coupons and creativity

So I started with a $20 album that consisted of 3 chipboard sheets, 2 black felt sheets, 1 transparent sheet and 2 printed transparent sheets -all 8X8 (I did buy it at 40% off, so it isn't that bad), and ended up with a 7X7 album that consists of none of the pieces of the album I bought save the 2 black felt sheets (which I could have bought from the fabric store for a dollar). Sometimes I need a little creative push with the purchase of something a little out of the ordinary. I can always stash the rest of the stuff and use it for another project right?? If I am the average, scrapbooking will never, ever die out...