Have you ever gone to a store to buy a product only to remember that you had seen a coupon for it or had forgotten a coupon for it? I don’t know about you but it makes me not want to buy the item no matter how badly I may have needed it. The only way that coupons can save you money and help you keep your grocery budget in check is by maximizing their use. The only way to do this is to have your coupons in an organized manner that makes them easy to access and use. I have tried all the different ways to organize coupons. Some I found to be really effective but my needs changed and so did my organization. Here is my honest review of five popular coupon organization methods.

1.  Polyester/Velcro Organizer- When I first started couponing many years ago this was the method I used. My sister still uses it today. I liked it because you have dividers to create sections for your different coupon categories. You can carry it with you in your purse. It’s lightweight.

Why I stopped using it– As the number of coupons that I used and carried increased, I basically grew out of this. I could no longer hold the quantity of coupons I had plus the closure wore out because I used it so much.

Overall, I found this effective for beginners and for those who just want to carry a minimal amount of coupons with them.

2. Plastic Accordion File- This organizer is more durable than a fabric one. Snap or sometimes elastic closure is more sustainable.

Why I stopped using it-It is a little more bulky than the fabric one so it takes up more room in your purse. Also, it has a preset amount of pockets so you either have to reduce the amount of categories you have or add in paper dividers if you have more than the allotted amount of sections.

Overall, this is a good option for durability. It is good if you just want to carry this into a store with you or carry an oversized bag.

3. Accordion Style File Box-This by far allowed me to carry the most amount of coupons. It had many compartments so I had no problem organizing by category. I could easily carry my phone, calculator etc.

Why I stopped using it – This for me did not work. Because it was so big and heavy I used to leave it in my car. When I would cut coupons out in my house, I would usually throw them in a pile and forgot to put them in. Also the pockets are really deep and I would lose my coupons in the bottom.

Overall, the size did not work for me.

4. Coupon Binder Method– This is one of the most popular ways of organizing coupons. It’s basically a binder (any binder will do) with page protector sheets in sections where you can insert your coupons. This allows for multiple coupons to be carried with you. Probably as far as organization goes this was the most organized system because every coupon has its own place.

Why I stopped using – Typically with a binder method you sort your coupons by brand/name rather than category type. I just like sorting my coupons by category. For me this method got confusing when I did try to do it by category. Plus, I didn’t like carrying the binder with me. This was again something I would leave in my car and forget when I needed to insert new coupons.

Overall, this method is VERY successful for some people so I would try it if you think this super organized system is what you are looking for.

5. Large Fabric Coupon Organizer– This is what I’m currently using and have been for over 5 years (I am on my second bag). I love it! When I go to the store I carry this as my purse. There’s room for my phone, calculator if I need one, pencil and cash or debit card. The carrier I use came with 30 tabbed divider cards but I can add more (I actually have some extra from my last bag). I can easily change up the category names with some white out. Since I carry as my purse I never leave it in the car. I can have as many categories as I want and carry as many coupons as I want. For me this is the most efficient system and allows me to maximize my coupon use. I bought mine on Etsy and I will leave the link.

In conclusion, it really doesn’t matter which method you choose as long as you use something! Coupons in the bottom of your purse, left on your kitchen counter or in your car will not help you. Organizing your coupons is extremely important in the process of saving money. If you try a system and it doesn’t seem to be working for you, don’t be afraid to try a different method. Clearly you can see I went through several methods before I found the one that worked best for me. If you want to see more on these options take a look at my YouTube video which shows them all and explains a little bit more about each.