PennyWise...not pound foolish!

It's March?

2011-03-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

What is going on!? Where is this year going?
Why is it that I just turned around and MARCH was here?
I know this happens to everybody, but life gets faster the older you get.
It's not that you get busier, it's just that the days fly by a lot faster than they did when you were small. I remember feeling like spring break would take FOREVER to get here after Christmas. Spring break was last week and I think I blinked and missed it! :(

Some very monumental things have happened in our family since Christmas and I was hoping to linger a while longer to enjoy them before sprinting to the summer finish line! Abby turned 15 and just got her learners permit! Ugh, I feel old. She is a great driver. She is a great kid! She is starting to spend more and more time out with her friends, which means we are one more step closer to that empty nest.

Mark and I spend a lot of time with just Andy now, which is AWESOME! When we were having babies, I never realized how precious one on one time with them would be. We are growing closer to Andy and seeing what an incredible child he is. He's thoughtful and funny and quick witted. I've always said that he brought the laughter into our house when he was born. It's so true...he brings a sense of humor that is different from the others and it keeps us in stitches.
He is running track this season and it has been so much fun to watch him reach out there and discover things that he is good at. He is doing the pole vault and is getting pretty good at it. He's also running the 100 yard dash and the 4x100 relay. He's a fast kid! I can't wait to see him grow in the coming years.

Alex is a man now. That REALLY makes me feel old. He is a 6 foot tall 220 lb MAN. He is training hard for his upcoming senior football season. yes, I said SENIOR! My baby will be a senior in just 5 short months. I'm starting to hyperventilate a little after seeing how quickly the last 3 months have gone by! I always sympathized with the parents of seniors who were sadly happy over the beginning of the senior year. It's an exciting time. It's the goal of every parent, to see a child mature into adulthood and be successful in whatever calling God has for them. But it's also bittersweet. They are closer than ever to leaving...what a huge whole that will leave. :(

How easily our human nature shows through in times of trial!

2011-02-11T07:10:00.000-08:00

This opening line of my devotional this morning was all I needed to convict me! Ugh!
We are reading through the book of Exodus and are to the part in Exodus 32 that I have burned into my memory because of the hollywood version of it in the classic movie Moses with Charlton Heston.

"When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods[a] who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”

2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,[b] Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”

5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD.” 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.

7 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’ "

I feel a lot like the children of Israel this morning. They had seen miracle after miracle as God used Moses to lead them out of Egypt and out of captivity. They had just witnessed the parting of the red sea, water pour out of a rock in the middle of a desert and had manna falling daily from the sky for them, for goodness sake!
All of their needs had been completely fulfilled! All they had to do was WAIT! The next blessing was coming, but they grew impatient and turned back to their old ways.

This time in my life is about waiting! God has shown his provisional love for my family OVER and OVER again. He has delivered us out of the captivity of sin and is asking us to wait for the next step...what is so hard about that? Why is it that we(I) allow Satan to creep in during these times of rest when I am waiting on the Lord and stir my fears into a frenzy? I have nothing to worry about and may miss out on the biggest blessing of my life because I can't fight the urge to take control of my situation.

Lord, help me to be content in the waiting. Protect me from the devil's attempts to distract me from Your will. Help me keep my eyes firmly focused on You so that I may receive the blessings that you have prepared for me! Amen

Hang on...this is gonna be a bumpy ride!

2011-02-07T06:35:00.000-08:00

Um...WOW!! That is all I can say! I have been sitting here this morning looking at my calendar and regretting how full my calendar is getting. :( Some people crave busy-ness, but I am DEFINITELY not one of those people. From the outside, my life may look busy with three kids in sports, a part time job and a house to run. My little secret is...it's not all that busy anymore.

I spent many years trying to keep up with a frantic pace of busy because that is what I thought was expected of me. I came to realize that it was the busy that prevented me from stopping and taking time to focus on what God really had planned for me. I almost missed one of those times of focus yesterday, in the frantic pace of a busy Sunday.

After church yesterday, before we even got out of the parking lot, my oldest asks a profound question. Now, granted, I think he saw an angle in it for him to get out of something that most kids think is a colossal waste of time anyway, BUT it was a great teachable moment for all of us in the car.

Alex asked if school was in the Bible. :) After a stunned few seconds of silence, he continued by pointing out how many distractions there were for a young christian and how hard it was to stay focused on God's plan for his life in that environment.

As my mind started racing with ways to answer him without giving him permission to drop out of school, I think God took over my mouth and proceeded to give him an answer that even preached to me. Yes, school is a place with MANY distractions and is probably the hardest time that many of us face in life because of all the temptations that we have to face and overcome in the short time that we are there.
Unfortunately, that part of life really never gets any easier. Even as adults, we are faced with distractions that we allow to get in the way of our relationship with God. We have to set our priorities right and truly commit to putting God at the beginning of EVERYTHING. It's not an easy thing to do, but the results are SO powerful!

Now the task of tackling whether or not school was in the Bible. YES, school was in the Bible!! Even Jesus studied! Jesus laid out that model for us. The kind of learning that Jesus did wasn't exactly like the learning of today, but it had to be similar. Jesus was HUMAN when he came to earth. As a child, he couldn't have been a carpenter without Math, he couldn't have studied in the synagogue without learning his language and how to communicate with others. All of the learning that Jesus did in his youth in the synagogues prepared Him for the calling that God had for His life. So, YES, school is important! It is necessary in today's society to prepare you for the calling that God has on your life. The world need's Christian doctors and lawyers and teachers and builders, etc. Satan knows that and puts EVERY OBSTACLE IN HIS ARSENAL in your path when you are a young Christian to keep you from fulfilling your calling.

It was a truly incredible conversation that I am so grateful we were able to have. I need those moments of reminder every once in a while that I'm not the only one that feels like I'm under attack sometimes and feels like I'm not really doing what I'm supposed to be doing. Even kids feel that way. :)
Thank you God for those teachable moments that allow me to stop and readjust my focus on what is truly important!

Rough day

2011-01-28T07:33:00.000-08:00

So, today is already started out as a rough day. I have a MONSTER headache that is only being made worse through a situation that I am dealing with in one area of my life.

BUT, God is SO good! He sent me a nugget to help through the day!
This is what I JUST read and it is seeping into my soul and bringing me peace that I'm sure will carry me through the struggles of today.

Proverbs 5:22-23 (New International Version, ©2011)
22 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;
the cords of their sins hold them fast.
23 For lack of discipline they will die,
led astray by their own great folly.

I know I am not supposed to wish that others should "get what's coming to them" because, as a Christian, I am supposed to have the heart of Christ and know that "He (God) does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to repent." 2 Peter 3:9

SO...I cannot allow myself to fall into the snares of wickedness that are spoken about in Proverbs! I HAVE to show discipline today with my emotions and not allow them to take over that part of me that "doesn't want anyone to perish", no matter how evil their actions are.

Yes, some people just have to learn the hard way. I can't always stop them from making wrong choices and decisions...I can just love them through the consequences.

May...

