savvy Sister Shops!

I’ll never forget the first time I spotted some Febreze candles on clearance at Walgreen’s for $1.59. Why is that such a memorable experience? Because I had $2 off Febreze candle coupons in my coupon binder! Wow, what a feeling to grab a clearance item for FREE and make a little money as well! The money made was used to pay for my other purchases that day.

Ever since then, I have been adamant about cutting all my coupons and carrying my coupons with me to the store. I know that it’s not the most attractive sight to see me carrying a huge binder with me whenever I shop. But, this binder PAYS for my groceries! It's like a small bank account that I carry with me! So I don’t worry about it what it might look like.

For a long time, I used a photo album for my coupons. This served me well for several months and I like the transparent larger pockets that allow me to insert the complete printable coupon without having to fold it.

When I began getting 5 copies of the Sunday paper, however, I made the transition from the photo album to a zippered 3-ring binder system.

I purchased my binder at Wal-mart for around $10. You may want to look for a binder with a strap (like a purse strap), especially if you have little ones. Just one less thing to juggle as you head to the store! I also bought the package of trading card holders (40-50 ct.) at Wal-mart for $5.77. I then disassembled my photo album and inserted those pages into my new coupon binder. I love it!

If you use this method, you will need to organize your coupons into categories. Do not sort by insert or by expiration date. Use the categories that work best for you. These are the categories that I use:

Produce (Salad dressings go here.)
Canned
*NEW! Sides: Rice, Beans, etc.
*NEW! Energy bars/drinks
*NEW! Condiments
Cereal
Juice
Yogurt
Dairy
Chips/crackers
Snacks
Frozen
Meat
Candy
Feminine Hygiene
Contacts
Deoderant
Teeth
Face/Body
Hair
Cosmetics
Paper
Laundry
Cleaning
Medicine
Misc. (Candles, batteries, etc.)
Eating Out

My categories are marked with homemade cardstock tabs and fastened with packing tape.

Because my coupons are cut and organized, I can easily find what I’m looking for at the store when I spot an item on sale or on clearance. I have been able to get FREE contact solution, hairspray, styling products, feminine pads, cereal, tomato paste, pasta, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, and more with the coupons organized in my binder. My coupons pay for the things I need!


I also want to add that I cut all 5 coupon inserts received in my papers at the SAME time by stacking up matching inserts pages and cutting them like this:



This saves a lot of time! I also like to carry scissors and other membership cards in the pouch of my binder. When I’m shopping, I like to take the coupons out for the items in my cart and stash them in a safe place, like the front pocket of my purse. That way they are ready to go when I finally find my way to the checkout line!

Coupons 101

Here's a Coupons 101 course (in a nutshell) for you new coupon users out there! Even if you're not new to coupons, check it out- you may learn something new that will help you save money!

First of all, when you want to begin using coupons, you need to start collecting coupons.


The first and most basic way to collect coupons is with the Sunday newspaper inserts. These coupons are the most reliable source of coupons. You know they will always come on Sunday and they are not going to run out of prints before they get to you! I recommend getting a multiple Sunday paper subscription to help you get started. The more papers you have, the more FREE & cheap items you can acquire with your coupons.

Having a subscription means the papers are delivered right to your front door. You don't need to pay the extra cost of driving to use a vendor paper machine. You also won't need to beg your neighbors for their coupons.

Next, you need to know some coupon lingo and abbreviations that go along with your Sunday newspaper coupons. Here are just a few:

SS- SmartSource Coupons
RP- RedPlum Coupons
P&G- Proctor & Gamble Coupons
GM- General Mills

More coupon abbreviations that are helpful to know:

OOP- Out of pocket
AFS- Associated Food Stores
wyb- When you buy
BOGO or B1G1- Buy One, Get One (Usually associated with Buy One, Get One FREE deals.)
DND- Do Not Double

If you see something like this: Use $1/1 SS 6/13, that means to look for the coupon for $1 off the product listed. This coupon will be found in the SmartSource Sunday Paper insert on June 13th.

So, $1/2 RP 6/27 means..... $1 off 2 products from the RedPlum coupon insert from June 27th.

A lot of coupon users will write the date with a Sharpie or a marker on their coupon inserts as soon as they receive them. You can do this, too, if you are only going to cut your coupons as you need/want them. Find a place to file them, either in an accordian folder, desk drawer, or binder. Using sheet protectors is a great way to go when you have multiple sets of coupons.

If you ever forget to write the date of your coupon inserts onto the insert, just look for the date in the teeny-tiny printing on the "spine" of the insert.

To see how I organize my coupons in a binder, stay tuned for Monday's post on my coupon binder or you can view my coupon binder video.

Other coupons to collect:

Internet/Printable Coupons: I love printable coupons! You can usually print 2 of each coupon from printable coupon sites. My favorite sites for printing coupons:
Coupons.com
Smartsource.com
RedPlum.com

These sites have a wide variety of products available all the time and are updated almost daily. If I find a great sale to pair a printable coupon with, I'll be sure to let you know about those as well!

