First off, I do not dumpster dive, I do not steal my neighbor's newspapers. I do have support, since a lot of my co-workers are also trying to cut costs. Our employer just cut hours of everyone, including adding a co-pay for health insurance to cover the cuts the Federal Government has made to Medicare starting October 1. So we all take our inserts, cut out our stuff and bring the rest of the circular to a community room in the facility. Jen, Cathy and Leo also cut for me out of their circulars and I do for them. This is a help. There are also on-line services, but I do not subscribe to any of them. They cost money to join and it is only Bruce and I.

Know what you use in your home. For instance, Bruce has cereal every morning. I make my own spaghetti sauce. I have always kept a running list of what I use up and what is needing replacement. And I admit that Bruce loves going out, so grocery shopping is never an issue.

I shop in one store only. I do not have time to shop all over and I do one warehouse run every month when the Depends go on sale. Our store limits four-like coupons per order and will double four coupons only. But with only two people in the house and having to feed caregivers, this is manageable and good for us.

Bruce gets the store circular on Thursday. He takes my "need" list and circles any specials that may apply. I then take it and consider anything we get that is on good sale. Lets use soup as an example.

On Sunday morning, we cut the coupons from the inserts. Then we marry the list and the coupons. This week Progresso soup on sale 10 for $10.00, but you can buy any amount. Read the circular. If you must buy a certain amount, you need to look at expiration dates and use of the product. Bruce had two coupons-buy 4 get $1.00 off. We bought 8 and got 2 free.

Our store offers buy any three cereals, get free milk. So we wait until we have a coupon for all three cereals and then get the free milk.

On meat-buy one, get one free. Buy the smallest weight you can find-biggest savings.

We also gain points towards cents off on gas. Points are only good for a month, but we fill up the truck at least once a week and the Honda about every two to three weeks.

Box store is a bit harder. Most stuff is packed in twos, threes or fours. Depends are four packages in one carton. You can use four $1.00 off per "package". Listerine is 3 one-liter bottles for $11.99. Bruce has three any size Listerine coupons totalling $4.00. If you use Box store coupons, you can not use any other coupons. So you have to decide if it is cheaper to use the Box store $3.00 off a carton of Depends or 4 $1.00 off per package.

Keep in mind that you still have to purchase fresh produce, seafood and meat. We look for savings, what is on sale. Sometimes the larger portions of meat or poultry are a bargain and I just have to break down into meal size freezer bags when we get home.

As we did more of this, we received more at-the-register coupons from the store for future shopping and rewards, like from Hallmark cards after using one of their promotions. Also Bruce keeps Dunkin Donuts, Subway, MacDonalds so we can often get a sandwich or Latte as a treat.

As far as stockpiling, we have four guest bedrooms, so not an issue here. However, if you use the top of the fridge, wall in the garage and keep to manageable size-like buying for 2 and not 20, you will find space and actually can manage expiration dates better.

The one thing that bothers me about the TV program is the stockpiling. There is a 17 year old boy, only child and he has stockpiled baby formula because he got it free. Why wasn't that donated? That is where we draw the line. If we can get it for free-and that takes some doing-OK and we will donate it. But just to look at cases of stuff you can never use in time before expiration is just not understandable. Personally, if it is something we do not use on a regular basis, I don't even consider the product and probably don't have the coupons anyway.

This takes a lot of time. Most of us do not have that. It is good that Bruce started this, as I probably never would have done it. He has the time, reviews everything, makes up the list mostly. He is also cutting the coupons one-handed, which is worth encouraging. He pays attention at the register-caught one error and checks the receipt at home. Receipt also tells him how much he saved, savings to date, and points to gas. He feels he is contributing and is proud of his accomplishments. Something that does not happen often these days.

Last week, woman in checkout line said to him "Oh, you are the Coupon man" and another time he helped a man shopping for his wife with laundry detergents. Speech therapist advised almost a year ago that interaction with strangers was best for him-strangers can not project what he means and help him communicate. He has to do it on his own.