2011-01-24T08:01:00.000-08:00

A funny story from my when my kids were younger, and I'm sure most of you can relate to this. I have ALWAYS used the word "Maybe" when my kids asked me if they could do something or have something. It's just a great word to use, because when they are very little and hold you to EVERYTHING you say, the word allows you an out. Well, one day my daughter, Abby, called my bluff. She was about 6, I guess and had asked me if we could go somewhere later that day and I used the usual response, "Maybe, I'm not sure, we'll just have to see." From the back seat of the car, I hear her sweet soft little voice mutter to herself, "maybe means no." Hmmmm...was she really on to me at the age of SIX? WOW!

I was reminded of this story this morning after reading the days One Year Devotion.

"Israel's blessings started with the word may. As Jacob laid his hands upon the heads of Ephraim and Manasseh, he uttered the word and invoked a blessing with it three times.
The psalmist blessed Israel with equal force: "May the Lord respond to your cry. May the God of Israel keep you safe. . . . May he send you help. . . . May he remember all your gifts. . . . May he grant your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans. May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory. . . . May the Lord answer all your prayers" (Psalm 20:1-5).
The word may could be translated "allow." In other words, allow God to do what He wants to do for you. You must settle in your mind forever that God wants to bless you. Any doubt will always result in questioning His desire to answer your prayers or to increase, deliver, and help you.
God's Word has the same power to bless you, as did Jacob's words for his grandsons. "Pay attention, my child, to what I say. Listen carefully. Don't lose sight of my words. Let them penetrate deep within your heart, for they bring life and radiant health to anyone who discovers their meaning" (Proverbs 4:20-22).
May the Lord bless you today!"

Nope, these verses don't say "Maybe the Lord will..." but in a way they do. I have never read the blessings of the Bible quite the way that the devotional encouraged me to today...by replacing the word "May" with "allow".

If we don't allow God to work in our lives, then the promises of the Bible are just a maybe...we have to get out of the way and let Him work! Believe that He is going to do mighty things in your life! Receive the blessings that He has for you!

Do unto others, cause what goes around...comes around!

2011-01-13T06:44:00.000-08:00

The following three paragraphs are from the One Year Bible Daily Devotional that I read through my church website at http://www.churchofthehighlands.com/bible/

"Poor Jacob thought his trickery of his father had gone unnoticed. He forgot that God was watching everything and everybody-including him! Someone said, "You may get by, but you won't get away!" Little did Jacob know that God would discipline him by preparing someone even trickier than he to enter his life. "My child, don't ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don't be discouraged when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves. . . ."(Proverbs 3:11-12).

For seven long years Jacob served Laban for his daughter Rachel. Then, on the wedding night, Laban tricked him into marrying Leah. It is interesting that Jacob deceived his father in a tent, and later he himself was deceived in a tent! God will discipline you with the exact process you used on someone else. God loved Jacob and knew that until he met a superior deceiver, he would be tricking, deceiving, and supplanting for the rest of his life.

Do not despise the Lord's work in your life. He loves you, and His discipline will yield "a quiet harvest of right living" (Hebrews 12:11)."

WOW! I forget the wonderful lessons that the Bible lays out for us sometimes. I always catch myself telling my kids..."I'm not sure where, but it does say in the Bible that..." I wish that I were more of a bible scholar that knew exactly where everything was and could quote it exactly, but I'm not. I'm just an average girl that knows the difference between right and wrong and knows it's right and wrong cause it's in the bible...somewhere. :)

ANYWAY, I love the story of Jacob and all of the struggles that he goes through in life. MOST if not all of those struggles are caused because of his own stupid self...I can relate to that. :) I may not do some of the horrible things that Jacob did like stealing his brothers birthright, but I do cause myself lots of torment by making poor decisions. Especially with my finances. YES, I am the coupon queen and I do know how to be VERY thrifty...but we've already covered the fact that I lack DISCIPLINE in my life (UGH! this is becoming a theme for me, Lord what are you trying to teach me?) So, I get off to a good start and then get sidetracked and lose focus.

TOTAL SIDENOTE- my husband and I have fallen in love with the tv show "THE MIDDLE". If you haven't watched it, it is hysterical! We can relate to the family in the show because they remind us so much of ourselves. SO, on last night's episode, the mom purchased a 3 ounce jar of miracle eye cream for $200! She thought it said $20 when she signed the credit card slip. She was HORRIFIED when she realized her mistake and had to confess it to her husband. He was calm about it and said he would just have to pick up another shift at work to pay for the mistake...then he gave her the silent treatment. When she finally got him to talk to her, he confessed that his silence wasn't anger at her, but anger at their place in life. He was frustrated that a $200 mistake sent them into financial ruin at their stage in life (early 40's). Ummm....hello, that is my life. :) An unexpected bill or expense can send our finances into a TAILSPIN! That is NOT where I thought I would be when I was forty! BUT, the mom pointed out to her husband the fact that the amount that used to send them into financial panic mode was $20 and that they had come a long way since that time.

MORAL of this LONG story....I think sometimes we get so fixated on our future plans that we get bogged down in the frustrations of "why am I still stuck here?" Imagine if Jacob had done that! Imagine if he had given up after Laban tricked him into marrying Leah instead of Rachel - his dream. He TOTALLY got what he deserved when he was tricked into marrying Leah instead of Rachel. Even so, he could have gotten discouraged and just thrown his hands up in the air and said "forget it!". But he didn't. He kept pursuing his promise of blessings and he worked hard and eventually he was rewarded...and so were we. God blessed Jacob, the father of many nations.

So how does this apply to me? How does this all tie together? What am I supposed to learn from this?

Be wise in the decisions you make in life because what goes around comes around, BUT don't get discouraged in the midst of the consequences of your previous actions because God has a bigger and better plan for you than you can EVER imagine. :)

What exactly did I do in 2010?

2011-01-07T06:55:00.000-08:00

So, I mentioned that last year wasn't really one of those stellar years and as I think back over it, I am remembering why I've blocked out most of it.

It started out with the mourning of a sweet friend's move. My friend, Evelyn, moved back to Texas right before Christmas and the reality that she was gone finally started to set in about New Years. She and her husband, Mark, bought a house that my husband built and from the first time my husband met Evelyn, he told me that I would love her...he was correct. She was and still is a very precious person with a heart of gold. She was the only person outside of my family that truly knew all the gory details of our families financial woes and she prayed and worried right along with us. The thought of not being able to talk to her and see her on a daily basis really set the year off on a sour note.

Then 2010 took a turn for the worse with the loss of another dear friend. My artist friend, Penny McAllister, passed away in late March after a very short battle with leukemia. Her death was VERY sudden and very unexpected. She and I have worked together at Christmas Village for the past several years and over those years we have had some wonderful talks. We had one of those friendships where you could go months without talking and instantly pick up like you'd seen each other every day. I think I kind of switched off my feelings when she passed away because of the fear of what the upcoming holidays would be like without her. I don't think any of us like change, but when that change is the absence of a precious friend...it's especially painful...and I lost two in a very short amount of time.

