Your Journey Toward Frugality

Ready to become a savings sleuth? Then you have landed at the right place...let's get you started on your frugal journey to fattening your wallet! (the one thing you DO want to fatten!) Miserly Moms is an invaluable book that should take residence on your bookshelf. She will highlight some of the simple ways to cut costs like turning down the thermostat, reviewing your phone plans, joining a carpool, sharing a restaurant meal, ordering water instead of soda and many, many more.

However, this blog will be dedicated to the art of coupon cutting only. If you feel that it is not worth your time pretending you are in second grade again with a pair of scissors in your hand, then be prepared for a paradigm shift!

God obviously cares about our finances since the book of Proverbs list hundreds of scripture verses that instruct us how to use our money wisely. It is also our parental duty to be Godly examples to our children - being a wise steward of our dollars will not only bring you peace of mind but provide a generational blessing. I'll never forget the day my 10 year old asked me if I would tell his wife about coupons and how to use them! He has already seen the benefits and the joy that saving the bucks can bring to a family.

Before you begin drowning yourself in a sea of coupon clipping, sale shopping, store hopping and rebate mailing, I suggest you take it one step at a time and do some research first.

Some Internet investigation on the topic would serve you well at this time. Read other blogs and talk with parents who have already ventured down this path as networking is essential. Educate yourself - remember that knowledge is power. Learn the lingo, memorize the codes and understand the abbreviations. All of this is important because the more you know, the more you can save.

The second step is to subscribe to some email loops that have a daily digest. These are emails that will come directly to your inbox with all the weekly sales spelled out for you. They have already done the intense legwork of matching up the sale ads with a coupon; sometimes even providing you with a coupon link! Here are a couple digests that have helped me tremendously:

www.dealseekingmom.com

www.simplesavingsavvy.blogspot.com

Now it's time to subscribe to your Sunday newspaper. If you're not already a subscriber, check online first to see if you can get a discount on a yearly subscription. I just googled "discount newspapers" and was able to get 60% off the newstand price. Once you start seeing the advantages of cutting coupons, you will want multiple papers. You can either purchase them at a gas station or begin asking your neighbors, families and friends for their coupons that are most likely headed for the trash!

What now? Time to store and organize those little babies! I have personally graduated from the recipe box and '$2.99 coupon organizer' to a zippered 3-ring binder with baseball card holders. Though this may seem a bit eccentric, it keeps everything secure, organized and available at a glance. You can make up your own tabs to best suit your buying habits. I keep my binder in the car and carry it with me each time I shop.
Try to have your coupons cut and filed by Monday so that you are ready to make your store list from the ads, match and pull your coupons and be ready to shop the beginning of the week. If you wait till the end of the week or weekend, you take the chance of the store selling out of the sale item. This has happened to me several times and is quite frustrating! Having an organization method is vital to using coupons efficiently. The most important thing to remember is that the more organized you are at home, the quicker and more successful your shopping trips will be. Remember...time IS money!
After I have perused the ads, I get a small pad of paper and write the store name at the top that I will be visiting. With four columns, I write the item that is on sale, the price, the value of my "Q" and what my final price will be. (strange as it is, "Q" is the abbreviation for coupon!) My first store that I frequent is usually the business that will double my coupon. If you have a similar store, I suggest that you shop there weekly if not daily! Be very careful of stores that double coupons...most of the time their non-sale products are higher priced. Usually the front and back of their ads will be the "loss leaders" - the items that are an incredible deal. Their goal is to 'lead' you into the store in hopes that you will get 'lost' and buy other items that are not on your list or on sale. Do not fall into that trap! Stick to your list and buy only what is on sale.

The last step is to find your coupons from your binder for the items on your list. I pull all pertinent coupons and then paperclip them to my grocery list - remember, organization starts at home!

Now...you are prepared. Your mind is clear. Your senses are keen. Your wits are at an all-time high. You have your armor, shield and sword. Prepare your carriage and make straightway for your designated coordinates! Actually...a four-door vehicle with your coupon binder and list would be much faster! If at all possible, shop solo without being pressed for time. I usually mess up when I'm in a rush or have children with me!

