Thankful to be Giving

'Tis the season to be giving. On one level, I find the whole gift decision making and buying process very stressful. Despite my love for couponing, I really don't like to shop. But thanks to couponing, I have been able to give generously to several organizations this year--without the stress and expense.

I haven't been posting regularly about the best Couponing for Charity deals, but like Southern Saver's mascot, I've been a squirrel gathering nuts for months. Three tubes of toothpaste here, one cent crayons there and before I knew it, I had a nice stockpile from which to shop.

Through the Church of the Good Samaritan or MOMS Club, lists of needs were posted and then I pulled what I had on hand. I post these pictures not as a way to say, "Look what I gave" but as an inspiration for what you can give too in the future. It's when we all give a little that we can make a tremendous impact on our community. All of these goods cost me $.25 or less plus the cost of tax and will go to some great organizations.

The pictures at the top are from the church's annual Stuff a Stocking campaign for senior citizens. The whole family got involved in stuffing stockings from the many generous donations from parishioners. We were able to give 48 razors plus several other goodies like tea and hot cocoa.

Another collection through our church was the Shoebox Ministry for the Volunteer Ministry Center. Imagine not having a home and having to keep all of your and your kids' toys or necessities in a shoebox. For them, we had crayons, deodorant, pens, toothpaste, and toothbrushes.

The Hope Buckets were collected to give to patients battling HIV/Aids. Some clients of Hope Center face the additional challenge of being rejected by friends and family and often have no one to care for them physically, emotionally, spiritually or financially. From soap to tissues, toothpaste to lipbalm, I was able to meet their specific requests easily.

Finally Operation Christmas Child was the service project adopted by our MOMS Club. These boxes will be given to children in need all over the world. Each member of our play group came up with creative additions to the box for a girl 2-4 years old. I was able to give pens, crayons, markers, and notebooks I'd gotten for pennies back in August.

And the list doesn't end there. From diapers I'm giving to support a young mom in our church to baked goods I've donated for mission trips, couponing has allowed me to buy what I need for much less. Suddenly all the requests to give are not overwhelming and I am thankful that I'm able to spread "good coupon karma." Happy Holidays!

I'd love to hear what you've been able to give with the help of coupons. Please leave a comment.

Couponing for Charity Latest Contribution

It's been a long time since I posted about my charitable donations; so here goes. First of all, I will be changing things up a bit. I'm going to stop the tally of value of goods and money spent because it's so time consuming. You can rest assured that most things on my list are free or money makers. I also may not post every week. I'll post when I think the deals are worth getting.

I'm also changing how I will be giving out donations. I had been working with a few other friends and adding our haul for a different charity every three months. The interest has dwindled to primarily my stock pile. So I've decided to just get what deals work for me, add them to my stockpile (see pictured), and distribute the products to the organizations that mean the most to me throughout the year. Since deals are often seasonal, that allows me to better match a group's needs with deals I've gotten over a longer period of time and to give each charity a wider variety of freebies.

For instance, our church, the Church of the Good Samaritan, supports the Volunteer Ministry Center in downtown Knoxville through a mentor program and serving meals. This group works very hard to help transition people away from homelessness. A couple just achieved that and I wanted to help celebrate that accomplishment with a "stock your pantry" gift bag.

In a reusable shopping bag they can use to shop future deals I added:

• 2 bottles water
• 2 boxes pasta
• 5 soups / soup mixes
• 1 body wash / shampoo
• 1 hand soap
• 2 deodorants
• 1 pack of feminine needs
• 1 gum
• 2 packs of post-its
• 2 pens
• 4 toothpaste
• 2 toothbrushes
• 1 floss
• 1 razor
• 1 ibuprofin

Everything pictured was free or less than $.50 and the value is probably $50. I would love to inspire them to learn the couponing skills to do this themselves to help stretch their budget. At least they have a few items to get them started.

So in the future, I may not be chasing as many deals. Walgreen's will have to work harder to pull me into their store, and I'll probably be going to CVS just twice a month. A little here, a little there can go a long way. And when a group or individual needs something, I'll be ready!

Do you coupon for charity? Do you find my posts helpful?

