Sophia’s and Papa’s Fish

by Sarah Weeda on September 3, 2010

This is a guest post by my friend Jonna.  We made our 1st trek to South Africa together.

Do you recognize this fish?

If you grew up in the Christian Reformed Church, there’s a good chance you will.  This orange, plastic fish is known as a Peter Fish. These Peter Fish are given out to children in church for a period of time each fall so that they can collect money to fight world hunger.  Their name comes from the Bible story found in Matthew 17, where Peter is sent by Jesus to go fishing and the first fish he catches has enough money inside of it to pay the temple taxes.

While our own church does not participate in this program, we are the proud owners of two Peter Fish, which my children call Sophia’s fish and Papa’s fish.

Our first Peter Fish is named after the teenage girl who we sponsor through Compassion International.  When my husband and I started sponsoring Sophia, she was a tiny 5 year old.  On August 31 she will be turning 16!  The money that we collect in Sophia’s fish is used to provide a birthday or Christmas gift for Sophia or to make a monetary donation for her family to use for the needs they may have.  Sophia lives in Haiti, so these needs have multiplied since January 12, 2010.

Papa’s fish is named after my dad, who the kids call Papa.  He didn’t know that we already had a Peter Fish of our own, so he brought one out with him when he came out for a visit last year.  A few months ago we used the money from Papa’s fish to purchase a goat and school supplies through the Christian Reformed World Relief Commitee’s gift catalog.  The goat will be given to a family to provide milk for them to drink and meat to eat.  At the time we purchased these gifts, my son was just entering Kindergarten, so he was especially excited to give school supplies to other children who would not be able to afford these items on their own.

My kids love filling up Sophia’s fish and Papa’s fish with loose change that they find in our van or on their dad’s dresser.  They have also eagerly taken money from their own banks to fill up these fish.  I love opening up the fish when it is full and counting out the money to find that, just from our spare change, the stuff we’ve taken out of our pockets and purses that would normally be spent on a coke at the gas station or pack of gum, we’ve collected between $40-$50 on average.

I love that my kids are seeing that you don’t have to have a lot to make a difference in the life of someone else.  I also enjoy the conversations that we’ve been able to have as a family about helping people in need and listening to my kids explain why it is so important to give.  School supplies, birthday gifts, and a goat.  All of these and more have been made possible because of two orange fish. I love it!

Jonna is a stay at home mom to 2 children.

Jonna is a stay at home mom to two children and wife to Darin.  Darin and she traveled with Matt and I in 2002 to South Africa.  All four of us fall in love with the people and children of South Africa.  She blogs of at fe FEY foe fum with such honesty about her life.  Her passion for following Christ and caring for people pushed to the fringes is amazing.

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Publix Coupon Matchups for Week 9/2

by Karen R on September 2, 2010

publix-logo-web-ready

Thanks to Karen at Saving The Family Money for the Publix Coupon Matchups this week. Sale is running 9/2 – 9/8 (9/1 – 9/7 in some areas).  Here are some of the highlights, but you can see the rest of the Publix Deals here.

Quick tips on shopping at Publix:

1) You must buy both items in the BOGO (Buy 1 Get 1 Free) deals to get the free item in Florida. All other states will ring up half price.

2) You can use 1 MFR and 1 Store coupon (Publix or competitor) on each item – Even the Free BOGO items!

3) You only have to buy 1 of the multiples sales to get the sale price, example: 2/$3 or buy 1 for $1.50

4) Publix has a price guarantee, so if something doesn’t ring up the marked price, they will give it to you for free. Another reason to check those receipts before you leave the store.

5) Publix managers dictate which stores they consider competitors so check with your stores customer service for specifics.

6) Some Publix locations will double coupons up to $.50 (Does not apply in Florida)

If you are new to shopping the Publix deals, you can read Karen’s post on maximizing your Publix Savings for additional info.   You can now print the Ad coupons from the Publix Website. These are under the Weekly Ad section and usually do not update until the sale starts for your area.