WHEW!!!

I pray that you have not found this blog overwhelming or daunting but challenging and encouraging. Anyone can do what I have explained here and shown you in pictures. It will benefit your family, put a HUGE smile on your face and possibly give you the opportunity to share God's love with a family in need. I have no doubts that in the very near future, you will have a receipt that says you saved 100%!

Now, go forth, shop and be blessed!

If It's Free...It's For ME!!

February is such an awesome but crazy month...Valentine parties, tax preparations and final indoor soccer games along with both of my boys birthdays - just 12 days apart! But do not despair - I am finally here to share my couponing insights! After a week like this in the coupon world, I just must share my strategies and treasures. If you have been following me on Facebook or Twitter, you have noticed that I just can't quit raving about my savings!

Couponing is truly a form of art which happens to be my only hobby. If you will take the time to learn this trade and put forth some extra 'learning-curve' time in the beginning, you and your family will reap great benefits from your very first grocery store trip.

Why use coupons? For a variety of reasons. Many people have the misconstrued concept that if they are not struggling financially, then there is no reason to coupon. Since you are on the edge of your seat wondering what my reasons are, I will share them with you! I personally do what I do for two reasons: I feel it is my Biblical responsibility to wisely spend the money that God has entrusted us with AND because very few adventures can compare with the thrill of the hunt! I love the New Living Translation of Proverbs 31:18, "She watches for bargains; her lights burn late into the night." THAT'S ME! With the freebies I have been finding this week, I have not been able to go to bed before 11:00 pm...cutting coupons, searching the net and matching up sale ads with my coupons. To give you a little taste of this adventure and what it can do for you, here is a short summary of my week so far.

I found Gillette Body Wash at Target for $1.99 each. Last Sunday there was a coupon for $4 off any two Gillette Body Wash or deodorants. So, buy two and get both for free! See how easy that was? Now, increase your savings by asking your friends and family for their Sunday coupons which they are most likely recycling. With extra coupons in hand, I was able to get eight body washes and two shaving gels totally free. While I was at Target, I discovered that the Oral B toothbrushes would be free after I used a Target coupon AND a manufacture coupon (this is called stacking and is perfectly legal) As I was leaving the store, multiple clearance stickers from the cosmetic section started screaming my name. I love it when they mark down items that equal my coupon value which means they have just blessed me with a brand new item for free! I did not pay for anything in this picture:



The deals this week are just insane! Homeland has Colgate toothbrushes on sale for $1, so with your $1 off coupon, they are totally free. I just happened to have enough coupons to get 16 of them at no charge! Since we are adamant about changing toothbrushes monthly, this has saved our family a great deal of money. Also, they were clearancing out some deodorants and shampoo. The Loreal shampoo was a steal at $2 a bottle since I had 11 $2 off coupons! I have added these to my already overwhelming stash of hair care products. My husband is pretty sure that we have enough shampoo, body wash and toothpaste to last five years!





I have posted these pictures in hopes that it will compel you to grab your own scissors and notepad! My next blog will detail how to get started and some websites that have made my job easy as pie.

Until then...happy shopping and may you be frugally blessed!

Arguing on Valentine's Day

Shocked by the title? Can you believe I'm actually going to write about it for the world to read?

Our argument on this day and every Valentine's Day is a little different than you would expect. Not your common, 'average joe' argument. Then again...very little about our family is normal!

I really thought that I would win this year. I get so tired of loosing every February 14th. However, according to my husband..."You lost again, baby!"

The argument? Who is the first to say Happy Valentine's Day, or give a gift or card or win the count on how many times in one day can we show affection to each other. Since my hubby is a romanticist at heart...I always loose :(

I even unveiled my card a day early, but he hit a home run by presenting me with a gorgeous bouquet of pink and red roses just a few hours earlier. While I ventured to dream land, he stayed up till midnight so that he could write a valentine message on my Facebook! He murmured 'Happy Valentine's Day' to me while he was still asleep but said it counted! I left him a note in his closet taped to his clothes Sunday morning, but I found TWO cards strategically placed next to my roses. Even though I was the first to send him a sweet text message, he stated that I was already down on the count.