Couponing for Charity 3/6-12

This always seems to happen: Walgreen's will give us a great week of free stuff where we rack up the register rewards and then follow it with a dull week where there's not much to spend them on. There's always next week.

I will probably wait to shop CVS til Saturday afternoon when I can shop two weeks' sales at once and Walgreen's if it works into my schedule.

CVS:

For all the match-ups, go to Southern Savers.

For a pared down list, go to Coupon Katie.

Since I couldn't find the coupon for the free nail polish, here's my plan:

• 2 Dove Men+Care deodorants (2 for $4, use 2 $2 printables=2 free)
• 1 Reese's cup (free with coupon emailed to me from Facebook; see here for details).

Total due: $0 plus tax

WALGREEN'S:

For all the match-ups, go to Southern Savers.

For pared down lists, go to Coupon Katie or Coupon Mommie.

Here's my plan:

Transaction #1:

• 1 Breathe Right strips (FREE with Walgreen's catalina that printed weeks ago)
• 1 Always dri liners 30-34pk ($2.99, get $2RR, use $.50MC=$.49)
• 2 Pediacare products 4oz ($7 each, use $5 in ad coupon which deducts $10, use $3/2 printable=$.49 each)
• 2 boxes baking soda (2/$1 with in ad coupon)
• Use $2RR from last week

Total due: $.47 plus tax

RRs for next time: $2

Transaction #2

• 1 Always dri liners 30-34pk ($2.99, get $2RR, use $.50MC=$.49)
• 2 Pediacare products 4oz ($7 each, use $5 in ad coupon which deducts $10, use $3/2 printable=$.49 each)
• 2 boxes raisons ($1 each)
• Use $3 RR from last week

Total due: $.47 plus tax

RRs for next time: $2

STAPLES:

Through Wednesday, there are a few freebies after easy rebates to consider, but none are pulling me into the store:

• 1 five pack Pentel pens
• 2 packs of 200 gold paperclips
• 2 boxes envelopes (100 count)
• 2 packs photo paper (50/pack)

KROGER:

I don't see any freebies at Kroger this week, but $.79 for granola bars and $1.08 for Honey Nut Cheerios (stacking e-savers and manufacturer coupons) are good prices. Most charities want granola bars and cereal. Most deals are the same as last week; so if you're looking for ways to donate to Second Harvest, check out this list.

What are your favorite deals this week?

Couponing for Charity: Donation #3

My apologies for the delay in this post. I have been focusing on family and holiday memories the past few weeks. I will get back to the weekly suggestions for charity ASAP. But first, I want to share my experience with our third set of donations to Knoxville's Ronald McDonald House.

This from their website: The Ronald McDonald House of Knoxville provides a "home away from home" for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. The House provides a comfortable, supportive, temporary residence near the medical facility where family members can sleep, eat, relax and find support from other families in similar situations.

In early December, Devin and Brooke joined me in delivering two huge boxes of goods to this gorgeous home located near the East TN Children's Hospital. Trying to educate my four-year-old about giving to others, I told him we were going to "play Santa" for less fortunate kids. He was a bit puzzled about where Santa and the kids were, but hopefully the concept that it feels good to give is being planted early.

You may recall that I tried to donate goods to them for our second round of donations. At the time, I was told they didn't need what I had. When I called this time, they said they could use our items and were very appreciative. Looking at their wish list, I added a few items from my personal stock pile that I didn't get for free but they were bargains. At the last minute, fellow Northwest Knoxville MOMS Club member Kelley Neal dropped off her box of goods (not pictured). They were thrilled to get items they could use to stuff stockings for all the residents.

