About to bust!!!

I did NOT want to go to Publix or Walgreens this afternoon.  I just wanted to run to the bank, cash some rebate checks that had arrived in the mail then head home to my comfortable couch and the TV or the internet for entertainment.  I'm so glad I didn't!  I watched God turn this coupon obsession into something positive to further His kingdom and I get to sit on the sidelines and holler, "Go God! Go God!  A-W-E-S-O-M-E,  You are awesome, to-totally awesome!!!"

As some of you know, Covenant Care Services (www.covenantcareadoptions.com) asked that I make a few cheesecakes for the Warner Robins Ladies Night Out (which is March 4 so mark your calendars).  I am glad to be asked to do anything for this ministry as it is one of my favorites so of course I said okay.  Then they tell me that they would pay for the ingredients, so I enlisted the help of my Facebook friends and email buddies to round up as many coupons for the ingredients as I could.  Several of you were God's hands and feet and printed out the maximum number of coupons you possibly could so I saved a TON of money on the cream cheese.  Well, this week Publix has Honey Maid Graham crackers on sale for Buy-1-Get-1 (B1G1) free.  Publix has a coupon policy that allows you to use 2 coupons when you buy 2 items even if they are B1G1.  Then I read on one of the grocery blogs that I follow (I would give credit where credit is due if I could remember which one) that there are $2 off of 2 Nabisco Cracker coupons out there.  I printed a few.  This made 6 boxes of Honey Maid Graham Crackers (made by Nabisco) $6.70 tax and everything!  As most of you know, Dad sent me a $50 Visa gift card just for this project so I paid for it with that.  So far, Covenant Care will be paying ZERO dollars for TWELVE cheesecakes!  Woohoo!!!  My cup runeth over....

As if that is not enough to make you float for a while, God is also blessing another ministry called Breaking Free.  It is a place where young men who are addicted to drugs and other things can go to get clean, learn a life skill, be taught the Word of God (not superficial but extremely in depth teaching), and get told about the One who is better than any temporary high the world has to offer.  They take in these young men for free.  They feed them, keep them clothed, give them clean places to sleep, shower, etc.  If the young man has no family at all and several are in that position then they provide them with the basic necessities of life (soap, deodorant, shampoo, etc.).  Due to the nature of the ministry the items they provide are the cheapest of the cheap since it is what they can afford and still feed this young men.  I was told by a mother of one of the young men residing at this ministry that her son gave one of his razors to another one of the young men because the razor he was using was tearing his face up!  This broke my heart but it also caused me to be excited because I knew that with my coupon obsession, God would show off and provide for the men at this ministry in his situation.  Today, at Walgreens, they have 2 particular styles of Bic razors for men as B1G1.  Walgreens has a slightly different coupon policy.  If something is B1G1 then you are literally paying full price for one item and nothing for the other.  Due to this situation if you have a coupon for B1G1 then that means that both products are free!  I had 6 B1G1 Bic razor coupons so I purchased 12 packages of this very nice men's razor and paid for the taxes on it and that is all!  God is just showing off because He is God and I am so excited to be sitting on the sidelines to watch it all!

So, I am thankful that months ago I got sick and tired of all the money I was spending at the grocery store with hardly anything to show for it.  I am thankful for a few friends who pointed me to a blog about how to use coupons to my advantage.  I am thankful for a patient husband who cheered me on with my new couponing project.  Now, I am thankful for the ability to use my coupon obsession to bring honor and glory to the Most High King as He leads us to give to those in need. 

Praising His name and couponing for His glory,
Mrs. Bubba