A fun game? You betcha! (I don't think that is correct grammar, but it seemed to fit here!) This year, the love just seemed to overflow to everyone in the household. Instead of our usual date with just the two of us, we took ALL our valentines out for dinner on Saturday night. We wrote each of them a short, personalized note and presented them with some candy (haven't done that since they were youngsters!) Sunday afternoon was met with a relaxing, enjoyable lunch at home where the kids surprised me with a gift just from them!

My 17-year old son had an interesting observation. "Why all the hype on Valentine's Day - why do we have to have a special day to give chocolate and flowers?" Good question and the answer is...we don't! Shouldn't the contagious love be in our houses on a daily basis? Do we have to wait until Valentine's Day or Sweetest Day to express to our family how much they mean to us? The obvious answer is no. Love is too precious to be kept in a box and only pulled out on special days.

The word love and its form, is mentioned 558 times in the Bible - that covers one a day with some leftover! I'm sure you've heard the old adage that we sometimes treat those we love the most, the worst. Make a pact with yourself this year that you will not fall into that trap. Jesus reminded us that 'the greatest commandment is love.' Tell your children how much you love them today - and every day. Leave them a special note taped to their bathroom mirror at least weekly. Surprise them with an inexpensive trinket for no other reason than you are glad they are your child. Hug them - long and often. No one can ever receive too much love.

If you're looking for an inspirational book to share with your spouse and gain some ideas on spicing up your marriage, try reading a devotion for couples only. One that was given to us is 'Songs in the Key of Solomon' by John and Anita Renfroe. As the back of the book says, "These devotions won't put you to sleep!" Another awesome read for the newlyweds as well as those who have been married for decades is 'The Love List' by Les and Leslie Parrott. It is purposeful, practical and full of spontaneity. Allen and I have highly enjoyed sharing this little book - a great map for your journey together.

Read together, love each other, live like it's your last day, laugh at everything (including yourself) and always strive to win the fun arguments. If the truth be told...this is one game where I don't mind loosing -- actually, I enjoy it!

A Childlike Heart

Please forgive me but I just can't do it. I know I said that today I would talk more about coupons and how to save money, but that will have to wait untill tomorrow or possibly another day...

I have to share what is fresh on my heart. I just can't quit thinking about my devotion from this morning. I read it and then just sat there. I re-read it four times. I read it to my children, I read it to a friend, I read to my husband and I posted it on Facebook but I HAVE to blog about it as well!

The scripture verse is from I Samuel 3:9..."God's eyes still roam over the earth looking for attentive, submissive hearts so He can show himself strong and mighty on our behalf. Let's ask God for the blessing of a childlike heart such as young Samuel had, so that when the Lord calls our name, we, too can answer, "Speak, Lord for your servant is listening." I couldn't believe it. Once again the Lord just reached right into my heart and rattled my cage! He is watching us right now - His eyes are literally roaming about the earth trying to find every individual He can that has an attentive, submissive heart.

When we sat down to have our devotions together, my youngest said, "Momma, why are you so happy?" As I shared what was on my heart, my excitement level started to climax and then the drama took over. Now, those of you that are close to me, know how animated I can get. Since I sign every story I read to my deaf children, I am a one-man show in my own little theatrical world! It keeps their attention and brings the stories to life; since they don't hear the inflection of my voice, they need to see it in my body language and facial expressions.

I was mimicking what I thought God looked like as He was scanning the earth for humble hearts. As His eyes search, He ponders the thoughts of the beings He created. He begins to pick the 'special' ones -- those that have a listening heart. Those that are soft and teachable. The ones that are willing to just sit...saying nothing in order to hear His still small voice. As I was acting all of this out, my youngest screamed, "Pick me, pick me! I'm listening!"

W O W !

And shouldn't that be the cry of our heart - pick me, God! Shouldn't our prayer be, "Save us from being so filled with ourselves that we can't hear You. Give us the grace to both listen AND obey when You speak to us."

I've thought about this all day. Just talked about it with the kids again over dinner. Where am I now...do I have a humble heart? Is God pleased with how I acted and reacted today? I certainly still sin, but am I teachable?

