• Quick and easy changes you can make today to have more money in your pocket.
• It is NOT about depriving yourself and making depressing cut backs.
• It IS about making sure you're not wasting money, enjoying what you have, and looking for ways to have more fun!
• Be sure to check your email for the bonus surprise freebie!
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If it's your first time here, be sure to read our Introduction To Couponing article!
When you get good at couponing – and if you keep reading this site you will – you’ll eventually be presented with opportunities to get free things, or even be paid to take things, that you really have no need or use for. For me, lately, it’s ways to get Irish Spring body wash as a moneymaker. I don’t use Irish Spring. Nothing against them, I just have the soaps I use regularly and my skin is so dramatic about changing anything that it’s not worth it. But I could literally make money for taking it away from the store. How can I resist?!? Luckily, couponing and charity go great together!
That’s where, for me, charity comes in. I am absolutely sure that right now, there is someone browsing a food bank who doesn’t have crazy dramatic skin and would love a brand new bottle of Irish Spring. And what’s more, if I donate those bottles to the food bank, I would still *make* 50 cents a bottle. This is literally the world’s most obvious no-brainer.
Donating when you buy
At this point, I make charity a part of my couponing process. If I can find something good that’s free, or a moneymaker, I pick it up when I’m at the store and drop it off at the local food bank on the way home. I, of course, do this with food, but my local food bank also accepts all kinds of other household goods, so I make a special effort to donate things that most people would consider household necessities or even ‘luxury goods’ like makeup.
Can you imagine having been down on your luck for a while, finally getting an interview for a decent job, and then finding a brand new tube of mascara at the food bank? Wouldn’t that help you feel a tiny bit better about yourself in a stressful situation? Or some bathroom cleaner to help your home feel a little fresher? Some new socks, some pet food, some feminine hygiene products?
Not everything given to charity needs to be an absolute spartan necessity. Poor people deserve luxuries, too. When you’ve been broke, what have you stressed out about needing to buy? Can you gift it to a stranger?
Give things to the right people
You should, of course, check with your local charity orgs to find out what products they want, and especially what products are in high demand. And then, if you have the time and ability to do so, grab a few extra things to help them keep their shelves stocked.
Anyone can find themselves in a bad situation with frightening little warning, so I feel like I’m just paying it forward a little bit in the hopes that someone else will do the same for me when I need it. I’ve also left things marked “free” in the break room at work, especially when I know some coworkers are struggling. Those freebies never last long at all!
Donating before things expire
I also donate from my own stockpile when I end up over-bought on something. I try to avoid making the error, but every once in a while I forget what’s on the shelf, or that I saw a good deal and stocked up two weeks ago. Better to have it in the hands of someone who can use it than aging in my basement! It’s been my experience that every time I give things away they come back to me multiplied, so I keep that in mind when I’m making these decisions.
All of that said, if you’re buying things with your own time and money, you should never, ever, feel obligated to donate them. Charity is a voluntary choice, and it’s no one’s business but the person who is or isn’t donating. Don’t try to guilt couponing friends into donating, and they shouldn’t try to influence you. Make your choices for your own reasons, and do what you want with what you have.
If you have the time and wherewithal to do a little extra couponing, there’s definitely someone out there who would appreciate your effort. Couponing and charity is a perfect match!
• Quick and easy changes you can make today to have more money in your pocket.
• It is NOT about depriving yourself and making depressing cut backs.
• It IS about making sure you're not wasting money, enjoying what you have, and looking for ways to have more fun!
• Be sure to check your email for the bonus surprise freebie!