BOGO

Lay’s Potato Chips, Assorted Varieties, 10.5 to 13.25-oz bag (Excluding Baked!, Light, and Natural) BOGO $3.99
$2/2 Lay’s Potato Chips Sunset Sep 2010 (exp 10/17/2010)
$2 Off Produce wyb any (2) BAGS OF LAY’S Potato Chips 10 oz+ tearpad

Ball Park Beef Franks Regular, Bunsize, Fat-Free, Singles, Grillmaster or cheese or Fat-Free Smoked White Turkey Franks, 12.8 to 16 oz pkg (Excluding Angus) BOGO $3.99
$1/2 or $.75/2 Ball Park Product 8/1/2010 RP Insert (exp 9/11/2010)
$2/1 Ball Park Product
$0.75/2 Ball Park Product

Lloyd’s Meats in Original BBQ Sauce or Shredded Pork in Honey Hickory, 18 oz tub, BOGO $5.49
$0.75/1 Lloyd’s Ribs or Tub 6/27/2010 SS Insert (exp 9/6/2010)

Oscar Mayer Beef Bologna, Regular, Light or Thick-Cut, 16 oz pkg, BOGO $3.99
$1/2 Oscar Mayer Lunchmeats
$2/2 Oscar Mayer AND Kraft Products Sunset Aug 2010 (exp 10/15/2010

Hellmann’s Mayo, Assorted Varieties, 30oz jar BOGO $4.93
$0.75/1 Hellmann’s or Best Foods Product

Heinz Tomato Ketchup, Regular or Easy Squeeze, 32or 36 oz bot, BOGO $2.79

Kraft or Seven Seas Dressing or Good Seasons, Assorted Varieties, 14 or 16-oz bot, BOGO $3.19
$0.55/1 Kraft Dressing 8/29/2010 SS Insert (exp 10/24/2010)
$0.55/1 Kraft Salad Dressing (IE) Printable (FF)
$1 off Produce wyb 2 Kraft Dressing tearpad

French’s Classic Yellow Mustard, 14 oz, BOGO $1.87
$0.30/1 French’s Mustard 6/20/2010 SS Insert (exp 8/31/2010)
$0.50/1 French’s Mustard

Vlasic Stackers Dills or Pickles or Spears, Selected Varieties, 16 to 46-oz jar, BOGO $2.89
$0.55/1 Vlasic Pickles, Peppers, or Relish
$0.55/1 Vlasic Pickles, Peppers, or Relish All You Jun 2010 (exp 8/31/2010)

Kraft Barbecue Sauce, Assorted Varieties, 16.25 or 18-oz bot BOGO $1.48

Gatorade Thirst Quencher or G2 Low Calorie Beverage, Assorted Varieties, 64 oz bottle, BOGO $2.50

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks or Sunkist, Assorted Varieties, 4.5 to 9 oz box, BOGO $2.59
$0.50/2 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks
$0.50/2 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks Shortcuts.com
$0.50/2 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks 8/8/2010 GM Insert (exp 10/2/2010)
$0.50/2 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks
$0.50/2 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks

Aunt Jemima Pancake & Waffle Mix, Assorted Varieties, 32 or 35 oz box, BOGO $2.75
$1/2 Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix or Syrup 5/2/2010 RP Insert (exp 9/30/2010)

Mueller’s Pasta, Assorted Varieties, 12 or 16 oz box or 100% All Natural Whole Wheat Pasta, 13.25 oz box (Excluding Lasagna, Jumbo Shells, and Egg Noodles) BOGO $1.29

