There are generally 2 camps when it comes to coupon organizing: the filers and the binders. Filers will keep an insert intact, put it in a filing container of some kind, and sort by date, clipping only what they plan to take to the store with them that day. Binders carry all of their coupons, all the time. I started out as a binder, did a brief (and very disorganized) stint as a filer, and I'm back on Team Binder. You'll want to invest in one or the other before your dining room table is covered in stacks of coupons. Ask me how I know. I have a binder much like the one pictured, but mine is without the handle. I found it on clearance for $2.99. Back to school sales are starting this week, so you'll be able to find something fairly inexpensively. I do see myself upgrading here in the near future, mostly because carrying a binder, my wallet, and managing 2 kids is ridiculous. Also a necessity: TOP-LOADING pages. The ones that hold postcards and 
come 4 to a page, 6 to a page
, and 9 to a page
are common coupon sizes. Why top-loading? Take a binder, load it to the brim with side-loading pages, jam 9000 coupons in there, and hand it to your 5 year old. I promise you, every last coupon is going to slide right out, and into a nice pile on the floor. Your almost-2 year old will dance in it. I promise. There may have been tears. You should also find a stapler, and a nice pair of scissors. I've got a mini-stapler
that fits in the front pocket of my binder, and the Fiskars Blunt Scissors
. Even though these are designed for preschool kids, I've still been known to cut myself. Once you have your organizational tools of choice, you'll want to print out every store's coupon policy. To make it easier for you, I've linked all of the stores in my area. These policies are effective as of 07/08/11. If your store isn't listed, and you can't find it online, you should be able to visit the customer service counter for a printout.
come 4 to a page, 6 to a page, and 9 to a page are common coupon sizes. Why top-loading? Take a binder, load it to the brim with side-loading pages, jam 9000 coupons in there, and hand it to your 5 year old. I promise you, every last coupon is going to slide right out, and into a nice pile on the floor. Your almost-2 year old will dance in it. I promise. There may have been tears. You should also find a stapler, and a nice pair of scissors. I've got a mini-stapler that fits in the front pocket of my binder, and the Fiskars Blunt Scissors. Even though these are designed for preschool kids, I've still been known to cut myself. Once you have your organizational tools of choice, you'll want to print out every store's coupon policy. To make it easier for you, I've linked all of the stores in my area. These policies are effective as of 07/08/11. If your store isn't listed, and you can't find it online, you should be able to visit the customer service counter for a printout. - Kroger doesn't have a coupon policy on their site, but Toledo stores will double 3 like coupons up to .50, and the Perrysburg store will go up to .99