Here are the items we donated:

• 1 big box Cheerios
• 4 boxes pasta
• 5 boxes granola bars
• 1 box instant oatmeal
• 4 cans soup
• 3 jars peanut butter
• 1 box hot chocolate
• 2 packs tuna
• 2 air fresheners
• 1 all natural multi-purpose cleaner
• 3 first aid kits
• 9 tubes toothpaste
• 1 toothbrush
• 1 dental floss
• 20 pens
• 4 lip balm
• 1 body wash
• 2 razors
• 2 shaving creams
• 1 lotion
• 3 deodorants
• 5 Clinique samples
• 1 bottle hand soap
• home baked cookies from our club cookie swap

I can't really give an accurate account for the value of the items and the money spent since half of it wasn't mine, I set aside some items for the next charity, and I had previously donated some items from this batch to Iva's Place. At last count, my totals since September were:

TOTAL VALUE OF PRODUCTS: $175.14

TOTAL SPENT: -$7.79 (that's negative nearly 8 bucks)

It's been nine months since I began Couponing for Charity, and I am looking forward to lots more giving in 2011!

Couponing for Charity 10/31-11/6

It's shaping up to be a decent week for deals. Once again Jenny at Southern Savers and Coupon Katie came through with detailing the best freebies for yourself or to donate. Here's my plan.

WALGREENS:

For Southern Saver's match-ups, go here. For Coupon Katie's picks, go here.

Transaction #1:

• 1 Zarbees children's cough syrup ($6, get $6RR, $3 printable=$3MM)
• 2 cans Hunts 8oz tomato sauce ($.34 each with in-ad coupon)
• $3.50RR from last week

Total: $.18 plus tax

Leave with $6RR

Transaction #2: SAME

CVS:

For Southern Saver's match-ups, go here. For Coupon Katie's picks, go here.

My Transaction:

• 1 Oral B stages battery toothbrush ($5, get $2ECB, $3MC=FREE)
• 1 Olay body wash ($7, get $3ECB)
• 1 Secret deodorant (travel--$.99; use $5 off body wash when you buy Secret MC=both FREE)
• 1 Ocean Spray cranberry sauce ($.77)
• Use $5ECB from previous trip.

Total: $.74 plus tax

ECBs for next time: $2, $3

KROGER:

For Southern Saver's match-ups, go here. For Coupon Katie's picks, go here.

I plan to pick up free or nearly free Honest Tea, Colgate toothbrushes, Campbells cream, chunky and select harvest soups, Ronzoni pasta, and Quaker instant oatmeal. Not sure how much of it I will donate yet.

So what's your plan for freebies?

Couponing for Charity Update #25

Before I begin posting the deals starting 10/24, I figured I should update my totals from this week of which deals I got. If you're new to Couponing for Charity, here's the background. This was my plan, and below reflects only what I'll be donating. I do keep some deals for my family. I hope you'll consider joining me in my quest of freebies for those less fortunate.

CVS:

• 1 Schick razor ($8.49, got $5ECB, used $4MC=$.51MM)
• 1 Mentos gum (bought 2 at $1.79 each; B1G1 deal; used 2 $1MC=$.11MM each)

WALGREENS:

• 1 Nivea mens body wash ($4.99, on sale for $2.50, used $3MC=$.50MM)
• 1 Blistex ointment ($2.59 sale price, get $2.60RR=$.01MM)
• 3 Campbell's cream of mushroom soups ($4.50, used WC to save $2.13, used $1.50/3MC=$.87 total)

KROGER:

• 2 Dial liquid hand soaps ($1.63, on sale for $1, used 2 $.35MC doubled=$.60 total)
• 1 Crest toothpaste ($2.99, on sale for $1, used $.50MC doubled=FREE)
• 2 Bumblee tuna packs ($1.99, on sale for $1, used $1/2MC=$1 total)

TOTAL PRODUCTS TO DONATE THIS WEEK: 1 razor, 1 gum, 1 body wash, 1 lip balm, 3 soups, 2 hand soaps, 1 toothpaste, 2 tuna

TOTAL VALUE OF PRODUCTS TO DONATE THIS WEEK: $32.59

TOTAL SPENT THIS WEEK: $1.34

TOTAL PRODUCTS TO DONATE TO DATE: 1 lotion, 6 toothpaste, 2 heat wraps, 7 lip balms, 2 body wash, 1 shaving gel, 2 razors, 1 lipstick, 1 multi-purpose solution, 1 candle, 6 first aid kits, 2 deodorants, 2 travel wash detergent packs, 1 cough drops, 2 pantyhose, 1 gum, 3 soups, 2 hand soaps, 2 tuna

TOTAL VALUE OF PRODUCTS: $126.15

TOTAL SPENT: -$2.90 (that's negative nearly three bucks)

So, I actually splurged and spent some money this week because I'm preparing a stash to donate to Second Harvest. I realize I haven't covered my tax, but I'm willing to take a little hit for charity. Normally, I'd be spending close to $10 to donate 10 cans of food. With couponing, I can donate more with less. Having fun yet?