General Mills Cereal, Assorted Varieties, Total, Wheaties, Raisin Nut Bran, Basic 4, Oatmeal Crisp or Honey Nut Clusters, 14.25 to 18.25 oz box, BOGO $4.29
$1/2 General Mills Cereal 8/22/2010 SS Insert (exp 10/2/2010)
$1/1 General Mills Total Cereal
$0.75/1 General Mills Wheaties Fuel Cereal 8/1/2010 Betty Crocker Rolling
$1/1 General Mills Cereal 8/8/2010 GM Insert (exp 9/18/2010)
$1/1 General Mills Wheaties Fuel Cereal

Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Cake Mix or Cupcake, Assorted Varieties, 18.5 oz box, (excluding Angel Food and Decadent Carrot Cake, BOGO surprisingly low price
$1/2 Duncan Hines Products PUBLIX coupon Toss4Cash GA Booklet (exp 9/15/2010)

Planters Peanuts, Assorted Varieties, Dry Roasted or Cocktail, Assorted Varieties, 16-oz jar or can, BOGO $3.19
$1/2 Planters Product (IE) Printable (FF)
$1/2 Planters Nut Products (5.75- 21.25 oz.) tearpad

Nabisco Toasted Chips, Assorted Varieties, 8.1-oz bag, BOGO $3.39
$0.75/2 Nabisco Cookies or Crackers 8/8/2010 SS Insert (exp 9/5/2010)
$1/2 Nabisco Cookies or Crackers
$1/2 Nabisco Crackers or Pretzel Crisps Walgreens IVC

Cheez-It Baked Snack Crackers or Party Mix, Assorted Varieties, 10.5 to 14-oz box, BOGO $3.29
$1/2 Cheez-it Crackers 8/29/2010 RP Insert (exp 10/24/2010)

Yoplait Yo-Plus Yogurt, Assorted Varieties, 4 pk, 4 oz cup, BOGO $2.50
$0.50/1 Yoplait YoPlus Yogurt 7/25/2010 SS Insert (exp 9/18/2010)
$0.50/1 Yoplait YoPlus Yogurt 7/11/2010 SS Insert (exp 9/4/2010)
$0.50/1 Yoplait YoPlus Yogurt 8/8/2010 GM Insert (exp 10/2/2010)

Reddi Wip Whipped Light Cream, Original or Extra Creamy, 14 oz can, BOGO $4.29
$1/1 Reddi-Wip All You Aug 2010 (exp 10/10/2010)

Philly Swirl Frozen Treats, Assorted Varieties, 17.25 to 24 oz box, BOGO $2.99
$1/1 Philly Swirl Frozen Treat (PDF)

Boca Entrees, Assorted Varieties, 10 or 12 oz pkg, BOGO $3.65
$1/1 Boca blinkie

Aunt Jemima Waffles, Assorted Varieties, 10 ct, 12.3 to 12.5 oz box, BOGO $2.29
$1/2 Aunt Jemima Frozen Product PUBLIX coupon Toss4Cash GA Booklet (exp 9/15/2010)
$1.50/2 Aunt Jemima Frozen Product

Milk Bone Dog Snacks or Biscuits, Assorted Varieties, 16 to 26 oz pkg, BOGO $3.69
$1/1 Milk Bone Essentials Plus+ 8/1/2010 SS Insert (exp 10/1/2010) If included

Gerber 2nd Foods, Selected Varieties, With DHA or Organic Varieties Only, 2 pk, 3.5 oz cont, BOGO $1.25

Lysol Disinfecting Wipes, Assorted Varieties, 56 or 80 count cnstr, BOGO $4.99
$1.50/1 Lysol Wipes Rite Aid Clip + Save Booklet
$1/1 Lysol Disinfecting Wipes 8/8/2010 SS Insert (exp 9/7/2010)
$1/2 Lysol Disinfecting Wipes

Windex Cleaner Refill With Ammonia-D, 67.6-oz bot BOGO $5.19
$1/2 Windex Glass Cleaners 8/1/2010 SS Insert (exp 9/12/2010)

Dixie Plates or Bowls, Assorted Varieties, 20 to 48-ct pkg, BOGO $2.99
B2G1 Dixie Napkins WYB (2) Dixie Products PUBLIX coupon Publix Flyer Grill Up Savings (exp 9/17/2010)
$1/2 Dixie or Dixie Ultra Paper Plates

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Nabisco Instant Win Game and $1.50/1 Coupon

by Amanda on September 2, 2010

Have you seen this?

