All Things in Moderation Couponing

I have been inspired by the TLC show to really do this couponing thing the right way. It is good timing, too. I am very blessed to be able to do something for a living that I love - teaching. And God has blessed my business over the last 7 yrs, growing it to support me and the kids while allowing us to stay together most of the time. As an aside, I consider this a testimony to tithing - a commitment I made the day I opened the business checking account. The only down side is that I do not get paid in the summer months. In past years, I have been really good about setting aside money through the year to get us through the summer. This school year has been filled with unexpected expenses and there is less set aside. But now that I have rejuvenated my coupon efforts, I am building a stockpile and also able to eat off of the weekly deals, adding fresh veges, affordable meats, and milk... and milk... and milk. These kids drink a LOT of milk. Through the last few weeks of the school year, I will be adding to this and much of it will last us well through the summer months until tuition payments start coming in again. Let me be clear, we NEVER lack for anything and God has provided richly so I do not worry. But I do believe I need to be as frugal with the blessings as possible.

So here are some pictures of my meager stockpile. I have disbursed most of the toiletries to the kids' bathrooms and I'm too lazy to gather them again just for a picture, but there were plenty!

Well, I added pictures, but it has been so long since I've used blogger, I can't make it move them down below the text. So, you get to see the pictures first :)

One thing I want to point out is that I do not need 53 bottles of mustard. We will use all 4 of those bottles of Ranch dressing (bought at $.50 each) and even all 30 boxes of cereal in the next few months. With all the kids home for the summer, we will eat lots of snack foods. I would not buy them without a coupon and a deal so they are treats, but we will eat them nonetheless. There is also lots of yogurt and dried fruit, so we have balance. I do have a problem with the people I have seen on the show that stockpile vast quantities of things they will not need (who really needs 113 boxes of pain medicine?). In their greed, they have cleared the shelf for the next person who comes along. And if you but large quantities of Maalox for $.49 each, that's still money tied up in a product of little use.

The summer will allow me time for the organization and deal-hunting that is needed to save the most money. And I will also have more time for scratch cooking to take advantage of some of the ingredients I get on sale. Homemade banana bread is still a better breakfast than cold cereal .