frugal friday: a neat tool for online shoppers

bryan and i have started the decorating! we (well, i) really want our little apartment to feel like home for the next few years and decorating is key for me!

i don't really like shopping, so going around to all the stores in ames and looking for that perfect piece of furniture does not really appeal to me. so i've been shopping online! i wanted to share with you a tool that i've been loving:

so, basically, i simply go to ebates.com, search for a store like overstock.com (i got a $26 duvet cover!), click on the store, and order as usual. it's pretty simple stuff!
by adding this one step, i get cash back (typically 2-5%) for shopping as i normally would! sweet deal!
plus if you sign up, you get an automatic $5, so it's no loss right?

it's a wonderful wednesday

"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and dripping of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward."
-Psalm 19:7-11 (ESV)

i had a sweet moment with God this morning-what a unbelievable joy it is to speak to and hear from my Creator, Savior, and King!?!

this passage was so good for me to hear. i've recently been particularly caught up by the just, powerful, and destructive aspects of God's perfect and holy character. there are many moments in the old testament when i find myself saying, "really, God, is that truly the best decision? completely destroying a nation for their sin while forgiving a flagrant sinner of a king just because he was 'chosen'-is that really justice?"

i know it's the pride in my bones that causes me to ask such a question, but i'm searching to know my God more. and He answers me.

He gives me Psalm 19, which reminds me of the message of Galatians:

"We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners" know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law, no one will be justified." 2:15-16 (NIV)

"What then is the purpose of the law? It was added because of trangressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come...So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith." 3:19, 24 (NIV)

"the law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul"-literally! my soul has been revived by the sacrifice of Christ and that law is what has led me to Him!

i put my full confidence in all the words recording in the old testament, or the book of the law, because i know that "that law was put in charge to lead us to Christ."

frugal friday: rebates rock!

i'm dubbing august the month of rebates!

sometime in september, i'll receive around $38 dollars in rebates! that's almost a weeks worth of groceries for us!

the best part? i haven't gone over budget! usually i'm not so excited about rebates because you have to spend more money up front. since we're on a budget, more money on something i don't need is hard even if it's free after rebate. but, due to a lot of the free stuff we've inherited and due to some GREAT sales these past few weeks, we're stocked up on food for the rest of the month and still have some money leftover!

here's something i highly recommend you take advantage of if you can:
in ames, cub foods is the only grocery store participating and right now, they have pretty decent sales on all of their kraft dairy products. here's what i bought:

3 12oz. bags of kraft natural shredded cheese (3/$5)-$5.00
6 tubs of philidelphia cream cheese (3/$5)-$10.00
2 16oz. packages of kraft singles (2/$5)-$5.00
2 family size boxes of wheat thins ($3.79 each)-$7.58
TOTAL-$27.58
-$5.00 off my next purchase at cub foods
-$20.00 rebate
TOTAL-$2.58!

i love free things! and i love staying under budget! more details and a shopping list are here!