How to Categorize Grocery Coupons

Organize Grocery Coupon Categories

Nothing deters coupon usage faster than a messy grocery coupon organizer. Categories will be different for every shopper, but common coupon categories will work for most people.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic accordion coupon organizer
• Grocery coupons

Instructions

1. List the items that you commonly use coupons for on a sheet of paper. If you're a super coupon shopper, you may use them for everything. Some families just use them for diapers or pet food. A lot of families are moving away from processed foods and using the coupons just for toiletries and household items instead. So your coupon categories will be determined by your coupon usage and shopping preferences.

2. Count how many different kinds of things you're using coupons for. If it's 13 or less, then you're good to go. All you need to do is label your coupon organizer (step 4) with your grocery coupon categories and you're finished. If you have more than 13 you'll need to combine a few.

3. Combine categories by placing things together according to where they are in the grocery store. Toothbrushes and toothpaste are generally on the same aisle, as is cat food and dog food in most grocery stores. Some products, like personal care, yield a lot of coupons while other products, like light bulbs, are printed less frequently. Avoid combining list items that are printed frequently or you'll end up with a mess.

4. Print your labels neatly. If your handwriting is a mess, you can sometimes load the coupon organizer labels into your home printer or even print on card stock and cut them yourself.

5. Place the labels into the slots on your grocery coupon organizer in the order that the items appear at the store. Mentally walk up and down the aisles, so that you don't find yourself flipping back and forth through your coupon organizer while you shop.

Tips & Warnings

• Periodically purge your organizer of expired coupons

• Combine manufacturer's coupons with store sale items for added savings

• Order extra copies of coupons when you know an item will be going on sale and stock up on non perishable items.

• Have friends and family save the inserts from their Sunday papers for you, and save even more.

• Ignore advice that says "don't buy things you won't use" If you can get something for free or next to nothing, keep it in a closet by your front door to give away or share.