Nabisco has a new instant win game available! Play for a chance to win $10,000 + lots of other great prizes! Just go here to test your luck. After playing, you’ll be able to print a high value $1.50/1 Nabisco 12 packs product coupon!

You will need to turn off your pop up blocker to play and get the coupon.  Remember you can print the coupon twice!  So, when these go BOGO (which they often do) you will be able to score an amazing deal! :)

Thanks A Few Short Cuts

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Experiencing Genorosity

by Sarah Weeda on September 2, 2010

This is a guest post by Shelly at Coupon Teacher

I want you to think back to a time in your life, when someone gave you something you needed.  Not something you wanted, but something you needed to make ends meet or survive.  Maybe it was money.  Maybe it was food.  Maybe clothes.  Maybe just a hug.  Have you experienced this?  I certainly have.

I want to talk to you today about a topic that has been on my heart and mind: charitable giving.  I am not just referring to the money we put in the collection plate on Sunday, but giving to those in need.

Going all the way back to childhood, I remember a family who just had their 3rd child and their mother was staying home with him.  I was a part of that family. We struggled quite a bit financially for the first time when my mother stayed home for two years to take care of my brother.  I clearly remember a turkey dinner delivery from a local church coming to our house right before Christmas one year.  My mom later told me that we would not have had a traditional Christmas dinner otherwise.

I think of a family whose father was diagnosed with cancer and subsequently fired from his job while he was still receiving radiation treatments.  I was a part of that family.  I felt the fear of losing our home, and my dad losing his life-line at that time:  insurance.  I don’t know which Christian man paid for my father’s COBRA insurance, but I think my dad is living today because of that gift. I will be forever grateful to that man.

I think of a brand new family moving to a new state.  I was a part of that family.  I cried when I opened the enormous money tree from the ladies at church that I knew would pay for the u-haul and our first month’s rent.  Some gave a lot, but some gave a little.  I will never know who gave what, but I will always remember the difference it made for Dave and I.

I am not telling about the charity I have received to make you feel sorry for me. I am telling you because, I want you to realized one thing:  charity can save someone’s life or affect  it deeply.

Of course, you shouldn’t take only my word on it, but let’s go to God’s word.

God desires us to be charitable.

Deuteronomy 10
17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. 18 He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. 19 Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Here God commands the Israelites to love the stranger.  How do you love the stranger?  It says by giving him food and clothing.

This is something we can still do today.

My life might have been very different, if not for the charity of fellow Christians and strangers.  I have made it my goal as an adult to be charitable when an opportunity presents itself and I want to encourage you to be more charitable too.  You never know if you will save someone’s life or more importantly their soul.

Shelly is a full-time fourth grade teacher and blogs at Coupon Teacher. She wants you to share and celebrate your successes with her, and she may give you a few tips along the way!  Right now, she is offering a free savvy shopping course.  She would love for you to join her!

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Giving Forward Through Coupons

by Sarah Weeda on September 2, 2010

This is a guest post provided by Kansas City Mamas

The of the most asked question I receive in the strategic shopping class I teach is, “Do you use all the stuff you get for FREE? Doesn’t some of it go to waste?”

My answer, “Nope, I don’t use it all. And it never goes to waste because I donate it. In fact, I often buy things specifically to donate.”

Once I started really couponing, I saw how much FREE or nearly FREE stuff I could get. Some are items we don’t use in our family and others are things we already have a year’s supply worth in the stockpile.

I could just ignore the free items and move on with my weekly grocery list, but I remembered what it was like before I started strategic shopping.

