Sunday Newspaper Coupons?

[Kim G]

My husband and I did not grow up "keeping the Sabbath." We still find it difficult to know what is appropriate for the Lord's Day.

Every Sunday, there is a coupon section in the newspaper. There is a Walgreens on the way to church that sells the newspaper for only 83 cents. They sell out before the day is half over. I have a friend who buys the Sunday newspaper and saves 70-90% on her grocery bill (she'll spend $12 and save $83, for example). I am pregnant and will have to quit my job soon and live on hubby's paycheck, which is slightly less than what we've been used to. I'd love to do coupon clipping, but I can't decide what to do about buying the paper on Sunday.

Any practical advice?

 

[a mere housewife]

Some dollar stores here sell the Sunday paper on Monday; I believe that it is actually printed on Sat? (I think it's the Monday edition that is actually printed on Sunday?). I wish I had other advice. I struggled with this but in one way it's a completely theoretical struggle for me: I can't make it out to various stores/can't eat a lot of what's on sale etc. And when I asked Ruben he wasn't comfortable with my buying the paper.

PS. Just to add that I have some friends who do this and save a lot of money, and are very conscientious about the Lord's Day.

 

[DonP]

Lots of places you can have the Sunday paper delivered on sat or buy one Sat eve in small stores

The only question might be what others would think if they saw you had Sunday coupons, or that technically you are supporting a paper that says it is Sunday.

If God keeps your car from breaking down one time, because you have honored Him you could unknowingly be ahead thousands of dollars, more than having to buy on the Lord's day.

 

[Scottish Lass]

Two possibilities, depending on how strictly you lean. Tim prefers that if we do buy the Sunday paper, that we do it on Saturday. Many large towns/small cities offer the Sunday paper the evening before at WalMart/Kroger, etc. Another option is to buy them from a sidewalk box--it's commerce, and someone filled it in the middle of the night, but you aren't keeping anyone from worship.

Tim also just reminded me that our mothers frequently send us the coupons for the brands we use--I don't have to sort or clip, so that's half the work! The advantage to that is that coupons differ by region, so we get some from three different regions. You could also try a swap at church--somebody's bound not to use your favorite brands!

Edit: I take too long to type!

 

[Kim G]

If God keeps your car from breaking down one time, because you have honored Him you could unknowingly be ahead thousands of dollars, more than having to buy on the Lord's day.

Thank you for your advice. I take issue with this part of your post, however. I do not believe that God does tit for tat (i.e., you break the 4th commandment, God causes your car to break down). I lived like that for too long, just waiting for God to hurt me because I didn't pray long enough that morning or because I sinned in my heart that afternoon. The truth is, I sin all the time, and God graciously covers all my sins under the blood of Christ.

Can God use hard providences to chasten me? Yes. But it's never a "payback."

 

[a mere housewife]

I do not believe that God does tit for tat (i.e., you break the 4th commandment, God causes your car to break down). I lived like that for too long, just waiting for God to hurt me because I didn't pray long enough that morning or because I sinned in my heart that afternoon. The truth is, I sin all the time, and God graciously covers all my sins under the blood of Christ.

Can God use hard providences to chasten me? Yes. But it's never a "payback."

Kim I'm out of thanks but this is such a wonderful thought, it actually made me cry. I think I still function under such a sense of God's being disposed towards in a tit for tat 'reaction' to our sins in this way. Thanks for posting that.

 

[DonP]

If God keeps your car from breaking down one time, because you have honored Him you could unknowingly be ahead thousands of dollars, more than having to buy on the Lord's day.

Thank you for your advice. I take issue with this part of your post, however. I do not believe that God does tit for tat (i.e., you break the 4th commandment, God causes your car to break down). I lived like that for too long, just waiting for God to hurt me because I didn't pray long enough that morning or because I sinned in my heart that afternoon. The truth is, I sin all the time, and God graciously covers all my sins under the blood of Christ.

Can God use hard providences to chasten me? Yes. But it's never a "payback."

You mis-stated what I said.

I would never say God does tit for tat. The reverse of a statement is not necessarily true.

God can do mercies for us to preserve us financially that we may not know.
My point was not to worry about making a mistake so you get punished. But it was to see the gracious mercy of God to us when we obey Him. We may end up ahead financially and not even know what we avoided.

God does not have to show mercy on us always.
God can allow us to suffer consequences of poor decisions, or sins.
God does discipline us to strengthen our faith.
And God can chasten us for our actions even if it is not a one for one.

So you decide what these verses say about God.

Deut 8:2 And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. 4 Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. 5 You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you. NKJV

2 Sam 7:14 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. NKJV

Job 5:17 "Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects;
Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. NKJV

1 Cor 11:29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. NKJV

Heb 12:5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives."

7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. NKJV

Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. NKJV

 

[OPC'n]

Sounds like this would fall in the necessity area. I see nothing wrong with it.

 

[Laura]

I don't know about it being a necessity to save a dollar every week. . .