About 10 years ago, I read a book called The Friendships of Women by Dee Brestin and it was fascinating to realize how much women need other women in their lives. I have never really been able to build and maintain close friendships with other women and I've always wondered why...I'm a nice girl, aren't I? I always attributed this inability to get along with other women somehow to the fact that I lost my mother at a very young age, but the fact is that MOST women have a hard time getting along with other women. We are critical and competitive and that gets in the way of loving each other. Nevertheless, we all long for that bond. Admit it girls,we all want a BFF that we can sit on the phone with for hours and share our deepest darkest secrets with. Unfortunately, many of us have been hurt so much in the past when that friendship took a detour that we don't trust enough to open the door to that kind of love any more. UGH! Well, I can say that I shared my heart and soul with Penny and Evelyn...and yet they are still gone. What seems to be the problem here?

Jeremiah 17:5 "This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD."

Okay, so CURSED is a really strong word and that is the word that God uses when we put our trust in man! It certainly can feel like a curse when those friends and loved ones do something that betrays that trust or like in my case, when they move or die. That's what most of 2010 turned into for me...a curse...or at least that's what Satan convinced me was happening. Most everything that I did in 2010 was an effort to numb the pain of loneliness and sorrow. When the year added more financial stress to the mix, I had all the ingredients for a TOTALLY unproductive year. :( I became so focused on my hurt and loss and lack of money that I couldn't possibly see God working for my good through it all. But He was. He is. He always will be.

Let me go back just a little bit....I'm not saying that friends are a curse, after all, the Ecclesiastes 4:-12 states:

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

BUT, alone was what my heart decided was best for me last year. My defenses went up and I isolated myself because of the hurts I was trying to deal with. Just like Ecclesiastes warns, isolation was the true curse. The more isolated I felt, the farther away from God I drew and the uglier/colder I got. But God loves me too much to leave me here! PRAISE THE LORD!

Hello blog...i've been a bad friend!

2011-01-07T06:09:00.000-08:00

So, one thing this blog has shown me is that I have NO self-discipline and NOW it's in print for the whole world to read! I laughed when I read over my posts from last year about posting often and sharing my thoughts with the world...I made it to January 19th! HAHAHAHAHA!

To be honest though, 2010 was a year that most of the world would not really want to know my thoughts. I think it was one of the roughest years I have faced in my lifetime. Nothing truly traumatic happened, but something with my spirit man shifted and my foundation of faith just wasn't as strong. I think I've been going through the motions for the past several months, too afraid to feel anything, or do anything.

SO, at the beginning of this new year, when the world and all of it's media outlets cause us to reminisce I am being forced to look back at last year and ask myself, "what exactly did you do with that whole year again?". This self questioning has caused me to realize something...Ummmm....that's not a question I EVER want God to ask me!!!!

Having said all of that, I am quietly making some changes in my heart to do more this year with the time that God has given me. I'm not one to make New Years resolutions, because (as seen through this blog) I have no self-discipline and can't keep the resolution! So this is not a new year resolution...this is a life resolution. I already know that I will have many temptations and set-backs, because Satan HATES life resolutions. I have been thinking over this post since yesterday morning and JUST YESTERDAY I had a trial thrown into my path with some people that I have had a HARD time loving over the past year...so this road will not be easy.

I had a thought in the car yesterday about Heaven...do you think Heaven has a new years eve celebration with fireworks? I'm CERTAIN that they do not since the passing of time is something that we only feel on this broken planet we live on. The Bible does tell us that the Heavens celebrate each time one of God's children comes to know Him! So, instead of living from year to year and reflecting on what I've done in each year, I'm going to start living from person to person and stop and ask myself each time I meet someone "what exactly will you do in the life of this person?". I think THAT will be the way God measures us when we finally do meet Him face to face. It won't be by the year and how much good or bad we did in the time we were given...it will be by the person. How many people that I have contact with will cause a celebration in Heaven?

SO, please pray with me and for me about the people that God entrusts me with...and to be quite honest...pray for those people too cause I can be kind of hard to handle some times. :) LOL!

Coming up in my next post...I will reflect on what happened in 2010 just so that I can get it down on "paper". God was still working in my life...even though I was too afraid to acknowledge Him.

Do you ever get discouraged?

2010-01-19T05:14:00.000-08:00

Do you ever get discouraged by the daily life around you and wonder where God is in all of it? Do you ever get discouraged by the way you perform in your daily life and wonder what God is doing in you to make you a new creation?
Do you ever look to the Bible for the answers and it all seems like gobbledeegook that you couldn't understand with a thousand biblical scholars explanations??
That is the kind of day I had yesterday.

Thank goodness His mercies are new EVERY morning...because this morning I realized why!
Yesterday was a test. No, not a test of the emergency broadcast system. :) (sorry, couldn't resist)
Yesterday was one of those days when the world gets thrown at you to test your reaction time. And yesterday, I was SLOW!! I had a talk with my own child yesterday about purpose and discovering your calling in this world and realized that I wasn't practicing what I was preaching to my own child. In order to have the door opened to our purpose in this world, we have to be usable and mold-able. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to come into us and transform us into God's likeness so that the world will see HIM and not us. That likeness is evidenced by the fruits of the spirit. When we have surrendered to him, those fruits will be so visible that people will look at our life and wonder HOW. How in the world is she so patient with that person? How does she have such peace through her circumstances? How does she love that person that is SO unlovable? How does she live such a disciplined life? And the answer to those questions is
supernatural! It's not because of our own ability to navigate this world, it's God in us!

So yesterday, my fruit got SQUEEZED! And they are still VERY soft and worldly.

Another revelation this morning about why the Bible is so hard to understand sometimes, even for a believer and especially for a non-believer...

The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

¹¹He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹²Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables:
"Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand. ¹⁴In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
" 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
¹⁵For this people's heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.'^b]">[b] ¹⁶But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

May be more like Rebekah than I thought...

2010-01-14T06:44:00.001-08:00

(TOTAL SIDE NOTE....Today, I found and incredible resource that I can use when my A.D.D. kicks in...YEA for the online audio bible. I can LISTEN to the scriptures now! WOOHOO!)

So, today's One year devotion continued with the story of Leah and Rebekah and their childbearing years.

MAN, it must have been FUN to live with these two girls...NOT! They were AWFUL! They were every bit as human as I've ever been, and then some! They fought over Jacob constantly...raced to bear him children...threw their maidservants at him when they couldn't get pregnant...traded him for food out of the field. I actually feel sorry for him. Not only did he have these two women to deal with every day when he got home, but their crooked daddy (Laban) dealt him fits when he was at work by constantly changing the terms of their oral contract. Through all of this turmoil in Jacobs life, God was still faithful because Jacob listened to God's instructions. God increased his flocks, his family and gave him great wealth.

In the middle of my feeling sorry for Jacob, I'm reminded of the bad choices he made in his life and that he certainly reaped what was sown in the form of these two bickering sisters and an ungodly father in law. He had STOLEN his brothers birthright! Remember that God led him to this family and told him to marry Laban's daughter! It's sad to watch him struggle, but ultimately he did get what he deserved. He also got what God had planned for him all along because he ultimately followed God and listened to His instructions.

How does this apply to me? Lets see...have I made stupid choices in my life....YES! Do I always listen to God and follow him...NO! Am I missing out on many of the blessings that God has for me because of my disobedience and indifference when it comes to listening and following...ABSOLUTELY! So, I guess I feel sorry for Jacob because I can relate. I've gotten myself into many groups of "bickering sisters" because of my bad decisions. I need to wait on the Lord and trust that His plans for my life are good and that He is faithful...especially when I am not.

