Coupon Methods: The Binder

 

I love my coupon binder. It has saved me thousands and thousands of dollars. Yes, it's bulky, heavy, and difficult to carry when my arms are full with a infant car seat, a toddler, and my reuseable bags, but it is so worth it.

This method involves cutting and organizing all of you coupons on a weekly basis, and then bringing your binder with you whenever you shop. I think this method is superior to the filing method because of my other favorite shopping experience: the clearance shelf. If you've always got your coupons with you, you'll be ready when you find a great clearance deal. I've combined coupons and clearance to get many, many items for free over the years, everything from blue jeans to light bulbs to feminine hygiene.

Utah Deal Diva recently switched to this couponing method and has a great post that breaks down the specifics. I recommend clicking on the link to visit her site to read this post, as she's got great photos detailing what she's talking about.

My Coupon Binder

As many of you know, I recently switched my coupon organization method from using 3 accordion files to the infamous coupon binder. It's been a month now and I feel like I can give an honest review as to how it's been.

First, a little background as to what I switched to. I'm using a 1.5" zippered binder and it's FULL. I should probably be using a 3", but it's just too huge for me to carry around. I might splurge and get a 2-2.5" online within the next year, we'll see. But for now, this works. I purchased 2 sets of 35 baseball card holders from Walmart for $5.97 each. I also purchased 2 packages of ten 4x6 photo sheets for $2.36 each. I get my coupons from so many different places, I don't want to limit myself to a certain size. I also bought 2 packages of plastic dividers for $3.97 each. (That was after I bought 2 packs that totally didn't work!) Both packs have 8 dividers and I'm using them all. Overall I spent just over $27 on my transition costs.

I have 1 photo sheet page at the very front of my binder for coupons that I am planning on using during that shopping trip. I've also put coupons there that I print off, but don't get a chance to file yet. Behind that I have all my free product coupons. I look at them often, so as to make sure I don't let any expire! 

Behind that all my different categories begin. I have 16 different categories as follows: Dairy, Cereal, Crackers/ Dry Goods (granola bars, pasta, bread, etc), Pre-made Foods/ Side Dishes (canned soup, Boxed potatoes, etc), Dessert, Baking Items (spices, boxed muffin mixes, etc), Condiments & Sauces, Meat (refrigerated), Frozen Items (anything that's frozen except desserts), Beverages, Baby Items, Personal Care (shampoo, razors, etc.), Medicine, Cleaning, Paper Goods, and Misc.

Within most of my categories, I have individual pages for certain items. For instance, in the dessert category, I have a page for frozen desserts, a page for gum, etc. Within Personal Care, I have a page for body wash & bar soap, shampoo & conditioner, razors, etc. I found that making a zillion categories just filled the binder with a ton of dividers, some of which only had 1 page behind them. Space was too important for me.

So here's what I think of the method...separated into Pros and Cons...

Advantages of the Binder Method:

• It's a lot easier to find coupons for unadvertised deals. It's just a lot easier to find coupons, period.
• Once you have it all organized, it's very easy to put your coupons in each week. Although I do spend more time trimming them all neatly so they fit in the slots, the whole process only takes me about 30-45 minutes each week, which isn't bad considering all the coupons I have!
• It's so very easy to see when coupons have expired and to pull them out. That is a huge plus!
• It's a gazillion times easier to shop with my kids now. Outings are less stressful. I am a happier mom while shopping with my kids, which just makes life better. My coupons sit safe and secure either in the cart or on the top of the car cart and I flip through them as needed. As I decide to use coupons, I transfer them to the front 4x6 page so I can easily hand them all to the checker.
• I can more easily carry all the different items I need while shopping. My calculator, scissors and pens all are in the pouch in front. I don't have to clip every coupon in every coupon booklet if I don't want to- I just file it in the accordion file on the front and I have it in case I need it. I can also easily carry around individual store coupon policies. It's nice to have all those items so accessible! 

Disadvantages of the Binder Method:

• It took me several hours (about 10!) to transfer my coupons over. It was a horribly tedious, boring job that I never want to do again.
• Not all coupons fit in those little slots. I have to fold many, including all printable coupons. That makes it hard to see all the details of the coupon- description and expiration date, at a glance.
• Most coupons do fit, but you have to trim them really well. I spend a little more time carefully cutting each coupon I want in my binder.
• I shopped around to find a good price on the materials needed and I still paid $27! In addition, the baseball card sheets are flimsy and I can see myself having to replace sheets continually.
• Visually, the sheets are busy. I've seen some that are all neat and clean and all coupons are the same size- mine isn't like that. I just have so many coupons of so many shapes and sizes, the one-size-fits-all look just isn't happening. It took me a couple weeks to get used to that. A friend of mine put a solid colored sheet behind each category and while that helps a ton, I just don't have the space for them. 

My recommendations:

• Make your own categories. Know that every person's categories are going to be different! This is just what works for me. With any category system there will be some overlap. (Coupons that can logically go in more than 1 category.) I developed these categories after taking into consideration the items that I use coupons on. Everyone should do the same!
• Get good dividers. The first ones I got were clear and super cute but didn't stick out enough on the side for me to see them. Seeing them is important! The ones I use are plastic and have pockets on each side- also very handy!
• Even though it's less aesthetically pleasing, I like having 2 sizes of pages available. I use the 4x6 pages for tearpad coupons, coupons from packaging, insert coupons that are just gigantic, as well as many printables.
• Zippered binders are a necessity. I've seen my coupons shift around as I've turned my binder. If they weren't all enclosed, I'd be very worried about making sure I was carrying it upright all the time.
• Get a binder with a removable shoulder strap as well as a handle. It's nice to be able to be hands-free when I am carrying my baby! 

Overall, I'm pleased with my choice to switch. Even though I have just as many disadvantages listed as I do advantages, the positive points are more important to me. Each method I've used has had its disadvantages. I think we all just have to consider what stage in life we're at and analyze what is most important to us. This will be a great method for me right now. Although it was a hassle to switch over, I'm glad I finally took the plunge!


If you're interested in starting your own coupon binder, I recommend buying a sturdy zippered binder as thick as you can find. Amazon.com has several options with competitive prices (when compared to the prices of local stores like Office Max). Go here to see zippered binders.
After price checking locally for baseball card holders I've determined that it's much cheaper to find these online too. Amazon.com has them as cheap as $0.16 a piece (when buying a pack of 100), whereas local retailers like Roberts sell them for $0.40 each. Go here to see baseball card inserts on Amazon.com.