Southern Illinois Money Savers

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Hello, my name is Heather.  I am a wife and mother of 3 kids (13, 12 & 9). I am a “lunch lady” by day and a thrifty shopper by night.

I blog over @ http://couponingprincess.wordpress.com

I was born to a single mother who worked a full time job 50 miles from home, just to make ends meet. We were what I like to call country (I am from North GA). I ate beans and taters and taters and beans most of my childhood. Which believe me is a good thing (sometimes)  but I can remember someone bringing by boxes of food and putting them on our doorstep once a week. It had things like cereals and chips and soft bread and cans of corn. I was always so excited when these boxes came. As I got a little older I inquired as to where these boxes came from and why people brought them to us? The answer was simple enough but my mother with tears in her eyes explained to me (not in great detail) that we were poor and that the church brought us food to help out. I was amazed because I didn’t know we were poor. I remember feeling sad for myself at that point but so grateful that someone thought enough of us to help us out.

In 1995 I meet the most wonderful man (who of course now is my hubby), we shared a similar background and he would often tell me stories of his family (his mother and 5 kids) not knowing where their next meal would come from and I couldn’t help but remember the boxes on my porch steps. I realized we were meant for each other and here we are today almost 16 years later with 3 great kids!

Fast forward to about a year ago, we decided we wanted to take a trip to Disney World, which if you have ever been is outrageous!! I looked in our budget and found the only place we were able to cut back was my $200 (I would faint if I paid that now) a week grocery budget. I browsed websites and realized there were people spending pennies on the dollar for groceries. I had always thought of coupons as these things you use whenever you got them, not holding onto them until a great sale. We talked it over and decided we would be couponers. I began to get free deodorant, free razors, free body wash, diapers, school supplies, and of course food. My closet had turned into the “freebie” closet filled to the brim with bottle after bottle, tube after tube. What in the world was I ever going to do with this stuff?

My mother began telling me about a women’s and children’s shelter that her church worked with. I asked her if they needed some donations and of course she said YES! I went through my “freebie” closet and sent box after box after box to church with her. I was so tickled to be able to give. I found a Men’s ministry through a co-workers church who needed deodorant and body wash and I brought her boxes full to take with her. I have taken my family and my husband’s family goodie bags filled with tokens. These are all things I was able to give because of couponing. I was able to turn in extra school supplies, band-aids for the clinic, cleaners for the church, all for next to nothing. All the while saving up for our trip to Disney! I feel like I am so blessed to be able to give back for what was given to me as a child. We spend about $5-$10 a week on donations, but that can give so much to someone who really needs it. I am looking to work with a food ministry to help them stock their shelves and help empty some of mine. I am only here by God’s grace and my hope for the future is that my kids realize the need and help as well. I have tried to teach them to be helpful and giving. Not all people can let go of “things” but I like to get “things” just to see them go out in boxes hopefully delivered to people’s doorsteps…..

Would you like to share with us How you Give?  Leave a comment or send me an email at farnama@gmail.com.  I would love to feature you in a Guest Post.