BnSki...123

Last week, I learned that Harris Teeter was having super doubles this week. I was disheartened because I knew I had done most of my shopping and therefore had little money leftover. But God always surprises me.

Yesterday, we had stew for dinner. This is rare because Iz is allergic to beef. I had bought fish for Iz for this night, but had unexpectedly served it to his sister. This necessitated an errand to the store. I routinely buy fish at Harris Teeter because they have a reward program....and their fish seems a bit fresher. So off I went. I found that they still had some trout (our favorite) left that was on sale. I decided to spend more money than expected so I called home to ask Ski if he could check my balance. I was using a different account for this trip, but I wanted to know if there would be extra in my other account. Now I was in for s surprise. I had much more money than I had thought.

You see, when I shop, I overestimate each visit. I round my totals to the next ten and try to keep a running tally in my head. This way, I don't have to write everything down as I go and I have never over spent. But I last did my shopping on New Years Eve. I was in a hurry and wasn't keeping track as well. When I thought I had spent too much, I stopped. I had not checked the account since.

So my first surprise was a small surplus. Ooooh!!! Now I could do a little super doubles.

But first, back to my fish. I bought three fish. One for that night and two for us later. Mmmmmm..... This brought my total for the fish club to over $35. Now I had a $5 credit at the store. That would come in handy with super doubles!! So last night I spent a bit of time sorting and planning.

When I hunt for used books, I don't stress and worry, but have come to see that the books that I find are those that God has provided for me. I have been to a sale where I have found treasures that others have overlooked and I have overlooked treasures that others have found. Likewise, I have seen the same thing happen with me and food shopping. I have a firm belief that the Lord enables me to find bargains and deals so that I may more abundantly provide for my family. I know many would disagree. It is all coincidence. But you won't be able to convince me otherwise.

I found everything I was looking for. I had a trunk full of groceries for under $20. I made two stops to do it, but at my first stop when I had a bunch of bags worth of groceries for around $10, the lady behind me commended me for my good work. I did put a little work into it, but time and time again, I see where God has just blessed me abundantly with bargains and deals. I never share what I spend on food anymore. I have had one too many people balk at the amount. But my cabinets, fridge, and freezer are always full and we have never lacked. Even when I didn't coupon, I had more than enough. Many years ago, when it was only Ski and I, I had only $30 for two weeks of food. I will never forget how God supplied for all of our needs for those two weeks. Since then He has never let me down and has continued to overwhelm me with His goodness.

When people see all of our children, one of the things they always say is, "Your food bill must be astronomical." I just laugh with a little twinkle in my eye.....