“For it is in giving that we receive.”
Have I mentioned lately how lucky I am to have such amazing readers? Yesterday, I was extremely touched by the email I received…
Hi Collin,
I just wanted to thank you for posting the fabulous RA deal on the Bayer Monitor. I was able to get the deal this morning. I also have a cool manager who had no problem with the overage. 🙂
I consider myself VERY fortunate that no one in my family is currently battling Diabetes. So, in the spirit of giving that I think your site also inspires, I am mailing the one I got to one of your readers who doesn’t have a RA near her but needs the monitor for her 10 year old son. With two munchkins of my own, my heart goes out to her. I just can’t imagine…and pray I never have to.
I’m telling you this because I want you to know that what you do not only helps me save an absolute ton of money, it helps me pay it forward too. Thank you for that.
I think it’s pretty amazing how giving and incredibly loving we all can be… even to people we don’t know! Reading this email has inspired me and I hope it has inspired you, too. …And if you need even more inspiration, check out these 3 comments that were left on the Rite Aid Contour Meter post:
Commenter #1: I don’t have a rite aid near by and would desperately love one of these for my 10 yr old son! If anyone has an extra I could sure use it! I had a lady email and haven’t heard back so I’m not sure if she was able to get the deal! Thank you and God Bless You!
Commenter #2: Last night I told another poster that I would send her my meter if I found one… I didn’t write down her e-mail and now it’s gone. So… if you posted last night and I answered please post your e-mail again.
Commenter #3: I just sent her an e-mail offering mine. So now, she just needs to decide which one of us she wants to send it to her 🙂 Collin, whenever you see comments about greed, etc. from hateful posters, I hope you can see comments like this and think “Wow, here are two Hip2Savers fighting over who they can send their free monitor to! LOL!
Simply amazing!
Yeah, last year I got a free meter from rite aid and gave it to a local senior citizen home. Felt pretty good except they didn’t understand why I was doing it!? haha
oh yeah, i had my newborn w/me and they were also all like what are you doing out of the house?! haha
Awesome!!!
Very inspiring!
Thank you all for the reminder that even if we can’t use a deal, we can find someone who can. I am so grateful for this website, and love being able to pass it on! I am newlywed and both my husband and I are in graduate school. Thus, we are on a very tight budget. This website has helped me so much, and I love that I can find ways to give back even on a limited budget.
I completely understand your situation. I’m a newlywed as well and I just graduated from high school. Couponing has allowed me to save money in my household, while helping my mom who is a single mother of 4. I also try to give to my local food bank because I know how much it is needed now in this economy.
My friend and I try to get these free monitors whenever we can. We have found out that there’s a few places near us that will take these.
#1. My friend’s church – there’s a lady who works as a nurse at a free clinic. They always are looking for these. We donated 20 to her in the last 6 months.
#2. There’s a homeless shelter the next town over – again they always want these.
#3. The local hospital will take these as a donation (talk to the Hematology lab).
#4. The local Ronald McDonald house will also take these as a donation.
So even if you can’t use this, there are places out there who will accept these as a donation.
I LOVE the fact that I can use my coupon knowledge to help others!
I too just got the deal and if anyone is in need of it just let me know and I will be glad to send it! Thanks Collin for letting us pay if forward!
If you haven’t got rid of it yet could I have it? I will gladly pay for the shipping . I am going today and see if rite aid will honor this deal. normally they want but if they do I will then post the one I get. but I really don’t think they will. thank you and gob bless you.
Lynda
I will be glad to send it what is your email address and then I can email you and get the address!
Just email me at coupondeal2010@yahoo.com
Collin, you do have the best readers ever!!!! That is because you are so inspiring 🙂
While my husband is out of work. and my job does not pay much; we were able to take a bag full of free goodies down to the local homeless shelter yesterday. It felt great to give back even when times are tough for us. I dedicate most of my inspiration to you-hip2save.com.. Along with my older sister who never made using coupons look so fun and awesome! I love this site-thanks so much for making me be able to give back..
Thank you Collin for posting this! I saw the comments yesterday and had hoped you would see them! I am currently unemployed and loving every minute of staying at home with my one year old! Not only has your site saved me tons of money and made it so I could stay home with him as long as possible, but I have been able to give more in the last year than I ever have! I hear all of the time how tough times are and people just can’t “give” like they used to. There is always some way to give back to others no matter what your income may be!
