Coupon Crazed

     Nothing quite explains the rush of a good coupon book arriving in the mail.  I'll admit I have little use for regular coupons.  Grocery store & manufacturer's coupons are too hard to clip and they're always expiring anyway.  But a good coupon book?  Well, that's a different story altogether.  I know my love of coupons is totally contagious because Bill now eagerly awaits the monthly issue of our wholesale club too.  It's like we're waiting on pins and needles for those diaper coupons (no, really).
     Are we the only ones who strategically time our trips to the local wholesale club according to the "trifecta" of coupons (Trifecta of coupons: defined as the narrow period of time when some of your coupons from the old book are still valid, the seasonal book is still valid and the next month's coupon book arrives a couple of days early)?  Within our circle of friends, quite possibly, but in the whole world of couponing, we seem to be small change. I don't even have one of those coupon binders or expandable files.  No, I just have our coupon book, neatly stapled together on magazine paper, with perforated coupon edges.  Apparently there's a whole breed of coupon crazies our there who get their groceries for free and who end up storing oatmeal, barbecue sauce and mouthwash under their children's bunk beds. We're not quite that bad but we do like a good coupon here and there and the more coupons you can use on a trip, the better- that is, up until a certain point. See, the reason why we don't do well with the manufacturer's coupons is because we don't manage little strips of paper very well.  I can't keep track of the dressing coupon that's about to expire and which brand of potato chips we have the coupon for.  I've also been known to lose coupons... without fail.  One time just before the holidays I clipped a wad of coupons before going into the wholesale club and stuffed them in my pocket.  I ended up leaving a trail of coupons throughout the store.  Did I go back through the entire warehouse combing the aisles for toilet paper and cereal coupons?  Yes, yes I did.
     How far we have come.  We used to use a coupon here and there for buy one get one meals at a nice restaurant or (who am I kidding) for mini golf dates.  Now we savor good diaper coupons and call our friends when we find a good one.  We can't wait for the next wipes coupon and we just love a good coupon for batteries.  Our spare change used to spent on CD's and a beer with wings, now it's spent on apple juice and baby socks.  It's somewhat of a consolation when we can at least save $1 on each.