This week we’re going to hear from more of the readers who wrote in last week when I asked the question: “How has couponing/deal seeking positively impacted your life this holiday season?” This is the second week of answers that I’m featuring – if you missed the first week, it’s HERE. I know you’ll love reading these stories as much as I did!
Tonya writes:

My family is part of RYFO, a non-profit organization that ministers to traveling bands by connecting band members with a network of host homes (among other services). We get several bands each month that spend the night in our garage apartment. Bands often have to sleep in their vans, go DAYS without access to bathing, and often try to get by on less than $5 per day while on the road, which means lots of convenience store food. During their stay, we provide safe, comfortable sleeping accommodations, clean bathrooms and towels, dinner when they arrive, and breakfast before they leave.
So far this December, we have hosted 3 bands, and another is coming through this week. Usually, we don’t see a lot of bands near the holidays, which is good, because my husband is self-employed in the construction industry, and money is always tight in the winter. However, because of couponing, I don’t worry that we have had so much extra company right at the holidays!
I fed 13 band members, a visiting relative, and my family of 7 a lovely breakfast the other morning. We made Belgian waffles out of the pancake mix I paid pennies for, I served OJ and fresh fruit I got on sale, and had some really good coffee from my stockpile. Couponing makes it possible for us to say yes to this ministry opportunity, even though we have 5 children who are expecting something under the tree.

Sheila writes:

Couponing has been the life thread for my family this year. My daughter and her husband separated this summer. leaving my 2 small grandsons (ages 5 and 1) lost in the whirlwind. Over the last 6 months my grandschildren have been left with me for weeks at a time, and I never know what is going to happen next. In the mess of things my daughter and son-in-law managed to not only lose their minds but also their jobs, home and vehicles. My husband and I are now raising the children in our home. Mom and Dad come and go.
We were not prepaired financially to raise these boys, and adding daycare expenses to our already tight budget was tough. Without couponing and deal seeking I don’t know how we would be feeding and clothing our grandsons. Thankfully, when Santa comes this year most of the things under the tree were bought with coupons and rebates!

IllyJilly writes:

Couponing has made a huge impact on not just my holiday shopping, but my everyday life. It’s become an ongoing joke with my family when I buy something [anything] they ask me what I paid for it. It’s usually either free or around 70-90% off. Couponing through sites like I Heart Publix has made a big difference in my life. I’m a college student and I live at home, so I’ve always bought household things like dish soap, bleach and laundry detergent to contribute [this is in addition to contributing to all the household bills because I am no moocher!]. With I Heart Publix, I can not only get these neccessities at a great price, but I also have money leftover to buy healthy foods and things like tolietries. I am able to enjoy a lot more on less money.
I’m going to school for culinary arts so for the holidays I’ve always loved giving edible gifts. With all my savings, I’m able to make my gifts and still have money left over to get myself something nice. My food budget [groceries & going out to eat] used to be $200 a month. Now, I barely spend half of that [that includes going out to eat once a week!]. I used to pay around $75 for shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, etc every two months and now I spend less than $20 and stock up.
Couponing has also given me the opportunity to donate. I haven’t started up a good stockpile yet, but once I do, I plan to donate items to those who are less fortunate. I would have never thought to do something like that if it weren’t for I Heart Publix and reading other Reader’s Spotlights. This site has helped me in ways that will stick with me for the rest of my life.

Rachael writes:

Couponing has allowed me to GIVE to others! This year I would estimate we have given away several hundreds of dollars worth of groceries & toiletries to families whose “breadwinner” has lost their job, or to families facing a serious illness, medical debt, and time away from work.
Couponing has allowed me to GIVE to my own extended family. During the year I planned ahead and I purchased about 52 gifts for 17 people for Christmas. I spent approximately $240 for a total value of gifts of just over $800!
Couponing allows me to be a good steward of the money the Lord has blessed me with. Granted, it’s not a lot, but I am blessed to have the skills and knowledge (and online friends like Michelle) that helps me stretch what we have!

Alycia writes:

Couponing has allowed me to give and save this year. But more than that, it has been a great distraction from the stressors in my life. These last couple of years have been really trying time in my family’s life: my mother has breast cancer, my dad passed away, my teenage brothers have gotten in a lot of criminal trouble, my Dad’s kids from a previous marriage have caused all kinds of problems, I have lost my job, and my fiance has been out of work. Through it all, couponing has been a great therapeutic release for me, plus I have the added benefit of saving money. I was able to provide a nice Christmas for my whole family on unemployment benefits!

Kat writes:

Couponing has allowed me to do several things:
First, to provide better for my own family, on less money. We have a decent stockpile built up (so much so that my daughter put on note on the refrigerator with a list of things I am not allowed to buy until we reduce or donate the stockpile: rice, crackers, salad dressing and pasta!)
Second, I have plenty to share. I donate staples to our church food pantry regularly, and I cook food in big batches which I package to give away. We have an elderly neighbor who lives alone, and I send him a plate of food or a container of soup a couple of times a week. There are actually several people in my life who can just use a hot meal now and then. Any time I make soup I put several single-serving size containers in the freezer to have handy to give away.
Third, my family hosts an exchange student. My husband and I already have two teenagers of our own, so hosting another teen ten months out of the year would probably be impossible on our income, but couponing allows me to save so much on groceries, toiletries, paper goods and cleaning products that one more mouth to feed is no big deal. Hosting has been a wonderful experience for my family, and couponing has allowed us to do it for two years in a row. Now, if I could just figure out how to get them to take shorter showers….

Thanks so much for sharing, everyone! I really enjoyed hearing from all of you!
In order to keep the Reader Spotlight feature going, you all are going to have to volunteer to tell us 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!