“I hate people who are like that…”

When I see the image below my heart gets all flustery and my brain just can’t think straight.

That’s right:  COUPONS!

Now a lot of you know that I have just recently started couponing.  Ok…probably about five months ago.  Since then I have learned a lot of valuable information and how I can save my family a TON of money.  First of all, let me back up.

The reason why I started couponing was because my husband and I were going through a very rough financially hard time in our lives probably around Christmas time.  He got laid off and we just weren’t sure what God had in our future as far as a job outside of the church was concerned.

We still needed groceries….we just had to get by with the money that we had.  So I started searching the internet for coupons.  I came across a website on “couponing trains” and I called my best friend to tell her about it.  I told her:  “I just can’t get my head around this…I’m not sure why….why would you trade coupons?”

Well…let me tell you…I quickly learned….and I learned good.  (yes, I know that’s not proper grammar, but seriously…couponing isn’t even technically a word…sooo)

I learned that there are facebook groups out there that you can trade coupons with other people and in turn get stuff that you really want for stuff that they really want.  It works great!  I also learned some other great “tricks” such as:  Price Matching at Walmart (and other fine retailers).  Price matching saves me so much time and gas money because I don’t have to go around to every store to get the great deals… I just need to go to Walmart and take my current flyers and match the ads in the flyers with products at Walmart.  Walmart will also take competitors coupons (a great bonus as Walmart’s stuff is usually cheaper)

Saves me so much time and money!

So now I usually  pick the grocery store that is going to give me the best deals and go there and price match the other stuff at Walmart.

That’s the condensed version of it.

Now…let’s travel to today.

I was shopping at Walmart today for a few things (and by few…I really mean few…my cart wasn’t filled) and proceeded to go to the checkout.  I usually go to the younger looking cashiers because they tend to know that they are doing when it comes to price matching.  I got in line behind some other people that were price matching and waited patiently.  I did this because I knew that they were going to be a bit and I could get everything organized.  While in line there were several people who came up behind me to get in line and I kindly told them that the people in front of me were price matching and that I would be too.  I told them that it would probably be a while.  I do this so people don’t stand there and wait and wait.  Seriously…I”m being kind. I would want somebody to do that for me.

A lot of people would grumble some sort of complaint and go to the next cashier but I’ve had people stand behind me anyway.  I’ve proceeded to tell them again and they still either don’t hear me or just choose not to believe me.  Then I listen to them sigh and sigh and complain…but hey..I figure if I’ve told them twice then that’s not my fault that they don’t seem to want to listen to me.

After I was done price matching and going through the cash (the cashier was a really nice guy and I made sure I thanked him for being patient…I try to do this so they understand that I really appreciate that they don’t get mad or annoyed at me) I proceeded to go out and wait for hubby to pick me up.

While out there this group of people that were behind me in line in the story and that I kindly told them that I was going to be a while (even though technically I was maybe five minutes) came out and they were talking and saying “I seriously hate people like that…people that have to watch every penny”.  (This was a lady that I had told that I was going to be a while and she went to another cashier).  She didn’t know I heard her…she didn’t even know I was there until after she said this..and then she pretended like she didn’t say anything.

I felt like going up to her and saying “Lady, do you know why I coupon? I coupon to save my family money in groceries so that we can do other things that we would like to do!”  I felt like saying “Since January I have saved my family over $600 by just using coupons!”  But I smiled at her and let her walk away.

I’m posting this to let you all know that if you see somebody in front of you couponing don’t get mad at them.  It’s not their fault that you are in a hurry…just the same as if you got behind somebody that had two carts of groceries.  It’s not their fault that the cashier might be a little slower or not know some of the couponing policies.  They are trying to save money because seriously…now a days every penny does count (or will until we have no more pennies…hahah).  The price of gas is crazy and you can’t tell me that if it dropped drastically in price you wouldn’t be the first in line to get the best deal.

If you want to pay full price for something…that’s ok you can…but those of us who don’t….just please please please be patient with us.  We’re not annoying…just trying to get the best deals on our groceries…PROMISE.  🙂

Laura

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Major Peanut Butter crisis happening in this household.

“Help!  Oh my goodness..what in the world is happening?  What is the world coming to?  This just can’t be right!”

