Organizing your coupons
Introduction | Where to get coupons | Couponing tips | CVS | Rite Aid | Walgreens
Target | Safeway | How to stockpile | Organizing your coupons | Closing
Have you tried The Frugal Find Coupon Database? I’d like to explain how it works and how/why I use it. Thankfully it’s fairly simple and has saved me TONS of time. First of all there are 2 ways to access the Coupon Database.
One way is by clicking on the text link above The Frugal Find header image titled “Coupon Database”.
The other is by clicking the logo (pictured above) now permanently located in the right sidebar.
There are a couple of reasons why you’d need to use the database at any given time.
One instance would be if you find a sale on something and you haven’t a clue if a coupon exists – enter Coupon Database.
The other scenario is if you organize your coupon inserts the way I do then it helps you easily locate which insert/week the coupon is in.
By using the method of organizing that I just showed you in the video, your coupon inserts will be dated and easy to find. It’s literally as simple as it looks. I don’t know which coupons are in which inserts and I don’t care to. I don’t need to. I simply type in a key word in the Coupon Database and it tells me exactly where to find a coupon.
In this example I searched for OLAY and I found the following coupon…
$3/1 Olay Regenerist or Pro-X Moisturizer, exp. 1-31 (RP 12/12/10)
Now this tells me that there is a $3/1 coupon in the RP (Red Plum) insert on the week of 12/12. It also tells me that it is going to expire on 1/31. It’s as simple as that, now I go to my Coupon Insert filebox, flip to De. 12th’s inserts, grab, clip, and shop! Also if there happens to be a printable coupon for that item, you’ll be able to click and print!
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{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
I can’t see this video but I can see some of the others. Any suggestions?
I love your black leather zipper binder, where can find one? Thanks for all your help!!
Rebecca, I found it at the Wilson’s Leather Store in the mall. I got it on sale for around $30 – which is ALOT, but it has lasted over a year now with no signs of wear – it has many years left in it. Plus I don’t feel so silly in the store with a nice binder in tow. But, that’s just ME!
Where did you get those little holders? those are great. thanks for any info.
melanie
Melanie, this is a post I wrote about those holders.
http://thefrugalfind.com/my-coupon-binder-index-card-holder/
this was extremely helpful…thanks….
I don’t understand why I can’t see some of the videos
( I have refreshed, clicked over and over trying to see if that would work . . . I’m at a loss. I sure wish I could view this and see what everyone is talking about with the little index cards. Any help at all, anyone? Thanks so much.
hi, and bless you for all of this wonderfull information!! I just can’t seem to get organized, i didnt want to get baseball card holders because so many of the coupons are much bigger. I know its alot of work but can you describe how they all go in that binder and still be able to see what they ere exp date ect?
thanks for any help
samantha
sorry i just realized my email was done wrong in my last post
thanks again
I am organizing my binder and inserts the same way. I am a coupon newbie and I have some questions. I understand that you clip the coupons that you know you will use from the sunday paper inserts…but is it challenging to use the coupon database/to find the correct coupon in your binder? I am just trying to decide how many to clip and how many to leave in the insert. Also do you add store coupons like online printable target coupons to the main section of your binder or put them in a separate place? Thanks. Great website!
I do not use the Coupon Database for my binder as I can just quickly flip through it. It’s only intended to help you quickly find a coupon that you haven’t yet clipped from a Sunday insert. If it’s a store coupon, they would go in the specific envelope or section for that store.
thanks for this. i am new to this and feeling a little overwhelmed but this will help.
Julia,
Just wanted to let you know that I have been couponing for 35 years and have gone through countless shoeboxes, etc trying to organize them. I am so glad to have seen your video! I bought a good zip up binder that has a shoulder strap and a handle. I found it at Target for about $18. It has TWO sets of rings in it and each side has a stiff divider that velcros to its’ side. I also inserted the baseball card holders. So now I have a food side and a non food side! Love it! I must say that I can’t overcome the drive to cut every coupon (unless I know I wouldn’t buy it even if it was free) because I shop the clearance racks in every store I go to and the unadvertised deals that I found and don’t want to not have the coupon for an item I might find that way. I have subscribed to at least five other coupon blogs and must say I am about ready to unsubscribe from most of them and lessen the number of emails i have to tread through because your’s is my absolute favorite and you seem to have every deal written up! You do such a great job and I find it an invaluable help!! THANK YOU!!!!
Diane, thanks for reading! I’m glad you’ve found a system that works. So glad you’re here
Thank you so much for this! I’m new and I just have a quick question. What is the clear pages that you hold your coupons in? Are they baseball card holders?
The size of my coupons I don’t think would fit nicely in those holders she is using.. but what does work for me is the p hoto inserts. I bought them from walmart. There are the big plastic sheets think 8×10 with three holders on each side per sheet. I fit around 12 coupons tho usually per sheet. They are 2 dollars at walmart and come with 10 sheets. I guess if you don’t clip a grip of one type coupon like I do you could fold it in half and fit into a baseball card holder =) I found some at walmart and target near the pokemon and baseball cards at the front of the store =)
Thank you so much!!
Wow! I am so excited to find this! I used to coupon years ago and did many of the things you do. I had a coupon binder just like yours. I had cupboards full of free to .50 cent toiletries. So many that I was giving them away. The reason I quit? I was taking 3 to 4 hours every Sunday clipping ALL the coupons just in case there was a good deal to be found later. Plus the time each week matching up sales to coupons and running from store to store. I’m working now and cannot do that. This data base is a lifesaver! I’m so excited to get back into couponing. Just knowing I can leave them in the inserts and look up what I need and put my hands on it in a few seconds is gold. Glad to know there are still great deals out there to be had. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for taking the time to post these helpful tips… I am new at couponing and am trying to learn to get freebies.. Right now, I figured that as long as I pay less than a buck for an item I used to pay full price for, I’m doing good… But free is better, right!! Can’t wait to get there.. So far, I love shopping at Walgreen’s, Fry’s, & Target…
Quick question, what’s a good price for TP (toilet paper)?? Trying to figure out when it’s a good deal to stock on those items…
Thanks
What a great resource! I have a TON of inserts left over and always go back to them when a great sale is mentioned but this is a great tool to be able to go and look myself as well. Now I just need a huge pop up that tells me when to go in and throw away a stack of inserts whose coupons have expired so I can clear up some clutter
I’d also like to recommend a paper cutter for those readers with multiple paper subscriptions. I used to spend SO much time clipping coupons and it has made life so much easier!
Thanks for all you do