Our Efforts -- Multiplied

Most of us know the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 with nothing more than a boy's 5 loaves and 2 fishes:

"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. ~ John 6:9-13 NIV

I believe that Jesus continues to multiply the fruits of our efforts when it's for our good and to His glory. So, do I believe He blesses our efforts of frugality and savings? Absolutely! One of the ways my family is consistently rewarded for our labor is with clipping coupons. I know it's time-consuming, and can appear on the surface to be too much of a hassle. But I have found the bounty to be more than worth it! I am routinely saving between $50 and $100 per week on my grocery shopping -- much to my husband's surprise and excitement!

I don't consider myself to be a "coupon queen," as there is still much I am learning about becoming more effective at using them. But I do want to share some incredible links that have taken me from feeling overwhelmed to confident in the worthiness of coupon clipping. If you only check out one coupon site, go to www.couponmom.com . This site is loaded with information for everyone from beginners to the relative expert. Other really good sites are : www.smartsource.com , www.coolsavings.com , and www.ppgazette.com . Enjoy!