[ctsunshine]

Originally Posted by OldTinGrl

Yes. I always carry my binder with me. I keep it in a little tote, and pull it out when I need it. I don't want to miss a deal/steal. I toss my wallet in my tote, so I don't have to carry both my purse and coupon tote with me.

Can you post a picture of the tote? I'd love to see it, my tote doesn't fit my binder!

CTSunshine

[angnstang]

I carry my binder with me also, but I don't think my binder is wide enough. It falls in the child seat holder, if that makes sense. Very frustrating while I am shopping.

[stevesunrise]

I'm binder shy...kinda like bladder shy, but different. I use envelopes of the q's I know I will use for whatever store I'm hitting. One time, I must have pulled the envelope out of the ole shorts pocket and my bankcard went flying out into the night..never to be found again. Luckily, I realized it the next morning, put a stop to it, and nobody took advantage of Steve...this time.

[mommyhope]

Originally Posted by Lynda1811

I walk into the store with two zipper binders, and 10 reusable bags. I think all together it's about 10 lbs, not including my purse. I pull some coupons at home after looking on AFC, so I can check if my area has the same clearance, these are in an envelope in the front pocket.

My family is used to me taking it all in now, but before the kids would always ask, "are you doing the coupon thing" with an eye roll and a sigh.

I have missed out on some great deals, and now I never leave home with out my binders.

Lynda

How many papers do you buy regularly that you need 3 binders. I mean that is an awful gee golly lot of coupons.

[linz152]

My binder is ALWAYS in the car if I'm going anywhere near a store. I was at a work one day and my boss randomly asked me to go to WM. I didn't have my binder with me and OF COURSE there were tons of clearance deals I could have gotten for free. I couldn't go back that night and the next when I went, they were gone.

So yes, binder (3 inch zippered binder - not small!), reusable shopping bags, a 5 month old in a car seat, a 2 1/2 year old, and a purse all go in to the store with me! I don't have a ton of room in the grocery cart once I get all that stuff in the cart but we make it work.

I will never leave home without my binder again!

Linz

[hplymarried]

I just posted somewhere else that I was thinking about converting back to a binder. I got rid of mine about 5 years ago when DS was born. But now he's getting ready to go into K-5 and I'm SICK of having 5-6 envies stuffed with coupons and NONE of them are organized. So there I sit in the stores pulling one envies out after another trying to find that one coupon that I KNOW I HAVE. Then in my frustration I miss the darn thing and have to go back thru all of them AGAIN! LOL So I"m thinking about going back. I'm such a visual person and it would be fun to pull out my coupons at night right before I go to bed and just LOOK the them. LOL Yep, scary I know. But they are so fun to look at and imagine all the savings!!!!!

Anyway, OP I feel your pain. I'd rather not lug in a HUGE binder, but it WILL save you more $$. I like the idea of what the above poster said about having a pencil pouch in your binder to keep the coupons you are planning to use and then take that into the store with you. That would be an easy way to get your toes wet. Then if you found a deal you could run out and get your binder. Do you know how many times I have had coupons stashed in my car and found a deal that matched them. The binder is the way to go! We might as well "woman up" and just DO IT! I will if you will!

Kelly : )

[dfed913]

Hply,

You cracked me up! Yep, next time I head out I "think" I plan to "woman up"...put on my big girl panties (we never did get a smiley for this, btw) and take it on in...the WHOLE thing!!!

Oh, and i was the one who posted about the pencil pouch...I meant to use it WHILE shopping with the hunka hunka binder - to put the coupons in that I was 'apullinasIgo!!!

Thanks for the vote of confidence!!!! I'll post when I do it first time!

[BStroh]

I usually do, unless I'm running in for one thing. Because there have been times in the beginning when I wished I had it. You never know what is on sale or clearance!

