Free Or Better Meat At Price Chopper

Just to be clear, in case it wasn't clear in my earlier post, you can get FREE lunch meat this week at Price Chopper.  Actually, it's a $0.05 money maker.

Deal...
(5) Oscar Mayer lunch meat  reg. $1.19, sale $0.79
= OOP $3.95
~ Earn $4 OYNO Catalina

Now if you have a catalina from doing the deal last week, you can absolutely roll it this week to turn this into a total money maker!

Tip...things like this freeze very well.  So stock up now and enjoy over the next few months. 

My Awesome Price Chopper Week In Review

This has been a BIG shopping week for many of us.  Price Chopper did not disappoint!  Summer sales are on and I'm loving it.  I picked up ice cream, cleaning products, meats, veggies and more.  And there is still time.  I started my week with a goal to not only shop wisely for items I needed but to also elaborate practical ways to use the best Price Chopper deals in your every day life.  So let's talk first about my favorite items on sale this week.

Details Listed Here

* (1) Seedless Watermelon  reg. $4.99, sale $2.99
- (1) $2/1 Watermelon Hannaford coupon
= OOP $0.99
~ Saved 80%

* (1) Strawberries  reg. $2.99
- (1) $1/1 lb Hannaford coupon (thru 5/24)
 = OOP $1.99

* Iceberg or Romain Lettuce  sale $1

* Bananas  sale $0.49/lb

* (1) Vidallia Onions 5lb.  sale $4.99
- (1) $0.50/1 Vidallia Onions print coupon
= OOP $3.99

* (1) Wholly Salsa  sale $2
- (1) $1.50/1 Wholly Salsa
= OOP $0.50

* (2) Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops  B1G1 Free
~ Saved 50%

* (2) Boneless Pork Country Style Ribs B1G1 Free
~ Saved 50%

* Boneless, skinless chicken breast  sale $1.99/lb
- (1) $2/$10 any fresh meat purchase

* Crab Classic Flake Style Crab meat  sale $2.50
- $0.50/1 Crab Classic
= OOP $1.50

* (5) Oscar Mayer Deli Meat 2oz pack  sale $1
= OOP $5
+ Earn $4 OYNO Catalina

* (1) Swiss Premium Iced Tea or Lemonade  sale $1.50
- (1) $0.55/1 Swiss Premium SS 5/20 (R)
= OOP $0.40

* (1) Slimfast Shakes 4-pack  reg. $6.49, sale $5
- (1) $1.50/1 Slimfast Shakes RP 5/20
- (1) $0.75/1 Slimfast Target coupon (should not double, mine did)
= OOP $2.75 without double, $2 with double
~ Saved 58% without double, 69% with double

* (4) Suave Lotion  sale $2.50/ea
- (2) BOGO Free RP 5/20
- (1) $2/$5.99 iSave machine coupon
= OOP $3/4 bottles of lotion or just $0.75/ea

* (1) Suave Body Wash  sale $1.88
- (1) $0.50/1 Suave Body Wash
= OOP $0.88/ea

* (1) Clorox Wipes  reg. $2.99, sale $2
- (1) $0.50/1 Clorox Wipes Dollar General Coupon (should not double, mine did)
= OOP $1.50 without double, $1 with double
~ Saved 50% without double, 67% with double

* (1) Glad Force Flex Trash Bags 25-80 ct.  sale $7.49
- (1) $1.85 Glad Force Flex
= OOP $5.64 ($0.07/bag if you purchase 80 ct.)

* (2) Ocean Spray Juice Drinks  reg. $3.29, sale $2.50
- (1) Buy any Ocean Spray Cranberry juice, get Ocean Spray Cherry juice FREE
- (1) $1/$4 or more juice purchase Catalina
= OOP $1.50/2 or just $0.75/ea (without Cat it is still an awesome deal)
~ Saved 77% with Cat, 62% without Cat

* (4) Coke 2L  sale 4/$4 with in ad coupon
- (4) $0.99/1 Coke coupon
= OOP Free!