Lord, help me to have patience and to wait on you. Help me to trust in your promises. You ARE good and you ARE faithful and I AM yours. You will not harm me, but only seek to prosper me as you told me in Jeremiah 29:11. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Help me to realize that this does not solely apply to the riches of this temporary world, but mainly applies to the eternity that I will spend with you in Heaven.

Lesson learned this morning...

2010-01-12T05:32:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like something unfair has happened to you and the thought of it just consumes you? This is especially difficult when it has to do with your finances since that messes with the way that you provide for your family.
In this economy, it's not hard to find stories of people that have lost jobs, had pay cuts or have just not been dealt with fairly. My family has certainly been no different. From experience, I can tell you that it's very easy to get consumed by the problem and let bitterness and resentment become the ruler of your life instead of trusting God that He is still in control.

I'm trying to learn a new discipline this year and am using this resource for my daily devotional each day - http://www.churchofthehighlands.com/oneyearbible/ Today's lesson in the one year bible was on this subject.

I'm not a scholar on daily life in biblical times, but a water well HAD to have been a pretty important provision for a man's family. To have it continuously stolen (not sure how you steal a water well) could have caused Isaac to have MANY reactions, but I wonder how Isaac's wife reacted to this situation. The bible rarely mentions the reaction of the wife in the stories (unless they do something really stupid or really tremendous). Since Rebekah is mentioned favorably several times in the bible, I'm sure she handled this with grace and beauty...two things I don't always exhibit. As I think about all the ways I might have handled this situation (and have handled similar situations), I'm embarrassed. Just because I'm a non-confrontational person who wouldn't hurt a flea doesn't mean I wouldn't have stirred up a sandstorm of discontent in the camp over this issue!! I probably would have made Isaac want to go sleep with the camels because of all the griping and carrying on I would have done. I can hear it now, "Why don't you just man up and go over there and tell them that is OUR well! Now you are going to have to spend another ENTIRE day digging a well that you've already dug THREE TIMES! I had other things planned for tomorrow and now you've messed up all my plans!"
WOW! I wouldn't have made it easy at all for Isaac to be a godly man, would I? Rebekah must have truly been a saint (except for that whole Jacob and Esau -birthright for a bowl of soup business).
This whole hypothetical conversation makes me wonder how many financial blessings that my family has missed out on because of my attitude of distrust and discontent? Ugh! Lots of toes being stepped on this morning.

Dear Lord forgive me for not trusting in you. Forgive me for not supporting my spouse in the decisions that he makes for our family and for not seeing that he is following you when he lets things go and "digs another well."

Today's commentary from the One Year Bible devotional....
Isaac was a man whose life demonstrated the blessing of God. He was undoubtedly a tithing believer and a successful farmer, as were his father Abraham and son Jacob. Genesis 26:12 tells us, "That year Isaac's crops were tremendous! He harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him." While others were perishing in the famine, Isaac sowed in the land and reaped a hundredfold return.

It was Isaac's attitude, however, that brought the blessing of God. When he had dug a "gushing spring" (Genesis 26:19), the shepherds of Gerar came and stole it from him. Instead of quarreling, he moved on and "dug another well" (v. 21). When that new well was stolen, "he dug another well" (v. 22). Finally his well was not stolen, and the Lord said to him, "Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you" (v. 24).

Attitudes of bitterness, anger, resentment, and strife will keep you from financial blessing. Dig another well, keep your heart right, and God will pour out even more blessings than before!

Target coupon generator update...

2010-01-05T22:19:00.000-08:00

I haven't had much time to surf the web until recently and I discovered some awful changes to the Target Coupon Generator that broke my heart. :(
Target has decided to implement some copyright rules to their coupons now and that means you can only print these coupons directly from their website.

What will this mean to us that use these coupons at Publix?
1. It will mean that we can only print a couple of each of them a month.
2. It will mean that we will need to print them out quickly because some disappear before their
expiration date.

It's still a good resource to use, but it won't be AS good a resource as it once was.

If you have learned any tips with this, please pass them along...as I said, I just discovered this. :)

Something old is new again

2010-01-05T22:09:00.000-08:00

Ok...so many of you know the story of how I stumbled into couponing again...through the E-mealz website, right? (If you don't know the story, it's something I share in many of my classes.)

WELL, the Chappell family has gotten bored with the same ole same old around here in the dinner menu department - spaghetti, tacos, hot dogs, chicken and rice...you guys can relate, right? I decided it was time to employ a helper (no, I haven't hired a personal chef, but I may as well have.) I signed back up for E-mealz.com's weekly menu planner! This time, I decided to try Aldi's meal planner. For $5.00 a month, I get to download a COMPLETE meal plan for our nightly dinners...including the shopping list for items that are on special for the week at Aldi. It's a GREAT variety of meals that use ingredients that I would normally pass by. The best part is, I can do all of this for less than $70 a week (with my coupon shopping at other stores, I'm sure it will be MUCH less than that.) This menu will give me a jump start on dinner each night, so I won't have to think about it too much when I get home from work...woohoo!

I'll let you guys know how things turn out as we get back into the swing of "real life" after this relaxing holiday!

Good News and reflection on the year that is 2009

2009-12-28T21:19:00.000-08:00

Hi there everybody (if there are still any bodies left out there following PennyWise :))

There have been some major things happening in the lives of people around me, and it's prompted me to stop and take note of how blessed I am to have my health, a loving family and a beautiful roof over my head. None of these things are guarantees in this life and I know that I often take them for granted.

I'm hoping that the new year will bring new meaning and purpose for this blog. I created it initially to keep folks up to date on the ins and outs of couponing. I need it to be much more than that now. I think we are called, as children of God, to live our life with more focus on the hereafter than the here and now. I know that I have been so caught up in the struggles of my day to day that I have lost focus on the fact that everything I do and say in my day to day will have an eternal affect. SO, having said that, I am praying that 2010 brings a new attitude to my heart and my lips. :)

We do have some very good news in the Chappell household that can be shared with three little letters...JOB! Mark interviewed for and was hired to be a full time bus driver for Trussville City Schools. This job provides us with health insurance for the entire family! In this age of uncertainty and the reality that universal health care is upon us, it is a relief to have regained a little control over this area of our life. We thank God that He has and will continue to protect us from any major illnesses!

As life settles down a little bit, I'm planning and preparing to start teaching PennyWise classes again. Having a full time job and being in school full time has forced me to adapt the way that I shop. I am still able to save HUGE amounts at the grocery store, but have discovered some ways to do it in less time.

I hope that each of us will take a few moments to stop and reflect on all the blessings that 2009 brought our way...even if they came in the form of struggles. Those can often times be the biggest blessings. :)

Thank you to everyone of you that prayed and sent notes of encouragement to my family over the past year! You have been the biggest blessing to us!
Much love!
Jamie

Hello ALL!!

2009-09-16T16:06:00.000-07:00

I received the sweetest email today and it made me realize how long it's been since I updated my blog, so I just wanted to post a quick message to give an update to those that may be checking the blog periodically and have noticed how quiet it's been lately.

