Box or Binder - Your Coupon System at the Store

by Debbie Clark (DealDebbie) | More from this Blogger

07 May 2009 08:58 PM

When I go shopping, I always carry my coupon file with me. Since I have so many coupons, it makes the trip quick - and profitable - to have all the coupons sorted, filed, and easy to find,

You can use a file box, like I do, or you can use a binder with transparent pocket sheets. Many deal hunters like to use the binder because the coupons are immediately visible, and you are not flipping through a file box. You also do not have to worry about dropping it, and having the coupons spill.

Some people file their coupons by the week of the insert they come in - they never actually clip the coupon until they are at the store. They refer to a list, like this one, and have their trip well planned. This saves them time clipping and filing, especially if they get multiple inserts. You can do this with a binder, and also have room for printable coupons, blinkie dispenser coupons, and tearpad offers.

If you are clipping and sorting, don't go crazy with the categories. Divide edible and non edible, and then in non edible use these categories: Hair, Mouth/oral care, Health and beauty, Cleaning supplies, Detergent, paper and plastic, Miscellaneous. In edible categories: Bread, canned/jar foods, frozen foods, dairy, dessert, snacks, meat, produce.

One of the more frustrating experiences at the checkout is to have a cashier say "one per purchase" and not understand that it really is ok to buy 15 bottles of dishwashing liquid and use 15 coupons for that product. Some will even ring them up as a separate transaction, to the irritation of people behind me in line. Unless there is a store policy limiting the use of coupons, this should not happen. My approach is to ask the cashier to try it and see if the coupon is accepted, since the cash register systems are programmed to work with the store policy. That usually works.

More often, I have cashiers who are standing there with their mouths open at the end of the transaction, and who want to know how I did that!

Learn more about Debbie Clark (DealDebbie)

I'm a veteran deal hunter with two grown sons. I have been clipping coupons and doubling up with rebates and sales and points rewards since they were babies.

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gina00 (680) 07 May 2009 10:55 PM

Thanks for starting up this blog again! I just read through your entries. Lots of great ideas! Thank you! I'll look forward to reading more tips.