Couponing for Charity 10/10- 16 & Update #24

Hi savvy shoppers. It's a another decent week for deals. I'm shopping at Target, Walgreens, & CVS. It's a toss-up for which has the better deals. Just make sure you're not letting any register rewards or ECBs expire.

TARGET:

For Southern Saver's Target match-ups, go here. I already made a run to Target today to finally get Bobby's & Devin's Halloween costumes. If you buy a costume of $15 or more, make sure you grab the coupon in the October Parenting magazine for a free bag of M&Ms.

As for the freebies, head to the travel aisle. Usually at Target when you use a coupon that's a higher value than the product ($1 for an item that costs $.97), the register will beep. The clerk can either just hit over-ride, which gives you the full $1 or type in $.97. For two products, I actually made a few cents. The freebies I got were:

• 6 Johnson & Johnson travel first aid kits ($5.82; used 2 $3/3 J&J coupons=$.18MM)
• 2 Degree womens deodorants--travel size ($.99, used 2 $1 printables; register took off $1.98=FREE)
• 2 Tide travel packs ($.99 each; used 2 $1/1 Tide coupons=$.02MM)
• 2 Reach dental floss ($.97; used 2 $1/1 Reach coupons=$.06MM); we'll keep these.

Tomorrow is when I'll shop the pharmacies; so all I have now is a plan.

CVS:

For SS's CVS match-ups go here. For Coupon Katie's picks, go here. Here's my plan:

• 2 Quaker instant oatmeal ($2.50 each, buy 2, get $2ECB, use 2 $2/1 printables--limit reached=$1MM)--I'm keeping
• 2 Colgate Total (normally $3.69, on sale for $2.99, get $2.99, use 1 $.75MC & 1 $1/1=$1.75MM)
• 1 Brachs candy corn ($.99, will use $.99 Brachs ECB if it prints at the kiosk=FREE)--keeping
• I'll use $5ECB from previous trips to make my total $.50 plus tax and leave with $8ECB)

WALGREENS:

For SS'S match-ups go here. For Coupon Katie's picks, go here. Here's my plan:

Transaction #1:

• 1 Huggies diapers ($9, get $2RR, $2.50 printable=$4.50)
• 1 HallS Refresh (normally $2.49, on sale for $1, get $1RR, $.75MC=$.75MM)
• 1 Crest Pro Health toothpaste ($2.50, get $1.50RR, $1MC=FREE)
• 4 Barilla pasta ($1 each with in-ad coupon; limit 4)

Since the above items = 7 and I have 4 coupons, I can also use a $5RR, $3.50RR, and $3RR from previous weeks).

Total before coupons: $16.50

Total OOP (out of pocket): $.75 plus tax.

Get back: $4.50RR

Transaction #2:

• 1 Huggies diapers (use $2.50 printable)
• 1 Halls Refresh (use $.75 from All You)
• 4 Barilla pasta (use Walgreens in ad coupon)

Use $3RR, $3RR, and $2RR from previous weeks

Total before coupons: $14

Total OOP: $2.75 plus tax.

Get back: $3RR

Transaction #3:

• 1 Huggies pull-ups (use $2 printable)
• 4 No nonsense essential basics knee highs (normally $.79 each, on sale for $.25 each; no coupon necessary)

Use $1RR, $1.50RR, $1RR, $1RR (one from previous trips, three from today)

Total before coupons: $10

Total after coupons: $3.50 plus tax

Get back: $2RR

I should only spend a total of $7 plus tax and walk out with $6RR--not bad for several of our staples and some good items to donate. But nothing ever goes as planned.

UPDATE 10/15:

I did make it to CVS (twice actually because they were out of the oatmeal) and Walgreen's. The hang tags were put on the wrong products for the Crest. I bought the wrong kind and then returned it. I will be giving the two packs of diapers to someone at our church but I won't be including those in my totals. What you don't see donated, I keep.

