Happy Friday: The Power of Couponing
Sent from reader, Amanda:
With today marking the 14th anniversary of September 11th, I felt it was an appropriate time to share my loss, but still highlight the positive notes regarding couponing and how your site has given me the tools to make my brother’s funeral as wonderful as possible.
After 9/11, my brother joined and served as a helicopter pilot in the United States Army. Not long ago, he was medically discharged after returning from Afghanistan. Unfortunately things took a turn for the worse and my brother passed away at the young age of 31. As a veteran, the military does not pay for much when it comes to a funeral, and my brother had no life insurance.
Due to the overwhelming funeral costs, I began using the skills I learned from your site and it has helped me give my brother the funeral that he deserves. There are no words to adequately express my gratitude to you and your team.
I was worried that my brother’s upcoming funeral (which is Friday, September 18th), wouldn’t have any flowers (due to the high cost). So, I turned to your site to guide me. I printed out multiple coupons that you posted from the hobby stores (Hobby Lobby, Michael’s and JoAnn Fabrics) to purchase some high quality artificial flowers, a foam wreath ring, etc.
Then, to make it stand out more, I took advantage of one of your many canvas deals you posted throughout the last month. The canvas company was so wonderful to work with. They let me customize my size and even offered to let me order the canvas unstretched in order to be able to attach it to the back of the wreath (which shows the white stars).
After my brother’s funeral, I will be donating the wreath to the funeral home so that they may offer it to the families of soldiers or veterans that cannot afford much.
In addition, I was also able to order more than enough memorial cards through a few of your Shutterfly posts. This way, everyone that attends my brother’s funeral will leave with a little something to remember the wonderful person my brother was.
HAPPY FRIDAY!
Do you have a funny, “Hip”, or unique photo to share?! Email us at happyfriday@hip2save(dot)com. Every Friday, we post one photo, submitted by a Hip2Save reader, that gives us a glimpse into their frugal lifestyle or simply makes us smile. If your photo is published on Hip2Save, we’ll email you a $10 Amazon e-card!
Amanda…Thank you for sharing. That must have been so hard to do. I am so sorry for your loss and your wreath is beautiful, a great way to honor your brother with your love.
We can all help Amanda @ https://www.gofundme.com/wzq3u7fk
Bless your brother, you and all of your family. Such a touching story.
I and my family are so thankful for your brother and family’s service and sacrifice. My heart breaks today all over again for all the senseless loss from 9/11. Courage and bravery in the aftermath, like your brother’s, gives me hope and pride. Thank you again. I am so sorry for your loss.
I’m so sure your loved one didn’t die in vain, that he lived and was an awesome person. Thank you for opening your life and story to us. It’s very heartfelt. Your couponing and style to every detail in the wreath is very beautiful. May your family receive all the loving embrace shared with family, friends and loved ones in this time of loss.
Thank you for sharing Amanda. I am very sorry for your loss. What an amazing sister you are!!
Im in tears… Praying for you, dear friend, so God helps you to recover from your loss. Makes me think you live on sone type of inhabitable island with no other humans. Where are the friends and neighbors? They shall be supporting you in every way they can, even though the Gov. fails to do so. We all need each other. Makes me think I shall pay more attention to people around me. Not everyone asks for help. We shall have the ears and eyes open to see and recognize the ones in need. You are such a sweet sister. You need a hug.
Sometimes we don’t want to ask others for help, and sometimes others don’t realise we need financial assistance. Doesn’t mean she lives on an island…what I do sympathise with is that all veterans serve with their fullest yet the system fails to support them the fullest after their term ends. All the calls we get for vet donation trucks , etc. so sad.
What an inspirational story, it brought tears to my eyes. You sound like an amazing person, I’m sure your brother would be very proud of you. I’ll say a prayer for you and your family as I know how difficult it is to lose a loved one.
Amanda ~ Thank you for sharing your story. I will be keeping you and your family in my prayers. Sending you love and hugs during this difficult time.
Amanda, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this difficult time. With many thanks for your brothers service. Collin if there is a site to donate to help Amanda defray some of the costs please let me know, would like to help. Thank You!
Me too, please post an update if there is one.