[hplymarried]

Originally Posted by dfed913

Hply,

You cracked me up! Yep, next time I head out I "think" I plan to "woman up"...put on my big girl panties (we never did get a smiley for this, btw) and take it on in...the WHOLE thing!!!

Oh, and i was the one who posted about the pencil pouch...I meant to use it WHILE shopping with the hunka hunka binder - to put that coupons in the I was 'apullinasIgo!!!

Thanks for the vote of confidence!!!! I'll post when I do it first time!

You GO for it! I think I'm going to get the binder and all the stuff this week. I probably should wait till school supplies go on sale, which will be next week for our schools (year round), but I REALLY want to get started! Let me know how it goes. Send me a pic!!!! I think you will REALLY like it. It's so much easier to SEE everything.

Kelly

[wannasavemoney]

I take it everywhere now. In the begging I felt really really dumb, also we people kinda do the turn around look and see how many Q's you have in that thing. But after getting all kinds of great deals i take it everywhere. even if I go out and will not go shopping i put it n the trunk DH loves to walk around target, so I am always prepared

[Lynda1811]

Originally Posted by mommyhope

How many papers do you buy regularly that you need 3 binders. I mean that is an awful gee golly lot of coupons.

I have a sunday paper delivered, then my sister, grandma, mom, and neighbor give me their unwanted coupons. If there are really good coupons to match with sales, like the B1G1 Suave, I will go and buy 3 more.

Binder #1 is target and food
Binder #2 is everything else

I only shop twice a month so I'm not using them right away. I have to drive an hour to a walmart or regular target, and with gas prices, I like to be prepaired when I get there.


Lynda

[dfed913]

Originally Posted by stevesunrise

I'm binder shy...kinda like bladder shy, but different. I use envelopes of the q's I know I will use for whatever store I'm hitting. One time, I must have pulled the envelope out of the ole shorts pocket and my bankcard went flying out into the night..never to be found again. Luckily, I realized it the next morning, put a stop to it, and nobody took advantage of Steve...this time.

Steve, You too crack me up! I give kudos to you for even thinking about couponing let alone carrying a binder (we forgive you) - although, they DO come in camo, ya know! My husband cringes if I ask him to take coupons with him...but theres still time, I'm working on it!

If only HE knew how great this forum was!!!

[TigerGirl1226]

I did the binder thing and it was love/hate relationship. I finally had to go back to my small expanding file and it is working great for me. I found myself rebelling against the binder, I never wanted to take the time to sort and file the coupons, but with my little file it is soo much easier.

[mathmom32]

I never walk into a store without my binder. I do pull my coupons that I am planning on using, and stash them in a separate baseball bard holder at the front of my binder. That way, I never have to sort through my coupons at the store, and they are all together at checkout. But I take my binder with me so I won't miss out on any HOT deals!

[teeldjm]

My Binder is like my 3rd child...it goes with me into every grocery store. I have about 100 sleeves inside with coupons in front and back of each sheet. I also have 3 zipper pencil bags in front, one for CVS, Walgreens, and Target that I can pull the coupons for those stores based on their sales, and have the RR, cards and their ads all zipped up. I also have a ring notebook that is 3 hole punched that sits behind the bags I that make notes on as I'm shopping so I can keep a spreedsheet of everyones prices. I'll be in a store writing notes down with the binder wide open and I've had a Store Mgr come and introduce themselves because they think I am a vendor that didn't check in at the front desk. After explaining that I am a taking notes and comparing prices with them to 4 other stores around and keeping everything on a spreadsheet, he wanted a copy of my spreadsheet to see how their prices compare with others. No way, Jose !!! I have had strangers stop and ask how much time it takes and how much I save, all I say is, "It's worth it !!" I also have a co-worker that does the same thing and it's a contest to see who saves the most each week, such a challenge.