Unfortunately, I have had to put PennyWise on the back burner for a little bit in order to focus on helping to get my family back on it's financial feet. The last class that I did was in August and it was wonderful! It was the first one that I had done since June and it made me realize how much God blesses me when I share the message of couponing that He gave me to share.

Right now, we are in the midst of football season. As many of you know, my husband took the volunteer full-time job of Booster Club President for Hewitt Trussville High School Athletics. That has provided many challenges, but he is doing a great job! We have a 10th grader that is playing football and that means we get to attend TWO games a week instead of just one. My other two children are running cross country (with meets on Saturday morning) and my youngest is playing flag football(with games on Saturday morning). SOOOOO, needless to say, we are VERY busy...AND if you add into the equation that I started back to work a 35 hour per week job in August after a very lengthy 12 year "vacation" and the fact that I'm also taking college classes online to finish my degree...my life is VERY VERY busy!

There is still no news on the job front for Mark, but he is hitting it harder than he ever has right now! There are some promising leads out there that we would really appreciate your prayers over. We have been very blessed to have people still providing some part time "pick up" work when it is available. That has allowed us to keep eating and have gas to get around town and we are even able to pay an occasional bill (which I know the power company, phone company and Trussville Utilities appreciate!)

This time has been very trying for the Chappell family, but God has been there through it all...even when I wasn't convinced He was still there...He was.

I have to tell you how wonderful it is to have all of you out there praying for us! It never seems to fail, when I hit a low point and am particularly discouraged, I get an email of encouragement from one of you that lifts my head and allows me to keep on plugging away. I will certainly never forget this time in my life and how much all of you have blessed me through it!

I will try to keep you updated more frequently and hope that I can get some classes on the schedule once football season ends. I still have a waiting list of about 100 people that I hate to keep putting off. Meanwhile, I hope that you guys will be sharing the couponing tips with your friends and family!

Thanks again for your support and prayers and keep on saving!!

Sincerely,
Jamie

Save $55 w/ Nabisco's Savings Booklet - register now

2009-07-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

I found this link this morning and wanted to share it with you.

If you follow the link, it will take you to Nabisco World. If you aren't already registered,
sign up and they will send you a booklet with $55 worth of savings for back to school!

Happy Saving!!

The new Food World and Bruno's stores....

2009-06-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I haven't been very vocal lately. Mark and I have been working our tails off for the past couple of weeks...yeehaw!!

We picked up some temp work with Southern Family Markets. They are the company that bought out many of the Bruno's and Food Worlds around the state and in Florida. We have been in several stores all over birmingham, tuscaloosa and gadsden in the past 3 weeks helping them change out all of the barcodes on the shelves. Not very exciting work, but it's work and we'll take it!!

One thing I can tell you is that the prices are MUCH lower than before. When they tell you that they have lowered over 6000 prices throughout the store, believe them!! Some prices have gone up (primarily on health and beauty), but the majority have dropped significantly.

I will be watching their sales papers to see what kind of deals they have coming out in the next few weeks, but they may finally have caught some of this frugal shoppers business.
They have done away with the Food World card, so you won't need that to shop in their stores anymore. They will continue to double coupons, but I'm not sure if it will be up to $.50 or $.55. I will ask this week as we are leaving the last store.

You guys let me know what your shopping experiences are as you check out their new products and lower prices.

Happy saving!

Ben & Jerry's on sale at Publix

2009-06-21T21:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I LOVE me some good ice cream and Ben & Jerry's is some of the best!
It is on sale this week BOGO @ 3.79 for 2 and there is a $1.00 off 2 publix coupon in
the "in store sale" circular that they put at the front of the store....YUM!
That's 2 pints of Ben & Jerry's for 2.79 or $1.34 each!

Restaurant.com - 80% off!!

2009-06-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

I don't always post these deals because eating out is not PennyWise, but sometimes it's nice to have a treat!

This deal will definitely allow you to do that.
Restaurant.com has a coupon code out for 80% off their gift certificates.

I have used these before in Birmingham and on vacation in Chicago and they are a great way to save money.
I just noticed that they are now available for the Cajun Steamer in Trussville. They are sold out right now, but will post more at the beginning of the month. There are coupons available for John's City Diner and that is a GREAT place for a quiet dinner for two- date night...(hint hint, mr. chappell...anniversary coming in 7 days...ahem...hint hint)

You can get a $25.00 gift certificate good off of your food purchase of $35.00 or more for just $2.00 right now if you use coupon code PRESENT

There are limitations on these, so make sure you read ALL the fine print before you go crazy and buy a ton of them. They only let you redeem one per month.

Anyway, thought I'd pass this along, just in case you didn't know about it.
For those readers from other cities, there are restaurants all over the U.S. to choose from, you might find your favorite on the list.

Happy Saving!!

Publix trip today...a sign of things to come?

2009-06-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, for the very first time, I experienced some hesitation on the part of the Publix employees when it came time to honor my coupons and to issue rainchecks.

I can definitely tell that they have been instructed to watch every transaction like a hawk, which is fine because all my deals are legit. I did have the $10 off of $75 turned down today because my order before coupons was only $62.00...I can understand that. (I wish I had gone and gotten thirteen 2 liters of diet dr. pepper to make up the difference! 10 of them would have been FREE!)

They also called people from the back to check their stock to see if they were truly out of the two products that I was asking for rainchecks on, which was different, but again...totally understandable.

I do not, in ANY way, want to hurt Publix business! I love that store, so any measure they have to go to, to insure that they will be able to continue to make money is ok with me...as long as I can still save money.

I still did ok...spent $38 for $93.00 worth of groceries.
Happy Saving!!

Counterfeit Coupons

2009-06-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

I have talked with a couple of you guys about coupons that you got in your email box recently.
These coupons were for FREE Reynolds Aluminum Foil and Velveeta Cheese.

These are counterfeit coupons and will not be accepted by the stores.

One quick rule of thumb for you when you receive coupon tips.
If the coupon comes as an email attachment, it's probably not legit (and it could even be a nasty virus...so I wouldn't open it)
Legitimate printable coupons leads will mostly be links that take you to a website where you can print coupons. Most of these sites will use a coupon printer that assigns your coupon with it's own unique expiration date.
One final rule of thumb...if it looks too good to be true, it usually is.

Hope this info helps!
Happy Saving!!

ps...don't just take my word for it, here is a link to the coupon information corporation.
It is a list of counterfeit coupons to be on the look out for.
http://www.cents-off.com/body_coupon_counterfeiters.cfm#

Coupons in each All You Magazine

2009-06-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

I found a cool link today for the All You magazine that I've told you guys about in class.
This link gives you a list of all the coupons that are in each issue. You can check out which coupons are in the issue before you go to purchase it.
Enjoy!

http://dailysavings.allyou.com/category/coupons-in-all-you/

Don't give up!!

2009-05-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

I've gotten several emails this week from discouraged coupon shoppers who aren't quite getting the savings that I've talked about in class, so I just wanted to post a note of encouragement to you guys!!

PLEASE, do not think that you will be saving 100's of dollars within a week of taking the class.
It HAS happened, but for most of us (me included) it took months of practice to get to the point that my savings were bigger than my spending.