Oh im so glad that someone wrote that about greed. I thought about posting a comment and didnt. I think Collin does a great job. Im reminding myself of this as im getting ready to go to a young ladies funeral today that went to HS with my daughter. She was killed in a car accident over a week ago. She lived with us for almost a year bc the family could not get there act together. They made her return home when she was doing good here with us. She ended up not married with 4 kids from the same man whom she was not living with at the time. The mother died 2 years ago, the father is in prison and the brother did not have the money to even pay for the funeral. Thanks to nice hometown folks with a few post of fb it happened. So I remind everyone to take a second thought about greed.
I am so sorry for your loss and I sincerely hope those children have someone to love and care for them.
I have TWO monitors to share. One Bayer USB and one TRUE 2 Go both I got for free the last couple of days.
LMK how I can help and with whom I can share!
Loretta
Collin,
Since I have been couponing (about 10 months now) our family has been abundantly blessed and we are able to bless others as well. With all the “stuff” that I get with the coupons, we can load up our friends and family that have a need. Your site is such a HUGE part of the reason the I am able to score the deals that, in turn, help bless others. Thanks so much!!!
I too love being able to give and accepting is a little more hard for me. People that pay it forward inspire me.
I have had loads of free toothpaste and cereal and more to donate to the local food bank, and I like to be a coupon fairy sometimes. Thanks Collin! Maybe I can get together another bag to donate today…
I am going to try and get one today. There is a free clinic near my mom and they also give out free medicines and medical supplies to people in need. I plan on donating it there. I almost feel guilty when I can get something like this for free and I don’t. There are people out there that need these items and can’t afford them or are unable/unaware/don’t know how to coupon. It feels good to be able to help them.
A friend of mine a few weekends ago told me she needed to run to the store to get a few things. I told her to grab her reusable bag and come with me to my closet. She was so shocked at how much stuff I had. She went shopping and got everything she Wanted from there. She got shampoo, hair styling products, toothpaste, pads, some medication and a few other misc things running around. She was so happy because she knew she was going to have to pay at least $40 if not more for all the stuff she had. She is set for the next 2 months and it didnt even make a dent in my stash 🙂
Its great to be able to help others now when before I couldnt even make ends meet for myself.
Collin,
Thank you once again from a young reader who has learned a tremendous amount about saving money and the value of a dollar. I feel truly blessed when I can give to others that need more than me, and with your website I am able to do so. I often help out family members with staple items like groceries and laundry supplies. But what really makes me smile is when I can donate to others that have no idea who I am or why I am doing so, sheer generosity. I have recently donated a dozen or more cans of cat and dog food to the local Humane Society and now I can donate a diabetic blood meter. If anyone reading this post does need a meter due to lack of Rite Aids near them please reply with your address and I will get a hold of you. We are reminded in December that it’s the “Season of Giving” but your website continues to allow us to give throughout the year. With all that said, THANK YOU for everything you do Collin, you have turned your passion into a career that helps and teaches others. For that I am forever grateful and look forward to future deals and stories. Your readers do love your site and your hard work For those who don’t agree with a deal scenario, please simply skip the entry no one is forcing you to complete a deal.
Well said!
Collin, you do an amazing job of paying it forward everyday and in turn it has a ripple effect that goes further than you could ever imagine. I’m on my way to get one of these meters today and I’m hopeful I’ll be able to give it to someone in need. Since starting couponing about 1 1/2 years ago I’ve not only been able to help my family out but have been able to bless countless others as well. Something I could have never imagined being able to do without knowing how to coupon. God Bless you and to all the readers and everyone else who continues to pay it forward.
I have to be honest and admit that my Husband and I get so busy sometimes and when I read your posts, I think to myself…”Do I need it” and then if not I move on quickly….How sad this is. These ladies above and the orginal post have convicted me to think first of others and where I could possibly help others and not always myself. How wonderful these ladies are for going out of there way to help the less fortunate. Starting now I am going to challenge myself and my husband to “”Think of others first”” when couponing, shopping, getting freebies etc….for 30 days to make it a habit. Thanks for posting this and God Bless all of you who have such giving spirits.
Hi,
To the gal who has a ten year old son who has diabetes…my son was 12 when he was diagnosed and it is a rough road indeed. Please feel free to contact me if you need support or wish to have a friend with a common interest.
Collin…..I got the meter yesterday for my son who has Type 1 diabetes and I thank you for the post. You are amazing Collin!!!!
May God bless all those who pay it forward!!!!!!!
Mel
I am so happy to read about the kindness of people. I everyone of us did a kind act at least once a day can you only imagine what a better world we would live in. GOD BLESS AND KEEP ALL OF YOU SAFE. 🙂
This is a beautiful story. Thank you for publishing it.