* (5) Polar Seltzer 12-pack  sale 5/$12 with in ad coupon
- (1) in ad coupon
- (2) $1/2 Polar Seltzer 12-packs RP 5/20
= OOP $10/5 packs or just $2/each

* (3) Lays Potato Chips  reg. $4.29, sale $3.29
- (1) in ad coupon 3/$6
= OOP $6/3 bags or just $2/ea
~ Saved 53%

* (1) Hellman's Real Mayo 22-30 oz  reg. $2.99, sale $2
- (1) in ad coupon (must spend min $15 and limit 1)
- (1) $1/1 Hellman's RP 5/20
= Out Of Pocket $1
~ Saved 66%

* (2) Kikoman marinade  reg. $3.48, sale $2.61
- (2) $2/1 Kikoman marinade
= OOP $0.61/ea
~ Saved 82%
+ Earned $1 OYNO Catalina from purchase of two

* (1) Jello Temptations or Mousse  sale $2.50
- (1) $0.90/1 print coupon (nla)
= OOP $0.70

* (1) Luigi's Italian Ice  sale $2
- (1) $0.75/1 Luigi's Italian Ice RP 5/13
= OOP $0.50

* (2) Breyer's Ice Cream  reg.$4.29, sale $2 (limit 2)
- (2) $0.75/1 Breyer's Blasts
= OOP $0.50/each
~ Saved 88%

* (2) Milky Way candy bars  reg. $0.99, sale $0.79
- (1) $0.75/2 Milky Way candy bars
= OOP $0.08/2 or just $0.04/ea

* (2) Dove Chocolate Singles Bar  reg. $0.99, sale $0.79
- (1) $0.50/2 Dove Chocolate Singles
= OOP $0.58/2 or just $0.29/ea
~ Saved 71%

With these awesome sales, plus a few from last week and some staples from the pantry, I was able to make SIX yummy dinners in five nights this week, too.  Several are even freezer meals- to enjoy later when you are too busy to cook.

On Monday, I cooked up a big package of chicken breasts to make a very yummy dinner of Chicken Mojo as dinner #1.  A BIG crowd pleaser!!  This was step one in a week of dinners, as I pre-cooked a week's worth of chicken at one time.  Better yet, I used the crockpot as to not add any extra heat into the house!

On Tuesday, I use some of the leftover Chicken Mojo and great produce sales such as $1 lettuce from Price Chopper to make my version of PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps as dinner #2.  Ooooh they are so tasty.

On Wednesday I used the two packs of BOGO free boneless pork ribs (one of my very favorite meat sales that PChop does from time to time) to make BBQ Pork Ribs for dinner #3.  A classic any time of year.  A simple potato "baked" in the microwave and a yummy salad make this a "stick to your ribs" meal.  Very satisfying!   

On Thursday I made my first of three freezer meals for the week, Sweet and Sour Chicken as dinner #4.  Once again using some of the Chicken Mojo cooked on Monday.  The gift (or bird) that keeps on giving.  This is the perfect meal for a busy night when you want to eat something tasty, healthy and easy peasy lemon squeezy.  The prep for this meal took less than five minutes! 

And on Friday, I made my third and fourth freezer meals of the week, Cheesy Chicken and Rice as dinners #5 and #6 for the week.  They were the same meal but I made one to eat that night and one to freeze.  Or two to freeze.  This used up the very last of the Chicken Mojo from Monday night.  Not one skinny bit went to waste, but every nibble was incredibly tasty.

And today, Saturday, I am going to offer you one more meal prep tip for the week.  You know those yummy freezer meals that I made this week?  Those make awesome gifts!  Great to give to a sick relative or friend or someone who just had a baby.  Great to give to a friend who is under a lot of life stress, too. It is so easy for you to make them ahead of time and gift as needed.  Because while a scented candle is lovely, nothing says I love you like a home cooked meal!

How much fun to prepare once (chicken, onions, rice) and use many times over the week!  The key is to have a PLAN.

I pay close attention to Price Chopper sales ads, manufacturer coupons, Price Chopper coupons, Catalina deals (this is my weak spot but I am learning to be better at them) and what I already have in my pantry to make the most of my grocery budget each week.  Planning ahead to stockpile the best deals is another budget saver.  For example, this week I will pick up a few of the chicken packs, Polar Springs 12-packs, Clorox wipes, Suave lotion, Breyer's ice cream, pork ribs, mayo and Kikoman marinades for my stockpile.  I clearly do not need everything this very week, but these are all items I love to use throughout the summer months. 

I also took the time on Sunday to plan out my dinners for the week, based on the protein and veggie sales.  Not only does this save your budget, but it also saves you time and most important with summer approaching...calories.  Look again at all of the meals I just made this week.  Click on the links to see each ingredient.  Those are really healthy meals, y'all!  Not just a bunch of junk to fill you up.  I made six healthy, gluten free meals, to feed 4-6 people, using one package of chicken and two packages of pork ribs.