There are weeks, like this week, where no coupons are published in the newspaper and the sales at the stores just don't really match up with anything. I use these weeks to buy some of those items that I don't buy on a regular basis, or to stock up on meats. This week, there are some good sales at Winn Dixie on meat, so I'm headed there. I will probably not go to Publix at all this week...I KNOW, it's hard for me to believe it too!! These weeks are also a good time to take a break and reorganize your coupons, pulling out the ones that will expire in a couple of days on the 30th of the month.

Keep your chin up and keep plugging away at it and the savings will come!!
As always, feel free to email me or respond to this blog if you have any questions.

Happy Saving!!

New Target coupon generator

2009-05-27T05:58:00.001-07:00

I updated the link to the Target Coupon generator with a new website that seems to keep up better with posting Target coupons. Hope it will help!

Happy Saving!

Awesome shopping trip to Publix this week!

2009-05-24T18:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've always wanted to post a picture of my trip to the store, but this may be the only one
I ever post...it's a lot more work than just bringing them home and putting them away!

ANYWAY...here's what I got:
10 jars of Ragu
3 boxes of cereal
gallon of milk
4 tubs of Philadelphia cream cheese
3 bags Lender's bagels
6 packs Kraft cheese singles
8 jars Kraft mayonnaise(one was still in the car and didn't make the picture)
1 pound ground beef (NOT on sale, but had to have it)
4 bottles kraft salad dressing
4 boxes wheat thin artisan crackers
4 boxes orville redenbacher popcorn(10 mini bags each)
1 2-liter bottle of Diet Dr. Pepper
the grand total was.....$161.09 and I paid $38.09!!!

I'm headed back again to cash in the rest of my coupons for the week!!
I'll let you know how I do.

Happy Saving!!

The MOTHER of all Publix savings sites!!

2009-05-21T20:34:00.001-07:00

I feel like I just won the lottery! LOL!

A dear sweet friend of mine sent me a message today with a website that I had never heard of and when I checked it out, I've decided to add it to my class presentation! (yes, it's THAT cool!)

It's called Publix 4 Pennies and it has ALL THINGS PUBLIX on it!!
I mean ALL THINGS!!
Every sale item is listed with links to printable coupons as well as where to find clipped coupons for the items. There are coupons listed from sites ALL over the internet!
She has even got the "extra" advantage buy flyers posted with every item and links to printable coupons!

DID I MENTION THIS SITE IS AWESOME?

Take a look and see what it's all about!

HAppy Saving!!

There's a new CHICK in town...

2009-05-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

Check out this ADORABLE weblog!! There are TONS of coupon links for things that are on sale this week at publix! THANKS AMANDA!!

Amanda Jones is a fellow coupon clipping fanatic who is taking her passion to the masses by teaching FREE coupon classes!

She is in the Calera area, so if you are from that side of Birmingham and are interested in learning all the ins and outs of couponing, shot her an email to sign up for her class!!

She has two on the schedule for June.

Saturday, June 6 @ 10 a.m. - Calera Library

Thursday, June 11 @ 6 p.m. - Columbiana Library

Congrats Amanda and best of luck with your classes!
I know you will do a GREAT job!

Kraft Sales and coupon match ups!

2009-05-21T06:46:00.000-07:00

IF you have not gone to Coupons.com to print your kraft coupons, NOW IS THE TIME!

The following products will match up with these coupons this week at Publix...

Kraft cheese singles
Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese
Kraft Mayonnaise
Kraft Salad Dressing
Kraft BarBQ sauce ( You will MAKE money with this one since they are BOGO this week!)

Don't waste any more time because these coupons are limited!
Happy Saving!!

KLONDIKE bar coupons!!

2009-05-21T06:41:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE for a link to some great coupons...one I've never seen before for KLONDIKE bars.
These have gone BOGO at Publix several times!

There's also a Nascar contest to enter to win a chance to meet Dale, Jr.
but i'm REALLY all about the coupons! LOL!

Happy Saving!!

PennyWise info

2009-05-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

We had another great class today! I love meeting you guys and hearing your excitement build as you realize how simple it can be to save money!

Just a couple of things that i have been hearing that I want to make you all aware of.
Don't think that these are "set in stone", these are experiences that you guys have had with some
of the stuff covered in class. It could be employees not knowing their policy or it could be legitimate policy changes.

Two of you have had Publix employees tell you they cannot "stack" target coupons with manufacturer coupons. I have not experienced this and was actually in the store last night and used both types on an item with no trouble.

The only reason I mention this, is I don't want you guys to get frustrated if you hit setbacks.
Keep trying to "stack" Target coupons because it could just be an employee that misunderstood some instructions. The next employee may take them.

Please keep me updated with your experiences...good and bad.
I see a couple of you in the store shopping and it's really fun to see you saving!

Awesome coupon stacking with this weeks coupons

2009-05-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

This upcoming weekend there will be the following coupons that will stack with current target coupons. Follow the Target Coupon Generator at the right of this page to find the printable target coupons.

Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Meats on any TWO - $1.00 off / target coupon $1.00 off 2
Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs on any TWO - $1.00 off / target coupon $1.00 off 2

Buy one Get one FREE coupons for Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

2009-05-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, a little product endorsement here...if you have never tried these Magic Erasers, you need to!!
They are AWESOME at getting those dirty fingerprints off the walls and woodwork.
Another use is to clean the leather interior of your car!! It usually takes a couple to get the job done on my Expedition, but it makes the leather look BRAND NEW!! You have to follow behind it with a dry paper towel in order to get all the dirt off, but the magic eraser loosens every bit of dirt so it easily wipes away.

THE BEST PART...www.thecouponclippers.com has coupons for BOGO for sale right now!!
Give it a try!

GREAT deal on Skippy Peanut Butter this week!

2009-04-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

Skippy is on sale at Publix this week for BOGO.
If you follow this link
http://shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=skippy+coupon&_sacat=0&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313&_odkw=skippy&_osacat=0

and win the auction for the coupons for $.40 off each bottle, you can get the peanut butter for $.45 a jar!! GREAT Stockpile item!

AND...there's a BONUS!

There was a REBATE offer in the coupon inserts a couple of weeks ago for FREE MEAT with the purchase of $40.00 worth of UNILEVER products. Skippy is a unilver product and the rebate offer does not count your coupon savings, so you get credit for the price of the Skippy before your coupon. You can purchase your ham or turkey and then save your receipt and mail it to them for a $20 rebate check!!

I don't do many rebates, but when they are as good as this one....why not!!

ps. If you do not have the rebate offer from your paper, you can get it here for only $.20!

Good Deal on Listerine at Publix this week

2009-04-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,
I'll be posting the good deals as I find them this week.

Listerine at publix is on sale for $4.49. This is for the larger bottles (I believe they are 1.5 liter)
There is a PUBLIX COUPON in the flyer that I told you about at the front of the store. It's a $2.00 off coupon and you can stack it with the manufacturer coupons that are out there for $1.00 off and get the price down to $1.49. This makes a great stockpile purchase for an item that sells regularly for $5.19!

Happy Saving!

