Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Best Ways to Donate for Free or Pocket Change Starting This Thursday at Publix!

There are so many great opportunities to add a few items to your buggy this week that can be donated to your local food bank. Remember, even if you can't use something personally, someone else always can! Especially if you are already at the store shopping for your own family, this is an effortless way to give back to your community!

Thanks to "I Heart Publix" for providing the resource used for the list below! Make sure you visit the Ongoing Deals page on this website for even more ideas on how to donate for free or nearly free this month!

Chinet Napkins, 40 or 90 ct pkg, BOGO (Buy One, Get One) @ $2.15
-$.75/1 Chinet Napkins, Any – 03-28-10 SS (exp 6/30)
-$1/1 Chinet PRINT
The $1/1 makes each package $.08 ($0.33 using the $0.75/1)

Kraft Dressing, Assorted Varieties, 14 or 16 oz bottle (Excluding South Beach Living) BOGO @ $3.19
-$1/1 Kraft salad dressing: 06-20-10 SS
The $1/1 coupon makes each bottle $0.60

Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce, Assorted Varieties, BOGO @ $2.35
-$1/2 Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce, - 05-23-10 SS
Makes it $0.68 per bottle

French’s Classic Yellow Mustard, 14 oz, BOGO @ $1.87
-$0.50/1 French’s PRINT & PRINT
After doubling, it will be FREE!

Mueller’s Pasta, Assorted Varieties, (Excludes Lasagna, Jumbo Shells, and Noodles) BOGO @ $1.29
Even without a coupon, each box is only $0.65!

Betty Crocker Potatoes, Assorted Varieties, 4.6 to 6.6 oz box, BOGO @ $1.59
-$.50/2 Betty Crocker Potatoes PRINT
Makes it $0.59 for 2 boxes!


Breakstone’s Sour Cream Regular, Reduced Fat or Fat Free, 16 oz cup, BOGO @ $1.59
-$.55/1 Breaskstone 16 oz PRINT
Makes it $0.25 each!

Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt, Assorted Varieties, 4-pk, BOGO @ $2.50
-$.50/1 Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt Multipacks, any flavor – 06-20-10 SS
-$1/1; $.50/1 Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt Multipacks, any flavor – 05-16-10 SS
Use either of these coupons to make each pk $0.25

Recent Stats: Nearly 5 Months In!



I was curious to know what the total savings and out of pocket expenditures have been nearly 5 months into this "Clipping for a Cause" endeavour! These calculations are based on receipts saved since February by several members of our local Georgia chapter. Items donated on Mobile Food Drives day cannot be calculated in the "savings" or "spent" category because people just bag up their donations and leave them out to be picked up. Also, we have recently expanded into other states (i.e. Alabama, Florida, South Carolina and Mississippi) and since they are just beginning, no numbers are available for those quite yet.

Anyway, here you go! This is something for everyone involved to be proud of!

Amount Saved To Date: $1,652.33
Amount Spent out of Pocket: $60.37

Number of Items Donated: 3,525

Mobile Food Drive-669 Items Donated Today!




Speechless. In awe. The above pictures are proof that those of you who continue to support "Clipping for a Cause" are directly affecting the lives of people who would otherwise be without these items. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I always get the opportunity and honor to talk to some of the clients we are all helping on the "Mobile Food Drive" days. Today, I couldn't help but smile as I pulled up to the Quinn House and all of the regular men who live there came out to help me unload. They are the friendliest most loving people..making all of this even more worthwhile. Anyway, I had an exciting announcement for all of them: "Come get your Schick Hydro Razors and Shave Gel!" While I dropped off other things to the Quinn House, these were definitely the hot items! I don't think I even got into my van and backed up before I saw them briskly walking inside with the bags to decide who was getting what!

In all, between the Quinn House, Family Promise of Gwinnett and the Southeast Gwinnett Co-op, 669 items were donated today. What an absolute blessing!

End Of the Month Reminder: Send Your Expired Coupons to Help Overseas Military Families



My buddy Lee reminded me this morning via email to post some helpful information on getting your expired coupons overseas to help military families! Hope this helps! Happy 4th!

It’s time to send in your expired coupons!
Pull out all your expired, clipped coupons,
DIVIDE THEM INTO FOOD & NON-FOOD,
put them in labeled baggies to separate,
and mail them to our new volunteer Cindy!
You have one week to mail your coupons in! Thank You!
More info on the Overseas Coupon Program below:

Did you know that overseas military members and their families can use expired coupons up to six months past their expiration? Families living in a far away country are often living on one income and money may be scarce. Let’s support our military by showing them some coupon love! KCL’s, we want to come together and pool our expired coupons to send to US military families in Japan!

Eligible Coupons:

COUPONS MUST BE CLIPPED AND SORTED, AS EXPLAINED BELOW.
Do NOT send coupons that are over 30 days expired.
Do NOT send store coupons.
ALL manufacturer coupons are eligible: printable, blinkies, peelies (if that’s the way you roll), tear pads in addition to newspaper coupons–
They must be Manufacturer Coupons.
How do I send the Coupons?

