Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Just Call Me "Mrs. Prudence!"


What is this mess? 

  Glad you asked! 

What you are seeing on the table is a "coupon organizing party"!  Well, I'm the only one at this party, but that's OK!

Ladies, it works!

I know, I know all the excuses!  Believe me!  "It's not worth the time and effort",  "I don't feel like it",  "It's too complicated",  "But I don't use any of that stuff" on and on we cold go.

Now,
I know that I don't do it the "right" way,
 but

I do feel like if I don't take advantage of it to the best of my ability, I am not being the best steward of God's money that I could be.

There are so many helps out there.  Blogs that tell you exactly what's on sale (that's when you do the best using the coupons, btw,) the stores that have the best deals all over town, even scenarios that will allow you to get items free, or in some cases, where they (the manufacturers or stores) will actually GIVE YOU money!

 It's CRAZY!

I'm not that "into"it, but it can be done!  I know, because my daughter has actually been able to achieve that, and a lady in our church brings things and gives them away; things she has gotten absolutely FREE!

What I am trying to do right now, is buy up non- perishable items that I can store, as I see them on sale.  This is our year to have Christmas at our house, and I usually start stocking up a month or so before Christmas.  Why not do it 8 or nine months before?  Also I've heard that people maybe should stock up on groceries because of the economy and world situations, so since I have the place to store them, I decided I would do this.  Won't hurt anything I guess.  I will use my coupons as much as I can while doing this.  It really gives you such a feeling of accomplishment.

It also makes me feel like I am portraying the Proverbs 31 lady; the lady we are to pattern our lives after.  In Proverbs 31:16.  it says of her that: "She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.  Then verse 18 says, " She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night."  I want the merchandise I buy to be good, don't you?  Look at verse 11 ,"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil."  Wouldn't this make husband so happy?  I especially like this verse, Pr 31:15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.  She always has food in her house to feed her family and others.  This was so much like my grandmother and my mother as well.  I want to be this way.  I have no excuse when all I have to do is go a couple of miles down the road and purchase it;  saving money with coupons as I do so.

Now it does take a little bit of planning and organizing, but it will be worth in when you see the amount you have saved on your grocery receipt!  It is helpful to just sit down for an hour, maybe 45 min. each week and organize your coupons.  You'll be glad you did!

One other helpful thing that I will throw out, and this is so simple and takes very little time to do.  Sign up at your local grocery (Kroger) for me, for their digital coupons.  You just log in and add their digital coupons to your loyalty card (get one if your grocery offers one), and it will be automatically deducted from your grocery order.  This is something you might want to do on a weekly basis.  It works good for me to do on Monday.  That way, if I buy something that week, and it's on the card, it will be deducted. 

Oh, btw, Sunday's newspaper is the place, as we know, to get the coupons.  We have a guy in our church who delivers the paper, and usually brings us some freebies (left overs!)  Isn't that great!  Also, I love getting the coupons in the mail from Kroger.  It seems the more you spend and shop with them, the more coupons they send you.  Can't beat that!

This is the bag I use in the Summer to "hide" the ugly coupon holder.  It's big enough to even throw my purse or anything else in there. 



There I go, Mrs. Prudence herself!

How about you?  What are your thoughts on couponing?  Or, how are you being frugal?

So, this is my "gleanings" for today.  Hope it's something that will help someone!

I'm linking to this party today.

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