Week 3 - Done

Here's my new coupon binder. It's big enough to hold my Entertainment Book as well which means I may actually use those coupons this year.

I have nephews, they sell me stuff like coupon books and chocolates for their school. 

If I were to make another one, I'd forgo the monthly planner refill and just get dividers. There are many templates for pages on the internet or you can make your own.
Actually I did just get dividers for next year, but since I opened the refill package I can't return it.

I ended up with 15 categories for my coupons and labeled all the pockets.

Along with the 15 categories, I have a spot for coupons that need to be filed, a spot for ones to use soon and ones I plan on using my next shopping trip. I also have a place for fast food coupons, Canadian Tire $, general store coupons like for Michael's and Old Navy and coupon policies of stores I shop at often.

I customized an Excel monthly calendar for next year and created a weekly meals planner and shopping list divided into similar categories. I added a zippered pouch to store a small pair of scissors and a pen.

I also made a list of all my coupons in an excel file that I can update and print out so I know what I have. Sounds a little obsessive I know so we'll see if I keep it up. I can also organize them by expiry date so I can decide whether to use them or at least leave them on the shelf in the store so someone else can use them.

Week 3 - Start - Organize Coupons

So my coupon organizing project this week will hopefully help me with my menu planning project for a future week.

I coupon. I'm not an extreme couponer. I'm not sure you can even do that in Canada like you see on TV. I'm not a stockpiler either, unless there's a really good deal and it won't go bad before I use it and I have the space in my tiny apartment to store it.

I currently have a bunch of coupons I've gotten from inserts and online stuffed into a small accordion file that I keep in my car. If I don't leave it in my car, I forget it and I usually forget it in my car as well.

I never said I was a good couponer!

I looked at a bunch of storage ideas from binders to big accordion files and even bigger boxes and settled on a variation of the binder idea. I want to be able to take it into the store but not look like I've come from school. I picked up a half sized binder (8.5" x 5.5" ) and pocket protectors and a day-timer monthly planner refill.

It's a bit bigger than the accordion file, but still portable. Lets see if this will work for me!