2009 December

I had mentioned an upcoming Budget Saving Mom challenge on December 24th. I am so excited about this challenge!!! I really hope that you will join in. I have modified it a little to include a challenge from, Money Saving Mom. I decided, it would be fun to combine the 2 challenges into one.

My original challenge was to buy $10 worth of items to donate to others in January and February, for a total of $20. Money Saving Mom’s challenge is to Eat Out Of Your Pantry and not shop for a month except for dairy and fresh produce.

Here is her challenge:

1) Stop at the store a maximum of three times in January.

2) Only buy dairy (milk, eggs, cheese, etc.) and produce (fruits/vegetables).

3) Spend a total of $75 or less on groceries during the month of January.

4) Donate the extra $85 leftover (or more) that we would usually spend on groceries to Gleaning the Harvest. (My side note: This is a really cool ministry.)

How I am Combining these 2 Challenges Into One:

What I want to do rather than not go to the stores, is to still go to the stores, stay within my budget, but donate more items to others. If I already have plenty of an item, I want to donate it to others. I often donate items that I know my family won’t use. However, it is harder for me to donate an item that my family will use. That is why I think that this will be a good challenge for me personally. I often will give cash, but I would like to give items as well. Plus, I feel that I am able to buy so many items at a fraction of the price, that it would multiply what I am able to give. Also, I know of a couple of specific families that I have felt the Lord leading me to assist. I am aware of their personal needs, hence I feel like I can hopefully buy items that would be useful to them.

I feel like I am so blessed in my life right now. Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, know that at one point I literally had nothing. A couple of changes of clothes, almost no money, etc. I learned how to live very frugally, and was really happy. I learned so much during this period of my life. I became a child of God, learned to trust God completely for all of my needs, and learned how to be happy regardless of my circumstances. God provided me with everything that I needed, and He even provided some of my wants. I will have to write up about how he miraculously cared for me and my family sometime, but if any of you are in a bad situation, do know that you can trust in God to see you through it. Bad times are what make us stronger and can teach us so many valuable lessons. I am so glad that I have had all of the experiences that I have had throughout my life, because it has shaped me into the person that I am today.

I have been studying the Bible, and it says that it is important to give to the poor. I will be honest here. I do give to others, but not to the extent that I could. I honestly feel like I gave more, when I had less. This is something that I am resolved to change this year. This is one of my New Year’s resolutions. I want to make sure that I am giving more to others.

Budget Saving Mom $10 Challenge/Eat Out of Your Pantry Challenge:

Here is the challenge. I am going to spend at least $10 in January and February, for a total of $20 on items to donate to others. I know that when you give, the Bible says to do so in secret. That is part of the reason I am only going to list what I could get for $10. I don’t want this to be a bragging session, but rather a way to encourage others.

Why $10:

$10 seems like a doable amount for most people. If you don’t have $10 a month, and want to reduce it to $2-3 dollars a month, that is fine as well. In the Bible it talks about a widow woman who gave just a couple of coins, and yet she gave more than anyone else because she gave all that she had. I know that some of you don’t have jobs right now, and even $2 might be a sacrifice, but it can also be a huge blessing. If you have more than $10 a month to bless others with, go for it. I might spend more than $10 a month on others as well. However, I only plan on posting about what I can give with $10. I hope that this will encourage lots of people to be generous towards others.

Can $10 Make That Much Of A Difference?:

Definitely. Think about all of the freebies that we are able to get each week. If we get an item for free, we can still count it towards our $10.

I Feel Bad Only Giving Things that I Got On Sale Excuse:

I hear this excuse all the time. Here is my answer, I don’t. My hubby and I have a set amount that we can give to others. I would much rather be a wise steward of the money God has blessed me with, and be able to spend a fraction of the price, yet donate items that are worth much more than what I paid. Also, I have been on both sides of the coin. I have been poor at one point in my life, and was extremely thankful for anything that I received.

How It Works:

1. Set aside $10 (or the amount of your choosing) in January and February.

2. Buy as much as you can with your $10 to bless others. It doesn’t matter who you give it to. You could give to your church, someone you know who has lost a job, a children’s home, or a local mission. The possibilities are endless.

3. I would love to see pictures or lists of what you were able to get for $10. Not so that we can brag about our couponing skills, but to encourage others to do this as well.

A couple of you have already accepted my challenge, and I would love for all of you to. I know that 100% participation is not a realistic goal, but I would love for you to at least consider it! If you are planning to participate, I would love to know. You can leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail. I will post reminders throughout the next 2 months. Thanks so much for reading about this!! I am so super excited to think about how much we could all give to others!!!

***As a side note, can any of you creative people think of a catchy name for this challenge? I am out of ideas, but would love for it to have some sort of a neat name. If you think of one, same thing shoot me an e-mail or leave me a comment.

Verses About Giving: (because God can give you the reasons to give to others a lot better than I could ever hope to.)

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. Psalm 37:25-26

Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. Psalm 41:1-2

Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself call out and not be answered. Proverbs 21:13

give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38

If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. Deuteronomy 15:7, 11

THANKS SO MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING!!!

Here are the new Cellfire coupons. Don’t know what Cellfire is? It is a great program that lets you download coupons to your grocery card or cellphone. It is great because you will always have your coupons with you. To see more details about this great program, click here.

$0.50/1 Betty Crocker Box Brownie Mix
$0.40/1 Betty Crocker Box or Pouch Potatoes
$1 off Betty Crocker Cookie Mix and Frosting
$0.50/1 Betty Crocker Frosting
$0.50/2 Betty Crocker Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers, Fruit Roll-Ups or Fruit Roll-Ups Fruit Stickerz
$0.50/1 Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Shapes
$1/2 Betty Crocker SuperMoist Cake Mix
$0.50/1 Warm Delights Bowls or Minis Bowls
$1/1 Biore Product
$1/1 Curel Product
$0.40/1 Fiber One Chewy Bars
$0.55/1 Original Cheerios
$0.55/1 Trix Cereal
$0.50/1 GladWare Big Bowl, Entree, Deep Dish or Tall Entrees Storage Container
$0.50/2 Green Giant Frozen Boxed Vegetables
$1/1 Jergens Product
$0.40/1 Nature Valley Granola Bars
$0.55/1 Nestle Toll House Dough
$0.50/1 Nestle Toll House Morsel
$0.50/2 Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls
$1/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough
$0.75/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Holiday Cookies
$0.50/2 Pillsbury Rolled Refrigerated Pie Crusts
$0.55/1 Pillsbury Savorings Product
$0.40/2 Pillsbury Sweet Rolls or Grands! Sweet Rolls
$0.50/1 Progresso Broth
$0.50/2 Progresso Soups
$1/2 Purina Dog or Cat Treats
$1/1 Purina Dry Cat Food
$1/1 Purina Dry Dog Food
$0.30/2 Refrigerated Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits
$2/1 Root Awakening Product
$4/1 Scotch Fur Fighter Hair Remover Starter Kit