Organizing Your Coupons for Beginners

You have to start with a good box. My first coupon box was the small handled Rubbermaid 4 qt Handi-Box. This worked great for me until I outgrew it. It fits in the top of the buggy very well and has a handle which makes it very easy to carry around. The sides lock on very well, so I never feared dropping it. I had a lot of large greeting card envelopes which I sealed and then cut in half as my coupon holders. I used the open side to put my coupons in. I used a bold marker to write on the outside of the envelope what my categories were. The categories I started out with are below in the order that my favorite store at the time was laid out in. Of course, over the years, my favorite store has changed, I have kept this order because I have had it this way for so long, I now know exactly where to go for each envelope. Also, I always have a pair of scissors, a pen and a small calculator in my box.



Condiments/Spices/Seasonings
Salad
Beverages
Bread
Cereal/Fruit Snacks
Canned Food
Boxed Food
Snacks
Baking Supplies
Lunchmeat/Bacon/Sausage
Dairy
Frozen Items
Baby Supplies
Pet Supplies
Paper/Plastic Products
Cleaning Supplies
Air Fresheners
Beauty/Bath Supplies
Medicines
Batteries/Film
Other
Restaurant
Rebates



I slowly added more categories over the years, but this was a good start and covered all of my needs at the time.