...make a life by what you give

"A person makes a living by what they do, but they make a life by what they give." ~Winston Churchill

One of the greatest things you can do in life is to give back to others... Here are a few ways you can use coupons to help you stretch your dollar further to donate more:

• Every year millions of dollars in grocery coupons go unused. Most people don't realize they can donate expired coupons to military families through the Overseas Coupon Program. Last year, participating U.S. military bases received over $11 million dollars worth of coupons. Imagine how many families that helped to feed! Before you throw out your old coupons, consider taking a few minutes to mail them in. They can be accepted up to six months after their expiration date.

• Another easy way to donate through couponing is to check your local paper on a weekly basis for sales ads and/or use www.couponmom.com's grocery store database. Watch for items such as cereal, pasta, peanut butter and canned goods (items with a long shelf life) to go on sale and then find coupons to use on top of the sale to get the items for FREE or purchase them for next to nothing. If you create a free account and use CouponMom, it will even tell you what circular or website has the coupon you need to get the best price (left column). Below is an illustration of their database. Online you can find a description of how to understand the circular codes. See the link above for more information. To donate items, simply contact a local food bank, women's shelter or church near you. My church, for example, is currently running a food drive through Feb. 6th. If you already have items collected for immediate donation feel free to contribute!

 

 

 

• And finally... have you already clipped your coupons? Instead of putting the rest of the paper in the trash or recycling bin, consider collecting the remaining pages of newsprint for donation. Once you have a few weeks worth, take them to an animal shelter, where they will be used to comfort animals under their care. Without donated newspapers, the stray, homeless and often frightened animals must sit directly on the cold, stainless steel cages. Live in Kansas City? Consider giving your papers to the Greater Kansas City Humane Shelter. Their facilities and staff are wonderful!

 "One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." (Proverbs 11:24-25)

 

$20 Amazon gift card for $10 - TODAY ONLY

Living Social (similar to Groupon) is a great website I use often for daily discounts around the Kansas City Area. Today they have an AWESOME deal - Get a $20 Amazon gift card for only $10. Here's the link.

24 Hour Fitness Store - FREEBIE

I'm not sure how long this will last, but, use this link and follow the instructions to get a FREE $10 item or a $10 credit towards a higher priced product and free shipping. I just sent myself a FREE fitness ball!

Shop on Amazon?

Shop on Amazon? Have a .edu email address? FREE amazon prime account!

Sign up using this link. It will give you free shipping for a year, with no minimum amount to spend.

Zip Lock - FREEBIE!

The first 3,000 people to respond to this link will receive one package of Ziploc® Zip’n Steam® Microwave Cooking Bags and one box of Ziploc® Brand Snack Bags. HURRY to get in on this FREEBIE!

I've gotten several freebies through the Right@Home website (part of the SC Johnson family) over the last couple years and have never been spammed. It's a great site to bookmark and watch too!

Free P&G $35 coupon booklet, sign up today!

Here's a link to request $35 in coupons for P&G household cleaning products plus home organization tips and timesavers - enjoy!

While you're at it. I also highly recommend that you join P&G's Brand Saver mailing list. They send emails approximately once a month with great coupons to download and print. Through the same site (upper right hand corner) you can also request samples of their new products. Visit this link P&G Brand Saver & Sampler link.

PS: Don't worry P&G won't sell your contact information. You will receive the product as described in the mail within 4-6 weeks. Once they arrive, check your local paper for your near by grocer's ads. Find P&G items on sale, combine it with the coupons and SAVE even more!

You can be a savvy saver too!

Every time I go to the grocery store I get tickled... we're talking walking down the aisles and through the check out with a grin from ear to ear. My weekly trip to the store has become a game. How much can I save this week? Can I beat my biggest previous savings? Can I save more money than I spend at the store?

In 2010, I saved more than $900 dollars on my grocery bills and several hundred on other purchases... enough to buy myself the big flat screen tv I was eying for months and still have enough to roll a good amount of cash into savings.

Tonight, for example, my grocery bill was $104.41 but that was before coupons. ***Drum roll please!*** ...After the cashier scanned in the small stack of coupons I had clipped earlier in the week, my total dropped to $62.78, a savings of $41.63 or 40% off my bill! The best part of it - all the coupons I used were for items I already purchase on a regular basis - milk, cheese, grilled chicken, etc. I didn't have to buy any off brands or new products.

Friends, family, co-workers and even people in the grocery line behind me always ask what the "trick" is. They want pointers. Despite what most people think, saving like this is actually super simple and only requires a few minutes of dedicated time each week. Anyone can do it and now I'm here to show you how!

On this blog I will keep an on going tally of my 2011 savings, post links to my favorite coupon and discount sites, show you how to clip and organize coupons, give you ways to stretch your dollar further, share great deals at local stores and even how to score samples and freebies of your favorite products. The tips I will share here have in a way changed my life and I hope they inspire each of you to become better shoppers and savvy savers too!