These were a few of the phrases that were going through my head as I walked down the Peanut Butter aisle (that’s right people, it’s not the condiment aisle…it’s the peanut butter aisle in our household) at our local Sobeys.

Another phrase that was going through my head was:

“You’ve got to be freakin’ kidding me!”

The price of peanut butter went up about $3.00!  Yes, we knew it was going to happen…that peanut  butter prices were rising all around the world because people in Japan are eating it like it’s going out of style…and maybe making fuel out of it or something.  (not really…that was a joke…please don’t send me nasty emails)  But three whole dollars??  That’s just insane.

Oh some of you are probably wondering where I’m getting my math in this one?  Well…see my hubby is not normal.

Wait for it…there is logic behind this and my peanut butter story.

Hubby eats peanut butter like  he’s living in Japan…haha no no…that was another joke.  But seriously  he eats Peanut Butter on EVERYTHING.  I’m not exaggerating people….not even in the slightest.  When I met him at college he had it on his fish one night.  Peanut butter and jam.  Yes..I know…I probably should have realized then that my life would never been normal and slowly walked away…but I guess in my own little way I’m not normal either.  (Ok you can stop laughing now).

Hubby’s favourite sandwich is a peanut butter sandwich with cucumbers and chips and jam and anything else he may be able to put on it.  It’s really quite disgusting looking…but he assures me that if I haven’t tried it yet that I shouldn’t be knocking it.  I’m not about to try it…so I’ll just leave it to all of my readers to think of all the disgusting words you can think of for it.

So…that being said…when we get peanut butter we get the big 2kg jars.  The BIG ones…they last us the longest.  Now…being a couponer I do have some coupons in my lovely coupon binder (it’s red…and so therefore it’s name is Red…cause we name everything in our house) but they are only for $0.75 off.  Not about to waste a $0.75 Skippy Peanut butter (yes..I’m calling it out….letting them know their prices are outrageous…but their peanut butter is oh so good) on a price of $11.99.  That’s just crazy talk.

So the other day hubby’s Skippy super chunky peanut butter was on sale at Shoppers Drug mart.  I went and picked up two.  They were only the small ones but we were out of peanut butter and hubby was so desperate for it he even told me that if I had coupons for it he would eat Kraft.  You know he’s desperate when……

So let’s see….it was last Friday (April 13th) that I bought these jars of peanut butter.  On April 21st (just a mere 8 days later) one jar was gone.  Gone, as in hubby ate it all..used it all up.  FINISHED!  GASP!  What am I going to do????????  It’s a crisis in our household I’m telling you!

I’m hoping that the Peanut butter fairies and the Walmart fairies soon collide and ROLLBACK some great prices on Skippy super chunky peanut butter or else…I’m afraid to see what may happen.

The world may truly end in 2012…just because of hubby going insane from lack of peanut butter.  🙂

Laura

Blessing:  my amazing family is my blessing today.  I love them all…and am a super blessed person!

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Laughable Lines from the Little Ones – April 23, 2012

The other day we were sitting down at the supper table and I turned to Little E and I said…”I can’t believe that in little over a month you will be four.  What happened to my little baby boy?”

He turned to me and said “I drank all my milk.”

🙂  Yup made me smile.

We then got to talking about how old he will be and I started showing him with my fingers that he wouldn’t be three anymore, that he was going to be four.  He then said to me “And then after four I will be five…that’s a whole handful!”

Ahhh…the things they come up with.  🙂

Laura

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So…why did you move to Cape Breton?

Time and time again hubby and I get asked the question:  “So why did you move to Cape Breton?”

Oh it usually doesn’t start out that way.  The usual conversation goes something like this:

“So what part of  Cape Breton do you live in?”

I tell them.

“Did you live here before?”

me:  “nope”

Them:  “Do you have family here?”

Me: “Nope”

Them:  “So what made you decide to move to Cape Breton?”

And then…it’s like a big Truth brick right in the face.

“Well…actually my husband is a pastor and we moved down here to start a church.”

We immediately get two different reactions…(usually it’s the first one).