I will leave you with these questions to ask of yourselves. May we never get stagnate in our relationship with our Creator and may our hearts always remain moldable.

Cheap Is Good But Free Is Better!

Healthy Soul and Body...how did that become the title of my blog? My husband asked, "Why do you want to blog? What defines you and what do you want to share?" Oh, honey....so many things! I want to share my heart in regards to spiritual matters. Not that I have all the answers or that I have 'arrived', but maybe...just maybe, what the Lord showed me will help you in some area of your life. Perhaps the Lord is purging the same things in our lives so that we can encourage each other on our journey to getting to know the Lord and His will better.

Home schooling experiences are sure to land on this site - the good, the bad and the ugly! I also have a passion for eating and cooking healthy foods for my family, so recipes will be leaping from my cookbook to your inbox with practical, easy ways to ooh and aah your family -- hence the name, 'Healthy Soul and Body'.

However, my biggest adventure the last 4 years has been the art of couponing.

Since there is always more to people than meets the eye, I want to share a part of myself that can be quite alarming and sometimes disturbing at times! I am a wife, mother and home school teacher but wait...my alias is FRUGAL MOM!

I can not even begin to express with verbal skills or the pen and paper how my adrenaline bubbles when I find a good deal - especially when I land the item for free! Whether you are on a tight budget or just love the thrill of the hunt, couponing can be a way of life that is actually very rewarding for your pocketbook! I do not golf, hunt, go to movies or scrap book - couponing is my hobby!

I will be writing more on this topic later, but let me just share what exciting things that have happened this week...my son just came home from the mall and brought me a FREE Orange Julius. I never buy them (because of the cost and amount of sugar in each one) but we'll take a free one once a year! I received a full size box of Kashi cereal in the mail - FREE! I have a $10 off coupon for DSW Shoes since we registered for their awards card. My plan of attack is to find some socks for $10.01!! Visited Mimi's Cafe on Sunday for my son's birthday - had a coupon for a free appetizer (saved $8.99) and a $5 off coupon - they took both of them! Plus my son was presented with a free Chocolate Moose Cake for dessert! I LOVE Spicy Pickle but even better when I received a free bag of baked chips and a drink when I bought a salad...and the excitement goes on and on and on....

How does this all happen? (I think I heard you ask that!) Because I sign up for every rewards card and email list I possibly can! The amount of freebies that land in my inbox each week is amazing. I have signed up each family member's birthday for all the restaurants we patronize and some we don't! I am shocked how many email coupons come our way for free meals - they all want our business! Every time we dine at Bravos, I take 10 minutes the next day to do the online survey since the $5 off validation code is well worth my time. Last week, I picked up a free energy bar from GNC, free chips from Homeland, free Herbal Essences shampoo from CVS and free broccoli from Target!

I hope I have peaked your interest in this arena of saving money. At least enough for you to tune in tomorrow as I give you websites to join, stores to shop and tips to get the most mileage from the money the Lord has entrusted to each of you! Until then...healthy living and happy shopping!

Is It My Turn Yet?

This is an article that I wrote about 5 years ago that was published in the Edmond Sun. I thought this would give you a good history of my family and the foundation for the upcoming blogs that you will read:


What a loaded question - is it my turn yet? Have you ever asked the Lord that question? Is it my turn to get blessed? Is it my turn for a miracle? Is it my turn to receive the answers I've been praying for? There are so many times in my life that I have asked my God those questions. I've never really said "why me?" because I truly believe that God deals His cards appropriately to the perfect cardholder without any mistakes. I have, however, often wondered if I got stuck in God's waiting room and He just plain forgot about my family. Just like each of you, my family and I have had our share of tribulations.

The one that is heavy on my heart is my precious baby girl. She is a spunky child with long, slender legs, brown hair and big, beautiful brown eyes. She has the most treasured smile with a quaint dimple on her right side to match her grandmothers. The joy she has is contagious and her witty humor is truly amazing - a definite gift from the Lord. Her name is Victoria and she is profoundly deaf.