I have only recently begun using coupons and the smart shopping tactics you promote. In a short amount of time, we have been able to amass a not-too-shabby stockpile of food and household items and we have pretty much all that we need. Now, as the deals come our way, local food banks and homeless shelters will benefit from the bounty that your information makes possible.
Thank you.
It’s been even easier to donate due to couponing. . . we have an extra sack in the van. After every shopping trip, bargain items are shared by adding to the bag. Each week the bag is quietly put into the car of a senior on a fixed income while she is at church. (Thank you for the cat food posts – this month she has lots of free cat food for her pet!). What she can’t use goes into the basket for the women’s crisis shelter – the basket is delivered whenever it gets full (about every other month). The recent free Gain dish detergent deal ended up at our local Meals on Wheels center. All of this. . .without a dent to our family grocery budget. God asks us to be good stewards of our time, talents, and possessions. It’s a joy to share my time cutting coupons and shopping plus it teaches our children to share the gifts God has given us – and it’s a heartfelt giving that stems out of celebration for all that God has done for us! Blessings.
This made me cry! Thank you for sharing, all of it.
Collin,
Thank you so much for all that you do! We were recently forced into bankruptcy by a bad business venture and with three small children at home, I had no idea how it was going to work out for us! I am celebrating my “First Coupon Anniversary” this month, thanks to you! And I have so many new couponing friends to share in my celebration! I have found that the harder I work to keep my spending down and the more freebies I donate, the MORE I am blessed with! This has been a journey of faith for me as well and I am a new person now! I wish this type of experience could happen to more of your readers who are quick to criticize! I don’t know you, but I surely appreciate you!!
I saw a coupon left by a coupon fairy at Target yesterday! It was a high value coupon that would have made the item almost free. It brought such a big smile to my face! I didn’t need the item so I left the coupon there for someone else to find…hope it brightened that person’s day too! 🙂
Hi, Collin I tried using the $40 video coupon for the meter, the cashier would not even tried to scan it, she said if she scan the coupon it would be consider ” fraud “, is the cashier crazy or what? I’ve never had no problems with overage in RITE AID before. is this true or not
My church has a clothing bank, works with the local food bank and gives alot back to the community. Most every town I have ever lived in has a church that does that and will take any kind of donation. Most will come and pick up the items. Rather it is 1 or 100.. So never think you have no need for an item cause someone out there does and I think it is wonderful that people were willing to help this mother out.
God Bless…
I love this post. It is wonderful to know there are still nice, giving people in this world. Thanks Collin for allowing us to show that. Paying it forward is a great way to feel good about yourself while helping out others in need. These readers are a great example of how easy it is to do a nice deed for someone. Good deeds never go unnoticed. 🙂
I went and got one this morning for free but with no overage. I immediately thought of how I could give it to someone who really needs it.. I dont need, praise God! So I am gonna be giving mine away to someone in my town that needs it too! Paying It Forward!
This is so great that we are able to pay it forward though couponing! I am collecting items that I wont use or have excess of and donating them. It feels great and I wish I could help more. At my job they wanted to do a secret santa but instead we are going to buy presents and take them to a local battered womens shelter for the women and their children. With all the free and inexpensive stuff we could make great kids and womens gift baskets and I am so excited to be a part of this!
I first heard about hip2save on a Disney board that I follow. As they say” the rest is history”! I have saved tons and have also been able to donate more.
Collin,
It is because of reading this post and the comments that it even occured to me to donate the monitor to my husbands high school! Thank you! I was going to take it down to a nursing home, but I was hesitant. The monitor is a USB thing and seems awfully complex for a senior (and me for that matter). But then someone posted about how school nurses could use stuff like this! Brilliant! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thank you for reminding me that the extra shower gels and other goodies could go to the women’s shelter where we often donate clothes and toys. These women leave abusive homes with little or nothing and often have children. I am studying for my nursing board exam this week, but after that I am working to get a huge basket of stuff together to donate for November and try to do something every other month and work my way up to monthly.
I found this site about a year ago and it has been a true BLESSING. I am a single mom and I we now have a stockpile of stuff that I paid pennies on the dollar thanks to you. I still remember the days when I had to wait till payday just to be able to afford diapers for my daughter, but now my son has at least 3 huge boxes of Huggies stocked. 🙂 I have also been able to give sooo… many items to our local food bank which is just down the street from us. We are able to take stuff every month now.
