Using grocery coupons can be time consuming and overwhelming if you don't have a good organizational system. Developing a method for organizing grocery coupons is a worthwhile activity because it will enable you to shop more efficiently and save money at the grocery store. When I first started using coupons to grocery shop, I had a small plastic organizer that had about 12 sections in it. This worked fine at the time. After becoming a mom, I developed an increased enthusiasm for couponing and adopted it as my new hobby. I signed up for extra Sunday newspapers, just for the additional coupons. My handy little coupon organizer couldn't take the pressure. It was just too small, and I needed more categories so I could find coupons quicker.

I searched the web for a larger organizer, but the only ones that seemed big enough were pretty expensive. I decided to try making my own before spending big bucks. I bought a check filing box from an office supply store for about $8 and turned it into a coupon organizer. The file box came with twelve dividers. That wasn't enough for me, so I traced the provided dividers onto pieces of card stock so I would have more. I personalized each category and subcategory with printed labels. I also alphabetized and color coded the categories.

By increasing the number of sections in my organizer, I can now find specific coupons much faster. For example, I used to keep all toiletries in the same slot. Now, toiletries are divided into eight subcategories. If I need to find a coupon for deodorant, I know exactly where to look.

The only down side to this system is that the box is somewhat large. I can't just toss it in my purse like I could with my smaller organizer. Sometimes I do take the whole box with me to the store, but most of the time I only take the coupons I know I'm going to use. This requires scanning the grocery ads ahead of time and making a shopping list for each store I plan to visit. To avoid carrying the box with me, I divide my coupons into envelopes labeled with grocery store names. I keep one labeled envelope in my box for each store I shop at regularly. If I have grocery lists for Safeway and Fry's, I put the coupons I'm going to use at those stores into their respective envelopes and toss them in my purse.

If you are ready to create your first coupon organizer or expand the one you already have, use the following categories and subcategories as a guide. Make it your own by personalizing the categories according to your needs. If you don't have babies, leave out the divider for baby products. If you don't have pets, skip that divider too. Label your dividers in a way that will increase your grocery shopping efficiency.

1. BABY PRODUCTS

2. BAKING

· Baking Mixes

· Baking Supplies

3. BEVERAGES

· Refrigerated

· Non-Refrigerated

4. BREAD

5. CANNED GOODS

· Fruit

· Meat

· Soup & Chili

· Vegetables

6. CEREAL

7. CLEANING

· Cleaners

· Dishwasher Products

· Laundry Products

· Air Sanitizers

· Liquid Dish Soap

8. CONDIMENTS

· Mayo/Mustard/Ketchup

· Jelly/Syrup/PB

· Salad Dressing

· Sauces/Marinades

9. DAIRY

· Butter & Eggs

· Cheese

· Dough-Refrigerated

· Other Dairy

· Yogurt

10. ENTRÉE MIXES

11. PASTA & RICE

12. MEAT

13. MEDICINE

14. MISC

When I completed my coupon box, it was pretty empty because my coupon supply was not very large. Each week, the coupon files expanded more and more as I collected additional coupons from my Sunday newspapers. Don't worry if you can't fill the box right away. The coupons will come! I often joke that losing my coupon box would be worse than losing my wallet. I usually don't have any cash in my wallet, but my coupons are worth hundreds!

This certainly isn't the only way to organize coupons. I know other coupon fanatics who use binders with clear plastic trading card pages. The coupons can be inserted into the slots and are visible through the plastic. Develop a system that works well for you. Be creative and have fun with this project. Most of all, enjoy the savings you will reap using coupons at the grocery store!