1)  They immediately get all closed up, like they are scared of us.  Like they are thinking “Oh my word, what did I say in the last five minutes that could have been bad…and possibly send me to hell?”  Then if the conversation still happens they will tell us that they used to go to church, but not anymore…and they really should go again….and take their kids.”

or we get response number 2)  They open up and tell us about how they love Jesus and how He has brought them through so much and they want to know more about our church plant and they are genuinely interested.

When hubby and I first moved here we kinda avoided the “So why did you move here?” question.  I’m not sure why…maybe we were scared that people wouldn’t really get to know us….or would get put off by the word “church” and not really give us a chance.  But something cool happened after a while.  We just stopped caring what they thought about our answer to the big question.  We began telling them outright and you know what?  More people are interested than what we thought.

I was at a meeting tonight for the Autism society and after the night was almost over a woman came over and talked to me about what I was showcasing.  I proceeded to tell her that I sell Pampered Chef and she was asking me some questions about it.  She then asked me if I found it difficult to get shows around here…and said, “but of course your family probably  helps out and hosts some shows for you, right?”  I then told her that we have no family or relatives here and then came the big question….”so why did you move here”.  I told the condensed version….the polite and simple version.  My husband is a pastor and we came down to start a church.

I have to admit….just by looking at her I really felt like she was going to be polite and say “Oh that’s nice” and politely walk away.   But you  know what happened?  She opened up…she asked me questions and by golly we had a good old chat about things.  I told her our story about moving here, Little E’s adoption and how God blesses us over and over again.  She continued the conversation by telling me stories in the same manner.  We had a lovely chat and ended it by me giving her my card (yes, I’m important enough to have a card lol).  She then told me that she was going to get in contact with me and that she would love to hear more stories about how God has blessed our lives.

There were two lessons in this for me tonight.  1)  Don’t stand beside somebody all night and think you know them just by the looking at them.  Talk to people and be friendly… be a little open and leave the door ajar in case they want to open it some  more.

2)  Don’t be scared to tell people why we are here.  God has called us…and he will continue to show us how He is going to move in Cape Breton.  Rest in His promises and be blessed.

Laura.

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The 13th Tribe by Robert Liparulo

It’s time for another book review!

This time I had the opportunity to review “The 13th Tribe” by Robert Liparulo.

This book is set in modern time but yet the characters have been around for over 3500 years.  How is this possible?  They are immortal.  They have been since Moses went up the mountain to get the 10 commandments.  While Moses was up on Mt. Sinai the twelve tribes got tired of waiting and began worshiping a golden calf.  Many died immediately but forty of them were sentenced to endless life on earth with no chance of ever seeing the face of God.  They are called the 13th tribe.

These group of people have been trying to earn their way into heaven ever since.  They believe that the only way they can do it is by killing sinners.  They feel like God will honor them if they do this for him….not quite grasping the concept of grace…or that you can’t get into Heaven by your “good works”.  They are brilliant people who have done many things in history to get rid of “sinners”…and have a master plan in motion to get rid of huge amount…thus hoping to earn God’s great favour on them.

Insert the main character…Jagger.  He is a security guard on an archaeological dig near Mount Sinai.  He is to protect the land and the people that are there digging.  Little does he know that him and his family will be thrown into the plans of the 13th tribe…by accident…or is it?

This the first book that I have read by Robert Liparulo and honestly I was not a big fan.  I felt like added more detail than necessary, thus making the book much longer than it really needed to be.  I believe there an author can over describe…and feel this is was Liparulo has done in this case.

I felt like it took forever to get to a plot and then when it happened I felt like it was over with a snap of the fingers.  The rest of the story carried on…not very entertaining…or keeping me hooked until the very end.  The plot thickened, things were discovered that I think were supposed to be shocking but were not really, and then the book was over without explaining how some things ended.

All in all I think this was a very weak book.    I’m a huge Ted Dekker fan and was excited to read this book because he wrote a review on the back cover saying he recommended this.  Because of this, I thought this was going to be an excellent book, but it turned out to be a very disappointing read for me.  However, if you like books by Frank Peretti then you will probably like this book. Definitely not a book I will read again.  That being said, if I had a chance to read some of Robert Liparulo’s other books for free I may do so if recommended by a friend.

I give this book  3 out of 5 lollipops.

 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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