Coupon organization is key to saving. If you can’t find a coupon, if you leave them at home, no matter how many coupons you have, you won’t save a cent. With a little bit of time, preplanning, and organization you can begin your savings journey.

Start with an organizer and divide it into categories just like the supermarket aisles. The categories should be in alphabetical order. Keep all varieties of the same category so you’re ready when then brand goes on sale. For example, in my detergent category I have coupons for All, Biz, Cheer, Dynamo, Era, Fab, Gain, and Xtra among others. When I recently found Dynamo on sale for $2.99 I could easily locate the coupon. With 3 Dynamo coupons, I snagged 3 bottles for $1.99 each, a great buy.

My cereal category looks the same. I’ll try and so will my sons try almost any brand if the savings are substantial. One of our favorite brands is Honey Nut Cheerios, so of course when it goes on sale, I’ll not only use coupons, but I’ll stock up. Trying new brands can be exciting too. Just recently Corn Flakes came out with a ‘Simply Cinnamon’ selection with a full purchase price refund. The new variety was delicious.

If you’re just getting started with coupons, try a few categories to ‘get your feet wet’ so to speak. Since household items such a detergent, cleaners, fabric softeners are among the most expensive start with that category. Then use the ‘sale plus coupon’ method and see how much fun saving money can be.

This is a topic that deserves some more in depth discussions.

I’ve told you about my organizer with about 20 categories, and separate sections for
• Rainchecks,
• Miscellaneous items like batteries and bulbs,
• Retail coupons i.e. TrueValue, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Old Navy
• Coupons waiting to be filed

This has worked very well for me for the last 35+ years.

But I have seen a few other styles that work well too. In Clermont, FL I met up with Diane. Diane’s organizer was a looseleaf book divided into categories. Her coupons were placed in clear plastic pages, good for baseball cards. Each pocket contained similar coupons. For example in her cereal category I could see her internet, store and manufacturer coupons for Kellogg’s cereal. Upon flipping to toothpaste, I could see all the coupons from various brands saved as well.

Diane flips through the pages as she shops the aisles by categories, and pulls out the matching coupon. She loves her system.

Gina was another attendee. She had a small organizer, about 3” x 7” that she made herself from yellow colored poster board. She stapled the ends together and placed her coupons inside in alphabetical order. Hers fit perfectly inside her handbag so no matter when or where her coupons accompanied her.

The point of all this, is whatever system works for you, that’s the best system. So get your coupons ready and head off to the supermarket and your savings.

Coupons began in 1893 when C.W. Post put a $.01 coupon on his box of Post Grape Nut Flakes, in the hopes that the consumer would cut out that coupon and buy another box of his cereal. From that modest beginning, coupons have grown into a big business with almost 250 billion coupons being offered this year. For the coupon savvy consumer those coupons can turn into big savings, 89% of us use them. Coupon use is fun and easy and just requires a bit of a routine to get started. Here’s what I do.

Organize your coupons. I like the category method because it matches the aisles in the supermarket as well as the supermarket sales flyers. I have about 20 categories starting with: Baking, Beverages, Cereals, Condiments, Dairy and so on. As I check the flyer for sales, which is also by category, I can easily match up a coupon to the sale. And the same goes for the supermarket. Each aisle is devoted to different categories. So shopping is made easier and more time effective.