More Indiana sales info

2009-04-18T20:09:00.001-07:00

Here is a link to The coupon Mom's site.

It has the Jewel sales broken down for you so you can see what your best items to stockpile for the week are.

Give it a looksy! : )

http://www.couponmom.com/index.php?cid=4

For my Baby Sister...

2009-04-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

This post will only apply to my sister who lives in Indiana...Happy Savings Janet!
More info about your local stores to come!! I love you!
J

Jewel Coupon Policy and Rain Checks

The Jewel Corporate policy states the following:
*Valid coupons are accepted if the customer has purchased the necessary merchandise. *Coupons must be redeemed at the time of purchase of the specific product. Coupons may not be redeemed after the transaction has completed. *Expired coupons are not accepted. *Coupons cannot be converted to cash under any circumstances.We do accept competitor coupons as long the requirements are met that are stated on the coupon.Jewel DOES NOT accept internet coupons containing the following conditions:
a. ‘Free’ product offers that do not require a purchase
b. Redemption value exceeds $5.00
c. Absence of UPC bar code

We do not double coupons at this time.

Our Rain Check Policy simply reads effective on 3/18/2008.
If for any reason, we run out of an advertised sale item, we will be happy to offer you a rain check. Please contact an associate for assistance.

Rain Checks do have a 30 days expiration date.
Rain Checks can not be issued for advertised item(s) that our ad specified: "While Supplies Last".

Again, thank you for contacting Jewel Customer Care. If we can provide any information or be of service to you in the future, please do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail or by calling 1-877-932-7948.

Another INCREDIBLE purchase from CVS today!

2009-04-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

I will always tell you guys that I don't shop at CVS often because I can't make their system work consistently, but when I hit them, I usually hit the jackpot!

Today I bought :

2 HUGE bottles of Eucerin lotion (the only lotion my teenage boy will use cause it doesn't "smell like a girl") -original price $7.99 bottle
2 Sure deodorant - original price $2.99 each
Value size Motrin - 225 count - original price $17.29
10 SUPER size cans of Pringles - original price $1.49 can

My GRAND TOTAL SPENT was only $6.42 and I walked away with $5.00 ECB and a $5.00 off $25 purchase coupon for my next trip!! WOOHOO!! If they keep running these awesome sales, I might just become a diehard CVS shopper!

Winn Dixie Sales this week

2009-04-17T15:11:00.001-07:00

There are some "gotta have" sales this week at winn dixie.

Select General Mills products- 4/$10 (includes Trix,Lucky charms, Frosted Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Fiber One chewy bars, most of their fruit rollup items + others) Use the $1.00 off 3 cereal coupons and $.50 off Fiber one coupons that are out there
Purchase these 4 general mills items and get a FREE gallon of Milk.
Hormel Naturals Sandwich meat is on sale BOGO this week and there is a BLINKIE on the shelf for $.55 off one...originally $3.99, this sale and coupon combo makes them $1.45 each.

By the way, has anyone seen how EXPENSIVE coffee beans have gotten!? If I weren't TOTALLY addicted I wouldn't buy it!! And I buy the CHEAP stuff(8 o'clock coffee)...at $5.19 a bag!! The last time I bought it I paid less than $1.00 per bag! At least it was BOGO this week with a coupon...whew!

Happy Saving!!

Some great coupons coming up this weekend...

2009-04-17T06:16:00.000-07:00

The tracker is up at www.thecouponclippers.com

Here are a few coupons that will be good to go ahead and get for later sales:

Finish / Electrasol Quantum, Powerball Tabs, or Gelpacs on any ONE - $2.50 off (I was able to stock up for the whole year the last time this coupon came out. When they go on BOGO sale, it brings the price down from $8.00 a box to $1.50!!!)
GE Energy Smart compact fluorescent lighting product on any - $1.00 off
Sargento Natural Deli Style Sliced Cheese, 5 oz or larger - $.40 off (will double to $.80 off)
Angel Soft Toilet paper on ONE 4-regular roll or larger pack - $.50 off (will double to $1.00 off)
McCormick GRILL MATES Blend, Marinade or Spice Rub on ONE - $.50 off (double to $1.00 off) GREAT item to stock up for summer!

These are all items that have been BOGO in the past 6 months and will more than likely go again. They make great stock up deals when they do.

Also, these coupons (ThermaCare ARTHRITIS HeatWrap: Hand & Wrist or Knee & Elbow OR Neck & Shoulder on any ONE - $1.50 off) will STACK with the $3.00 off Publix coupon that is in the Publix -in store flyer. These start at $6.99 a box so with $4.50 off it makes them just $2.49. If you are over 35, it never hurts to have a stash of these for when you need them! LOL! !

Remember, these coupons are not available to order until Friday night at 11:00 central time zone.

Publix sales match up with Target coupons this week

2009-04-15T20:12:00.000-07:00

Check out the Target Coupon Generator in "my favorite sites" list for some great coupons that match up with Buy one get one sales at Publix this week.

Example: Chips Ahoy cookies BOGO / Target coupon $1.00 off 2 = $1.29 each

You can print as many of these coupons as you want to for FREE!!
It's a good stockpile price since these rarely go on sale with a coupon.

Check it out

2 more links that we talked about in class

2009-04-11T19:50:00.001-07:00

Hey there guys!
I hope you all are having a great weekend and have plans to attend church
in the morning to celebrate the gift of Jesus!!
I have to share a personal story with you all...sorry!

Our church offered an additional service this year and it was TONIGHT!
It was a MAGNIFICENT celebration of Jesus and I'm SO glad that I went!
I've only missed one easter service in my entire life and I regreted missing it so that I'll never miss another one! I can proudly say that I'm an easter person. Without Easter, life is meaningless!!

BUT...I don't know what it is about this ONE SUNDAY out of the year, but I feel COMPELLED to dress everyone up. I guess it goes back to all those trips to Parisian as a child to pick out my new pair of patent leather shoes and frilly dress. This memory of childhood has driven me to compulsively coordinate my childrens clothes with mine and to force my husband to wear a matching tie...for the pictures, of course! BUT, this year was different. Due to our financial situation, new clothes are OUT OF THE QUESTION. It was such a God thing that this service was made available THIS YEAR!! I know that there were 1000 other people at that service tonight, but somehow I felt it was just for me! I know that it's absolutely irrational to think that I couldn't have been comfortable in the presence of my Father without wearing a pretty new dress, but that's the truth of the matter for me...sometimes I'm irrational! (Ok, most of the time!)

ANYWAY...I was able to go to church in my blue jeans and not worry about whether I had on a pretty dress. YES, there were still people dressed up, but no one noticed that I wasn't. I smiled a little as I watched the cute little blond headed girl walk in with her pink purse and patent leather shoes with frilly socks and couldn't help but wonder if she would one day struggle with this as much as I did. But I know that God will provide a way for her if that day comes....He is FAITHFUL!!

Ok, here are the links that I promised in the title.
http://www.fiddledeedeemom.com/
http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=180862

Both of these websites were mentioned in class and I just checked them out.
They are AWESOME!! take a look.

Coupons for household products from SC Johnson

2009-04-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

If you follow this link and sign up for their monthly newsletter, they will send you printable coupons for some of their newer products.

http://www.rightathome.com/view.aspx?pid=6

Check it out!

