Donating - So you have your stockpile, now what?

Sales come in cycles. You may be able to get 8 o'clock coffee on BOGO for $4.99 with $1 coupons PLUS get free cookies... but that deal isnt going to stick around. So you stockup on the coffee you need for the next 6 months and then you hit the next cycle.


But what do you do when pasta and sauce goes on sale and you get the pasta for free and the sauce for $1 a jar every month? You donate the older items to people who need them NOW!


A few of you have commented on how many cereal boxes I have, how much dressing I have, how many whatever I have.... Well, it's simple. When I end up with more than I will use in the amount of time the cycle runs, I donate it. I normally take reusable bags full of items to my church or the Beta House for Women, but sometimes I get lucky and get contacted by someone who knows I do this and I get to help a family in need.


Saturday I get to donate to a real live family. That excites me!!! I don't want to share details, being in need is extremely humbling. But when I was 19 and on my own (for 2 years) and in college, riding my bike to school and work (at a daycare for $5.25 an hour) one of my baby's mothers asked me (in secret, thank God) if she could bring over some groceries.... (I wasn't looking so hot) I cried. She brought over enough groceries for a week or more. I told her I could never repay her and she told me, "When you are able, help someone else." I am proud to say I have done that many times and I continue to. And I will continue to! It makes me feel so happy to know that I am able to do something!

 

This is only ONE donation I have made. The really cool part about it, I spent maybe $22 on all of this. You can too and this blog is going to show you how. Stick with me. 

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Stockpile - I'll show you mine, if you show me yours!

People always ask. I know you were thinking it too. I love seeing other people's stockpiles too! So email them to me if you dont mind me sharing! beadandelion at gmail dot com

 This is our main pantry... Baby foods and snack on the bottom, along with coffee, noodles, rice, frosting and a few random unorganized things. Middle shelf has condiments, mustard, BBQ, dressing, snacks, pretzels, junk food in the baskets and oatmeat in the corner that you cant see. Top shelf has ziploc bags, tin foil and saran wrap in the left hand corner, cans in back, packet meals and rice boxed in front, jellos, joint juice and Crystal light on the right hand side.

 Toilet paper, games, juice. The freezer holds the meat we buy in bulk (currently is houses 1500 ounces of milk, about half of which I need to donate to Get Pumped) we also once had 40 bags of cheese.. mmmm!! That is long gone :-(

 Household items like detergent, paper towels, damp rid up top. Next row down toothpaste, tooth brushes and other oral hygiene items, there are 4 boxes of razors around there and over a dozen cans of tomatoes. The green bag on the left is full of vitamins, all free. The white bag under it is full of makeup both samples and full size. There is a full shelf of medicines gotten for free and under that a bajillion candles, we keep them lit in the kitchen. The 2 bottom shelves - dog treats and then in front of that baby formula samples and free cans.

 That shelf in the middle has feminine products up top and some more detergent crystals. The next one down has body washes and shave creams. the next one down kitchen soaps, the next is ALL shampoo and conditioner. Next one down is light bulbs and the cabinet below is all cleaning supplies.

This WAS 40 boxes of cereal a month ago. Now there are about 25. I told ya, we use it! There are also now 10 boxes of Ritz.. those wont last.

OK I showed you mine, you show me yours!

Reader Trips - My Publix Trip - 80% savings

Today we spent an extra hour after Swim lessons playing in the pool. It is so awesome to see and KNOW that my 15 month old can swim after only 3 weeks! The extra tim ein the pool was supposed to wear him out.. and it did. He fell asleep on the way home and was in his crib for 20 minutes before he woke up VERY HUNGRY! I nursed him and he fell back to sleep, I printed off a few last coupons and darted out the door telling the hubby to feed him cheese and veggies when he woke up. I felt totally rushed, but actually found peace in the grocery store. BUT with a cart of 10 boxes Ritz crackers, 10 packs of toilet paper and an overflowing cart, I had a shot of anxiety before getting to the checkout lane! 6 transactions later I left knowing the hubby would be proud.

I don't have the patience for the break down tonight, but here are my totals:

Store Coupons - 88.00

Vendor Coupons - 78.66

Special Savings - 70.98

Total Savings - 237.89

Total Out Of Pocket - 67.52

One of my transactions had overage of 23.65 (that was already calculated into the OOP, but not the Total Savings which would be 261.54

Dollar General - Coupon policy - July 2011

Dollar General has updated their coupon policy as of 6/23/11. The key changes are highlighted in red.

Our coupon requirements are as follows:
Dollar General accepts Manufacturer’s and Dollar General issued coupons (Including internet coupons) that meet these requirements:

• Coupons must be original (no photocopies)
• Coupons must have a scan-able barcode or valid promotion code
• Coupons must have a printed expiration date
• Coupons can be redeemed only for items sold at Dollar General, and can be redeemed only for the exact same item (package weight, size, etc.)
• Coupons for free items are only accepted if a purchase is required to get one free
• Maximum of two coupons per item. One coupon must be a Manufacturer’s Coupon and the second coupon must be a Dollar General Coupon as long as neither coupon states that it is not valid with other coupons.

Dollar General will NOT accept coupons that:

• Are from other retailers
• Are expired
• Are internet coupons without a scan-able barcode and/or promotion code
• Contain the combination of an invalid barcode that won’t scan and promotion code that the register will not accept
• Are for “free” items, unless a purchase is required (i.e. Buy one get one free is acceptable)
• Do not have a “remit to:” address on the coupon

Reader Trips - My quick Publix run

I HAD to use another $5/$30... plus I noticed they had Crest toothpaste 10/$10!!!

16 - Crest Toothpaste 6.4 oz, 10/$10
-$0.75/1 Crest Toothpaste 7/3/2011 P&G Insert (exp 7/31/2011)
-$1/1 Crest Toothpaste or Liquid Gel 6/5/2011 P&G Insert (exp 7/31/2011)
Total - $.25 ea
 

8 - Wish-Bone Dressing, 16 oz, BOGO $1.97
8 -$1 off Wish-Bone Salad Dressing (Publix coupon), 16 oz +, Smart Savings booklet
Total - FREE


2 - Coffee Mate or Café Collection 16 oz. 2/$5
0 (whoops)-.55/1 Nestle Coffee-Mate powder or liquid creamer (Publix manufacturer’s coupon), Simple Summer Pleasures booklet (EXP 07/10) 
1 - $1/2 blinkie (NLA)

Total - $2ea

Store coupons - $13

Vendor coupons - $13

Special price savings - $40.30

Total Savings - $66.30

Total Spent - $3.92 

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