Many years ago before “extreme couponing” was a show, my twin brother sent me a how-to on how extreme couponing works.

It helped me survive a very lean year in Dallas and showed my niece and nephew that one can buy a cartful of groceries for $1.35. They still talk about that.

I remembered that there is a magic formula:

1. Coupons are a leading indicator of what will go on sale in 2-3 weeks.

2. When you combine coupons plus sale, you get super savings.

3. Some stores like Safeway stores offer Rx transfers for $25 gift card. Be sure to check if your mail-in Rx price is a better deal than the $25.

Most coupons are for junk food like cereal, crackers, yogurt and juice but sometimes, I get SUPERLUCKY:

paper- Viva and Charmin
household-Dawn, Cascade
personal goods-Gillette razors

Dawn and toothpaste are nearly free when you know what to do.

1. Printable coupons here:
http://www.coupons.com

（be sure to use internet explorer from the desktop to install and use the printer program）.

2. Starbucks on Sunday morning is a treasure trove of coupon booklets.

3. Most store ads are available online
kroger.com
randalls.com
heb.com
cvs.com

Today, Charmin mega roll is on sale AND has a coupon.

It’s the unicorn of coupons.

I was prepped to buy it at Randalls, but it’s wise to check CVS. $9.99 vs $10.99 plus .75 coupon.

If it wasn’t bulky, I would definitely bike there.

Storage is a challenge in a 2 br. condo in downtown Houston but I have a plan:store under the bed if needed.

If my husband asks “what’s that under the bed?”

I’ll reply “it’s just a unicorn, dear”