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July 23, 2009
Guest Post: The Silent Middle - Cutting Coupons can lead to Kingdom Impact
Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a detailed planner with great math skills nor many domestic talents. But hard economic times call for drastic measures - I actually attended a coupon seminar last night. With my husband and I trying to eat at home more, our grocery bill has gone up, and we need it to go down. Hence the coupons.
The seminar hosted by FaithfulProvisions.com was actually very informative and entertaining. The leader, Kelly Hancock, was a career woman who decided to stay at home when she became pregnant with her first child four years ago. Going from a double-income, no kids household to a single-income home with children required Kelly to become quite the whiz at coupons, meal planning, and budgeting. God has graced her with a talent for this, and thankfully she passes on her wisdom to the rest of us also concerned with budgets and meals.
What does this have to do with giving? Well, first of all, the more money you have, the more opportunity you have to give that money away. In the past four years, Kelly has cut her food budget down from $1,100/ month to $40-50/week, freeing up funds for other areas of stewardship. Even if you have two incomes or one really large income in your home, cutting back on groceries is good stewardship and could free up funds in case a friend needs support for a mission trip or the family down the road needs some financial help.
Second, many grocery stores now offer "buy one get one free" deals on products. Taking advantage of these sales in addition to coupon usage can also free up more funds for giving. Or, if you don't need the extra product, keep the product you pay for and donate the free one to the local food bank or women's shelter.
Third, by following Kelly's guidelines for couponing, many times you can find products that are free. Even if your family can't use free dog food, maybe you know another family who is hurting financially and has pets. Give the free dog food to them. (Great idea straight from Kelly's mouth, by the way.)
All in all, meal planning and utilizing coupons can help your personal budget, but in the end they can be a great tool to help increase your giving, through cash or extra free products. In this economy, all of us need all the money-saving tools we can get!
Jenny Wingard is passionate about God, local church ministry, and giving. She can be reached via Twitter or e-mail.
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Posted by bstroup at July 23, 2009 8:23 AM
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