Shopping & Saving

LTIA is right around the corner in 2 in a half weeks time the SPG's will be in D.C. It's been such a long time in coming (plans started before we even had plans for the Sweethearts Banquet nailed down). However, as with any trip there are requirements that we must adhere to. One such requirement involves maintaining an adequate dress code. Now this would not be so much of an issue if the conference were say, in mmmm . . . Alaska. We have the clothing for that. But we're not really equipt for 90+ degrees and the 100% humidity that comes with the weather in D.C. Yes, the heat is suffocating. Not to mention finding adequate shoes that will allow for a long days walk around the monuments. Back when I lived in the Beltway, I walked from the National Mall all the way down to Georgetown in flip flops. My feet throbbed for the next 2 days not to mention the severe need for a pedicure that followed. I'm NOT doing that again. In other words shopping must be done, but that all seems counter intuitive my future financial goal, right? Well . . . not when coupons are involved!

It all started back in April when I actually did have the money to get a few new outfits and I bought a couple dress suits at JCPenny, which earned me $30 in JCPenny bucks, and my purchase at The Dress Barn earned me another book of coupons for there. The caviat was though that I had to use them by May 31st, which is Memorial Day, which also means Memorial Day sales!!! I really didn't have any intention to shop inititally, but I also didn't want "free money" to go to waste. I'll admit it, I'm becoming somewhat of a coupon hound. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a coupon clipper just to buy junk I won't use or eat, because my diet doesn't allow for most of the stuff that coupons can buy, but when I find ones that I can use I DO and it's fun:) But more about the groceries later.

First stop JCPenny, the mission . . . find appropriate walking shoes that are dressy at the same time. This has been an arduous task at best. But I found a pair that I thought was decent and they had padded soles, but not the size I needed, the size that I needed was to be found about an hour away at the Alderwood Mall a.k.a. shoppers heaven. Knowing that I also had a gift card to use at the Williams & Sonoma store at Alderwood, a birthday gift from my girls, I said to hold them and that I would be there, and who knows they also haad a bigger selection so I may find something I like better. Well I did and short of wearing them out on visitation on Thursday to break them in I think that they'll work. Initial cost of shoes $34.95 - $30 in coupons = $4.95 + tax. So basically $30 shoes for around $5. SWEET!!!

Second stop Christopher & Banks, the mission . . . see if I could find a blue sweater like the red & black ones that 2 of my friends bought on Saturday. They were having great sales. And additional 50 - 70% off already marked down appearal. Well I found the sweater but because they didn't have it in my size I had to order it, but because I ordered it from the store I got the additional 50% off off of the alreday marked down sweater!

Stop 3 The Dress Barn, no real mission, but I did want to see if I could utilize my coupons for something, if not no biggie. Well I did find something a dressy turquoise sweater and a black & white skirt. 20% off on the skirt. Oh, and wait, what do I find in my purse my Dress Barn punch card that gives me another $25 off on my total purchase. So a pretty nice outfit for just $25 dollars.

Stop 4 Lane Bryant, I won't mention the unmentionables, but with the sale that they were having and my coupon and with an additional percentage off that the sales girl gave me at the counter I saved $153 off of what my total would have been and ended up paying less than 3 of the items would have cost at their full retain price. Trust me when I say I NEEDED these items in particular, but because they are good quality I won't need anymore for a little while to come.

As for the groceries I mentioned, this one is always fun. For such a small town I live in we have 3 grocery stores, not including the Commisary on the Naval Base. I don't include that one though because most people can't shop there. However, I choose to shop at Safeway, for my non-GF items because I can wrack up points on my Safeway card that will benefit me at the gas pump. I can also add coupons straight to that card without having to clip anything, and that's always nice. It's always fun swiping the card and seeing the minus signs below the items and the total rapidly decrease. I saved 26% off of my grocery bill in coupons this month. I shop monthly for most things except vegetables & fruit because I get paid monthly and I got .10 cents off on my gas purchase as well. Now if I ould only get my hands on coupons for GF food too. Think of the fun I could have then!

So yes I did some shopping, but if I had not have had the coupons or gotten such great deals I wouldn't have done any. Oh and the money that I did spend did not add to my credit card. So there you have it, yes some shopping but ooohhh what GREAT savings I had! And that was a lot of fun. Plus I got my long sought after shoes YAY!!!

Page Tabs

If you've stopped by here frequently you may have noticed that I added som page tabs to my blog. It's a way for me to organize some of my ideas, recipes, photos and other things that strike my fancy. As I update them I'll be posting those updates to let you know, if you're interested in perusing. So, as you may have guessed I made update to the tabs today, which are as follows...