I remembered my heart aching because I wanted to give to my church’s or son’s school food drive, but couldn’t. We either didn’t have the money (or it was a conflict if we did give) or there wasn’t much extra in the pantry.

And I realize what a gift it is that I even know how to coupon. I learned how to coupon because there were other websites and forum boards that were willing to teach me about coupons, deals, stockpiling, and strategic shopping.

Even though all of us are in different places financially – one thing we can have in common is a heart of giving – especially when we can do it for nearly FREE. So in a way, I’m giving my gift forward. Someone gave me the gift of teaching me, and now I get to give the gift of a box full of items every month to my local pantry.

Don’t think it is possible? Check out what I bought the other day. The total was $2.85 + tax for a sizeable bag full of food. Gotta love couponing!

Kelly Snyder is the author of Kansas City Mamas – a website devoted to living well by saving more. She is married to her best friend (Hubs) and is the stay-at-home mama to DS (7) and DD (5). In addition, she believes that life is too short for bad coffee, wine or food (but not necessarily in that order).

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Eyes Wide Open

by Sarah Weeda on September 2, 2010

Photo credit Tony the Misfit

The way that I viewed the world dramatically changed the summer between my sophomore and junior year of high school.

I don’t have many times that I remember my parents forcing a decision on me, but this was a time where my dad sat me down and told me I was going.  There was an opportunity to be a part of a 2 week service trip to inner city Philadelphia.  I headed out with 8 people that I’d never met before into a world that I’d never seen before.

We road tripped from Grand Rapids to Philadelphia.  We arrived in an area of town know as the Bad Lands and stayed with a couple that lived in the area that they served.  The 1st night they told stories about the craziness of living in this area.  Sleep evaded me that 1st night as I laid on the floor upstairs.

It’s a wonder how the fear so quickly dissolves.  That week we ran a vacation Bible school in inner city Phillie.  All week long I carried a little girl on my hip and interacted with these beautiful children that were half my age, but knew more about the hardships of life than I did. A couple of the older girls thought that I’d make a wonderful mom.  I thought to myself, but I’m 16 years old!

What I learned over those 2 weeks was that poverty and living in the inner city was a lot more complex than I ever realized.  I met a man named Willie whose life had radically changed from drug addict to follower of Christ.  I clearly remember telling him that I’d never smoked or drank and he looked into my eyes and told me to keep it that way.  I remember it clear as it was yesterday.  He told me about the difficulty to break out of the life that he lived, the challenge of finding a job.

I saw my love for children emerging, especially those that are marginalized.  I learned that there are no easy answers.  My heart opened to the beauty of approaching others with love and compassion.

From time to time I wonder how I would have been different today if my Dad never sent me on that trip…

I’m forever grateful.

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A Little Different Spin

by Sarah Weeda on September 1, 2010

I’m heading to Ethiopia today with my sister and my dad to pick up my new niece.  I’m so thankful that I can go along on this trip and find out more my nephew’s and niece’s heritage.  We have been richly blessed with adoption in our family.

Two years ago, my sister picked up my nephew Levi with both my parents.  I was 9 months pregnant with Jack.  I think it was God’s little yet obvious way of telling me that I was not going.  Despite their firm warnings that I could not have my baby while they were gone, Jack arrived while they were gone.  What an amazing week for our family.

And it proves to be another amazing week for our family.

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that our immigration approval had arrived much earlier than expected for our adoption.  So I’ve been working at gathering all the paperwork to put together our dossier.  We turned it in on Tuesday!  Hurray!

Over the next 10 days, my hope is for us to take a step back from saving money and focus on the incredible opportunity we have to give.  I’d love to promise that I’ll be updating my blog with our adventures in Ethiopia each day.  If I’m at all able, I’ll be posting updates.  Either way I’ll be writing posts to share with you at some point.

My fellow bloggers and friends have come along side me to discuss what giving has looked like in their lives.

So follow me on this journey…

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