TOTAL PRODUCTS TO DONATE THIS WEEK: 6 travel first aid kits, 2 deodorants, 2 Tide travel packs, 2 toothpastes, 1 cough drops, 2 pantyhose

TOTAL VALUE OF PRODUCTS TO DONATE THIS WEEK: $11.45

TOTAL SPENT THIS WEEK: -$2.20

TOTAL PRODUCTS TO DONATE TO DATE: 1 lotion, 5 toothpaste, 2 heat wraps, 6 lip balms, 1 body wash, 1 shaving gel, 1 razor, 1 lipstick, 1 multi-purpose solution, 1 candle, 6 first aid kits, 2 deodorants, 2 travel wash detergent packs, 1 cough drops, 2 pantyhose

TOTAL VALUE OF PRODUCTS: $93.56

TOTAL SPENT: -$4.24 (that's negative four bucks)

Couponing for Charity: Donations #2

It took a few weeks to make it happen, but I've finally delivered the second batch of Couponing for Charity goods. Every three months, the Northwest Knoxville chapter of MOMS Club gathers the freebies and good deals we've been able to get through couponing and chooses a different local organization to benefit.

Our first recipient in June was the Volunteer Ministry Center. Our second recipient was Iva's Place, a crisis center for women, in Lenoir City. It's a shelter and resource center for victims of domestic violence: women and children. They give a scary statistic on their website: one in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime! Given the nature of their clients, they are a bit secretive about their location, but let's just say it's off the beaten path.

I had actually planned to deliver this batch of goods to the Ronald McDonald house. When I called to tell them what I had, they politely said they didn't need any of those items at this time. You don't need toothpaste...soap...printer paper...pens? Really?! This response I had not considered. So I moved to the next organization we had voted on and decided to revisit the RMH in December.

When I called Iva's Place, they said they could use all the items on my list and I planned a trip. Since Devin (4) and Brooke (19 months) have been with me for nearly every run to Walgreen's and CVS, I wanted them to experience the fun of giving as well. I told Devin, "We're going to play Santa Claus today and give away a lot of those great deals Mommy is always getting at the store. Will you be Santa Claus for me?" "I be Ho Ho? Woo hoo!" he exclaimed (his nickname for SC).

I decided to head out early before the kids were tired, but it was raining hard the whole way there. The drone of pelting rain and the hum of the car were too much to resist and both kids fell asleep by the time I arrived at Iva's Place. I decided not to wake either and just drop the boxes inside. The manager seemed pleased, and I was back on the road. When Devin awoke, he asked when he got to be Ho Ho and seemed a little disappointed but got over it with the news we were going to playgroup. Maybe I'll let him wear a Santa hat when we deliver goods near Christmas.

The items we donated came from several women; so I don't know the exact values vs money spent, but most of it was free. The value of my products was $137.29 and I actually made $17.28 (which pays for the tax). If we had an excess of one item, I saved it for next time, and I pulled all the male hygiene products for another organization. Here's what we gave Iva's Place:

• 1 curling iron
• 1 500 count printer paper
• 10 pens
• 200 napkins
• 10 feminine care
• 5 hair & body wash
• 2 lotions
• 3 shampoo / conditioner
• 1 hand soap
• 12 toothpastes
• 2 toothbrushes
• 2 travel first aid kits
• 2 packs of gum
• 1 Breath Right strips
• 1 lipstick
• 3 lip balms
• 3 razors
• 3 shaving gels
• 4 deodorants
• 1 blister repair
• 3 multi-purpose eye solution
• 2 heat wraps
• 1 box nutri-grain bars
• 1 fiber supplement

Once again, I felt a little tug as I set the box down and walked away. This wasn't just stuff; these were "my deals." This was the time and effort I had poured into searching the weekly sale flyers, printing coupons, and clipping, clipping, clipping. If I didn't enjoy the hunt, I wouldn't do it, but it is hard work at times--especially with kids in tow. Regardless, this is how I'm able to give far more than I normally would, and it feels good to have a fruitful mission.

