Coupon Rules

I only have two coupon rules:

1. Have a budget for how much you will spend each week.
2. Don’t clip coupons for items you don’t need to eat or buy.

These don’t have to be your rules, but without these rules, I had several shopping misadventures that were not good for my wallet or my waistline:

• I once asked Ryan if I should buy Prilosec because it was on sale and I had a coupon – neither of us have heartburn or indigestion (I am actually guessing that is what Prilosec treats, because I honestly have no clue what it is used for), but I thought we should have it “just in case.”  That was when I first started couponing, and two years later no one has ever asked me for Prilosec.
• On another occasion, I put together a shopping list that included frozen pre-made garlic bread and Gushers.  I know, I just got done telling you that we generally do not eat processed foods.  But I had coupons, so I haaaaaddddd to buy them because they were on sale and it was going to be a good deal.  Luckily this was around the same time I started taking Ryan to the grocery store, and he talked me off the cliff.
• Candy.  Unless it is Halloween or I am buying candy for someone else, I do not clip coupons for candy.  Why you ask, because candy is expensive and well, its candy, so some (not me) would argue that it lacks in nutritional value.  Having a coupon is all the excuse I need to buy myself a bag of candy – hmmmm chocolate.
• I haven’t bought lotion in over a year, and I still have at least six bottles under the bathroom sink.
• For the record, I never went so far as to buy cat food for the cat that we will never have.

I should also add that I am somewhat brand loyal.  For most things I will happily buy store-brand products, but there are a few areas where I will only buy certain brands.  For example, laundry detergent and fabric softener.  I only use one brand, and it is the expensive brand.  I know this goes against some couponing mantras, but every other brand of detergent and fabric softener makes my skin itch, so to me, it is just wasting money to buy a brand, because it is cheap, that I will never ever use.

So what, if any, coupon rules do you have? And what coupon rules do you break? Anyone else out there with coupon misadventures?

p.s. Tonight I am making burrito bowls with quinoa instead of rice and crock-pot honey garlic chicken.  I will post recipes, cost, and nutritional information!  And, of course, because no food post would be complete without Ryan’s review, I will be asking him to rate each meal.