When I first began couponing, I faced many of the same issues that Faithful Provisions reader Jennifer writes about below. I feel like we have all experienced these challenges on some level, so if you see yourself here, don’t feel alone. Thanks, Jennifer, for sharing your story so openly and honestly with all of us.
My Coupon Journey
“My coupon journey began three years ago. In 2008, my husband took a new job and relocated our family to a new “home” 900 miles away. For the first time in my married life, I was a full-time mom, and we were living completely on one income. Having moved into a more affluent community than our previous one, I began putting extra pressure on myself. Although I didn’t have any control over the money coming in, I could control how the money went out.
A friend forwarded a deal she received from Faithful Provisions. I was amazed at all the great money-saving tips I found on the website. After exploring the site more, I discovered that site owner Kelly Hancock would be hosting a Couponing Workshop at my local church so I signed up.
Instantly, I was hooked. Being a “money-minded” person, the math of couponing and finding deals was easy for me. Before I took Kelly’s class, our family was spending around $850 per month in groceries for our family of five. I took Kelly’s advice and began to slowly build my stockpile. I subscribed to the Sunday paper and clipped and printed off my coupons diligently. After about four months, I was able to lower our monthly budget to $500 per month.
It Wasn’t Enough
But that wasn’t “enough” for me. I had a goal in my mind to get to a budget of $40 per week. After one year of couponing I actually reached that goal.
I would spend hours each day reading Faithful Provisions and other money-saving blogs and looking for the BEST deals each week. I searched for ways to get the most moneymakers in my transactions. I worked and re-worked my grocery list in order to spend the lowest amount out-of-pocket. To my amazement, I was able to build a large stockpile, while still keeping within the boundaries of my $40 per week budget.
People would be in awe behind me in the checkout lane, watching me walk away with over $200 in groceries for $.28! Friends and neighbors would marvel at my stockpile. While I wasn’t doing anything unethical in my couponing, I began to feel “something” inside me saying this wasn’t quite right.
That “something” was the conviction of the Holy Spirit. One summer day, God used a conversation with a dear friend to convict me. He showed me that I had allowed couponing to become my god. I had allowed control, pride, and fear to choke out the voice of the Holy Spirit in my life. I had become so focused on sticking to my $40 budget amount that I couldn’t see anything else.
Trusting in God
I argued with God. God, how can this be bad? I’m being a good steward of the money you’re giving my family. We’re living on less than we make. I’m able to provide meals for my family for a fraction of what most people spend. I’m donating boxes and boxes from my stockpile to food pantries and needy charities.
Then it hit me: Where was my need for God? It was all about me and what I was doing. If I was able to provide everything for myself, then I wasn’t relying on Him to provide for my family. I was trying to control how we spent our money based on fear. And while the action of donating to needy charities was good, my heart motive was full of pride in what I was doing.
Upon that realization, I confessed to God what I was doing. Not because He didn’t already know, but because my heart needed to say it. I allowed myself to be okay to spend more than $40 per week on groceries, because I trusted in my God to provide.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” (Luke 12:22-24)
After reading Jennifer’s story, what are your thoughts? How do you know when couponing is beginning to take over your life? Please share your story with us.
Read more about the Extreme Nature of Couponing:
I feel like it’s easy to get to this point, especially since couponing is now the popular thing to do. I also feel that God wants us to be good stewards of the money he provides to us and that using coupons is one way to do that. I don’t feel that I am personally at the point that this woman was but I know many who are and think that it’s very easy for anyone to get there. Thank you for posting this different view of couponing and reminding us of the good, the bad and the ugly of coupons!
I am so in agreement with Jennifer. Thanks for sharing your heart and being so honest. I found in my own life with couponing and nutrition, that I was almost held in bondage of legalism. After wrestling with this same issue, I realized that i needed to give myself the freedom to run to the grocery store once in a while with out spending hours clipping coupons. Or, once in a while we will eat a meal that is not totally “whole foods”. I was becoming legalistic about it all. There is no freedom in that. Of course, we are to honor the Lord with wise spending and wise choices.
I’m thankful for you having the courage to share your story. I tend to be a hyper-focused person, and because of that I have always feared that I would take couponing to an unhealthy extreme. I try to use coupons that I collect on things that I would have bought anyway, but I’m not a shopping ninja looking for EVERY deal that can be had. I thank God for balance in this area of my life.
Hi there – Just read this article and could relate to it on a personal level. I too, have been down this road. I had been very obsessed with couponing, and it made me realize that even a very good thing could get out of hand, and become a god. I didn’t so much have a certan number in my head to strive toward for spending, but just got into a habit of thinking about shopping all the time and thinking what deals I might be missing.