Modesty Matters: Under here is a link to a new blog that I've been following. Jennifer @ Is Anything to Hard for God? wrote this post about where all the ladies have gone. Real ladies, Godly ladies, and what it means to be a lady. I've really enjoyed her posts. They are very encouraging and God centered. I hope that all of the events in her life that have been taking place for her turn out well. If you're interested in checking it out go to the tab and check out the article, or you can find a link to her blog under SPG Happenings, on this page.

Books & Photos: Under here I have posted a link from Flickr to some of the photos from Amy's wedding, at least to start with. I'll be uploading photos to Flickr and then posting them here, instead of posting so many photos all at once on here. Sometimes a post may call for many photos, but I want to shorten some posts and this is a good way to do it.

So those are the 2 updates. More to come later.

The National Day of Prayer

I saw this as I was perusing through blogs tonight. Needless to say the author of this blog had nothing nice to say about Bill & Sarah, yet I find it ironic that someone with such contempt felt compelled to post this interview on her blog and allow those of us that agree with them, like myself, to repost it on our own blogs. So that is what I'm doing reposting it because the freedoms that govern out liberty were given to us by God and these two got it right.

Romans 13:1 ~ Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Colossians 1:16,17 ~ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.



I wish that FOX News wasn't a cable channel and that I could get it on my TV, but I'm to cheap to pay for cable at this point.

I'm definitely looking forward to LTIA (Leadership Training Institute of America) this summer.

Flowers & Teapots

It took me a little bit to load these photos to my hard drive, procrastination:/ But these were the flowers that Sherri gave to Sandi and I for our Birthday.

Aren't the lovely?

And this was the teapot that I received from last months Secret Prayer Sister. I really enjoy tea! Nothing in it thank you. I'll take it straight up. Diana was a great SPS to have, I totally had it wrong all month. Normally I don't like to guess, but I was sure that it was someone else. She said a little birdy told her that I liked tea and so with it I received some sleepytime tea and other various herbal blends.

I've never had a teapot like this before. So it will be a nice and refreshing treat to use whenever I want a spot of tea. Thanks Diana:)

Money Matters with Grace & Honor

I wasn't sure what to write for the progress that my debt ticker above now shows. In case you haven't stopped by here's the link to my new endeavor, and my debt ticker used to read 5.9% instead of the 14.6% that it reads now. Yes, that means A big payment was made today, the last of those for a little while yet *sigh* but it does feel nice in any case.

I want to try and make at least one monthly post about the progress towards my debt reduction, but this month has presented some challenges and I didn't think that I was going to be able to sit still long enough to digest all that has come my way. That is until this month's issue of Grace & Honor. Grace & Honor is an online magazine that is published by Lehigh Valley Baptist Church, in Emmaus , PA. I have a couple friends there that write for it and I almost always receive some kind of blessing from what the ladies writing for it share, not just my friends, but this month 2 of them wrote about finances and the role that they play in our lives. Ironic? Not so much. That actually seems to happen to me a lot, especially with one of the writers, because God knows what I need and when. Even before my own heart knows that I need the encouragement, or admonishment, the Lord already has tools prepared to meet my needs as He sees fit. Don't get me wrong, the magazine does not take place over my own studies in the word, or my church attendance, but as a supplement it's always a fun and encouraging place to go to in this W.W.W., which is often hard to find in the world.

Jackie wrote about Money Myths. What they are for a single person and how we are to treat money. I won't reteach what she wrote you should just go check it our for yourself. Shamefully I have not always been the wisest steward with the money that God has given to me. The Myth of money is that there is eternal security in finances and the things that it allows us to buy, when money is in fact simply a means to an end. Money will not last forever, the only thing that will last forever is the word of God.

Luke 21:33 ~ Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Katina in her article for Two Cents wrote about Hezikiah's tenacity and how his willingness to serve the Lord with his whole heart was the cause for his prosperity. To sum up her article, and what I took away from it was, be faithful to God with your money, be accountable for the money that God has given to you, spend wisely and most importantly DON'T give up on your financial goals. Freedom of this kind doesn't happen over night, unlike the freedom that God's gift of salvation offers. It takes tenacity to sick to God's way of doing things, but in the end His ways are always meant to make a Christian prosperous. Prosperous spiritually that is, because without the static of making up for financial irresponsibility, and back-pedaling out bad decisions, the guidance that the Lord gives is easier to listen to and act upon.

Tenacity I have in spades, something that has been a blessing when used on the side of righteousness and at times it has been a curse because when I dig my heals in it's often hard to get me to see a situation differently. And I've never really been a fan of mythology either, so I really have no business believing the myths that the satisfaction that money tells me I should have anyway. The only thing that I can see to do is stick to it and listen to God and not my wallet, each time I want to make a purchase that I can't afford.

Now if I could only be patient while doing this:/ Something else to work on for another time.