It is so worth the extra time it takes to plan on Sunday knowing it will save me time, money, energy and calories throughout the remainder of the week.

So tell me, what was your favorite purchase from Price Chopper this week?

Dinner #5 and #6: Cheesy Chicken And Rice Freezer Meal...Times Two

Yes...I said times two.  I made two meals at the same time.  One to eat tonight actually and one to freeze for later use.  I used the rest of the mojo chicken from Monday's dinner.  And the rest of the sliced onions too.  Yup...it's still creating yummy dinners.  Can you believe it?  I told you it is super awesome to cook once and use it for many different meals.  Just makes sense, no?!

If you don't have leftover chicken, you can absolutely cut up one chicken breast per meal.  That's all you need if you are using the big chicken breasts that Price Chopper has on sale this week.

So first, let me again note that I cook rice a bag or two at a time.  I don't see any point in cooking rice in small batches.  It takes but a few minutes more to just cook an entire bag and it's not like it requires any extra work.  Once you get the water simmering, you just cover and walk away.  So I cook big batches of rice.  Use what I need that night and once cooled, I portion out the rest of the pot into small zip top baggies.  Press flat and freeze.  These are SO HANDY to have ready to use.  Simply defrost in the fridge or even straight into the microwave.  As you can see, they take up very little space when pressed flat in the baggies.  The first time you use a convenient, ready-cooked bag you will realize you can never go back.  This is my #1 quick dinner tip!

The following recipe makes TWO meals.  If you just want to make one meal, cut everything in half.  Each meal serves 4 people.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Freezer Meal (makes two meals)

Ingredients:
* 2-3 cups cooked chicken (or 2 raw breasts cut small)
* 4 cups cooked rice
* 2 onions, sliced
* 1 tbls butter
* EVOO
* 2 bags frozen veggies (I used mixed but plain broccoli is great too)
* 2 cups shredded cheese
* 1/4 cup milk
* 3 tbls cornstarch
* 2 tsp salt

Directions:
* In a pan, saute onion in butter and EVOO until translucent.
* In another small pan, whisk together milk and cornstarch as temperature comes up to medium.  Add cheese and whisk together until smooth.  Remove from heat.  As it cools it will get very thick.
* On the outside of two zip top freezer bags, label the name of the meal and cooking instructions.  Very important to do this before you fill up the bag.
* Open bags and flip down top to keep clean.  Place bags in bowls to keep upright.
* In each bag, place half of each ingredient.  So each bag gets 1-1.5 cups cooked chicken (or one breast cubed), 2 cups cooked rice, 1 sauteed onion, 1 bag frozen veggies of choice, 1/2 of the cheese mixture and 1 tsp salt.
* Remove as much air as possible when zipping bag closed.  Press flat.  Freeze for later use.
* When ready to use, defrost in fridge over night.  Dump bag into baking dish and mix up a bit more with a spoon.
* Bake at 350 for 30-45 mins (on the shorter end if using pre-cooked chicken- longer if using raw chicken).
* Serve with a salad and enjoy!


So there you have it!  We just completed a series of SIX meals over the course of five days.  Did anyone try these recipes?  Do you also prepare once and use multiple times like we did with the chicken and onions this week?

Coupon Goals: 2012

I started my serious couponing on January 01, 2011.  I've certainly had my ups and downs.  There were months when I was rocking my pink socks and months when I would neglect to take time to clip my coupons.  It happens to all of us.  But overall, I'd say I did pretty great.  For my first full year. 

2012 though, well I have a few goals to increase my savings and sanity.  I also reserve the right to change these at any time.  Ha.  It's my blog and I'll change things if I want to.

* Post deals on my blog weekly, BEFORE I actually go to the grocery store.  I was hit or miss with this last year.  But I am so grateful to all those bloggers who helped me along my journey and want to do the same for those reading this blog. 

* Focus on food.  Not necessarily on the blog, but in my own personal shopping trips.  I have toiletries to last a while in most categories.  But the side of my pantry that is food focused is sort of wimpy.  I'd like to build a much better supply of edibles.

* Stay organized.  I re-organized my pantry a few months ago and things are soooo accessibly now.  I just need to maintain. 

* Share my coupon tips and passion in person.  I hope to offer a class as part of a fundraiser for an organization with which I volunteer. 

* Increase my grocery savings.  This was my biggest struggle in 2011.  But I continue to learn and get better and have high hopes for low bills in 2012.

