So what exactly is a Coupon Binder?

If you have ever seen me in the store or you see me at the office lately one thing that is always with me is my big pink and black coupon binder.  When I first got back into couponing I was doing a lot of research online and watching videos on YouTube and all of the great couponers in this world had a binder.  The last thing that I wanted to do was lug a 7 pound book with me when I went shopping so I decided I wasn't going to use one.  HOWEVER after several very long sessions of prepping to go to the store I decided it was time to take the plunge and get a binder.
 Off I went to Walmart with my binder list in hand.
1. A binder that was like a trapper keeper (wow showing my age there) that zipped and had pockets
2. Pencils pounch
3. Dividers
4. Sheet Protectors
5. Baseball Card inserts
6. Small Sissors that would fit in the pencil pouch
I have never been so excited to get organized in my life!!! I got home that night and sat down with all my coupons, my binder, and all the goods to go in it and totally froze.  How in the world was I going to organize this pile of stuff.  So out came the iPod and on to YouTube I went.  There are couponers out there that have thier binders organized every way you can imagine....a tab for every letter in the alphabet, by aisle at the store, by meal, and on and on.  So my dilemma was still not solved.  My hubby came in the kitchen so I asked him "How do you think I should organize this?"  He just looked at me and said "I don't know"!!!  So I thought it about it and I decided on the following categories:
1. Household/Cleaning
2. Health and Beauty
3. Pets
4. Cereal
5. Snack Food
6. Drinks
7. Dairy
8. Frozen Food
9. Misc Grocery
10. Medicine
In each of those sections I have a sheet protector that contains all of my printed coupons and baseball card holders that have all of my clipped coupons.  Not all of my sections have baseball card holders, for example Misc Grocery doesn't have one due to the wide variety of things I have in that section.
At the back of my binder I have folders that hold all of my past coupon inserts.  I have one for Red Plum, Smart Source, P&G, Publix, and one that has printed coupons that need to be clipped.
Remember I said that I wanted a binder that had pockets?  This binder has one on the front and that is where I hold all my envelopes that I use for each store that I shop. 
Hope this helps you to get organized!!!  Please remember...just because it works for me doesn't mean that it will work for you so make your binder YOURS and make it work for YOU!!!!!