#29 ,#30, #31

I used bad words in those #s. I was told once not to use the words ALWAYS or NEVER.
Because rarely are they appropriate. The context was in a mediation at work.  The mediator said we were not allowed to say "Jane NEVER gives me my phone messages." or "Billy ALWAYS comes to the meeting late".  The truth is, Jane forgot one or two important messages over the past 4 months & Billy was late 3 weeks in a row...
I digress.

#29 was: ONLY (translated always) grocery shop from a list.  I must say I have used lists MUCH more frequently than before.  I do blame that on how much I multi task & forget things.  And the fact that MY DAD WAS RIGHT - lists make the world go 'round.  It is not feasible to ALWAYS shop from a list. 
I made a list last night that included "Eggs, Bread crumbs, Flour, Honey."  But then I was in the coffee/tea isle and decided my HORRIBLE head cold needed some chamomile tea.  Was it on my list? No.  I bought it anyway. 

Then I remembered that we have been out of Hayley's School Lunch Yogurt (she likes the Go-Gurt tubes.  They are easily frozen and they stay nice and cold until lunch.).  I bought them, too.  Is this a true "Fail"?  I don't think so.

I must say - a week ago, I had a DETAILED list.  I haven't been REAL grocery shopping in 2 months.  It was getting bad in our house.  Old Mother Hubbard had NOTHING on Ol' Mother Harriger here...
I had my items categorized by area of the store (i.e. frozen, dairy, meat, etc) & my trip took no more than 45 minutes - including checkout, bagging and returning the cart.  It was heavenly. I also didn't have the girls with me, so that *might* have contributed to the speed.

#30 Never go into Walmart or Target without a list.  Right. 
How do you spell the sound your tongue makes when you stick it out (They call it a 'raspberry', but I spell it.. Bpfththhththththth). I occasionally go to those places just to walk around for 2 hours.  That is what they are for & I'm stickin' to it.  Plus... if "Clearance Isle" is on my list, that counts, right?

#31 Coupons.
I do. Sometimes.  I am not a huge coupon girl and this is why.  Usually (always) the coupons are for brand name items.  Usually (always) the store brand items are on in-store specials and are cheaper than the coupon/name brand item.  The stores do this on purpose I AM SURE.  They know Charmin TP has a $1.00 off coupon.  They want to sell their product which is usually 40-cents cheaper or more.  So, they'll just knock off an additional 75-cents and be less than Charmin.  And I will buy it.

So, that is why I rarely coupon.

Yes, I've seen Extreme Couponing.  Yes they get thousands of dollars of stuff for free.
There are so many things wrong with those people.  The only thing that separates most of them from the people in "Hoarders" is extreme organization!  Seriously! 

Couponers jump into dumpsters for Coupons, Hoarders jump in for old teddy-bears.
Couponers get an emotional "rush" from their good deals, Hoarders get that same rush - in a negative way - when you touch their stuff.
Couponers spend hours in the grocery store, Hoarders ... in the thrift store.
Couponers fill truck loads with stuff they don't need (Sports Drinks, Pet food for pets they don't have, products for the opposite gender, Kid-stuff when they are childless)

(I'm not making this up - a 16 year old boy claimed to be an extreme couponer & was showing his "collection".  He had about 50 packs of Feminine Hygiene products on that shelf.  He said "I don't even really know what these are, but they have Wings and they were FREE!"  I want to shake him & say "DONATE THEM TO A FOOD SHELF!")

Hoarders (sadly) think everything they touch is valuable, an antique, could be used someday (but won't ever)...

Couponers take those truckloads of items and set them neatly in their garage or spare bedroom in nice shelving units and rotate their stock like a "real" grocery store would.
Hoarders just open the door and toss their stuff on top.

One thing Hoarders have that Couponers do not... pancake-cats.
(If you've ever stomached Hoarders, you'll probably know what I'm referring to.  If not, please envision lovely golden pancakes, cooked with love on a Saturday morning, shaped with cookie-cutters to resemble cats.)

This was the Digression of all Digressions.  Sorry.