Becoming a Family

All my life, I've thought of my future in terms of my own family's traditions and values. That is only natural, I'm sure. Seth has probably pictured our future together in much the same way--looking through the lenses of his family's way of doing things. Both of us have gained much wisdom from looking at our lives in this way because we are so thankful for how we were raised! I can feel something subtle happening in these days, though, and it is beautiful. As we talk together and pray together, we are becoming our own family. We no longer see ourselves solely as younger versions of our parents, but as adults well-equipped (by our parents) to blaze our own trail. God is knitting our hearts together and whispering what he wants for us and our future family. Keep talking to us, Lord. We are listening!

Coupons vs. Generics

I have been stumped lately in regards to how people save so much money with coupons. I even signed up for a free e-course on couponing, but this is what I have noticed: Every time I get excited about using a coupon, I take it to Wal-mart and find that their generic brand is cheaper than the cost of a name-brand item after coupon. What's more, I like Great Value brand really well, sometimes better than the real thing. Something else I have discovered is that Dollar General has their canned soups and vegetables regularly priced at 50-60 cents a can, which is cheaper than coupons OR generics at Wal-mart! I wonder if any seasoned coupon experts could comment on this so that I can better understand the value of coupons.