Let the Donating Begin!

Note: My computer is doing funky things; sorry for the weird formatting: If you've been following my Couponing for Charity weekly posts, you know I've been gathering FREE deals (mainly hygiene products) to donate to deserving organizations. Our MOMS Club chapter has chosen four local organizations over the course of a year to be recipients of our crafty couponing skills. Every three months, a different one will benefit. I've felt a bit like a squirrel--hunting, gathering, and storing my precious finds--but it was finally time to relinquish my gems to our first deserving group: a non-profit, interfaith agency serving the poor and homeless of Knoxville called the Volunteer Ministry Center.

This from their website: "The Volunteer Ministry Center helps people find their way out of homelessness by offering “tough love” programs that work. It’s not enough to meet the basic needs of food and shelter. Real progress means that people face their problems and overcome them. It means that they set goals and achieve them – and in a timely manner. It means that they are held accountable. The work of The Volunteer Ministry Center has one purpose – to help our clients achieve housing and a higher level of self-sufficiency so that they are no longer homeless."

I actually got involved with the VMC through my church, The Church of the Good Samarita, an Episcopal church in the Cedar Bluff region.There's a group of 10-15 female parishioners who attend a monthly "ladies night in" at the VMC. It's a chance to share some life skills, but more importantly, an opportunity to build relationships with women struggling to overcome homelessness. They seek to give them a comfortable bridge to the community.

So when I began my Couponing for Charity mission, this group was the first to come to mind. I was excited that not only was this a chance to "give them fish" but to "teach them to fish." Over the weekend, I began pouring out some of the knowledge I'd gained the past nine months and tips for how to get the great deals at Walgreen's and CVS in a hand-out. I quickly filled 4 1/2 pages. Would they be overwhelmed? Will they be able to stockpile? Would they call me Crazy Coupon Lady when I walked out the door?

When I put all the goods I had in a box, along with several donations from another member of MOMS Club, I could barely carry the box. In total, we had at least $250 of products and we broke even with paying tax. Here's what we gave:

9 tubes toothpaste, 7 toothbrushes, 2 dental floss,

14 body wash, 7 shampoo, 2 conditioner,

1 hand soap, 2 dish soap,

9 deodorants,

9 feminine care,

1 sinus spray, 1 multi-purpose eye solution, 1 heat wrap, 2 lip balm, 1 barrette, 1 box of tissues, 1 box of vitamins, 2 boxes of cereal, 1 box of crackers

Seeing it all on a table was very gratifying. When I said I got it all for free, some women looked astonished and a bit wary, as if I were about to pull a rabbit out of hat. Surely it isn't possible to get all that for FREE in three months! What's the catch? was reading on some of their faces.

Unfortunately only 2 of the 11 expected VMC clients showed up. Periodically KARM (where many of them live temporarily) has a lock-down and they will not let you come back in after 6:30pm if you leave. So I think most of them were trapped. However, there were about 10 women from our church, and they were all eager to figure this out for themselves. Though some of them were new to using coupons and many had never shopped at drugstores with this strategy, they soaked in the knowledge. I think I inspired several of them to give it a try and begin bringing to the VMC each month some of the deals they pick up.

Probably the most important person I educated tonight was Lisa Wells, a caseworker who plans to work with their clients one-on-one to help them get these deals themselves. Since you can't use food stamps on hygiene or cleaning products, this is a huge way to stretch their dollars. The VMC also have three computers clients can use to print coupons and access the weekly blogs detailing the deals like Southern Savers, Coupon Katie, and Coupon Mommie. Finally I have to give a big thanks to the one who educated and inspired me to start this couponing mission for others: Gabrielle at Couponing in Critical Times.

Though I didn't get to see the excited expressions of the recipients, Lisa was thrilled to now have items that she can put in "welcome home baskets." Four of their clients signed leases this week, and she's giving them each a basket full of goodies to get them started. She expects any extra products will be quickly snatched up.

As I walked out the door and glanced back at the stockpile, it was a little hard to leave it behind. After all my hard work, I now start with a clean slate for the next organization. Will I be just as successful? What will the next box look like? One thing I do know: it sure feels good to give.