The Coupon Train is coming....woo woo!!

2009-04-09T07:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, sorry, I couldn't resist the woo woo. : )

Thanks to Cherie Brewer, there will be a PennyWise Coupon train starting very soon!
If you are interested in joining the train, you'll need to send me your street address.
You can send it to my email address instead of posting it to the blog.

My email is momof3as2009@gmail.com for those that don't know it.

More details will be coming soon about the TRAIN...don't miss it!!

Target Coupon Generator and more!

2009-04-09T05:43:00.000-07:00

A Full Cup is an AWESOME website for all of your couponing needs!
Not only can you get ads and coupon matchups for all your favorite stores, but this is the place that I was sharing with you that has the Target Coupon Generator. You can print the exact quantity of target coupons that you want. Remember that Publix accepts these coupons as a competitor coupon AND that you can "stack" these WITH a manufacturer coupon to save even more at Target!

Check it out!

http://www.afullcup.com/forums/

Another Favorite Coupon site

2009-04-09T05:20:00.000-07:00

Here is another one of my favorite coupon sites.
This one has the COMPLETE COUPON INSERTS as well as clipped coupons.
You do have to fill out a registration and sign in each time you order, but it's worth it
for those really good inserts!

They range in price from $.25 - $1.25 an insert and you get discounts if you order over a certain amount each time.

Check them out!

http://www.couponsthingsbydede.com/default.asp

Free Simple & Delicious coupon book with $10 in savings

2009-04-08T21:50:00.000-07:00

You can request a Free Simple & Delicious coupon book with $10 in savings on Orville Redenbacher’s, Chef Boyardee, and other ConAgra Food products. The booklet also contains a coupon for a FREE bottle of Hunt’s Ketchup!
http://www.simpleanddelicious.com/special-offers/walmart-coupon-booklet.jsp?WT.mc_id=SD_WM_0409_Booklet&WT.mc_ev=click

After you sign up look for the button on the lower left that will take you to a rebate form to receive $34 more of coupons back in the mail when you send in $25 worth of receipts from participating products between 5/3 and 5/29/09. You can follow this link for the rebate form - http://www.simpleanddelicious.com/downloads/coupon-booklet.pdf
So hold on to this coupon booklet & rebate and buy the items in May

Check out the Birmingham Bargain Mom!

2009-04-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

Some of you may have come to my site by following a link from this site, but in case you don't know about it you need to check it out!!

There are tons of great posts from this fantastic lady and you will be guaranteed to get some GREAT money saving tips!

A special thank you to Christie for all of her help getting PennyWise on the map!!

check out her blog at http://blog.al.com/bargain-mom/

Penny wise purchases at CVS this week

2009-04-04T22:36:00.000-07:00

OK, I've told you guys that i don't shop at the drugstores very often because it can be very complicated to do on a regular basis.

Having said that, there are weeks that it's just a no brainer!! This is one of those weeks at CVS!!
There are so many items on sale, I had to share a few that I will be purchasing and challenge you to check on the ad in the morning and see what you can find.
The trick to shopping at CVS is to coordinate multiple transactions. Your Extra Bucks print out at the END of the transaction, but you can turn right around and use them to purchase more items in the same trip.

Here's my list and the order I will buy in:
Transaction #1: Total spent before taxes = $35.49
Olay Facial products - Buy $25 get $10 Extra Bucks back - use $1.00 and $3.00 coupons to save even more!
Colgate Max Fresh - 2.99 - 2.00 Extra Care bucks - $.75 coupon = $.25
Coke 12 packs 3/$11.00 - $3.00 Extra Care bucks - three $1.00 coupons from my coke rewards = 1.66 each

Transaction #2: Total spent after using Extra Care bucks from transaction #1 = $10.29
10 Pringles - $.88 can - $1.00 off 2 coupon = $.38 each
Thermacare - $5.99 - $1.00 off coupon = $4.99 each
Nivia Lip care - BOGO - two $1.00 off coupons = $.50 each

BUY $20 of participating products and get Crest Twin pack for free:
2- charmin packs $5.49 - $.25 coupon
1 - Aussie Shampoo $2.99 - $2.00 coupon
2 - Always pads $2.99 - $1.00/2 coupon
use $1.00 off crest coupon

Most of the time, a $5.00 off $25.00 purchase coupon will print with each transaction, so if I get one of those tomorrow, I will save even more on Transaction #2.

This is my plan...we'll see how it goes!

What looks good in the Publix ad this week?

2009-04-01T20:11:00.001-07:00

Here are the items that I have coupons and will match up for good deals...
PLEASE add your own in the comments if there are others!

Baby carrots - $1.29/1lb. $2.49/2 lb. $3.49/3lb (just a good deal...no coupon necessary)
Royal Gala Apples - 1.29/lb (another good deal...no coupon)

Breakstone's Sour Cream - $.99/16 oz - $.55 coupon = $.44
Pillsbury Rolls - 3/$5.00 or $1.66 each - $.40 off pizza crust = $.87
$1.66 each - $.25 off crescent rolls = $.1.10
$1.66 each - $.35 crescent rolls = $.96
Birds Eye Steamfresh - 50% off - These run from $1.00 - $2.20 - $.35 coupon = $.30 - $1.50
McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract - BOGO ($7.89) $3.95-$1.00 off coupon = $2.95
Swanson Broth BOGO ($1.11) $.55 - $.40 off of four cans = $.40 each when you purchase 4
Domino Sugar $1.99 - $.65 off 2 = $1.66 when you purchase two
Kraft Dressing BOGO ($3.05) 1.53 - 1.50 coupon = $.03...no this isn't a typo, IT's 3 CENTS!!
Kraft Mayo BOGO ($4.69) 2.35 - $1.00 off two = 1.85 each when you purchase two
Wheat thins BOGO ($3.25) 1.63 - BOGO coupon = 4 boxes for 1.63 or $.41 per box
Chex mix BOGO ($2.79) $1.40 - $.50 coupon = $.40

Buy Theirs/ Get ours free Promotion
Purchase Quaker Quakes Rice Cakes- $1.00 per bag and get the publix brand for free!
You can get as many of these as you want and they make really good snacks for the kids lunches.

All right! These are mine...now add yours!!

New Penny Wise Classes!

2009-04-01T14:03:00.001-07:00

"All You" Magazine - Great coupon source

2009-03-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

I shared in our class some of the sources that I get coupons from.
All You magazine was one of those. This is available at walmart for about $2.25, but if you follow this link, you can get a 12 month subscription for $16.00.

Each magazine has about $50 worth of coupons, so it's well worth it!

Here's the link:

http://www.magfundraising.com/TiptonYoungGuns

PennyWise not pound foolish!

2009-03-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my PennyWise Blog!

WOW! This is a new adventure, but I hope it will be something that you guys enjoy as much as I do!

The purpose of this blog will be to help the folks that take the PennyWise coupon class stay motivated to save! I will keep you updated on my shopping trips and post the occasional link to a great deal that I've heard about.

I look forward to this new way to stay in touch!
Check back often!

Sincerely
Jamie Chappell