Staff photo by Kevin Jacobus^^Mike Morin, 7/19/2005.

We’re mad as hell, paying five stinking bucks-a-gallon for regular gas. And that’s just the tip of the “heist-berg.” As in, we are being robbed every time we reach for our wallets. As a result, the term “extreme couponing” has returned to daily conversation.

According to a new survey of 2,000 people, a quarter of them don’t feeling something is a good deal unless it’s at least 50% off. I think I agree with that. We can either complain or take matters into our own hands as consumers.

Honestly, I love the pursuit of a good deal. I don’t hunt animals, but I do love tracking down a 50% discount when I feel it’s legit. To get you thinking of where you might start your own savings safari, I will list things I typically set my sights on for deep discounts. Let the hunt begin.

• Wine. I watch for the periodic wine blowout at Shaw’s on the D.W. in Nashua. Once a year, Shaw’s clears the shelves of hundreds of bottles of wine and puts them in shopping carriages in the rear of the store. Typically, they are all marked 30% to 50% off. Even at Shaw’s higher-than NH Wine Outlet prices, that still means more drinking for fewer dollars. BONUS SAVINGS: Since I’ll buy a couple dozen bottles at these prices, I get an additional 10% off by putting them in the store’s six-pack wine holders. Now I’m at 60% savings. The beauty of this is wine stays good for a long time, so there’s no downside to this.

• Short ribs. I love, love, love beef short ribs. More than I like steak. But, I don’t like the higher-than-steak prices. So I crouch behind the wine carriages with binoculars and wait for the Nashua Shaw’s butcher to roll his meat trays out to the orphan meat bin. Sometimes he has chicken (not a fan of “pull-today” poultry). Other times a nice rib eye or porterhouse. When the dude drops short ribs, I’ll hip check anyone in my way to get to them and save up to 50%. I’ll freeze them until Lady Baba owes me a favor and I will ask her to make them for dinner. They are a lot work but worth it.

• Tommy Bahama shirts. Can’t get these at Shaw’s, but if you jump on eBay, you can score a $130 shirt for $50, in new-with-tags condition. Not sometimes. Everyday. I rarely pay under 60% off. Granted, Tommy Bahama shirts are priced stupid high to begin with. Despite the high quality/high price, it ain’t a deal unless it’s over 50% under retail. My dry cleaner friend Jim tipped me off to the Tommy thing. Any guesses who cleans my Tommy Bahama shirts when I drip shirt rib grease or red wine on them?

I can’t get 50% discounts on gas, so I’m stuck reacquainting myself with my car’s cruise control function. Which reminds me. It’s time to cruise to Shaw’s for another short ribs hunting expedition.

Contact Mike Morin at mike morinmedia@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @MikeMorinMedia. His column runs the first, third and fifth Sundays of the month.