Recently, I got back into couponing again. It felt more balanced and just right. As Christians, we must realize that anything, literally anything good, that comes into our lives will need balanced in moderation. Even our gifts and talents for Him can become a source of pride that needs knocked down. I really love this story. I really like Faithful Provisions and all you do on your site Kelly. Your ministry is a cut above, with scripture, your testimony and honest stories like this one. God Bless You!! Sheila
1st John 3:
20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
Most people would think that getting condemn over coupons is silly. However if you are so obsessed that God is no longer your first priority than it is wrong. We should do ALL things as ……unto the Lord. Ifwe are doing it to be prideful in ourselves than we are mistaken.
Thanks so much for sharing this story. I have felt the same way, which is why I’ve ‘toned it back’ on couponing lately. It’s frighteningly easy to prioritize things — even good things, like being a good steward of money — above our need for God. And it’s always good to have a reminder that He is our source, as well as a reminder that we aren’t alone!
The story is very encouraging. I have been couponing and have felt it a “sin” to buy something if it wasn’t on sale. That is extreme-which can be seen really as being stingy in away. Unwilling to spend money- actually resentful. (we don’t have much to spend) I know God can help me to be balanced and thankful that my husband has a job.
I have also thought of couponing as being a good steward of the blessings that God has given my family. I never saw it as a “god” though because I see it as using the gifts, talents, and blessings of what God has given me and my family. However, i believe we must not forget that or it will become a “god”.
I loved this article because if we allow our actions to become our “god” then we need to step back and re evaluate our intentions. Is it the “kill” or is it “I was a good steward today and provided for my family?”
Thank you for sharing your story. The Holy Spirit dealt with me in a similar way. I had started spending hours couponing and planning shopping trips but when I actually went shopping and saved a lot of money I started getting that same feeling you described. I began to wonder what was wrong, so I asked the Lord. He showed me that by my obsession of trying to save money and make sure my family had everything they needed, I wasn’t trusting Him. He began to show me that I needed to trust Him because He promised in His word that He would supply all my needs. I don’t do too much extreme couponing unless I feel as though I’m being led to stock up. It’s amazing, when I let go and started trusting Him, I began being blessed to be in the right place at the right time to get great deals without me even looking for a deal and with no coupons!!!God is so awesome.
Good job! Way to listen to Holy Spirit and obey! I want to encourage you, you did well by submitting yourself to God’s authority and when we do, we realize the protection and blessing in it. Way to go again, amen!
Thank you for sharing this story. It is a real eye opener for me. I can see myself getting caught up in the “coupon world”. Sitting here now thinking how many hours I spend searching for that great deal, searching for one more sweepstakes to enter into, trying to get stuff cheap or free. I was just thinking last night “what if I devoted the same amount of time to the Lord instead of the coupon sites?”how much better my spiritual life could be. Thank you so much for, well maybe a confirmation of what the Holy Spirit has been telling me the last several days. I hope you have a very blessed day as you are so a blessing to others and thank you for sharing your heart.
I can relate with many of the others who have commented. I, too, couponed to an extreme, but at the expense of relationships with my family and my other responsibilities at home were being set aside. I was saving lots of money, had built a nice stockpile and was donating lots to charity, but it all seemed empty because I wasn’t spending quality time with my family or properly tending to my other responsibililties as a wife and mother. Eventually I just couldn’t keep up and had to stop. Since then we have moved to an area where there are no double coupons, so the thrill of the deal is not as enticing here. I am actually glad for that because it has helped me keep a proper perspective. I probably should coupon more, but right now my calling is just to be a wife and mother – not a wild coupon woman. I still strive to be a good steward of our grocery dollars, but not at the expense of my family!
Thanks for sharing your story!!
Blessings!
I really love this article and blog. I love the Christian perspective. I love that you honor God by taking a day of rest on Sunday. Great article.
This is such a great post.
I have been couponing for about two months and each time I get a great deal I truely thank God for the knowlege of using coupons.
I have noticed in the pass few weeks I have been on the blogs more and searching for deals. I have not reached the level of Jennifer, but I could easily see me going that far.
I am thankful for this article because I believe it will save me from going down this road completely. I will remember forever.
This is why this is one of my favorite sites! Thanks for sharing and God Bless!
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I have caught myself going down that road. I have used coupons and have a stockpile of essentials as well as a freezer full of meat which was a blessing from a friend. I have no more room, so I have had to forbid myself from any serious grocery shopping. I catch myself looking at a good sale but then I realize I already have 4 of those. I get milk, fresh fruit and veggies and that is it until I start using up some of what i’ve already bought. I am also a single mom. It is something when you can step back and take a breath and realize He really is going to take care of me.
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