4 Simple Tips For Making The Most with Coupons

Clipping coupons can make a real difference when we are trying make our money go further and find the best possible deal, especially when it comes to the weekly food shop, but effective coupon collecting and savings mean more than simply cutting out a token from the paper and handing it to a retailer. By following the four tips below, you can turn this hobby into a really effective and rewarding system and become a true couponing expert.

1: Think like an expert and you will become an expert.

It can be a little daunting to get started with coupons as you may not know where to start or you may find yourself taking on too big a project and getting snowed under with all the different styles, offers, brands and everything else that you have to consider. Prepare yourself and start to learn some of the different styles and the language of coupons so that you easily separate your BOGOs from your PSAs and won’t be caught off-guard when people start raving about the ads that the supermarket across town has just put in.

2: Organization is vital to successful couponing.

Being prepared for the experience of spending those coupons and getting those deals also means getting yourself organized. You are far less likely to feel overwhelmed by all those dates and offers if that mountain of little pieces of paper is neatly organized into a binder. Schedules and tables are a nice way of making sure that you keep on top of offers and don’t let anything expire unnecessarily but some coupon enthusiasts advise using a baseball card holder to neatly arrange it all by brand, date or whatever other criteria comes to mind. You can also organize by bulk buying certain items and making space for everything before you shop. Planning the shopping trip can be as important as getting the deals, which leads nicely to the next tip.
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How To Set Up A Coupon Binder

The following is a guest post by Outside the Box Mom:

Is the Coupon Binder Method for Me?

The advantages of using a coupon binder are that you have all coupons at your disposal, can take advantage of unadvertised deals, and it can be expanded for more storage. The disadvantages of using a coupon binder include the large, heavy binder, the time required to clip and file all coupons, the time required to remove all expired coupons, and the expensive supplies to setup. I’ve never used a coupon binder. For my current season of life, the con’s outweigh the pro’s. I have only used a coupon file and the insert method. I have written this tutorial as if I were going to do setup a coupon binder for the first time, myself.

how to make a coupon binder

The advantages of using a coupon binder are that you have all coupons at your disposal, can take advantage of unadvertised deals, and it can be expanded for more storage. The method also works for online coupons for your favorite stores. The disadvantages of using a coupon binder include the large, heavy binder, the time required to clip and file all coupons, the time required to remove all expired coupons, and the supplies to setup.

Supplies Needed to Make a Coupon Binder

  • 1-1/2″ (or larger) binder (zipper styles are more expensive but will stay together if dropped)
  • Baseball card pages ($4-$10 for 35-65 pages at national superstores)
  • Tabbed divider sheets
  • Presentation style folders with pockets (2)
  • Pencil pouch
  • Calculator
  • Scissors
  • Pen
I would estimate that all supplies would cost approximately $40.

How to Set Up a Coupon Binder

  1. The most important step is to [Read more…]