I am so very sorry for your loss. I’ll be keeping you and your family in my prayers for many years to come. I can tell you from experience that your pain will never go away but you’ll learn to survive in your new reality. Your brother was an American Hero and I know that he left an amazing legacy in our heart and in the hearts and minds of everyone that knew him. Like the tragic events that happened 14 years ago, your brother will also never be forgotten by anyone that knew him.
In the future, you’ll realize that people may stop talking to you about him but that doesn’t mean that they’ve forgotten, they simply don’t want to upset you if you’re having a good day. What they won’t know is that it may bring tears to your eyes but it brings joy to your heart to talk about him. Lean on your friends and let them know this because they’ll be happy to share memories of him with you.
Finally, the things you’ve made for his funeral look amazing and you are such a great sister for making sure that his funeral is taken care of in such a professional and personal way. And you’re a great person for donating his flowers to help those in need in the future.
As the holidays approach and all the anniversaries, I’ll be thinking of you and praying for your family.
Amanda, my sincerest sympathies on the loss of your brother. My heart breaks for you. I have a brother the same age and he also served in Afghanistan. You are showing such strength in honoring your brother in this way and for thinking of others while in the midst of your own grief. Thank you for sharing your story.
I am so, so sorry for your loss.
I’m so sorry for your loss. The wreath is beautiful. Very thoughtful to donate it for other military families to use.
I totally agree with Tracy… The wreath looks great!! and I think that it is wonderful that you want to help other military families in a similar situation. I appreciate all your brother did for our country and all that you are doing for your brother and his honor!!
I have no doubt that your brother was very honored and proud to have you in his life. Sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing your frugal ideas.
God bless you and your family. I am truly touched by your generous spirit even at this sad time in you life. Your brother is looking down on you with pride.
God bless you and your family. What a wonderful way to honor your brother. As a veteran myself, I can appreciate you sharing your beautiful wreath with other military families that aren’t as fortunate as we are.
Wow, it is amazing that some good deals can help in such a big way. God bless you Amanda for honoring your brother’s memory & Collin for faithfully posting deals for those that need them. Much love to all the H2S family. 🙂
Oh,Amanda! I pray that God’s love is with you and your family. We all here, the ones whose dear men served or serve, cry for your loss and admire your strength.
Sorry for your loss
Very sorry for your loss but very glad to see the positivity you see in things sometimes that is he hardest but most important thing to do. Best of wishes and prayers
💞
I am SO very sorry for your loss…. Thank you for your brother’s service. Your story of couponing is beautiful. God bless you as you grieve this loss. The Lord is close to the broken-hearted…
Amanda, thank you for sharing. I am so sorry for your loss, and so grateful for your brother’s service.
So sweet to pay it forward by donating it after his service. Sorry for your loss.
So sorry for your loss. The wreath is beautiful. Your story brought me to tears for your loss and for my husband who was recently medical released and it’s been difficult. Thank you for his service and God bless.
My heartfelt condolences to you and your family, Amanda. May God bless and strengthen all of you during this difficult time. And like everyone here has been saying, thank you to your brother who served selflessly. And you are a wonderful sister. I love your wreath and so will everyone at the funeral home – at your brother’s final farewell as well as the people who will later get to display it due to your generous donation. Again, God bless you.
As I sit here reading each and every one of your comments, it brings tears to my eyes. Tears of happiness. I cannot thank each and every one of you enough for the outpouring of support and kind words that you all have shared with me and my family today. The Hip2Save community has made me feel loved and appreciated. My brother would have been so happy to see all of the kindness surrounding our story. I am also grateful to Collin and her team for choosing to post my story and the kind words they shared with me as well.
My brother was a wonderful person and only ever wanted to help people. Even after he passed, he was able to save 4 lives through his organ donations. I feel that even in death, he was still able to help others. He leaves behind a beautiful 8 month old baby girl that always hear what a great person her daddy was.
It has definitely been a trying time for me and my family, since my brother passed away only 3 days after returning from burying our mother up north. I am certainly doing my best to stay positive (being the oldest sibling) and all of your posts couldn’t have come at a better time. I will forever cherish every comment from all of you wonderful Hip2Savers.
If any of you would like to keep in touch, you are more than welcome to e-mail me at ahhalstead(at)gmail(dot)com; and if you would like to read more about my brother, the web address to his obituary (on the funeral home’s site) is:
http://www.neal-tarpley(dot)com/Jason-Paul-Gosz-OBIT-17473(dot)aspx
Again, thank you so very much. I couldn’t have asked for a better community of people to share my story with. Cherish the ones you love, as you never know what the future holds. God Bless you all.
