Couponing. It’s not my favorite word. It implies an activity done by greedy hyped up consumers who somehow get a rush out of getting 6 bags of croutons for free. You know who I’m talking about.

They keep personal stock piles the size of a small grocery store.

Dozens of containers of toothpaste, shampoo, canned goods and boxed meals. They seem to have everything but enough.

Like millions of Americans, I hopped on the speeding coupon train in 2011. Not to create a stockpile, but to tighten my grocery budget by a couple hundred a month.

That first year of clipping coupons had some pretty embarrassing moments. Amateur mistakes such as forgetting expiration dates, buying things I didn’t need because “it’s such a great coupon!” and spending hours crafting the most efficient coupon friendly shopping list only to realize at the store that just buying the generic versions were a way better deal than using my coupons.

I’m much better now. I no longer aspire be one of those extreme coupon people who pay only $2 for $900 worth of groceries. Yes, it would be a nice rush. But in the end, you’re left with more than you need and that’s just silly to me.

Instead, I have fun planning a weekly trip to Target to get the best deals for our household of the things we need or will certainly need in the future.

This week, I had one of my best values yet! Here’s my loot:

8pk of Bounty paper towels (3); 2liter of soda (5); loaves of bread from the bakery (2); 24ct Ibuprofen (2); 32ct foil muffin liners (2); Degree deodorant; Chocolate-covered almonds.

Total: $20.47

It’s no extreme couponing, but it’s a nice rush to see the total on the register drop from $75.05 all the way down to $20.47.