Couponing for a Cause

 

*I am sure many of you will be able to relate with this post, and I hope YOU take up my challenge:

How do you feel after getting a recyclable bag full of FREE shampoo, feminine hygiene products, razors, and hair gel @ Rite Aid an unnamed grocery or drug store from stacking manufacturers, store, and/or eCoupons?  If you are anything like me, you get a rush.  Uhoh, you might be a couponaholic if you get that feeling. However, after you take a picture (yup, another sign of the addiction), and head to one of several pantries (yet another sign of coupon addiction), you go to the next emotion which includes the thought "what am I going to do with all of this?" 

One thing I do is give it away.  I love giving the products away to friends and family when they come over.  My brothers even coined me "Riss Aid" because they were able to go shopping in my pantries.  But that wasn't enough.  I still had pantries full of stuff that I enjoy, I use, but don't need.  So, I kept thinking of more things I could do with all of the FREE or close to FREE stuff we couponers accumulate, which leads me to another trip to Target another store.

I had about 15 trial size first aid kits in my cart.  Of course they were FREE, so I grabbed quite a few but left enough for others who read my blog to take advantage of the deal.  When I got to the checkout, the checker asked me the question I oftentimes dreaded, "What are you doing with all of these?"  To that question, I responded, "Giving it away to charity."  An epiphany!  What a great idea.  I don't want to sound conceited by calling my own idea a great idea, but this was the answer to so many of my problems.  I got to the point (if you relate, you are a couponaholic) where I was doing HITS as my brothers also call them (High Intensity Transactions) just for the rush.  Haha, if you replace a few words here and there, I could really sound like I belong on a street drug commercial (*sidenote: those really aren't funny at all.  In fact, after all is said and done, I hope some of this couponing helps people who really are recovering from nasty stuff).  I feel that this whole couponing/blogging process has been a part of God's plan, and I feel strongly called to use it for doing good in my community.

After months of making contacts and growing enough of a reader base, I am rolling out Couponing for a Cause.  In the first installment (of which I plan on having many) I will be donating bags and bags of "stuff" (pictures will be posted on Thursday 7/14) to the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery in Spokane, WA.  Click on the Vanessa Behan logo below for more information on their mission.  My challenge to my readers: (1) figure out what your family needs.  (2) Pick a great cause to give your surplus.  This doesn't always have to be an official organization.  It can be needy neighbors, etc.  (3) report back to the Couponing for a Cause discussion board sharing (even anonymously) what you have been able to do for your community through what could have been called a selfish venture, couponing.

Thanks so much for reading and giving!