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Beware, it’s one of those random ramblings kinda days, so scoot on past for the deals if that’s what you’re looking for, I promise not to be offended!

About ten years ago, I was at a conference with several other women, and after getting ready for our next meeting, a (super cute & always put together…) girl from our group looked at me and said “You know, you’ve got such a great figure.“

Now, in all twenty six years of my life before that, very rarely had anyone commented anything special about this body of mine.  As I’ve shared before, I was an overweight teenager, and while I lost a ton of weight in college, I still wasn’t somebody that often got compliments on my figure.  And while that was okay (really!), it sure did make me feel super cute that day when she said it.

Fast forward eight years.  I was in a Bible study small group with about ten other women, and there was one in the group that I just kept noticing.  She was beautiful. Not the kind of beauty that people might see quickly, but her eyes were bright, her heart was kind, and her beauty was evident.  Each week I noticed her, and remember thinking, I wonder if she even knows how beautiful she is. My bet was that she didn’t.  Finally, after God tugged on my heart one too many times, I bumped into her in the hall and mustered up the courage to tell her how pretty I thought she was.  She was so gracious, and it wasn’t until I received an email a few days later that I realized her story.

Not feeling all that beautiful herself, she was contemplating having some surgery done and consulting with a doctor that very week.  God knew just how beautiful she was though, just the way that she was, and cared so much for her that He made sure I took the time to say something . . . those kind words were sent directly from Him right on down to her (I just happened to be the mouth piece!)

This morning as I looked at myself in the mirror, God reminded me of the sweet words my friend mentioned in passing about my figure from a whopping ten years ago. (How silly. . . who on earth cares about a compliment that’s ten years old. . . really?)  But, it caused me to re-adjust my thinking, put on a fun bracelet, and even feel cute again for a second or two. That tiny compliment that she took time to say impacted me so much, and all it took her was the willingness to say it.

So what on earth does might that mean for you today?  If you notice something special about someone today, tell them.  I know it goes way out of our comfort zone to compliment someone else (I really don’t understand why; we all want to hear it!), but today, just go ahead and do it.  You never know when God may use your kind words to change someone else’s heart, and maybe someone will speak kindness to you today too.

Looking for more random ramblings?  You might enjoy these. . .

• Praying With Your Children
• Do Our Children Need It All?
• If Only. . .
• Contentment Even In The Little Things
• Don’t Sacrifice What You Really Want For What You Want Right Now
• More Than Just A Penny Pincher:  The Value Of Homemaking
• Keeping Up When You Aren’t Really Keeping Up
• The Greatest Coupon

Last week I was looking for some simple baskets to organize the drawers in our bathroom, and noticed that Target had a single plastic organizing bin priced at $5.99.  WHAT?  Yes, they were cute; and yes, I really wanted them, but there was no way I could justify spending that on a tiny bin.  My daughter of course also noticed the super cute sunglasses that Target sold, but at a whopping $5.99 per pair there was no way I was picking them up. (She loses those things every time we walk out the door. . . it would be like throwing $5.99 in the trash can!)

So, I headed next door to my trusty Dollar Tree (I love that place!) and found exactly what I needed for waaaayyyyy less money.  Here are a few fun things they had at the Dollar Tree. . .

How cute are those?

And here’s what I ended up grabbing for just $5 (less than I would have spent for a single bin at Target!)

Here are a few other items I’ve found worth stopping by the Dollar Tree for:

• paper products and helium balloons for birthday parties
• coloring books and workbooks for my children
• flash cards for my kids
• treats for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes
• gift bags
• wrapping paper
• cards

Have you found deals at your local dollar store?  It really is a great way to save on items that can be so expensive elsewhere, and a fun place to take your children with a dollar or two to spend.  I’d love to hear where else you shop that helps you pinch those pennies a little further!

By the way, did you know Target even sells Hello Kitty Duck Tape?  I have no idea who buys that stuff, but thought it was a hoot!

I made the quickest run today to Publix to grab a few of this week’s deals, and while I didn’t get everything I’d hoped for, I did grab quite a few items for $54 plus tax!  Last night I went through this week’s list of Publix printable coupons so that I’d be all ready for today’s sale . . . only to realize as I hurried out to the grocery store that I unplugged the printers earlier in the week and completely forgot to plug them back in.  Needless to say, I’ll be heading back to Publix again for a few more deals.

While this week’s deals weren’t all that exciting, I was happy to pick up a shoulder roast and Pepperoncini Peppers (both on sale this week) to make some Italian Beef over the weekend in Mrs. Potts! (If you haven’t made that before, I promise you’ll love it!) And, here’s what we’re donating this week:

I’d love to hear how your grocery trip went this week, and if you were able to purchase an item or two to give please take a minute to share that too! See how other folks are saving at Super Savings Saturday at Money Saving Mom,Weekly Totals at I Heart Publix, and Friday Finals at Southern Savers.

New to couponing? Start out by checking out all Publix matchups over HERE, and also take a minute to visit this week’s top Kroger deals and Drug Store Deals.  You can also check out my beginners series over HERE.

