I have several 3-ring binders I have sectioned off, where I put my recipes.

3 years ago I tackled my recipe box and decided to use Notepad since it has been part of every version of Windows. So I can email a recipe to a friend on Win 98, XP, or 7. No funny symbols show up. No compatibility issues.

I also find 1/2 easier to read than the fraction in many document programs.

Since I didn't use a data base program I decided to add some ingredients in the filename, such as:
Unicorn Pub Shepherd's Pie ground beef carrot celery corn

I made category-folders as well as an Unsorted folder which holds a copy of every recipe. If I have a pomegranate I do a search in the Unsorted folder.

My back-up is on a USB as well as another computer.

No, I didn't throw away the recipe box_es! :-)

Thanks...helpful answers.

I use an accordian file for printed (off the 'net) recipes & some torn out magazine recipes-actually I have 2 files now. I use one for recipes I've tried & plan to use again & one for recipes to try. The files have tabs you may personalize. "Course I also have piles of magazines, especially Thanksgiving & Christmas ones cause of the great pix. I also have a 3x5 box that was my grandmothers & keep it on my Hoosier cabinet, just like she did!

I use an accordian file for printed (off the 'net) recipes & some torn out magazine recipes-actually I have 2 files now. I use one for recipes I've tried & plan to use again & one for recipes to try. The files have tabs you may personalize. "Course I also have piles of magazines, especially Thanksgiving & Christmas ones cause of the great pix. I also have a 3x5 box that was my grandmothers & keep it on my Hoosier cabinet, just like she did!

Sorry for the double post.

Stuffed anywhere and everywhere. Closet shelves and a 3x5 box. Easy to find. Would not want them on a computer screen, 40' from where I am working. Still pull out the 1936 Cookbook on occasion.

For years now-I've stored mine in photo albums! You can pick up inexpensive ones at your dollar stores. I have an album for each category & store them on my bookcase. It's so much easier to locate what I want or if I'm looking for ideas-I browse thru my own 'tried & true' recipes. I label the category with painter's tape and place it on the spine of the album. So many recipes are bigger than a standard recipe card-whether it's one I clip from a newspaper or online.-so the album works for that as well. I also buy different sized ones-some that I use for Holiday recipes or party fare. Also, if a friend or my family member wants ideas for a dessert or appetizer? I just lend the album home with them to browse through!

I love still hearing ideas of what works for you. I finally figured out what works for me. I decided now that I'm older and my eyesight isn't what it used to be, why struggle with my 45 year old 3x5 cards. I'm shifting to 81/2x11 ...regular printer paper size in 3ring binders. I decorated some and struggled with which ones would work with dividers that wouldn't stick out. I am a tiny bit OCD. :-). At first I tried easel notebooks that I love...still but....the one I love the most seems to be discontinuing and you can't get refill pages (page protectors) and another I tried is spiral ...didn't really work. I wish I could just link a picture from my camera roll but I never have figured out how to link pics here. I am gradually transferring. When I use a recipe card, I go print it on the computer and put it in the notebook. I have two and I'll probably have to spread out to 3-4 before I'm done. Anyway...thanks all. I still like reading your ideas.

I had a large collection of cookbooks with only one or two recipes I used in each and the rest, never. One day I copied all the one or two recipes plus ones from friends, relatives, and the ones we used all the time to a 3 ring binder called Family Favorites. Over the years I added more collected from others and the best off the internet that became favorites and were used over and over. I eventually transfered it all to word pad and keep it on my computer. I have put the collection on cd's and gave as gifts to my children and a few other relatives. I have many friend and relatives recipes of persons who are no longer with us. It has became a treasure for the whole family. It is always easy to find and access. I catagorized it into sections for easier access.

I use these recipe binders:
http://www.crgibson.com/kitchen/recipe-binders.html

I have 4 or 5 of them. They have pocket pages where you can slip in a 4x6 card and dividers to organize by section. I love these.

I use a three ring binder as well. I think storing them online is a great idea too. Takes up less room and you can access them from anywhere.

Amber....I'm stilling moving all my recipes to 3ring binders but when I get that done, I want to post them all to pepper plate. I, too love the idea of being able to get to them from out of town etc...and be able to just let others who want recipes to go there. I researched that a lot and really like pepper plate. Com. I am still enjoying reading about others systems.

I must admit I have recipes on post-its and pieces of cardboard, attached to magnets and clips on the fridge, and they can stay there for some time. When they are tried, tested and I know I want to make them again, then I write it by hand in a notebook. I have found a nice notebook with stiff cardboard binding that should last a long time. These days the web is full of ideas and recipes and often I cook by no recipe at all; I sort of read something and then have an idea where I want to go. It's not that often I add a recipe to my collection anymore.

I had several boxes of index cards & many loose pieces of paper. I now have most of them posted in a cookbook I created using google docs. It is a shared doc so my daughters can access what I have posted & add their own recipes for me to see. We can also each add notes & comments to these recipes. No worries about computer crashes because it's all in "the cloud".

I'm another fan of PepperPlate.com! I've got notebooks, a recipe box, a picture album type of book, and file folders. But I'm putting my favorite and most often used recipes in my PepperPlate file. I also make notes of menus, meal suggestions, and shopping lists, like what are my favorites to buy at Trader Joe's or iHerb.com. Just recently I started a list of recipes that would be good to bring to work for a "snack day."

Teresa

I am like OldFixer - I have recipes on index cards, printed off from my printer, in folders, binders, etc.! I am so thankful for Pinterest now and have recipes saved on that board in categories.

But many years ago before Pinterest I decided that it was too time consuming to type out all my recipes to do an on-line cookbook, so I just sorted the newspaper clipping, written recipes, etc. by category and put them in a large 10 x 13-inch and just wrote the category on the envelope - they are stored in a file cabinet. So if I want a particular "zucchini" recipe, I only have to search that envelope. Appetizers, salads, crock pot, meat dishes, rhubarb recipes, vegetables, etc. But if I am having a holiday dinner such as Thanksgiving, I started a 3-ring binder and put all the recipes I have ever used for that holiday dinner whether it be appetizers, the turkey, side dishes and desserts, and then add a page with the year and menu we had. I use page protectors in that binder and refer to it every year.