Separate your clipped coupons into two categories: Food and Non-Food
Most bases have 2 stores. One is called the “Commissary” which is a grocery store and the other is the PX or BX which is a department store. We therefore ask you to sort the coupons into “food” and “non-food” bundles so that they can more easily be placed in the correct venue once they arrive at the base.

Label the Bundles

Try to use a baggie to separate your coupons instead of paper clips or rubber bands.

What’s Food & Non-Food?

Here’s the rule of thumb: It’s food if it can be eaten by humans, is usually eaten by humans, and is normally eaten to provide calories. For example, dog & cat food would be “Non-Food,” but Ensure or Slim-Fast would be “Food.” Vitamins would be non-food. Chewing Gum and Mints are food.

Is there a minimum donation?

No! Please send any coupons you may have. We only ask that you mail them only once a month. It will just be easier business this way!

ADDRESS FOR MAILING COUPONS:

KCL Overseas Coupon Program
c/o Cindy Carroll
215 Champion Hills Dr
Berryville, AR 72616

Packages received with insufficient postage will be returned to sender.


Article taken from The Krazy Coupon Lady - http://thekrazycouponlady.com
URL to article: here

Monday, June 28, 2010

"Clipping for a Cause" Ministry Highlighted on Southern Savers!




Hey y'all! Hope you had a great weekend. I wanted to share an article with all of you that was posted on Southern Savers on Friday regarding "Clipping for a Cause!" This is so exciting as it began earlier this year out of an individual passion to do whatever it took to help restock local food banks. Ever since, separate chapters have popped up in Alabama, South Carolina, and now Florida! I can't thank everyone enough for your help and support with this effort! If you have time, please take a look at the article here.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

A Beautiful Sight...




It just gets me pumped to witness the "contagious excitement" from people involved in the "Clipping for a Cause" ministry! These pics were taken from one of my friends, Carrie, who is also a member of the ministry. I can just visualize her in the grocery store, holding out her camera phone, so proud of the full buggy and stack of coupons that will soon be making a huge difference in several people's lives!! So...I couldn't help but share this with you!

Here is what she saved and spent: $5.56. Before, coupons, the total was $79.43!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Best Ways to Donate for FREE or Pocket Change This Week at Publix!

The following list was gathered from Southern Savers based on this week's ad at Publix.

Tonight, "Clipping for a Cause" will meet at First United Methodist to clip and shop for the following items! Keep in mind, local organizations aren't just in need of non-perishable canned foods! A lot accept cold/freezer items and all of them could use personal care items!

1) Kraft Barbecue Sauce, at 72 cents each

2) Lipton Family Size Tea Bags, (24 ct) at $1.07
-.40/1 Lipton Tea Bags RP 6/27 (makes it 27¢)
-.60/2 Lipton Tea Bags RP 6/27

3)Ken’s Steak House Marinade & Sauce or Sweet Baby Ray’s, (16 oz) at $1.39
-$1 off Ken’s Marinade SS 5/09 (exp 6/30) (makes it 39¢)

4) Nabisco Ritz Crackers, or Fudge Covered Ritz, at $1.39
-$1/2 Nabisco Crackers SS 5/16 (makes it 89¢)

5) Smart Balance Milk, (half gallon) at $1.29
-$1.50 off Smart Balance Milk 1 carton RP 5/23 (FREE!)
-$2 off Smart Balance Milk, RP 6/13 (FREE)

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Some Of June's Donations and Totals!



Most of you know by now that in order to have storage space for all of the extra food to be donated, my husband turned our laundry room into a mini food bank! These shelves and the extra refrigerator that was donated by my parents are where the food stays before it is delivered to those in need. Although it is hard to see everything in this picture (and a lot of it is in the bags hanging on the shelves still) I thought I would give you some of the numbers so far for June. In the picture, somewhere there are:

18 Yakisoba Noodles
4 Bic Flex 4 Razors
4 Country Crock Butters
11 Edwards Pie Slices
7 Margaret Holmes Canned Veggies
2 Schick Travel Razors
6 Pampers Wipes
2 Schick Hydro 3 Razors
8 Hunts Ketchups
8 Carefree Pantyliners
6 Yo-Plus Yogurts
7 Mott's Medleys

(and there could have been a few items I missed! )

Anyway, we have saved over $130 on these purchases and spent only $14.37 out of pocket! This month, that little bit of money will allow a TON of food/personal care items to be donated to people right here in our community who are greatly in need. Next Tuesday will be our monthly Mobile Food Drive, and we will be making stops to the Southeast Gwinnett Co-op, Family Promise of Gwinnett and the Quinn House of Lawrenceville.

