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Frugality as a Blessing to Others

I’m seeing more and more how coupon shopping not only blesses our family, but it blesses others as well. I’m on such a roll about this! We have been able to give to all our immediate family members, friends, etc. from our stockpile. Even at the grocery store I’ll get behind someone in line with my fat coupon binder and watch as the person in front of me unloads her (usually a female) groceries at checkout. If I have coupons, I give them to her. Before you gasp (yes, I know coupons are a treasured item to us coupon shoppers), remember I usually take ten papers every week, so I have plenty of coupons. Doing this not only brings a smile, but it opens doors to conversations!

A couple months ago there was a young mother in front of me at Walmart with 2 kids hanging off her and the cart. She didn’t speak much English. I noticed every once in a while she would have the cashier read the total to her. She paid in cash and I could see the all too familiar “squeaking by” that I’ve done myself on many occasions. There were two items she was unable to afford. They weren’t expensive so I asked the cashier if she would ring those items up on my bill, but put them in her cart (she was still standing near, after her transaction, adjusting groceries and children).

I don’t say this to toot my own horn, but to tell you I’ve never done that before. I don’t think that would have even crossed my mind before I started coupon shopping. I was just so bothered that I didn’t have any coupons for her that I realized we have saved so much money learning how to shop that I could afford to buy her those two small items and come nowhere near breaking the bank.

I only wished I could communicate with her to tell her to go to my website and learn how to save more money! Oh, if we could only teach everyone how to shop!

Please, please, please leave me your comments. Bless me. I want to hear how you have been a blessing to others through your frugality. Don’t think of it as bragging. Think of it as nudging others along to be more frugal. The joy!

This entry was posted on 16. May 2008 at 15:12 and is filed under FRUGALITY. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

6 Responses to “Frugality as a Blessing to Others”

  1. JC says:
    16. May 2008 at 18:05

    What a beautiful thing you did. We should all look for opportunities to do these things more often.

  2. Tara says:
    16. May 2008 at 21:13

    I really appreciate your post today.. Kind of convicted me a bit.. I think God gives us opportunities everyday to give and be a blessing.. we just have to do it! :) I am really going to make a conscious effort to pay more attention to others around me. Thanks for being an encouragement to me today :)

  3. Melinda says:
    17. May 2008 at 07:01

    This post was so uplifting and inspirational. I too am all too familar with that “squeaking by” feeling. Now that I am more experienced with frugality I find I am able to give more and I find so much joy in that.

  4. Lisa D. says:
    17. May 2008 at 16:46

    Lisa,

    I’m glad you shared this. While it’s a thrill to have such a nice stockpile, I have to be careful not to take the attitude of “Soul, thou hast much goods layed up for many years…take thine ease. Eat, drink, and be merry.” In our abundance, there can be a temptation to trust in great sales, coupons, stockpiles, etc…Being able to share the fruits of my shopping trips with others helps me to keep from being turned inward.

    I met a homeschooling mom several months ago whose husband was in jail, and has now just recently been sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison. I was on the monthly rotation to take meals to her and her 6 kids when I realized I could bless her even more with many of my drugstore and grocery stockpile items. Every month when I bring her a meal, I load up with diapers, wipes, shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, razors, over the counter meds, non-perishable groceries, anything and everything I can think of. Sometimes I’ll find that she needs a particular item that I don’t have on hand (that’s rare) but I’m able to use my ECBs from CVS to buy it.

    I have also been able to share some for free with family members in need. I have others who aren’t really in need, but to whom I sell my stockpiled H&B items for $1 apiece. I earn a little back for all the time spent planning, clipping, and shopping. And they get a great deal on items for which they don’t have the inclination to clip coupons. It’s a deal for everyone all the way around.

    We’re in between churches right now, but at our previous church, a handful of us were able to keep the church food pantry stocked to overflowing. Our church had also been blessed with a freezer, so when we found fantastic meat/freezer deals, we could help the church stock up on those, too.

  5. Sarah Elizabeth says:
    18. May 2008 at 01:57

    Thanks for such a gracious and meaningful post. I have been convicted of this very thing and have started using my free stuff to give away to others at church, to my family, make gift baskets, and put together boxes for Operation Christmas Child. I’m overwhelmed by how blessed we are! I’m also teaching others to coupon and save. . .
    Just a few days ago I was in Target and heard a mother lamenting to her tiny daughter that she’d forgotten her coupons for coffee. I had the coupon she needed and gave it to her, no problem! She was so grateful, and I’m thankful she could save a dollar!

    Just a thought, if there are a lot of spanish speakers (I’m just guessing) in your area you may want to make note of this blog: http://ahorrosycupones.blogspot.com/
    It chronicles various savings and coupons but in spanish.

    Thanks again!

  6. Llama Momma says:
    21. May 2008 at 17:07

    What a beautiful testimony. Thank you for sharing this!

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