* Share inexpensive meal recipes on this blog.  In my defense, I do post recipes on my other two blogs.  But I plan to be more mindful about making recipes and nothing prices to share some meal-time savings.  This will probably be a big challenge for me too.

So how about y'all?  Any big coupon-related goals n 2012?  My general goal is to lose 25 lbs and procrastinate less.  But that's always my goal and I never even turn on the work out videos.  Failing at both my goals at the same time.  What can I say, I like to multi-task when failing miserably!  So my laundry list of coupon goals seems more likely.

Lessons Learned Through A Year Of Serious Couponing

Now I say "serious" couponing because I have always used coupons.  Since childhood.  However it wasn't until I found online help in the form of some fabulous blogs on January 01, 2011 that I figured out how to use more than one or two coupons a week.  Since the first of the year, I have been up to my elbows in serious couponing.  And have loved every penny saved!

So I thought I would reflect on my lessons learned this past year and share a few goals I will work towards in 2012 too.

Lessons Learned Through A Year Of Serious Couponing:

* A second freezer is your best friend.  I actually purchased a second freezer about a year before I began couponing.  However, if you do not have one already, you NEED one.  When things such as bread, cheese, butter, yogurt and meat go on sale, I stockpile multiples.  The extra freezer allows me to buy more expensive meats when they are on rock bottom sale prices and enjoy them over the coming months.

* Only buy what you actually like to use.  Last winter, there was a deal at Rite Aid for free room sprays after coupons.  So I bought them.  But when you factored in tax before coupons, they were really about $0.25/each.  Which isn't bad if this were a product I ever used.  However, I think room sprays are super gross.  I am not sure why I dislike them so much, I just do.  So here I was, buying four products that were not totally free and I would never use them.  Spending $0.25 on something I will never use is much more of a waste then spending $1 on something I will use frequently, in my opinion. 

* Buy multiples of products I use regularly.  Not only do many of our great coupon deals require us to buy more than one of an item, but it's just plain practical.  I used to go to the store the evening I planned to make pasta and buy whatever sauce was on sale.  Now, I go to my hall closet stockpile (I still loathe that word, by the way.) and pick out a jar that was purchased for under $1.  No more (OK...well not many...no one is perfect.) last minute trips to buy something for $4 when I already have three in the pantry purchased weeks ago @ $0.50/each!  This saves time, energy, gas and helps when you need a quick meal.

* Take stock of what you have in your stockpile.  As in, actually write it down!  I started out neat and organized in Jan.  Adding one extra shelf for my stockpile coupon storage.  Then a few months into this adventure, when I started scoring free body wash and toothpaste and lotion by the barrel, I would put a little of this and a little of that in every nook and cranny.  So a few months later, I added a few more shelves.  But then that just wasn't enough so my organization reverted back to the nook and cranny method.  Eventually, this past fall, I turned a hall linen and coat closet into my stockpile.  Well, the vacuum lives in there too but it's like 97% stockpile.  In the process of pulling everything out of the closet, I grouped like items together and took a written tally of how much I had of each type of product.  And realized that I should could easily go a year without buying lotion or body wash or toothpaste.  But didn't actually have much food in there.  So I not only organized but I now had a list of what I am not allowed to buy and what I should focus on.  It's helped tremendously and I have since vowed to re-count twice a year.  If you don't know what's in your stockpile, you are likely to keep buying multiples.  But buying four bottles of body wash every week when you only use one bottle a month is a waste of space and money (even if it's free, you are still paying tax).

* You will throw away more coupons then you will use.  And that's OK!  Do not ever feel obligated to buy something just because you have a coupon.  That's the point when a coupon becomes advertising (the company's goal) instead of a substitute for cash (a couponaholic's goal).

* Donate.  I have long been a big volunteerer.  I donate an obscene about of my time.  But once I started couponing, I was able to donate pound after pound of food and drug store products.  So I know I said not to buy things that you won't use.  And I meant that.  But I personally (and you can decide this for yourself) make a few exceptions.  Room spray is not an exception as I do not think it's a life necessity.  However, things like baby products (formula, diapers), medicines (headache, cold, flu), personal hygiene (deodorant, body wash), feminine products and food are, in my opinion, life necessities.  So, if I can find any of these items free (or just tax), I will buy them.  I keep a box in my front hall and when it gets full, I donate it to a local homeless shelter.  It is THE BEST FEELING to share a big box of items that will truly help my community and I paid nearly nothing for them.

