As much as I want winter to end, I can't help longing for it and the wonderful comfort food that goes with it. This year has been a big year for soup.

I tried a new recipe today. When I was at the store yesterday, I noticed smoked sausage on clearance for 99-cents because it was close to the use-by date. No problem for me.

Soup:
Smoked sausage
Lentils
Can tomatoes
carrots
cabbage
onion
garlic
beef broth
Thyme
Cayanne pepper
salt & pepper
bay leaf

I had the rest of the ingredients in the pantry. It is mighty tasty. It will go great with the bread from the bread machine.

As you may recall, I am unemployed and I have an excess amount of time on my hands. (Excess time, not cash!) In the past couple of months I have really upped my coupon usage (but only when it makes sense). I have also started playing the drugstore games at two of the national chains. I decided to share my success for the March rebate period.

There is one week left in March but I think I'm done shopping!

2.50 Hershey’s bag candy
2.50 Hershey’s bag candy
2.50 Hershey’s bag candy
2.50 Hershey’s bag candy
-1.50 Mfg coupon when you buy 3 bags
-5.00 WAG Rebate

2.99 Colgate Toothpaste *Money-making Deal*
-1.00 Mfg coupon
-2.99 WAG Rebate

3.49 Listerine Mouthwash *FREE*
-3.49 WAG Rebate

2.50 Windex
2.50 Fantastick Spray
-0.75 Mfg coupon
-1.00 Mfg coupon
-2.00 WAG Rebate

0.99 Juicy Fruit 17 stick gum *Almost FREE*
0.99 Juicy Fruit 17 stick gum
-0.80 WAG coupon
-1.00 Mfg coupon

3.99 Fructis hairspray *FREE*
-3.99 WAG Rebate

2.99 Reach Toothbrush *FREE*
-2.99 WAG Rebate

6.29 105-count feminine product *FREE*
3.79 48-count feminine product
-10.00 WAG rebate

2.97 Three packs of Orbit gum
-0.97 WAG coupon
-1.00 Mfg Coupon

10.00 Four bags of Dove chocolate
-5.00 WAG Rebate

2.98 Crest Toothpaste *FREE*
-2.98 WAG Rebate

1.99 Ten-pack Big Red Gum *FREE*
1.99 Eight pack Extra Gum
1.99 Ten Pack Big Red Gum
1.99 Ten Pack Juicy Fruit
-1.98 WAG coupon
-1.98 WAG coupon
-4.00 Mfg coupon (4x$1.00)

6.00 Two packs of 18-count feminine product
-5.00 Two 2.50 Mfg coupons

7.99 Three pack Schick Quattro disposable *FREE*
-3.00 Mfg coupon
-5.00 WAG Rebate

TOTALS

+ 78.42 Merchandise
- 43.44 WAG Rebates
- 5.73 WAG coupons
- 18.25 Manufacturers coupons
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
$11.00 for all the above !!

Summary of products:
8 bags chocolate candy (Easter candy for nieces and nephews)
2 packs of 17-stick Juicy fruit (Easter candy)
3 packs Orbit gum
4 multipacks of 5-stick gum, 10 packs per bag (Easter candy)
2 tubes toothpaste
1 toothbrush
1 hairspray
1 mouthwash 250 ml
1 window cleaner
1 all purpose cleaner
3 disposable razors – brand with four blades
Lots of feminine hygiene products

You know how people get a rush wearing something flashy and expensive or driving a nice car? There’s that whole brain chemical thing going on that gives them a rush and they are able to get external recognition by drawing attention to whatever this pricey thing is and therefore they get a rush again. The cycle repeats.

Well, I’m on a HIGH today. I’ve got a spring in my step! But I’m happy for completely different reasons. I had a CD come due today. I went to the credit union to cash it out. I then drove to my bank and deposited it in my checking account. Tonight I will start the bank to bank transfer process to move the money to my newly opened HSBC online account. I am so pleased with all the interest that I earned on the money while it was in the CD and I am pleased with the interest it will earn once it gets to the HSBC account.

Next, I was at the grocery store and used a coupon for a free 3-lb bag of cat food. This is my fourth free bag! I had two of the coupons from the newspapers that I bought. I got one coupon from my mom. I traded a free coffee-mate coupon for the fourth coupon. In all I received 12-lbs of free cat food! I wish I could find more of that coupon!

Anyway, these are the things that made me high today: Interest and free cat food. I am so pleased with myself.

My problem is…. I can’t just go around and advertise these things. It would be tacky to talk about how much money I have and I would look cheap for talking about coupons and free cat food. So, I’m advertising it here! Interest ROCKS! Free cat food ROCKS!

I’m just curious if other people are on a high when they save money or when they perform some frugal act. And if so, what is it that you do that puts you in a good mood?