My wife’s father used to claim that stores would pay Deborah to shop there. What he was referring to was the uncanny ability she had of buying merchandise for pennies on the dollar due to sales, coupons or other money saving tactics. I’ll admit, while Deborah doesn’t exactly get paid to shop (though one time she did receive more for a return than she paid, even after pointing that fact out to the clerk), Deborah does have a knack for getting the best deals when shopping. She takes pride in this talent and is always looking for the best price. Case in point, according to the CVS app on her phone, she has been in the top 4% of savers in the state of Florida for the past two years. This actually frustrates Deborah a bit. She was really hoping to improve and be in the top 3%.

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ABC’s Bachelor in Paradise premiered this week. As you might already know, this season had a rather rocky start. Earlier this summer rumor, innuendo, and unanswered questions abounded throughout entertainment news outlets. Despite all that, the Bachelor spin-off was finally able to complete filming and this week “Bachelor Nation” got their first glimpse as to what actually happened on set. In fact, the screenshot below captured one big secret that was revealed on Monday’s show: Dean is apparently a Legend of Zelda fanboy, as evidenced by his Triforce tattoo!

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This week President Trump criticized online retailer Amazon for its role in destroying traditional jobs across the country. While it’s a good bet that this statement is just another unsubstantiated Trumpinion, it’s no secret that brick and mortar stores have encountered increasing opposition from online retailers. That being said, online sellers such as Amazon, Ebay, Etsy and others have given businesses and home entrepreneurs an outlet to easily sell their products online. From my own personal observation, one sector that has benefited greatly from the online sales boom is the U.S. Post Office. Prior to the rise of online sellers, the USPS was cutting back on workers in post offices and considering stopping Saturday mail delivery. Today, the post office, as well as other delivery services, appear to be thriving. I dread having to go to the post office in person because I know I will be stuck behind a long line of customers with boxes ready for shipping. While I don’t know for sure if they contain online merchandise, I assume they do because several years ago the main reasons people went to the post office were to buy stamps or mail certified letters. Then there is the increased number of delivery trucks in my neighborhood. On any given week, I am personally receiving several boxes of merchandise purchased online. And remember that concern over weekend delivery? Apparently weekend delivery is no longer an issue. Not only is the USPS still delivering on Saturday, I often see trucks driving around on Sunday, a sight unheard of until a year or two ago. Are online sales hurting the local mall? Perhaps. But if you find yourself without a job, apply with UPS, the post office, or Amazon Prime. I’m sure they’ll have something for you to deliver.

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This week I discovered an amazing Christian artist named Beckah Shae. In addition to her original music, she likes to take popular songs and rewrite them so that the lyrics point people to God. Below is a video of her version of Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You.” Enjoy.