Embracing Him

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. (Proverbs 21:5)

The other day I was standing in a long checkout line at Wal-Mart. Since the cashier was engaged in price check issues with the manager and current customer and I didn’t have the girls with me to occupy my time, I was left with about 15 minutes of down time. Normally, I would spend that 15 minutes reorganizing the contents of my Coupon Wallet, but I had just done so the day before in the waiting room of the doctor’s office.

The price check issues a few feet in front of me showed no immediate signs of resolution and the other checkout lines were just as long, so I decided to grab a magazine from the display. People, Us, Oprah, National Enquirer, and TV Guide are not my type of magazines, so I continued to scan titles in search of a better option. The bright, seasonal cover of September’s All You magazine caught my eye, but the byline, Hundreds of Ways to Save Time and Money, is what truly reeled me in.

I removed the magazine from the display and studied the bullets on the cover: 10 Smart gadgets that make chores easier (I’m all for that!), Serve healthy 30 minute dinners (Right up my alley!), Find comfy jeans that flatter you (Do tell!), and Packed with Value: Coupons and Great Deals (Hallelujah! Show me!).

When I opened the magazine and flipped through it quickly, I instantly became a fan of All You. Interspersed throughout the magazine’s pages, were lots of valuable coupons for products families like mine actually use (Tyson chicken nuggets, Kellogg’s cereal, Halls cough drops, Colgate toothpaste, Palmolive dish detergent, and Birds Eye Frozen Vegetables, just to name a few). The coupon savings alone more than paid for the magazine, which cost a mere $1.97.

Since I’ve had time to read the magazine, I’m hooked and have ordered a subscription, (which shaved approximately $3 off the magazine stand price). I found the articles, tips, recipes, and to be extremely helpful. If you want to be frugal fashionista, a sensible chef, and an economical organizer, I highly recommend All You magazine. Wal-Mart is the only store that carries it, but you can also get an annual subscription here.

All in all, All You is a great find for a practical, bargain hunting, coupon loving women like me! Perhaps you’ll enjoy it too.

Photo: Courtesy of finestationery (Flickr)

 

Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. (Romans 12:13)

These dead coupons would normally be tossed into our recycling bin, but I recently discovered a program that breathes new life into expired coupons.

The Overseas Coupon Program was founded in 1992 and shares donated coupons with military families stationed abroad. Even expired coupons are accepted because the commissary will honor them for up to six months after the expiration date! US military families all over the world are seeking coupon donations to help them stretch their grocery budgets.

If your group is looking for a service project or you’re an individual who wants to make a difference, consider adopting a military base, collecting coupons, and sending them to fellow Americans serving our country overseas. For detailed information about the Overseas Coupon Program including locations of military bases accepting coupons and guidelines for submitting coupons, please click here.

What a unique and wonderful way to support the troops!

Photo: Courtesy of a-swimmer@sbcglobal.net

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything; you may have an abundance for every good deed (2 Corinthians 9:8 )

Coupon clipping has become my newest interest. (Yes, yes, I know.  I need to get out a bit more frequently.)

My coupon craze started in the winter when the savvy moms on the message boards and forums I frequent started describing how much money they were saving with coupons. Not wanting to be left out of the savings circle, I grabbed the coupon inserts from the Sunday paper and a pair of scissors and started clipping. Since then I’ve clipped and used hundreds of coupons.

At Rite Aid this week, I walked out with a few free items thanks to these coupons and Rite Aid rebates.

1. Crest toothpaste is on sale for $2.49 and Rite Aid is offering a $1.74 rebate bringing the price down to $.75. After using a $1.00 coupon from the Sunday newspaper, I got the toothpaste for free.
2. Herbal Essences Shampoo is on sale as well, 2 for $5.00. Rite Aid is offering a $2.00 rebate on two bottles bringing the price down to $3.00. After using a $3.00 manufacturer’s coupon, both bottles are free. (We don’t use Herbal Essences Shampoo, but the girls’ babysitter does. She was happy to take it off our hands.)
3. Infusium shampoo is on sale this week for $4.99. Rite Aid is offering a $1.99 rebate bringing the price down to $3.00. Once I used the $3.00 manufacturer’s coupon, the shampoo was free.
4. Gillette’s Venus Vibrance razor is regularly $11.99 but is on sale for $7.99. Rite Aid is offering a $5.00 rebate bringing the price down to $2.99. Once I applied the manufacturer’s $2.00 coupon, the razor was only $.99. (It wasn’t free but it was pretty close!)

If you’re interested in learning more about Rite Aid rebates, click here. The rebate claim procedure is a breeze and can be done online. If you want to learn more about drugstore and supermarket deals, visit the forums over at Hot Coupon World, one of my new favorite internet spots.

Photo: Courtesy of LZBone