I haven’t been to Aldi’s in quite a few weeks, mostly because when their “introductory” price of milk at our brand-spankin’ new store went up from $1.99, I wasn’t quite as motivated to make an extra trip.  But I was nearby today while running errands, and very happy to get a few deals!  My kids go through fresh fruit so quickly that I can hardly keep up with them, and while I love getting deals on snacks using coupons, my preference is that they eat as much fresh fruit as they want.  So, I spent $16.24 plus tax for everything in the picture, and hopefully the fruit will get us through the weekend.  (I bought two packs of the same size strawberries at Publix for $2.50 each, and my kids ate through an entire pack each day after school!)

By the way, we LOVE the Aldi’s pizzas, which are $5.99 (and huge!)  We’re working on sticking more to our grocery and dining out budget (I’ll share more tomorrow. . . ), and that pizza should help us save $20 by on eating out tomorrow night, which is totally worth it during baseball & soccer season for our family!

Anyone else shopped Aldi’s lately?  I was surprised when asking a few days ago on Facebook about it how many different responses you all shared! 

One of my greatest frustrations as a couponer (and I’m betting yours too!), is seeing a fantastic printable coupon available, but not being able to access it to print.  (Doesn’t that make you nuts?)  Here are a few tips I’ve figured out to make printing coupons go more smoothly:

1. Sign up for all the basic coupon sites before printing coupons.  Different coupon sites offer different methods of printing, so I recommend installing the coupon printers at Coupons.com, Coupon Network, Smart Source and Red Plum to access the majority of coupons available.  Once you’ve installed the coupon printer, you *should* have no problems printing your coupons.
2. All of the sites that I mentioned above are safe for your computer.  If you’re ever unsure if a website is safe for you to use, always use your good judgement!  But coupons posted here on Passionate Penny Pincher are all ones that we feel are safe for you to use.
3. If you’re having problems printing coupons, try a different browser. I’ve had better luck printing most coupons with Google Chrome, however for the life of me I can’t get Red Plum coupons to print (ughhhh!)  If you’re having issues in Google Chrome, try Internet Explorer or Moxilla Firefox, and hopefully one will work for you.  (I can print Red Plum coupons in internet explore without any problems.)
4. If you’re still having problems printing coupons you may want to try downloading an updated version of Java to your computer.
5. Most of the major coupon websites have filters that will make finding your coupons easier.  For example, on Coupons.com, you can choose which coupons you’re looking for by selecting a category in the left sidebar.  Smart Source coupons are very easy to locate because they allow you to sort by manufacturer or product to find just what you’re looking for (I love that!)  When you go to a new coupon site, be sure to look over the entire page to find any hints on how to filter your coupons and make searching a little easier.

Please remember that as you’re printing coupons, you may never (ever, ever, never), copy a printable coupon.  Typically a manufacturer allows you to print two of each coupon, so by clicking your back button after printing the first coupon you’ll be allowed a second print.  However, most printable coupons have separate bar codes, and manufacturers are only required to reimburse a store for one coupon per bar code.  Learn more about ethical coupon usage HERE.

What questions do you have about printing coupons?  And, more importantly, if you know any great tips on how to print coupons, this not-so-technologically-advancedpenny-pincher would love for you to share them!

 New to using coupons?  Start HERE.

This is a guest post from a friend of mine (who knows the value of a coupon!), and wanted to share with you this Easter. May you know the love and peace of Our Manufacturer all year long.

No deal is perfect. Everything has a cost. Many things come at a high price, yet thankfully most can be discounted. Some things can even be free with a great coupon!

The greatest coupons still have problems. Most will eventually expire. They are “void where prohibited.” There is a limit on how many people can use.

Some people don’t take advantage of great coupons though. Why? Maybe some don’t even know about them. Even if they do, they might defiantly refuse to use them. Some people don’t believe they are really worth anything. But every coupon has worth in our eyes! Maybe non-couponers would cash in on the offers if they were just taught how. We couponers should share the good news!

So here’s the gist of how to reap the benefits: 1) Seek out something you love. 2) Find a coupon, maybe from the manufacturer. 3) Pay the price for the item. 4) Once the coupon has been redeemed, celebrate how much you saved! 5) Tell everyone you know about your great deal. Happy shopping!

No one is perfect. Our sins have a cost. Many sins come at a high price, yet thankfully they can be discounted. We can even be free with the “Greatest Coupon”!

The Greatest Coupon has no problems. It will never expire. It is never void or prohibited. There is no limit on how many people can use it.

Some people don’t take advantage of the Greatest Coupon though. Why? Maybe some don’t even know about it. Even if they do, they might defiantly refuse to use it. Some people don’t believe they are really worth anything. But every person has worth in God’s eyes! Maybe non-Christians would cash in on the offer if they were just taught how. We Christians should share the Good News!

So here’s the gist of how to reap the benefits: 1) God sought out someone he loves—you. 2) We have a coupon from our Manufacturer. 3) Jesus paid the price for our sins. 4) Since our sins have been redeemed, we can celebrate that we are saved! 5) Tell everyone you know about the Greatest Coupon. Happy Easter!

My prayer for you this Easter is that you might know salvation from the One who values you so greatly that He willingly gave His life for you. It truly is the greatest gift we’ll each receive, and allows us freedom that comes only from the one true God. As my son reminds me each Easter morning, “Christ is risen!” He is risen indeed.

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:11-15

Photo courtesy of billaday on Flickr.