Lately Dear Don and I have received an unusual amount of coupons in the mail and through the papers. And they are actually ones we can use. Two dollars off laundry detergent a dollar off tea bags and fifty-five cents off coffee are real savings. A local grocer sent me twenty dollars worth of coupons. I can and will use most of them. Coupons make my budget work beautifully. I haven’t had much luck with online grocery coupons. You generally have to become a member of a club or give out information I don’t ordinarily give out to strangers.

Dear Don won the perfect attendance jackpot at work recently. He received a three hundred dollar bonus for doing exactly what is expected of him and what he is paid weekly to do. He generously split the bounty with me and we went shopping.

Our first (and likely only) spree this year. I went online to find coupons for the stores I wanted to shop. I was very lucky and found just what I wanted. I saved $87 at one store, having spent just a bit more than that. I bought a big yellow purse for half price at another store and a pretty pink flowered skirt for 70 percent off at another.

Now that’s my kind of shopping trip.

Dear Don bought a DVD marked down to $5.99. He prefers to spend his money online where he likely will not find the bargains I found. But that’s okay with me — to each his own. I spent all my money. Now I’m happily broke again but with great new clothes and that bright yellow purse. We had a great time shopping all day and were more than pleased with our treasures.

Saturday’s mail brought yet another coupon. I don’t think I’ll’ be using this one however.

On the front of the card was a picture of a young woman in hotpants bending over with her rear end stuck up in the air in a suggestive manner. She was advertising housecleaning. I’m not sure just what hotpants and housecleaning have in common but she was smiling like she did. On the back of the same advertising card was the same young woman in a minidress and this time she was standing in a suggestive manner with the same “I can do more than clean” smile.

The young woman’s “services” were being offered at a special introductory offer of $19.99.

You know I’m just not a bit interested in her hotpants, her minidress, or her smile. Her wardrobe and mine are miles and years apart.

I hope she finds what she’s looking for. And I hope she didn’t spend more money on advertising and hotpants than she will make.

Dear Don didn’t seem to be interested in the housecleaning special either but I left it on his desk just in case.

Good housecleaners are hard to come by with or without a coupon.

You get the picture.

(Contact Sherry at swhcsc@wildblue.net)