Once you start gathering your coupons, you will quickly realize that you need to find a place for all your stuff. Many people start off with an accordion file, but I'll be honest, it just isn't enough space. The two most popular methods to couponing are:
1- Binder Method- I use this method and it is my favorite. You clip all the coupons and organize them by categories you choose. Here's a quick way to get a binder together: First- select your binder, 2 or 3" preferably. Second- buy baseball card holders that will be used to hold all your coupons. Third- buy page dividers. I suggest the heavy duty plastic ones as they will last forever. Label the dividers. A lot of people organize based on the flow of their grocery store, some do alphabetical, just do what works for you. Lastly- file your coupons.
2- Clipless Method- This is another method that many couponers use. You save all your inserts and date them. You would want to put all your redplum, smart source, and P&G from the same week together, use a sharpie to write on them, then file in to a file folder so that you have easy access to them. Then, you pull the inserts out and clip coupons as necessary. You must be very organized to use this method. You also have to shop strictly from a list. When you follow a coupon blog they will list out where the coupons come from. So it may say "$1/2 muellers pasta SS 4/17/11", which reads: $1 off of 2 muellers pasta found in the smart source insert from 4/17/11 week.
If you choose binder, I suggest clipping any and everything that you would use or would buy if it were free or a moneymaker. There are often freebies and moneymaker deals, but if you have tossed the coupon, you can't get them. Some people combine the binder/clipless method for this purpose. Clipping and organizing coupons they KNOW they will use, filing ones that they would use if the item would be free.
I personally use the binder method, but prior to shopping, I collect all my coupons I plan to use and place them in a small accordian file to use at the store. I still take my binder with me, in case an unexpected sale pops up, but pulling most of the Q's ahead of time, prevents me from having to fumble through a big binder as I go through the store with my 2-year-old. I have my small accordian file organized by store: CVS, Publix, Bilo, Target, Walgreens, & Free. I keep my ECB's, RR's, and store coupons in the correlating place. If I'm going to a store I don't reguarly frequent, there is an empty slot in my accordian and I'll usually put the Q's there or in a labeled envelope.
