blim Posted January 31, 2009 Report Share Posted January 31, 2009 (edited) **I didnt snopes this as it was in our local paper's magazine, assuming its legit**83 year young Kay MacVey sends coupons to Military Bases as part an American Legion service project. To date, she has mailed over a million dollars worth of coupons to bases in Germany, Japan, Italy, Turkey, the Netherlands and South Korea, where US Military families are able to redeem them to save money on groceries. Folks started mailing her packets of coupons to which she says,"I'm grateful for each one I get"I clip coupons but throw out many, like cat and baby stuff coupons, processed foods, cosmetics, etc. Now I know a source for them that will only cost postage and do some good! Please spread the wordHer address is:Kay MacVey3419 Polaris DriveAmes, Iowa50010MOREWhether you're for or against the war, support those families who are fighting it!Liz Edited February 1, 2009 by blim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pete_C Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 I find most coupons to be worthless. There once was a time when you could actually save money using them; but manufacturers and retailers have gotten wise. They maintain databases of when coupons expire and keep the price up and do not place the item on sale until the coupon expires. Then when there are no coupons often the place the item on sale for less than it would have cost even with the coupon being doubled. On top of that, they have taken advantage of people not paying attention to detail (or having failing eyesight, not sure which they find to have a greater impact) and have significantly shortened the life span of most coupons. The idea here is that you clip the coupon , and by the time you remember to use it it has expired but you do not notice until you are in line. They have already rung up all of your purchases and bagged them by the time the clerk says "this coupon has expired" and they know most people will not cause a scene by saying "Well then find out which bag you put it in and take it off my bill, I do not want it."After the revelations of the great poison dog food scandal of last year and this years peanut butter salmonella crisis have revealed that both generic, store brands, and name brand products are all made from the same source materials and often in the same plant with basically the same recipe ; it is often a good idea to check out the store brand and value brand and see how they stack up.When you do not have to pay for advertising and coupons the price can be significantly lower. I find that shopping the sales and keeping track of prices , shopping at discounters like BigLots and Everythings 99Cents Only, and Dollar Tree is far more economical than coupon clipping. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
blim Posted February 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 (edited) Well, you're the perfect candidate, Pete! Stuff those coupon packets in an envelope and send them off! Now up here, its just the opposite--the stores usually put coupon items in the ad the week they break in the paper! But even today, I came home from the store and saw the soup coupon I forgot to use....well, at least that one doesn't expire for a while and I'll probably need more bean and bacon soup soon, I'll just keep it with my shopping list!Like you, I don't use too many coupons because our local Spartan Brand is better than the name brand and cheaper. But there ARE some items that I use name brand only, like Tide and Dawn (haven't found anything better!) and when they're on sale and I have a coupon....And our local "discount store" Pamida, has been throwing double coupon sales up to a buck! Most of the time I walk out with 99% of the coupons I bring in there, but Tide for $3.99 is a stealWISH we had BigLots and Dollar Stores around here but with the closest ones 1/2 hour drive away, it isn't worth the gas unless I'm in that area anyways.....Oh, and.......manufacturers give military bases 3 months "grace period" AFTER the expiration dates on coupons, thanks to my friend Yardo's information HERE.When I went through last weeks Sunday Paper coupons in the "bin" I didn't clip anything that expired in February thinking they'd be no good by the time they arrive overseas. Now to dive back into that bin and clip 'em, especially that diaper coupon (Gad, they're expensive...glad I'm from the "cloth age"!)Liz Edited February 1, 2009 by blim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JDoors Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 (edited) ... especially that diaper coupon (Gad, they're expensive... That sure made me smile as it made Pete's point. I worked in a disposable diaper plant and for different brands all we did was change the packaging. It makes your point too though as the markup is unbelievable.----- Forgot to say: If you're a coupon clipper this seems like an easy way to help. Edited February 2, 2009 by JDoors Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pete_C Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 Well google makes it look like your person is legithttp://bulletin.aarp.org/yourmoney/persona...g_away_for.htmlI have about a cubic foot worth of those sunday inserts; I keep meaning to go through them and check for something I might buy; but generally they expire so fast it is not worth it. Probably gonna just go through and throw all the expired ones in the recycle bin. Any how , my newspaper subscription ends next week and I have no intention of renewing. I'll call and cancel (so they do not pull that "you never canceled so here is a bill" routine in a couple of months and charge me the highest possible rate) since the paper keeps getting smaller and the content has deteriorated to the point that I would rather watch the TV news and research anything I find interesting online. They keep raising the rates too, even though more and more of what you get is just advertising inserts which they send for free in the mail if you do not subscribe to the paper. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sultan_emerr Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 Don't forget, Walmart will honor any other stores sales price or coupons. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
blim Posted February 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 Don't forget, Walmart will honor any other stores sales price or coupons.Yeah, but Walmart's grocery prices have gone UP dramatically! I was flabbergasted and dissapointed last time I shopped there (about passed out at the price of tunafish) and our local Spartan store became surprisingly comparable. Add to that, the nearest Walmart is 1/2 hour drive one way vs. Plumbs being 4 miles away. I used to go there about once a month but no more.So far I have sent two envelopes of coupons to Mrs MacVey. One thing I DID discover is that you want to distribute the coupons inside the envelope so the envelope is as thin as possible. The post office now has a gauge--if the envelope is "too thick", it doubles the postage price! Very happy we have a clerk that clued me into this and re-distributed the "wad" inside the envelope to meet the width requirements (she even opened the envelope, rearranged the coupons and taped it up so it would be cheaper!)Liz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sultan_emerr Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 Don't forget, Walmart will honor any other stores sales price or coupons.Yeah, but Walmart's grocery prices have gone UP dramatically! LizYeah, the cheapest thing to do is to shoot your own moose. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JDoors Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 ... Walmart's grocery prices have gone UP dramatically! I was flabbergasted and dissapointed last time I shopped there (about passed out at the price of tunafish) and our local Spartan store became surprisingly comparable. ... Speaking of tuna ... I always buy the "house brand" as it's "close enough" in quality and significantly cheaper. So I'm at a friend's house who'd just finished shopping and I see a can, umm, it's tuna, a familiar brand name, but something's not right. Wow! That can's tiny. When did they do that? Gosh, I hope they don't do that to house brands soon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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