The coupon journey has allowed me to cut our family's expenses and in turn open my eyes to a whole new way of "giving".
I am amazed week in and week out how many items a person can snag for free or next to nothing (plus tax of course). There are times where I don't necessarily use the product that I may see an awesome deal on, but that doesn't mean that I can't put it to good use. This gives me an opportunity to clip for a purpose and give back to our great community...all while sticking to my family budget!
In the past several weeks, I made my first trip to our local food pantry. Many times I send items of donation through a school drive or other means but this time it was a bigger donation so I made the journey downtown. In doing so, I was surprised to find out that families are only able to visit the food pantry once every 90 days, due to low volumes. This has stuck in my head and has weighed heavy on my heart. What if this was my family? Only every 90 days? Really?
Over the past months I have posted many times about free or cheap items that would make great donations. I hope that it makes you think about possibly donating the item if you are not going to make use of it or the coupon!
Going forward I will be posting a blog entry specific to sales/deals that result in a great donation item for $1 or less. This blog Entry will be Called "Saving & Giving: Saving For Our Families & Giving For Others'". I am excited about this entry, as I hope that it will get you thinking about picking up one extra item a week/month/quarter while you are out saving and then giving that item to a great organization or family in your area.
Imagine how powerful your coupons really are! Simply by picking up an extra item and spending $1 or less you could be helping a family to eat a meal they wondered where it would come from or provide a child with clean hair with the shampoo you got for free! How can you resist this powerful gift?!
For those in Sioux Falls, I am also going to try and make the 'giving' part even easier on you by locating additional drop off sites so that you don't have to make special trips each time you have a donation. Currently, Elegant Mommy at 49th & Western, has teamed up and agreed to be a drop off site. Simply drop off your donation item on your way by! Also, you are welcome to bring donation items to the coupon exchanges I organize going forward! I will post additional drop off sites as I confirm them. I will then deliver your donations to different organizations around Sioux Falls.
Stay tuned for the first post on $1 or less deals!
Thank you for joining me on this mission! A coupon can not only help your family, but it can also make another family's day! Keep sharing the coupon love!
You are wonderful. What a great idea. I must go check the coupons I have to see if I can purchase something to give. I always look in the sale bins/shelves at my local drug store for bargains like baby food (not outdated) to donate. I have a box ready to go to my local food bank. :D
ReplyDeleteBeing able to donate to the community is probably my biggest motivation in couponing. My husband says that if an hour a week provides so much stuff to give away...that alone is worth it..plus we stay on budget too!
ReplyDeleteI just cleared out a bunch of stuff for a new refugee family our church will be sponsoring and for easter baskets for st. francis and Children's care hospital...I have a sack of tuna and such ready for the postal food drive in May. I will look though as I may have a few things that I wouldn't want to hang out on the mailbox depending on the weather like corn flakes =)
--wifeylife