Today we are going to hear from an anonymous reader. I loved this story…coupons can often be much more than a piece of paper!!
Ever wonder just how much couponing can affect your life? Or the life of someone you share your knowledge with? Yes we hear the stories of how much people save and how they bought this or went there with their savings and those are wonderful stories. Mine is slightly different.
I was skeptical at first as was my husband about how well couponing could work long term. I had a regular customer of mine who has turned into a very dear friend who offered to teach me about coupons. I started small, just buying the things that I could get either free or very cheap and was still getting everything else at my regular store. We were saving money this way and had more food in the house, so we were happy with it for a while. I gradually started shifting more and more of my shopping to Publix. I was saving even more money and had even more food in the house, so we decided that we should do something constructive with the (now) extra grocery money.
We had intended to pay extra car payments and hopefully have our cars paid off in 2 years. We would also put some money in the savings account for a down payment on a house. We were very excited about this and had been working towards our goal for about 3 months when life threw us a major curve ball. My husband was suddenly stricken with a mystery illness at the end of May. He was completely bed ridden for weeks. He has slowly recovered most of his abilities. He is still not completely better and we still don’t know what is wrong, but we are grateful for the improvements he has made. During this ordeal he was completely out of work for over a month. Once he did return it was only part time.
My husband has gradually worked up to more hours, but is still not working the hours he did before all this started. If all this had happened before coupons I don’t know what we would have done!! Since we had been couponing there was food in the house so I didn’t have to worry about major shopping during this whole thing, I just picked up little stuff like milk and bread. There was money in the savings account so I didn’t have to worry about him not having a paycheck AND we were ahead on the car payments (just in case I needed to skip a payment).
If it had not been for someone taking the time to teach me about coupons, I honestly don’t know how we would have survived this summer! I will always be grateful to my friend for sharing her knowledge with me and giving me the tools I needed to take care of my family during this crisis. I am now in the process of rebuilding my savings account in case this happens again. I am now paying it forward by teaching one of my friends how to use coupons.
I know that we all get frustrated when we get excited about couponing and others don’t seem to get it —but, don’t give up. Share what you know with whoever will listen. You just never know whose life you could be changing. Thank you my dear dear friend for changing my life.
Thanks to my reader. What a great way to give us all a little perspective on things!!
In order to keep this new feature going, you all are going to have to volunteer to tell us all about something YOU do when you are couponing!! Your post can be about almost anything to do with couponing. You can tell us about a particularly good or bad situation you’ve dealt with as a couponer, about how you got into couponing or how couponing has impacted the rest of your life, you can make a list of things every new couponer should know…just about anything, really! If you think it’s interesting and it has to do with couponing, email me with your idea at contactiheartpublix @ gmail.com!
wonderful story! and i’m glad that you’re husband is improving. i strongly believe that certain people are placed in our lives at different times. it sounds like your friend came just at the right time. best of luck to you and your husband.
That was really a GREAT story. I was just telling my husband that for the first time ever, putting food on our table and our grocery bill is now the least of my worries since coupons. I know that if things get tight for awhile we will be just fine. Thank you for sharing this!
What a great story – it’s inspired me to tell mine, if I can find time to write it! 🙂
This is a wonderful story. I am grateful to the stranger who told me about this site one day while I was in Publix. I have tried to pass on this favor to many others I meet. Kindness is free and I know we all love free stuff!!
Great Story!! Love to read stuff like this.
I leard about couponing from a friend at work. At first I did not believe we can save so much. It took just 1 trip to publix to show me I was wrong. My husband is super excited with all the savings and my kids love the kitchen full of food. I tell everyone I can about coupons and how to use them. I get excited with every sale and with anyone who I can teach. Couponing has made a great diffrence in my spending, I now think twice about purchasing something at regular cost. Frugal Living is where i’m at now…
I Agree with others…. I couldnt go back to normal retail prices!! Before I started couponing, I was eating/using store brand items because thats all I could afford. And meals were cheap meals like spaghetti which we ate about 2 times a week. Once I discovered couponing, We havent gone back to store brand food and our food choices have broaden as well. and my pantry and cabinets in my kitchen are always FULL where before it was spare. I can’t remember how I got started into doing this, I think someone told me or i came across refund cents and it went from there. I tell people all the time about coupons and how to get the best deals.
I can so relate to this story;-) Even though I’m single, and my friends make fun of my couponing, it sure does come in handy! My pantry now stays full, even when my income decreased. And, it’s really amazing how much better I eat because of my couponing.
Thank you so much for sharing the encouraging stories!
My husband lost his job June 1. We have been eating mainly from our huge stockpile and still are. I have only spent $34 on food so far this month!
awesome story. It goes to show how something as simple as sharing knowledge, which costs nothing but time, can have such a profound impact on someone else’s lives. In times like these (and the economy goes through this every now and again) it is important that people share on how to save money. Believe me, even if the economy rebounds there will be more times like this and all knowledge gained this time around are lessons you will use and need in the future. And, like all great friends who share knowledge, you can bet the woman’s friend is tickled pink to have helped, vicariously, her friend to survive such an ordeal.
What a great story of inspiration!! I am glad that couponing helps so many families save money during these difficult times.
What a wonderful story! I have tried to show many friends how easy couponing is, but often feel like I am talking to a brick wall. It is great to hear that persistence pays off AND is appreciated!
I just recently started couponing and I am loving it! My first week I saved $40 on groceries and about $50 on clothing that week. On Tuesday of the following week my car had to be repaired and the part was $87. So, I saved what it cost to get my car fixed. I am grateful to my friends who have showed me the ropes. Now, I just have to get the hang of it and save more.