Coupons For Troops!

Of all the people I know, only two have joined the service. One joined the Marines and the other the Army. God Bless them both. However, only one is still in the service. The other is in Heaven. My friend joined the Marines straight out of high school during Operation Desert Storm. He didn't die there. He died while home on leave, being thrown through the windshield during a car accident. But, had it come right down to it...he would have given his life as a Marine if he had to.

I miss my friend, but if God had to take him at the young age of 20, I'm glad he did it while he was home on leave. Out with his friends who spent months on end missing him. We all knew why he joined and we were all so proud of him. We will always be. I'm glad he never had to be shipped out to see the horrors of what's going on in Iraq and Afganastan. I'm glad his many friends don't have to worry every day wondering whether or not he will make it home. We know he is at his final home with God and the angels. He is safe and loved and protected now.

Unfortunately, too many other military personnel are not so safe or protected. They are loved and they have families who worry each and every day for them. They wait until the day they are reunited with their loved ones. However, in the meantime, they still have to live life. Especially those with children to take care of. We all know that Military personnel don't get rich defending our country. In fact it's just the opposite, and many of their families that are left on base struggle daily with financial hardships. I found a way to help and if you have some extra time, I hope you will decide to help too.

I don't know how many of you have ever seen the series on TLC called Extreme Couponing, but let me tell you, they titled the show correctly. In each episode they will follow an extreme couponer. This is a person that will literally go dumpster diving or anything else they need to do to collect coupons to get their grocery bills down to almost zero or sometimes even to the point where the store actually owes them money! Needing to cut my own grocery bill, I paid close attention. While it is quite obvious that coupons will save you money, I still didn't feel that I needed 98 coupons so I could stockpile mustard because it would only be 9 cents per bottle.

So I did a little digging on the internet and a little chatting with my sister who also watched the show, and came up with a system that worked for me. I have since cut my grocery bills on average by about 52%. Do I EXTREME coupon? Yes. But I do not stockpile, nor do I do it just for myself. I do it for our Troops!

While searching the internet for the best coupon sites, I came across a few that I really liked, such as Coupondivas.com (my fave because it does your coupon match-ups and has great tips and tutorials, I've added the link below) and afreebieempire.com. Then, quite by accident, I stumbled across a site called Overseas Coupon Program (OCP). It is a program run by volunteers that dispenses coupons to military bases overseas! While reading this website, I was informed that the commissaries on bases will honor manufacturers coupons for up to six months after they expire! All you have to do is read the site and follow the directions. The short version jist of the program is that you "Adopt" a base overseas. The site will give you a map of all bases available for "Adoption". These are the bases that are in need of the most help because they do not have enough people donating their unused or expired coupons. You find a base that you would like to "Adopt" and fill out the online application (takes about a minute). Then you start collecting, clipping, saving and sending your coupons to your "adopted" base!

When I first started to coupon for myself, I watched the tutorials on Coupondivas.com to find out the best way to make a coupon binder, so my coupons would be organized. Then each week I would buy two newspapers on Sunday for the coupons and cut and store them in my binder. When I adopted my base (I picked one in Sweinfurt, Germany), I decided that I was going to need more coupons than what I had, especially considering I was using many of the ones I clipped. I wanted to send as much as I could. So I went to a couple of local stores in my area and asked if they would let me come in Monday mornings and take out any inserts left over. Because they still get reimbursed for the leftover papers even without the inserts, they were more than willing to help. I am very grateful that they believe as much as I do that this is a wonderful way to help our troops and their families. I also have asked neighbors if they would donate their unused and expired coupons. I'm lucky, I have very generous neighbors.

Because I am on disability, I don't have money to give to charities, but what I do have is time. What I also have is the utmost appreciation for any Military personnel and their families who make the ultimate sacrifices so that I can live in a free America.They give blood, sweat and tears. I feel that sending a packet of coupons once a month is the least I can do. The total amount of this morning's packet was $2,150.00. Yes, it is time consuming, because you have to cut every coupon and separate them by food and non-food items, but if you aren't using them anyway, wouldn't you like to share them with those who really appreciate them and need them? Especially after all they have given for you?

I hope you will at least take a look at the OCP site and if you can join me in helping..Great! If you find that you can't, that's fine too, but please share the web address so anyone else who may have the time and would like to help can do so.