Amanda
Amanda-
I am so incredibly sorry for the loss of your brother. He was a very brave and selfless man for joining the military after 9/11. You are a wonderful sister for doing what you can for your family during an incredibly difficult time.
Hi Amanda,
Such a heartfelt story about your brother. I am so very sorry for your loss as well as your family’s. I am so proud of your brother, Jason for wanting to serve and protect our country after 9/11. May his memories always remain in the lives of yourself, your father and his young daughter as well as other family and friends he left behind.
What a wonderful job you did on the wreath and smart thinking on using your savings tips from Hip2save to help make flower arrangements and get memorial cards.
May God continue to be with you and your family in this time of sadness. May Jason rest in peace.
Amanda, thank you for sharing your personal story it is very moving. I thank your brother for his service and I am so sorry for your family’s loss. You and your family are such an inspiration to all us. I have learned so much from Hip2save and all the wonderful people on this site. Again, thank your for sharing.
What a perfect sentiment from you for him. Beautiful job, it looks perfect.
Sorry for your loss. I myself have several military family members. All of my grandfathers served. Two served during World War II the other during the Vietnam War. My brother is in the Navy and my sister-in-law is in the National Guard. Couldn’t be mor proud of my family and your brother for what they do.
Your brother is a wonderful person. I’m thankful I know his story now.
Amanda my thoughts and support are for you and your family during this very hard time. We appreciate the sacrifices your family has made so that your brother could defend our country. Thank you for sharing. Sending you strength and love to make it through the next steps in your journey. With all the love you have put in to his service I’m sure it will be something he will love.
Thank you for sharing your story. Your brother is an Angel looking over us all. God Bless.
God bless the soldiers and their families that protect us everyday!
Amanda, I’m so sorry to hear of our loss. Thank you for sharing. It was beautiful, and thank you for being the sister he deserves. I agree that Collin’s site is just more than a coupon site…it allows us to save to pay off debt, pay for funerals or whatever else life hands us. I’m sending your family hugs and prayers.
Sorry for your loss. Beautiful wreath!
Thanks for sharing your story – very touching! Sorry for your loss but very happy to hear that you gave your brother the funeral he deserves. Thank you for his service and hope that the next chapter in your life is filled with happiness.
Beautiful story – there is a gofundme page set up to help defray funeral expenses:
https://www.gofundme.com/wzq3u7fk
Thank you for posting. I wasn’t able to donate much but I hope it helps.
This might make it easier to find more information (that Amanda has shared above).
https://www.neal-tarpley.com/Jason-Paul-Gosz-OBIT-17473.aspx
I’m so sorry for your loss! Ur brother is a hero!! I’m so grateful for his service and love for his country! Praying God gives comfort during this difficult time as only He can do!! Ur a great sister and that’s a beautiful wreath! Way to be thinking of others midst your own sorrow!! GOD bless!!
So sorry for your loss…it is great what you did for your brother, also sad you did not get help. I know our local vfw/American Legion go out of their way to help family’s like yours. If you reach out they may still be able to.
So sorry for your loss, Amanda. I’ll be thinking of you and your family. (((HUGS)))
So sorry for your loss. You did a beautiful job on the wreath. It’s beautiful.
I am sorry for you loss. Thank you to your brother and your family for the sacrifice he made to protect our freedom. Praying for your family.
I am so sorry for your loss.
I’m an Army spouse and I feel your pain. I’ve attended too many funerals and memorials since 9/11. I’m so happy you were able to give your brother the best funeral that you could. It takes someone special and strong to accomplish all that you did while grieving.
Words cannot express what you and your family have went through and are still going through. I want to first thank your brother for serving our country.
Second I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing your story and may God hold you in his arms and comfort you and your family
Sorry for your loss. May God bless you and your family. We thank your brother for his service. He is a hero.
UR BROTHER SMILE IS BEAMING DOWN ON U RIGHT THE VERY SECOND. I AM SURE UR BRO WOULD EXPECT NO LESS.
GOD BLESS UR FAMILY
Bless you and your family during these times. I’m so thankful for your brother’s service .
I lifted you and your family up in prayer to God. May He give you peace and comfort. Here is a big hug. 🙂