I'm going to teach a class...AHHHHH!!!!

What was I thinking!!!

I'm not afraid of teaching.  I'm afraid I'm not going to have that much too say to people about couponing in the world of "extreme" couponing!!

I've never been extreme, and now that I'm working hard on eating for my health, my grocery store couponing is really challenging. 

But since the principles for couponing are basic, I figure I can give the basics and they can go as extreme as they want. 

I'm thinking out loud here...well, typing out loud.  Here's what I'm planning so far.

I'm going to start by sharing my testimony on how I got into couponing.

Then, I'm thinking about mentioning some reasons why you should coupon.

• To save money, duh.
• To give to charity or those in need
• To help in hospitality
• For the thrill of the deal!

Next, I was going to mention where to find coupons.

• Newspaper inserts
• Internet--coupon sites like coupons.com, company websites, FB
• Calling/contacting companies
• Ebay, coupon clippers, Coupon wizard
• Neighbors, family, friends
• Yes, dumpster diving

I would follow with ways of storing your coupons.  I would love some input on this 

• I use a note with dated inserts and sheets for individual coupons
• I have cut them all out and stored them in envelopes alphabetically and by date. (like the photo)
• I know some cut them all and store them alphabetically in baseball card pages.
• What are some other ways you keep track of your coupons???

How about some coupon terms next?

• Mfg vs store
• OOP
• Insert abbreviations...why is abbreviation such a long word?
• Stacking
• Store policy
• ECB
• What else would be useful?

I know I've barely have gotten started, but I need to stop for now.  My battery is running low...computerwise and physically!

I really would love input and ideas on what I have so far!!  Please comment!
I'll finish some more brainstorming tomorrow, hopefully!  July 25th is closer than it seems!

Meditations for the Heart: Monday's Meditation - Proverbs 31:14

God used Proverbs 31 in a way that encouraged me to start using coupons. A Proverbial Beginnning
It was really neat to see another person's take on the same passage.  Meditations for the Heart: Monday's Meditation- Proverbs 31:14

A Proverbial Beginning

This is all started because of Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I read her challenge to go through Proverbs 31 every day for a month. I did it and actually continue to review it quite frequently. When you read it that much, it actually becomes less intimidating but just as challenging.

One verse that I could never really figure out and most commentaries I've checked just seem to avoid is verse 14, "She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar" (ESV). Reading it daily gave me a chance to really digest and dissect it.

I thought about what merchants did back then (and basically now, as well, for that matter). They are willing to go to several different ports to get the best price on what they want or need. They want quality and variety. They are willing to buy a lot of a good deal and hold until they can get the most out of it.

I then wondered how that applied to me. Proverbs said that she was this way regarding her family's food. That's when I thought about couponing. I actually didn't think I could get thing as a better deal than going to Aldi's, but then with some research, I realized that there are times when you can do better. It would mean some effort and some extra trips to different stores, but it would be one more way that I could help my family financially while staying home.

So, here we are. Couponing. There are so many great resources out there that do so much of the work for you. The idea of saving inserts instead of clipping individual coupons saves time and sorting. The internet makes it even easier to score coupons; you don't have to wait until Sunday anymore.

Welcome to my Proverbial couponing journey. Want to come along?