Coupons and Saving Money

He tucked the money saving guide into his back pocket--he'd read it later when he had a minute to breathe. It was his Sunday morning habit to go through the papers and look for good coupons. He figured he'd read the pamphlet then. It would jive well with his coupon search. There was a great deal of satisfaction in saving money, he'd found.

He only needed to know that he was getting a few cents off his cereal or his whole wheat bread to feel a certain surge of self-esteem and contentment. It was like a little time release capsule of well being, and every time he bought something at a great price, he received another small dose of satisfaction. Well, that was why he looked forward to Sunday mornings so much. He'd settle into his easy chair with his cup of coffee on the end table beside him. He'd sit in a patch of sunlight and the cat would be there purring contentedly. And he'd look through the coupons carefully, cutting out the ones that appealed to him, until his newspaper was full of holes, and he had a neat pile of the thin squares sitting next to him. He'd get his file folder out and file the coupons away according to his system.

They were organized based on how the grocery store was organized. Produce first, then breakfast cereal, then the meats and cheeses, the rest of the dairy, eggs and milk, frozen foods, and finally bread and crackers. Sometimes, if there were a really great coupon for some hygienic item like toothpaste or toilet paper, he'd get those things from the grocery store as well. He didn't know why, but he'd gotten to the point where he couldn't buy something unless it was on sale.