Monday, June 21, 2010

FREE Blueberries at Publix this Week and How to Enjoy This Fruit All Year!

Most of you by now may have heard about the $1.50 printable Publix coupon for blueberries currently available online! Right now, Publix has them for $1.50, making them free! How often can we say we got free produce?! Anyway, I thought it would be fun to add a little tidbit on how to freeze blueberries properly since they are so good for you. High in antioxidants, why not enjoy the health related benefits to this fruit year round!? This is also something that food banks in your local area may be in need of too. Rarely do they get fresh produce..so check to see if they allow cold/frozen items if you are interested in donating!

The following information was gathered from instructables.com:

Step One: Getting your Berries
For many of us, this may be as simple as finding a few boxes in the produce section with no mushy berries while they happen to be on sale. However, if you can visit a "pick your own" farm, they usually offer bulk prices. Also, you can be sure you're getting your berries at peak ripeness.

Step Two: Rinse and Arrange
Rinse your berries in a colander and remove any stems or stray leaves. Then pat dry and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet that will fit flat in your freezer. Place a clean, dry dish towel on the bottom of the tray so the berries do not stick to it.

Step 3: Place in Freezer
Place your baking sheet in the freezer, preferably flat against the shelf to prevent the berries from rolling into one another. Ideally, the berries should touch one another as little as possible. If you have many berries, feel free to stack two or more trays, so long as there's space for cold air to move through.

Step 4: Fill Containers
Once the berries are frozen solid, choose containers to keep them in. Many people prefer freezer bags or plastic containers, but glass tends to work better. If you use plastic, you can use a straw to suck out excess air before completely sealing to help prevent freezer burn. If you use glass, do not attempt to thaw contents by placing the container in hot or boiling water.

Step 5: Consuming the Berries
Blueberries are small and thaw quickly, so for most recipes, there is no need to thaw them before use. Any berries that are stuck together should be very easy to nudge apart. Shake the jar gently before opening. There are a ton of recipes that blueberries can be used in. From parfaits to syrups, to simply just adding them to cereal or yogurt.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Schick Hydro $3 Money Maker Deal!



Exciting news flash! According to IHEARTPUBLIX there will be a regional coupon coming out this weekend for $4/1 Schick Hydro and it's a Target Coupon! So..if your Publix considers Target a competitor, and you combine it with the $5/1 manufacturer's coupon, you'll score $3 overage on the Hydro 3 and $2 overage on the Hydro 5. Whew hoo!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Best Ways to Donate for Free or Pocket Change This Week at Publix:

As usual, it's another GREAT week at Publix with a lot of opportunities to donate anything from non-perishable food to personal care items to people in need! Here are the best ways I have found. Thanks to The Prudent Patron for providing a great resource for the list below!

Dial Body Wash or Tone Body Wash, $3.99
$1/1, $1/2 Red Plum (RP) 5/16
= $0.99 each

Glass Plus Glass & Multi-Surface Cleaner, $2.49
$1/1 Printable
= $0.24 each

Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers, 12 oz bag, $2.39
$.50/1 Printable
=$0.69 each

Hunt's Tomato Ketchup, 13.5 oz bot, $1.39
$.20/1 (Smart Source) SS 5/16
= $0.59 each

Yoplait YoPlus Yogurt, 4-pk, 4 oz cup, $2.50
$.50/1 4/18 Smart Source (SS)
$1/1 Printable
=$0.25 each

Del Monte Fruit Cup 4pk or Chillers 8ct., $1.79
$1.50/2 Chillers RP 4/18
$1.50/2 (No Sugar) RP 4/11
$1/1 RP 4/18
= $0.79

Infusium 23 Hair Care $5.99
Free Conditioner wyb Infusium 23 Shampoo Publix Green Advantage Buy Flyer Store Coupon
$3/1 SS 5/9
= FREE when you use both Coupons

Stayfree Liners 16-24 ct $3.24
$1/1 SS 4/25
$2/1 RP 3/28
B1G1 Stayfree Liners Publix Green Advantage Buy Flyer Store Coupon
= FREE when you use both Coupons

Sure Anti-Perspirant Deodorant, $2.39
$1.50/1 SS 5/2
= $0.89

Yakisoba Noodles, $0.79
$1.00/2 SS 3/14
= $0.29 each

Next Mobile Food Drive: June 29th!



Mark your calendars! "Clipping for a Cause" will have another mobile food drive on Tuesday, June 29th! If you are local and would like to place one bag of non-perishables to be picked up and delivered for you, please let me know! All donations this month will go to benefit the Southeast Gwinnett Co-op (non-perishable food), the Quinn House of Lawrenceville (all cold and freezer items) and Villa Lodge and Suites (all personal care and cleaning items)!

The success of this ministry is dependent upon the help and support of so many others. This month, we are projected to exceed over 3,000 items donated!

For more information on how to lead your own mobile food drive either in your area or even at your workplace, please contact me!