How to Organize Grocery Coupons For Maximum Savings

Using coupons for groceries can save your family hundreds of dollars each year, but how do you save the most with coupons? You need to be able to locate your grocery coupons quickly and easily while you are doing your shopping. Organizing coupons can be easily achieved using one of a few simple methods. Learn how to organize your coupons for groceries in just a few easy steps and begin maximizing your coupon savings.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Three ring binder or index card file
• Divider tabs
• Trading card display sleeves (if using 3 ring binder method).

1. 

   Decide on which coupon organization method you would like to use. The two best methods are either 1.)using a 3 ring binder with clear trading card pockets or 2.)using an index card file. If you choose to use an index card file, you can select an expandable index card file or a hard case file. The 3 ring binder method requires more time to file the coupons, but the upside is that you are able to see all of your coupons without taking them out of the trading card pockets. If you use the index card method, you simply look through the coupons in each category when you are shopping that part of your list. For example, when I am in the frozen food aisle, I look through my frozen food category coupons from my expandable index card file.

2. 

   Purchase your supplies. If you choose to use the 3 ring binder you will need to purchase a 1 inch or wider 3 ring binder, at least 25 pages of clear trading card display sheets, and 1 to 2 sets of divider tabs. If you choose to use an index card file you will need to purchase the index card file of your choice and index card dividers if your file did not come with them. Many of the index card files either have attached divider tabs (expandable files) or come with divider tabs (hard case files). It is also helpful to either borrow or purchase a label maker in order to make easy to read divider labels.

3. Decide on which categories you will use. It is best to plan your categories on lined paper or using a spread sheet application. You may want to organize your categories based on the areas of the grocery store that you shop or how you categorize your grocery list. For instance, I have a category for fruits and vegetables, another category for frozen items, a category for personal products, etc. You can use as many or as few categories as you like. You may want to order the categories based on the order that you shop in your local grocery store.

4. Make your divider labels. Use your label maker to make labels for your divider tabs. Insert your divider tab labels in order to complete your divider tabs. Insert your divider tabs in your binder or index card file. If you are using the binder method, divide up your trading card display sheets between your tabs and insert them in your binder in each section.

5. 

   File your coupons for groceries. For the 3 ring binder method, you will insert your coupons into trading card sleeves within the applicable category. For the index card file method, place your coupons in front of the divider tab for the applicable category.

6. Locate your coupons while you are shopping. As you are shopping within each section of the grocery store, peruse your grocery coupons for items that are on your shopping list. Pull out your coupons that can be used for items that you are purchasing and place them in the front of your file. This way, you will have your coupons ready for the checkout lane.

7. Enjoy the maximum amount of grocery coupons savings for your family.

Tips & Warnings

• Shop grocery stores that regularly offer double manufacturer’s coupons to achieve maximum savings.

Resources

• How to Use Grocery Coupons to Save 50% or More

[rakhib]

on 12/6/2009 gr8 post.5*

[johnnyutah]

on 12/2/2009 nice tips on How to Organize Grocery Coupons For Maximum Savings 5*