* Buy at least two Sunday newspapers each week.  Two is the bare minimum.  Because for at least 25% of the deals, you will need to purchase two items.  Honestly though, I think four to six papers is the ideal.  Don't be afraid to ask friends and neighbors for their inserts though to cut down or out your costs.

* Carry your binders with pride.  I was so embarrassed to pull out my coupon binders when I first started.  So I would spend twice the amount of time to find a coupon as I squeezed my hand in my binder while in a bag.  Or I would miss deals altogether because I was ashamed to pull out my binder of coupons.  But now, I imagine myself wearing those blinders they put on the horses in Central Park.  I focus on my list, my cart, my giant Diet Coke if I am in Target (ha- sad but true tales of a Coke addict), on my binder and the sales.  So much so, I often run into people I know who have to shout my name three times before I notice them.  But I really work to tune out the onlookers.  It helps me to feel less self-conscious.  And then those times when a fellow couponer sees your binders and gets all excited...well that just reaffirms that you are the coolest coupon kid on the block!

* Be organized before you go to the check out counter.  I cannot say this enough.  ORGANIZE yourself.  Before I go to check out, I find a quiet aisle.  I tend to have my favorites in each store.  Even if I have my coupons in envelopes and organized, I double check.  I place like coupons together.  I place tricky coupons (fill in a price) coupons either all at the beginning or end.  If I know an item might beep (a trial size that does qualify for an "any" item coupon), I place those on the counter last so that the cashier can easily find them in the bag.  You are already up against possible grumpy attitudes from cashiers and fellow customers when you pull out a stack of coupons.  Don't make things more difficult by having to find coupons in a purse or binder too. 

* Carry all store coupon policies with you at all times.  I have whipped out the Walmart and Walgreens policies more times than I care to mention.  Though you will notice I rarely if ever mention those stores these days.  Ha. 

* Warn the customer behind you in line that you will be using lots of coupons.  My personal policy is this: I cheerfully tell the next person that I will be using lots of coupons and that they might want to pick another line if they are concerned with time.  Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't.  After that, I try not to look at them.  Because those who did not pick another line but are unhappy about the three extra minutes it takes me to use coupons (because of store computers- not because I was unorganized), make me feel frazzled.  I warned them.  I was honest and polite.  I must say though, I have met some really nice people lately who were nothing but sweet and encouraging about my coupon use. 

* Expect to defend your bunker.  The first question, without fail, I get asked when people learn I use coupons, is if I am a hoarder.  Every.  Single.  Person.  To the point that I often say, all in one sentence, "I use coupons but I'm not a hoarder."  Be prepared to explain that you buy in bulk to last until the next sale cycle.  I mean, it's honestly no different to buy four bottles of body wash at Rite Aid vs a 4-pack of body wash at Costco.

* There is always another sale.  It's OK to miss a great sale.  Sometimes you just can't get to a store or only really want one great deal that week.  Don't stress over missing a great deal.  In a few months, there will be an equally fantastic deal.  It's not worth driving 30 miles to buy two boxes of pasta.  Don't sweat a missed sale.

Goals for 2012, coming soon...

Tip: Rain Checks

So I mentioned the other day that I was lucky enough to find two of these fantastic J.R. Watkins kits on sale at my Rite Aid.  They are in fact included in the 2/$3 sale this week.  Such an incredible price!

I wanted more though.  To keep on hand for little hostess gifts or surseys (that's southern speak for a little happy treat).

So I went back to my favorite Rite Aid today where I purchased these two earlier in the week.  And asked for a Rain Check.  Here's what you need to note though...

Make sure you are very specific in that you want a Rain Check for the Head to Toe Kit and it's original price is $13.99.  They need to be clear on the RC with all that information as I have experience with stores not believing that price is real.  My other advice, learned the hard way, is to keep this week's sale ad and bring it with you when you go to use the RC.  It's better to have these things handy than to spend 20 minutes fighting with a manager and feeling all deflated.

But don't be afraid to ask for Rain Checks!  If a store is out of a noted sale item, you are fully entitled to use a RC to get it for the same price when back in stock.  Plus...you never know if you might be able to find a great coupon to make that deal even better too!

How To Stockpile And Freeze Milk

Hands down, the biggest $ saver for me has been my second freezer.  I have a smaller chest freezer and that thing has paid for itself at least four times over in the last two years.  It is honestly such a blessing to be able to buy meats on sale and keep them to use later, like when it's snowing and icky and I just can't muster up the energy to leave the house.