Some manufacturers regularly post coupons on their websites that may be printed as well. More and more manufacturers are putting coupons on their Facebook pages, too!



Blinkie Coupons: These are in machines in various stores (I usually find mine at Smith's/Kroger stores). They are called "Blinkie" coupons because of the blinking red light on the coupon machine. When you see a blinkie machine, grab a few coupons to organize with your collection. Even if you don't use them in the store where you found them, you never know when they will come in handy!



Tearpad Coupons: Another coupon to watch for in stores. Tear off 2-3 for your family and store them!


Peelie Coupons: These are coupons placed on products in the store to entice you to buy them. Peelie coupons can make amazing deals! Watch for extra savings in the store with peelie coupons. Sometimes you will have another paper of printed coupon that exceeds the value of the peelie coupon. In that case, you will need to make a decision about which coupon you use.


Catalina Coupons: These are coupons that print from special catalina machines if they are available. The cashier will hand yours to you with your receipt. I get catalina coupons from Target, Walgreen's (called Register Rewards) and Smith's. These are very valuable when paired with sales. Or, catalina coupons are good for dollars off your next shopping trip. If I know about a great catalina that will print when triggered by specific purchases, I'll be sure to let you know about these!

Now that your collection of coupons is growing, here's some more Coupons 101 information that you need to know:

1. 'One coupon per purchase' does NOT mean separate transactions. You may use one manufacturers coupon for each item you buy. 'Per purchase' means each item you purchase.

2. Using coupons helps the store! They are paid by the manufacturer for each coupon you use, so don't ever feel guilty about using coupons. Not only are the stores paid by the manufacturer, but they are given a handling fee as well. This is anywhere from 7-15 cents for EACH coupon!

Sometimes stores will double your coupons or have a coupon promotion. If they do this, they are also helping to pay for your groceries. They do this to get you used to shopping at the store and want you to become a regular customer. I always welcome these ideas! If the manufacturers and stores are willing to pay for my groceries, I will gladly allow them to do this!

3. Manufacturers coupons may be used along with store coupons. That means for every manufacturers coupon you have that matches a store coupon, you may use both coupons together and double your savings! This is also what is meant by 'stacking' coupons.

The Associated Food Stores regularly have store coupons in their ads, and Target has printable store coupons and store coupons in Target mailed booklets. These may be used with manufacturers coupons as long as the product matches both coupons.

4. Don't cut your coupons on Sunday and then use them on Monday! Wait and watch for sales to pair them up with. This increases your savings 4-5 times! If you have multiple sets of coupons, you are able to stock up when prices are rock bottom. You will feed your family and add to your storage at the same time.

Watch for more Coupons 101 posts to come!

Raincheck, please?

Okay, you've done your research, you cut your coupons, you have your shopping list, and you are so organized! You get to the store to see this...... Do you ever have a shopping trip that feels like this? (Totally empty?)

I know I do! Especially in this world of sharing information in an instant, the deals at the store can diappear quickly. There's a simple solution, and it may seem pretty basic, but let's review rainchecks.

The definition of a raincheck is as follows, (yes, I looked it up!): a ticket, coupon, or the like, entitling the customer to purchase at a later date and for the same amount a sale item that is temporarily out of stock.

In other words, whenever a store has an item on sale in their ad and they run out of that item, they are required to give you a raincheck. You can later use the raincheck to go back to the store when the item is back on the shelves and you will be able to purchase that item for the original sale price. So.... don't be afraid to ask for a raincheck! It's a simple little piece of paper that looks like this:

This was a raincheck I used today at Walgreen's, they had run out of the lotions on special at buy one get one free last week.

Like I said, this may be a basic to shoppers, but I'm sure there are some of you reading this that may have never asked for one before. One of my own sisters told me she asked for a raincheck for the first time in her life a few months ago. (gasp!)

Next time you meet an empty shelf, take a deep breath. Ask someone in the store if they really are out of the item you want to purchase. They usually know right away if they are totally out, or they will have someone check the stock room in the back. If they really are out of the sale item you want, they will write out a little piece of paper for you or the cashier can fill it out for you when you check out. Stash it with your coupons and you're ready to roll again next time around! Be sure to go back to the store before your coupon expires to get your awesome deal. Some rainchecks have expiration dates also, but they usually give you about 45 days-3 months from the date it is written so you have plenty of time to redeem it.

I really like Target's method of rainchecks- they place a tear pad right on the shelf where the item is out of stock and they usually look like this:

Just follow the steps on the ticket. Make sure you get the printed ticket, the tear pad paper alone is not the rain check. Tell the cashier how many of the sale item you would like. Also, Target allows you to substitute your item that is out of stock for another similar item. See the wording at the bottom? With this rain check policy of Target's you may be able to get the sale price on something that is not on sale!