Southern Illinois Money Savers

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Katie is a College Graduate, Wife and couponer.  She blogs at Life, Love and Frugality

I have always considered myself to be thrifty, even cheap. I love a deal and only shop sales. I shop at Ross and second-hand stores where I buy like-new Express jeans for $15 and under. I adore finding treasures at yard sales and thrift stores. If it’s more than $.50, I think twice before buying it. Seriously, I have a condition. For some reason though, when it came to groceries I was different. I thought Publix’s B1G1s were the best it got, and I had no idea there was any kind of rhythm to the sales.

A few months ago I was inspired to drastically change the way I shop for groceries. I honestly can’t remember where I first heard of what I call “radical couponing,” but I began to become aware that there were people who spent much less than I did to feed a larger family. I was intrigued. I started doing research and quickly found a few websites that really walked me through the steps to savings (you can find them here, here and here). I was hooked. I started buying 2 newspapers every Sunday, bought a binder and baseball card inserts, and started printing coupons. I was amazed with the results. I went from spending $60 to $70 per week on groceries for 2 people to spending an average of $17.50 per week over the last month and a half. My husband and I have been so blessed by this. We have gone from just making it to having wiggle room.

While I was experiencing this epiphany I was also going to work every day (interesting, I know). My co-worker is engaged to a man who works at a homeless shelter. From time to time she tells me about life at the shelter, and outside of it, and the needs of those who are helped through it. It made me so much more aware of just how good my life is, and of the needs of others.

However, the largest change occurred when I started giving thanks.

Employing this new shopping strategy has made such a difference in our lives. I view it as a form of provision., I can’t help but be thankful. Sometimes I am in the middle of something completely unrelated and I just remember the before and after and simply have to give thanks to God for it. That happened a few times before the “I’m so thankful” was followed by “You’ve taken such good care of us, how can I serve you through this blessing?” The answer: “My people are hungry. They are needy. They are naked.”

To Be Continued…..tomorrow!

What else could we do?  Cook a meal for someone you know and surprise them, help someone with yard/house work, volunteer anywhere (homeless shelter, soup kitchen, school, church, etc.),  visit the nursing home etc.  Take a hard look at your family, neighborhood, community and see where you could be of help.   I know that giving of my time is harder even though it doesn’t cost me any money, but trust me when I say, it can make a serious impact.

Leave a comment and let me know how you give, I would love to share it with my readers!

Have you been giving or donating lately?  If so stop by and enter to win a $10 Target Gift Card.