We discovered that Victoria was deaf while we were in a rental house waiting on our home to be re-built from a disastrous house fire. We believed Victoria had discriminatory hearing and was choosing to ignore us at an early age of 10 months. We soon learned otherwise. After six months of waiting for an extensive two-hour A.B.R. hearing test, we were told that Victoria could only hear sounds as loud as a fighter jet plane. She was profoundly deaf with very little residual hearing. My husband and I were devastated at this news since those are words no parent ever wants to hear. We were also ignorant in this area but educated ourselves very quickly so we could assist our daughter in every way possible. We decided to utilize Signing Exact English as our means of communication and then began the tedious process of teaching ourselves a new language at such a mature age!

The last 8 years have been challenging yet rewarding. Full of sadness while impregnated with joy. Consistent speech therapy, group therapy, articulation, hearing tests and non-stop signing have been a way of life for us that we have grown accustomed to. We adjusted fairly quickly to the life God blessed us with and have been in constant prayer for Victoria's healing. This is where the waiting room makes its appearance. Between my family and friends, we pray for Victoria on a continual basis. In faith, we repeatedly take her to the altar fully expecting a complete and divine healing. Yet she still wears her hearing aids and is still profoundly deaf.

Did God desert us? Did our prayers just ricochet off the ceiling and slap us in the face? Is He ignoring us like we thought our daughter was at 10 months of age? I think not. These are all valid questions with only one indisputable answer - God's glory is not ready to be revealed in her life. Or as my oldest son would say, "It's not His time yet, mom." When it is, her complete healing will take place. I say "complete" because the Lord HAS gently touched Victoria on many different occasions. I remember one specific occurrence when Victoria screamed "Owww - that hurt my ears," when the telephone rang during our family devotions one night. The telephone ring has never caused her pain before and the volume on the ringer had not been increased. Only one explanation - the Lord touched her. We believe that Victoria's situation is like the ten lepers who were healed in Luke 17:14, "And as they went, their leprosy disappeared." Victoria will be healed as she goes. The Lord has spoken to me about this over and over again. He has specific reasons for not completely healing Victoria and I do not need to be made aware of those reasons. All we know is that her healing will not be a miraculous one-time event but rather little episodes throughout her entire life.

The bottom line is that God has not forgotten us and that we should consider it an honor to be sitting in His waiting room. He IS working behind the scenes in Victoria's life and every now and then He chooses to make an appearance to replenish our patience and give us strength to carry on. We serve a gracious God with a wonderful sense of humor and an overflowing amount of compassion. The same God who is working in our life is also working in your life. Don't be discouraged, but press on and claim His promises and blessings for your life. Make the choice to have joy each morning you awake. If you just wait...your turn is right around the corner!

Why? I would ask that too...

Have you ever wondered why people blog and why other people read them? What internal force causes a person to gravitate to the Internet and read another person's journal? Is it to understand their perspective on life? Are you looking for some common ground with a fellow soul-mate to feel connected? Do you feel you just invaded their privacy, OR....do you walk away feeling satisfied and content and possibly permanently changed by what you read?

I personally have always wanted to blog but never took the time to do it. With home schooling three children - two of whom are profoundly deaf, setting aside mommy-time just never landed on the agenda. For many years, I actually felt that it was selfish to even desire some quite time while I was needed in so many other areas of my life. Even with my husband and a dear friend encouraging me to express myself through writing, it took almost five years for it to actually come to fruition. As the children have grown older, I have discovered that ALL moms need this solitude time. Time to rejuvenate. Time to reflect and unwind. Time to reconnect with other moms whom you can relate to.

In a very expressive way, it's rewarding, fulfilling and just down right exhilarating! One of my life aspirations is to write a book about my family. I want to write an autobiography as well as a series of picture books about my children with my husband as the artist. Since that seems like an unattainable feat, I think we'll take baby steps for right now and start with a blog!

The purpose for my blog, you ask? To enlighten, uplift and encourage you with what God has laid upon my heart. I have so much I want to share with you...so many experiences and events...so many trials and triumphs...so many challenges and miracles. I can't wait to see where God takes this season of my life. I am excited as I sit and listen to His prompting. Come with me on my journalistic journey and let's see what the Lord has in store for us!