83 cents is no doubt a good deal on the Sunday paper, but if yours is $2 regular price like mine (how much more could a paper be?), it's really not that big a difference. Just concentrate on all the savings you'll be getting from what's inside the $2 paper.

Like Anna said many papers put out an early edition of the Sunday paper with all the coupons on Saturday evening. (Not just small stores: Wal-Mart and Publix do it here.) And I haven't tried this yet, but some "extreme couponers" have asked a gas station clerk what they do with extra Sunday papers and were told that they could have them for free if they picked them up Monday morning. :O Man, I need to get asking. We've got a lot of gas stations around here.

Sometimes my Kroger or a discount gas station near me will bundle two papers for $2.50. I'm not sure if they start doing this on Monday or late Sunday, but I can usually find one Monday morning (and I'm not an early riser these days).

 

[SolaScriptura]

I hereby declare to you that you don't need to cancel Sunday delivery of your newspaper if you can't get the Sunday paper on another day of the week. Just do your coupon clipping on Monday.

 

[Scott1]

Westminster Confession of Faith

Chapter XXI.

VIII. This Sabbath is to be kept holy unto the Lord when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts about their wordly employments and recreations,[38] but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.[39]

With the doctrine of Scripture in view, keeping the day holy does mean, ordinarily, setting aside things like reading (and buying) the newspaper on the Lord's Day.

It's not that there is anything sinful in and of itself with reading the newspaper, playing football, or even skydiving. But these are the ordinary things we "set aside" for the Day so we can, by God's grace, focus on Him all the day and truly make it different.

There is benefit to us in obeying this- practically it makes us freer to focus on Him in thought, word and deed. But it is a command, and we must obey.

It is good you are considering the practical application of Scripture. Ask God not only to give you grace to abstain from things on sabbath (that's part of it though), but also that He will help you enjoy the sabbath. Both (abstaining, and spending time enjoying Him) do not always flow naturally from sinners that we are.

Deuteronomy 13:4

4Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

The fourth commandment is both positive and negative, "Remember, keep holy (set apart)" and "thou shalt not do any work..."

God will bless you in your obedience.

 

[DonP]

I hereby declare to you that you don't need to cancel Sunday delivery of your newspaper if you can't get the Sunday paper on another day of the week. Just do your coupon clipping on Monday.

Wow

Would someone else like to be so presumptuous as to make a pronouncement that the newspaper is worldly and no Christian should take it on Sunday or maybe even any day, or read the stuff in it, or be tempted by what is in it, or be a partaker in other men's sins, support an organization that publishes such stuff?

 

[SolaScriptura]

I hereby declare to you that you don't need to cancel Sunday delivery of your newspaper if you can't get the Sunday paper on another day of the week. Just do your coupon clipping on Monday.

Wow

Would someone else like to be so presumptuous as to make a pronouncement that the newspaper is worldly and no Christian should take it on Sunday or maybe even any day, or read the stuff in it, or be tempted by what is in it, or be a partaker in other men's sins, support an organization that publishes such stuff?

Actually, I was trying to free people from the burden that would be placed on them by those who would say that since they don't "need" the Sunday paper, they are contributing to the delivery boy's sin by having him deliver it to them on Sunday...

 

[kvanlaan]

Actually, I was trying to free people from the burden that would be placed on them by those who would say that since they don't "need" the Sunday paper, they are contributing to the delivery boy's sin by having him deliver it to them on Sunday...

Can someone please explain to me how this 'fits' with honoring the Sabbath while eating at a restaurant does not? It seems to make the same argument: it's part of the package, they'll be doing the job anyway, so just take the Sunday paper/go out to eat. Sorry, but I just don't follow your logic...

 

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[Idelette]

I was just going to add, you can find most coupons online now a days. I primarily get my coupons online and don't even bother with papers anymore. I'm pretty sure you could find a majority of them available online, depending on what stores you shop at.

 

[Scott1]

With your husband leading in this (setting the tone for the sabbath), commit this to prayer before the Lord. Gently ask your husband to lead in this.

Something like Lord, help us to not buy or read the newspaper on Sunday and see if we will be better or worse off financially in 6 months. See if you are worse off financially in 6 months because you lost coupons from the Sunday paper.

While I cannot guarantee God will bless you financially (because the real test is obedience, whatever the cost), I have seen God prove Himself through this kind of thing many times.

One time a believing spouse was married to an unbelieving husband. She wanted to tithe, he did not want to tithe. So recognizing his authority, she asked her husband if they could tithe for 6 months and that, if they were worse off financially in 6 months, she would never ask him to tithe again.

The unbelieving husband agreed, believing this would cause suffering and end the foolishness of wasting 10% of their money.

After 6 months, God blessed the couple in ways they could never imagine, including financially. Eventually, the husband became a believer, too.

As reformed Christians we know we cannot demand of or presume upon God, it is sin to do so. But I have seen and experienced God blessing obedience and proving Himself in ways like this many times, to the end of His Honor and His Glory.

From a practical standpoint, learning to discipline your lives, by God's grace, to obey Him (fourth commandment) will pay a lifetime of benefits.