[Greeneyez]

I have one of those small pleated plastic ones with the stretchy band that goes around it that I got from walmart. I keep it in my purse and it hold quite a bit I think there is like 13 separate slots. I just separate them into health and beauty, food, candy/sweets, cleaning supplies, smelly goods like air freshners ect. Also I just came up a new system(for me anyway not sure if anyone else does it ) last night so I dont have to dig through my coupons while shopping. I usually make lists of stuff to get so I just make a list on a piece of paper. Then I pull whatever coupons I need for the trip and put it in a zippered sandwich baggie with the list on top so I can see it. I then just pull the baggie out of my purse do my shopping and when I go to check out take the coupons out of the baggie to give to the cashier. I dont know why I didnt think of it sooner. I used to walk around digging coupons out of my little pouch . This way I wont lose them on the floor or worry about it. I then reuse the baggie until its to trashed to use anymore toss it in my recycle bin and get a fresh one . Wow that was a book sorry for the rambling

[sar1]

Like Greeneyez, I use the small 13-slot plastic one. I haven't yet graduated to a binder, but I am considering it. In the meantime, I will probably adopt her idea of using the baggie, too. I pull ones I'm planning to use ahead of time and paperclip them to my shopping list, but they seem to fly everywhere or I'm constantly checking the kids' seat area in the cart to make sure I haven't lost any. I do like the compact-ness of what I use now, but I know I miss things trying to shuffle through those small pockets. I try to only carry coupons for things I know we will use b/c we're limited on storage space. So even if something is free, it doesn't always make sense for me. On the other hand, I know I'm missing out on a lot of deals by not having everything w/me. Oh, and my baby's new thing is reaching out and grabbing whatever's in my hand so my coupons are in dangerous territory now b/c I carry her in the bjorn when I shop.

I also try to keep a small notepad and pen w/me b/c I'm working on a spreadsheet like teeldjm's. To minimize my time on this while in the store, I try to identify about 5 items I want to get prices on in that trip, write them down before I go, and fill in the blanks as I shop. I plan to start bringing a small calculator w/me, too.

[mrslukebrown]

I like the binder system. It works well ,but I find I often rebel against sorting the coupons and putting them in. It does work wonders so I can go through and scan every coupon much more efficiently <3

[CARRIEMB2]

Originally Posted by Willowlynn

Yes, I do! I have since the day I made the binder. There is good and bad to it. I have all my coupons. But they know I am the crazy coupon customer.

:goodpost2:

[CARRIEMB2]

Originally Posted by mrslukebrown

I like the binder system. It works well ,but I find I often rebel against sorting the coupons and putting them in. It does work wonders so I can go through and scan every coupon much more efficiently <3

:goodpost2:I have to make deals with myself to get them all sorted and put away! !

[armympwife]

I carry my binder but I put it in a tote. The tote is big enough to allow me to discretely flip the pages. Personally I don't care one way or the other, but I like the tote because if my coupons fall out or I grab a bunch of blinkies I can just stash them in my tote.

[irishgirl73]

I take my binder in with me. Especially to Kroger. You never know what's on clearance or "close out".

[wildpookey]

I used to carry mine but do not anymore. I found that I was spending more time in the store than I needed to. Now, I make out my shopping list, organize the coupons I need to bring and that it is. If there is a deal that I miss because I didn't have my binder with me, I will make a note of the deal and next time I go to that store, to check if they still have the deal.

I really do depend on the members here at AFC that share their great finds. Thanks!

[imaguy]

LOL my cashiers all know me now....they always talk to me about my binder. It's huge...it weighs over 10 lbs.... I get stopped in aisles every so often by people admiring my organization...they say they are inspired to go home and start couponing .....I tried the expandable envies...didn't work for me...Binder is the way to go..

[Sally]

If I did not take my attache case (binder) into the store with me it would be like leaving my money at home. I don't go without it.

The wonderful thing about the attache case binder is that it looks like a business person and not a crazy notebook like I carried before, also it fits into the top of the shopping carts much better because of the size.
Don't leave home without it.

Sally