As a young girl in the Missionettes (Stars), it was ingrained in me to be a good steward.
- Susanna Idea: To be faithful stewards of time, money and talent.
- Scripture: Be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)
Little did I know this parable would be the answer to a prayer (a lot of crying & pleading as well) as a stay-at-home mom with twins during difficult economic times.
To make a long story short, I was presented by my in-laws with a challenge to COUPON and stockpile!!!! I say challenge because I had to overcome all the stereotypes that came with using coupons and all the millions excuses I had.
But I can now testify that this has been truly a blessing.
I believe sometimes the Lord immediately meets your needs and sends manna from heaven but he also teaches you how to fish.
Not only has using coupons blessed my family but it has also allowed me to bless others. Yes, I've been blessed to the point that I give stuff away!
I've decided to feature CVS today since I just got back from my weekly visit and took these pictures. Since seeing is believing.............
Today's transaction I purchased:
TG Lee Milk
Purex 3 in 1
Right Guard (2)
Crest toothpaste (2)
Emerald Pecans (2)
Papermate Pens (2 packages)
Bumble Bee Tuna
I paid $3.47 out of pocket (oop) and Received $8.00 Extra Bucks to another purchase!!
I combined:
Manufacturer coupons
CVS coupon ($5 off a $20 purchase, an online coupon when i signed up to receive their emails)
Extra Bucks coupons
Green Bag Tag
Let me also add that I get the majority of my information from these websites.
I heart CVS & Hip to Save
Not only do they explain how to organize your coupons but they also supply you the weekly list of savings.
Irregardless of your current situation, there are MANY ways to save money. Especially as wives and mothers who wear many hats, we want to be better stewards of our time & money. You just need to take the time and put forth the effort to try it. I've been doing this for a year now and I basically use coupons for EVERYTHING clothes, food, toiletries, etc. What better way to spend your time and money.
Not only did the Lord teach me how to take the little I had and multiply it, it also relieved A LOT of stress and gave me a love for grocery shopping (I used to HATE it) & also gave me a sense of accomplishment. I can't believe that with the tight budget we have I am still able to bless others, not to mention, the giant smile on my husbands face:)
I hope this post not only peaks your interest to try something different but also puts a burden in your heart to use God's money wisely.
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Tim 1:7 (AMP)
God Bless
Alessandra
(Sandy)
Not only did the Lord teach me how to take the little I had and multiply it, it also relieved A LOT of stress and gave me a love for grocery shopping (I used to HATE it) & also gave me a sense of accomplishment. I can't believe that with the tight budget we have I am still able to bless others, not to mention, the giant smile on my husbands face:)
I hope this post not only peaks your interest to try something different but also puts a burden in your heart to use God's money wisely.
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Tim 1:7 (AMP)
God Bless
Alessandra
(Sandy)
I never realized the importance of budgeting until I got married and had two kids. I resigned my job to fulfill the most important role in my life, which was to be the best wife and mother that I could possibly be. Along with that decision came the loss of my half of the household income. Besides the fact that I no longer weighed the same and nothing fit me like it used too, I wasn't shopping for myself any more because now all of our money was going towards pampers, baby clothing and baby stuff. No more manicure and pedicure, no more going to get my eyebrows waxed, because on diapers alone I was spending about 40 dollars a week. This was a whole new transition for me, which I am sure that most of you moms out there have experienced this same feeling. I sought after God more than ever during this period of my life, because having too kids was emotionally and physically draining in itself, not alone the fact that my husband and I were experiencing financial difficulties. We were at a point of almost loosing our home to foreclosure, and we agreed to turning in our Jeep Commander, the payments were just too much and we already had a paid off car that we could both drive.
ReplyDeleteOne night while doing my daily Bible reading, I came along this Proverb, "Better is a little with the Fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it." That night I remember my prayer, "Lord thank you for your Word, take away anything that you need to take away, and open my eyes to see all of the blessings around me. Teach me to have a grateful heart, and turn me into a person who thanks You and praises You for everything. Teach me to be content in any situation that I go through, knowing that all I really need in life is You."
Since then I have applied this Proverb to my life, "you will ultimately be Happier with a simple life enjoyed without compromise than you would with having more than you'll ever need, including all the temptation and stress wealth creates." Proverbs 15:16
Most of us can admit that we are not perfect. So why do we get surprised when we go through difficult circumstances in life? Instead, remember that God uses tough times to teach us, and mold us into the women of God that He wants us to be. He wants us to be the best that we could be, as women, and moms; and that won't happen without a little bit of pain to motivate us toward change. So instead of trying to figure out why is this situation happening to me? or which is the quickest route to take to avoid difficulties that are thrown along our path? Let's ask God for wisdom and let's ask Him to walk beside us as we walk through our tough situations. He will bring us to the other side better than we could have ever imagined because of our suffering.
Like Sandy mentioned in her post about stewardship, "Not only did the Lord teach me how to take the little I had and multiply it, it also relieved ALOT of stress...& also gave me a sense of accomplishment. I can't believe that with the tight budget we have I am still able to bless others, not to mention, the giant smile on my husbands face:)"
We can all learn something from Sandy, she was content with the little that she had, asked God for wisdom in her financial situation, and now she has come out to the other side, with a sense of accomplishment and being a blessing to others and her family.
One final thought..... for those of us who are married... God wants us to be wise in our spending habits, we can learn this from the woman of Proverbs 31. Sometimes our selfish desire to want more than what we really need, and not truly being content with what we already have, can lead our husbands to feel like they have to work more hours, get a second job, or even cause unnecessary struggles to please us ... But remember " The blessing of the Lord makes one RICH, and He adds no SORROW with it." Proverbs 10:22
ReplyDeleteOne of our roles as Christian wives is to protect our husbands from unnecessary struggle and loss. God's desire is to bless those with obedient, grateful, and giving hearts, whose true treasure is in the LORD. "Where your treasure is, there your heart will also be." Matt. 6:21. God wants your husband to find his treasure in Him, not in his finances.
Sandy thanks for being such a wonderful example for all of us moms and wives...
Much Love to you all,
Yanis
Wow ladies..... I am inspired! you guys are doing an AMAZING job for the all the MOMS out there. Keep up the good work. Your words are very motivating. Sandy.... i just spent about an hour visiting the pages you mentioned for coupons. I have never used coupons unless they are instant when im shopping!! LOL However, you motivated me and i already printed some coupons and cant wait to use them!! Looking forward to saving some $$$ and seeing a smile on my hubby's face!
ReplyDeleteLove you guys,
Johan