Proverbs 31 for the Average Woman
Proverbs 31 for the Average Woman
1. A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned Shari Popejoy
S
he’s a young woman who approaches everything with zest and zeal. She’s well-spoken, confidant, energetic, and amazingly average. She is Sammie to those who know and love her, and she could be described as wife to Paul, mom to Isadora, drummer and vocalist for Friday Night Coffeehouse, and Light Up The Darkness, sister to the twins, daughter of Hometown Hero and founder of the Free Store for needy families, assistant to her
Page 1
father in the small business he owns,. . . volunteer, teacher, helper, friend. . . Or if you really need to give her a label, you could call her an AMAZINGLY AVERAGE WOMAN! She’s also the lady who goes headto-head with the ‘associate’ of the local grocery store, who just can’t stand it that someone is walking out of the store with $872.71 of products when they only paid $22 for it. And even though every store is rebated the entire value of the
Proverbs 31 for the Average Woman
coupon, plus several cents handling by the manufacturers, and those same manufacturers are tickled that their product is flying off the shelves, and is in turn being distributed as product advertising, it just makes some people mad that someone can turn nothing into something! I call that following in “By faith we her Father’s understand that the footsteps! A n d universe was formed that’s what at God’s command, this Proverbs so that what is seen 31 Woman was not made out of does. She what was visible.” takes a time of drought Hebrews 11:3 and turns it into a season of growth, abundance and refreshing for others. Little did she know when she began couponing in
January how essential it would be in helping her family weather the job loss that was looming when her husband’s employment ended with the closure of the plant where he had worked for six and a half years. But this industrious woman was prepared, and went into action, and found a way to provide for her family and bless the community, even in the midst of personal challenge. On a recent trip to the store, Sammie came away with a multitude of bottled water, and spent less than $5. She uses this water for all the teens who hang out at her house; she says that even if she can’t afford to feed them, she feels good giving them vitamin water. She can also donate some of this water to relief efforts. Until I attended Sammie’s class, I was skeptical of couponing. I thought it Page 2
Proverbs 31 for the Average Woman
was a trick to make you buy the higher priced name brand stuff, and if I bought everything that I had a coupon for, I would spend way more money and have a bunch of stuff I didn’t normally buy. But Sammie teaches that a frugal woman can save money, and not only get items she wants and needs, but when shopping smart, can reduce the cost of her normal items – without coupons. On one recent shopping trip, Sammie ended up with 39 cans of baby food, 4 packages of windex wipes, a box of baby wipes, and a gallon of milk for $1.55. She stocks her closets with things like baby wipes and diapers, and now has enough diapers to get her baby thru potty-training, and enough baby wipes to get through kindergarten. On one recent trip, she got enough easter candy to make it to the next millenium. ...well, it was more like 138 Reeses
Peanut Butter Eggs for $0, purchased after Easter when they were half priced with coupons. But since Sammie is also thinking about good dental practices for Izzie, she packaged those chocolate gems into freezer bags, and they are like pennies in the bank, waiting patiently in the freezer for the big Easter GiveAway, where Sammie always donates items to bless area kids in need (and receive a hefty tax write-off for the value of the donation).
Page 3
Proverbs 31 for the Average Woman
Sammie taught a fast paced class for about 90 “The only difference m i n u t e s , between deserts and g i v i n g beaches is the nearness humorous of the water.” examples -Samantha Brakebill of her learning experiences, along with examples of real-life and admirable shopping trips where she spent $6.51 for $41.91 of merchandise. And do you know what a blinky, a pealy, a catalina, register rewards, are, or how to stack coupons? What about the definitions for overage, manufacturer’s coupons, stacking, double coupons, two for ones, buy one get one half price, and even the value of cashier profiling! Well, if you happen to attend her class, you will learn all that and more! Another way Sammie benefits her family? Well, she decided to share her wealth of knowledge and experience on couponing, and now she is in demand as a speaker to teach other ladies her skills. She asks for a suggested donation of $10, and with a growing class size of up to 30 people for her informative sessions, this will become another good way to contribute to her family budget. Maybe she’ll even write an e-book or start a blog! If you want to contact Sammie on Facebook, find her at Sammie Brakebill.
She even had a few tax tips. Did you know that you don’t have to pay tax on the value of the coupon deduction? And if you donate any of your reduced price items to a charitable organization, you can also receive a tax receipt that will apply to your itemized deductions on your income tax return. Sammie believes in being a good steward. In fact, she says that couponing enables her to emulate the Proverbs 31 woman, because she rises early, prepares for her family, is being a good steward, and honors God by helping others – all because she coupons! She says she is a Christian first, and a couponer second, and in her fast-paced, informative class, she even managed to share her faith and several Christian principles of morality, ethics, and good citizenship. What an amazingly average Proverbs 31 Woman! Page 4