Coupon Organization

Calling all coupon clippers! Are you just starting out and wondering what organization method will best suit your lifestyle? Well, look no further! I've compiled a list of some of the most common ways to organize coupons to share with all of you. Of course, you can be creative and fashion your own organization method or you can combine a variation of the methods listed here. If you are new to couponing, I'd suggest that you start off simple, not investing too much time or money on organizing your coupons. 

Simple Organization Methods:

#1) Envelope- A simple envelope can go along way when you first start couponing. It's something that you probably already have laying around the house somewhere. Once you start collecting more coupons, this method will no longer be helpful, however, it's a great place to start.
PROS: Inexpensive, Good for new couponers 
CONS: Not good for organizing a substantial amount of coupons

#2) File Cabinet- This is yet another simple method, like the envelope. If you have a filing cabinet, you can add some manila folders and label them by category (personal care, household, etc.) or by date. You can then decide if you want to keep your inserts of coupons whole or clip them and file them accordingly. If you don't have a filing cabinet, you can also use a laundry basket, lunch box or whatever you can come up with. 
PROS: Inexpensive, Fast and easy, Potentially successful method
CONS: Once you have a substantial amount of coupons it may be difficult to continue to stay organized, Can't take it with you to the stores

#3) Accordion File Organizer (small)- These small, 12-slot accordion organizers can be found at the "Dollar Spot" in Target for $1. These work essentially the same as the file cabinet method, except these are smaller and portable. You can label the tabs my category and then add your coupons to the appropriate section. 
PROS: Inexpensive, Portable
CONS: May be too small to hold all of your coupons

#4) Accordion File Organizer (large)- These large, 5-slot accordion organizers can also be found at the "Dollar Spot" in Target for $1. The best way to utilize these large accordion organizers is to put your whole, uncut coupon inserts into them. Put all your coupons from that week into one slot and then the next week, put that week's inserts into a different slot. Keep doing this until all your slots are filled. You can do the same for printable coupons. 
PROS: Inexpensive, Portable, Not Tedious or time consuming
CONS: If you spot a clearance bargain while you're in-store, you won't have your coupons on hand

Intricate Organization Method:

#5) Coupon Binder- Now time for everyone's favorite organization method! The coupon binder is by far the most intricate organization method I've seen thus far. There's many way that you can go about organizing your coupon binder, however, I'll just go with the basics. You'll need a binder, baseball card inserts and plastic dividers. You'll then clip your coupons and insert them into the inserts. You can organize by category, date or whatever makes the most sense to you. Since the coupon binder is the most popular organization method asked about by new couponers, I decided to create a section just for the binder. Go here to see all the details about the coupon binder method.
PROS: Very organized, Portable
CONS: Pricey, Very tedious and time-consuming