When I find veggies, meat, cheese, bread, yogurt, OJ/other juice like lemonade or iced tea, coffee creamers and milk on sale, I try to buy several to freeze.  And I have honestly had very few issues in doing this. 

Sometimes yogurt has a funny consistency but that can nearly always be remedied by stirring the cup for a moment with your spoon.  I've read that folks need to shake their milk jugs post freezing but I've never had to do that.  I also only drink skim so perhaps that's the difference there. 

I really only take one precaution when freezing anything.  When it comes to milk, I make sure to open the jug and pour off 1/2 a cup.  I then put the cap back on and pop that puppy in the freezer.  If you don't do this, the milk will expand too much when frozen and break the container.  Which will then leak once defrosted.  Trust me as I learned this the hard way. 

To defrost, I leave the milk on a tea towel on the counter for several hours.  Then I eventually move it to the fridge.  It's usually about a 24 hour process for me to defrost milk.  But I never have taste or consistency issues.

Last night I bought three 1/2 gallons of chocolate milk.  Something I would never normally purchase.  But I got such a great deal that I decided I would just use it for hot cocoa.  I poured off 1/2 cup from each jug and they are now sitting in my freezer to use later. 

So my two big coupon tips are to buy at least two newspapers and a second freezer.  Life changing.

I Can See Clearly Now

I can't remember if I ever posted about this tip here or only on my other blog.  Regardless, it's totally worth noting again.

I wear glasses.  And love them. 

I tried, unsuccessfully, to wear contacts.  It took me a full week to finally get them in and they lasted exactly one day.  Total failure on my part. 

But buying a new pair of glasses can get expensive.  Especially if you like to have an extra pair or prescription sunglasses too.

I have the best solution though.  Zenni Optical!  They have prescription glasses as low as $6.95.  Seriously.

Now you do need to have your current prescription handy.  You can get a good deal on that by visiting your local America's Best Eyes center if you need a recommendation.  My advice though is to look at what specific numbers you need to give Zenni Optical first and then make sure you get all of that info when you go get your eyes checked out.  It's easier than calling and dealing with office staff to figure out messy doctor handwriting.

I have been wearing glasses from this website for years now.  I'm wearing this black pair right now as I type actually.  I also have the clip on sunglass feature but to be honest, I don't wear them very often.  It's such a relief to have a back-up pair of glasses too.  Nothing is more frustrating then breaking your pair of glasses and having to pay an outrageous price to get buy a new pair right then and there.

I don't get any sort of prize or kick back for sharing this site with y'all.  I just think it's important to share when we find great deals on normally expensive daily needs.

New To Coupons : Tips

I thought I would take a moment to offer up a tip or two each week for those who are new to extreme couponing.  Just little bits and bobbles that I've learned over the last ten months.

So today I want to talk about clipping ALL of your coupons.

As in you need to.  Clip them all.  At least in the beginning you need to clip them all. 

I frequently buy things that I don't intend to use.  Because they will benefit me in another way.  They might give me overage when using coupons that helps me to buy things I do want.  Or they might offer a free with purchase item that I do want.  Or they might be a way to roll a store reward deal.  I do of course donate them to either friends, family or a local food pantry.  I don't just have piles of junk around my house. 

But if you don't clip all of your coupons to have on hand, when those surprise deals pop up, you won't be able to take advantage of them.

So clip clip clip, my frugal friends!  Just because you think you don't need it, doesn't at all mean you won't need it.

I will say, after getting a better grasp on all things coupons (and I do hope it's clear that I am still learning every day), I don't actually abide by the rule I just laid out.  Gasp!  I don't clip coupons for cat products.  Unless they are for a FREE product.  Because those I will get to donate to a local rescue group.  But other than that, I no longer bother with cat product coupons.  I don't have a cat.  I don't like cats.  And none of my friends have cats.  I used to also toss baby product coupons (other than formula and wipes) and hair dye coupons.  But recently I began collecting both again as I donate all the baby products to my Junior League's campaign to help the Regional Food Bank and I started coloring my own hair.  Though the latter didn't really go that well so that might come to a screeching halt by next month.

Other than that, I really do clip every single coupon and file them away in my binders.  Even coupons for items I would never ever use!

Here are a few recent examples of when I purchased things I didn't necessarily want to benefit me in another way...

At Rite Aid

I nearly threw out these coupons!

I can't even eat the stuffing.

Big CVS money maker.

I will soon do a post on my tips for clipping coupons.  Because I totally know it's time consuming.  And often stops wishful couponers in their tracks.  Coming soon...