Last week I overheard one of our employees talking about how his mom is a single mom of 4 and he would give his little brother and sister his food so they would have enough to eat and he would go hungry most nights. He would only eat school lunch most days and that was it. It totally broke my heart. So I talked to him and told him about how I have a lot of extra food and stuff that I could bring him. He was so excited, he even called his mom to tell her about it. The next day I was able to deliver 4 huge boxes of food, household items, toiletry items, even laundry items to their house! His mom and little sister started crying and hugged me. I even cried too cause I remember what those aweful times were like in my own life. It wasn’t much, but it will give his mom a little break for a minute of having to worry about where thier next meal will come from. So thru your website, you are not only blessing your readers, you are helping to Bless others too! Thanks Collin for all that you do for everyone!! 🙂
You are amazing! You made me teary-eyed! Just wanted to share 🙂
Me too! I’m having a bad day and this is lifting my spirts! I’m getting teary eyed for good reasons rather than bad.
You are so amazing! My eyes in tears too.
What a sweet guy. Do you mind sharing what city that family lives in? I’m guessing there’s a lot of other people on this site who would be willing to help out if given the chance. (Of course don’t post anything personal here, where everyone can read it, maybe just a city and a junk email address…)
Thank you for sharing such a great moment!! I would like to paying it forward here!! I’m subscriber of Parenting magazine and November issue has Amazon 20% off coupon. My child doesn’t need diapers anymore so I would like to give it someone in need. It expires 12/31/10. If you would like to receive, please email me asap. Thanks!! 🙂
dragonmoon2559@yahoo.com
P.S. If you have quick bread recipe or home made salsa recipe, please share with me. Thank you very much in advance!! 🙂
No-Knead Bread
3 cups bread flour
1/4 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp table salt
1-1/2 cups warm water
Covered pot (5-quart or larger: cast iron, Pyrex, ceramic, enamel. . . something that can handle 450 degree oven.)
The night before, combine all ingredients in a large bowl until the dough just comes together. It will be a shaggy, doughy mess. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rest 12-20 hours.The dough will now be wet, sticky and bubbly. With a wet spatula (or wet hands), dump the dough on a floured surface. Fold the sides of the dough over the top and shape into a rough ball. Generously dust a cotton towel with flour. Set dough seam side down on top of the towel. Fold towel over the dough. Allow dough to rest another two hours. Thirty minutes before the second rest is over, put your covered pot into the oven and preheat to 450 degrees for at least 30 minutes. Your dough should have
doubled in size. Remove pot from oven and plop your dough into the pot. Cover. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake another 20 minutes or until the crust is beautifully golden and middle of loaf is 210 degrees. Remove and cool on wired rack. If not eating right away, you can re-crisp crust in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. – Yields one one-pound loaf
mkw, thank you for your bread recipe. My Amazon code is gone now.
Mrs. G, I didn’t need the code – just sharing the recipe! Thank you. MKW
inspiration at it’s finest. I donate to Buffalo blessings which serves the Native American elders on the reservation with my bounty. When food in my pantry is 6-8 months old,, I know I can get more,, so I share,, I just go to the pantry fill a box and call the friend that delivers to the reservation..
Every time I send something along,, something else comes into my world… and makes me live an even more abundant life….
Keep sharing ladies….
Collin for President! then we’d get things DONE!!!!
I, too, wanted to let you know how far-reaching your helpful website is. I always get all the free (or almost free) items I can, even if we can’t use what I get. Whatever we don’t want or use goes in a bag and about once every two weeks, I take it to a lady who ‘distributes’ it. She isn’t with a professional organization, but she has several needy families she looks out for. She also takes items like shampoo and body wash to the nursing homes in the area. Some of the penny school supplies I stocked up on went to the area schools so they could put boxes together for kids who came to school with no supplies. I was even able to donate several small backpacks I had gotten for little or nothing. It breaks my heart that there are so many people in need, and I simply don’t have the money to spend to help anyone in that way. But I do have my time, my brains, and your website – that’s how I’m able to pay it forward. Thank You!!!
Collin
I also want to thank you for posting this deal. My Riteaid staff didn’t have any problems with me doing this deal. I was so excited because with the overage I was able to bless a little 6 year old boy who is battling brain cancer with one of the pillow pets. How awesome is that???
Thank you again,
Kris
OH READING THE COMMENTS HAS ME IN TEARS!!
SO THANKFUL THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL GENEROUS AND KIND!!!!!
Thanks for being a blessing!
This has been so wonderful to read. It made my day.
YAY for paying it forward!! Anytime I can get free shampoo/razors/deodorant I take it to my local food bank that supplies my community/neighborhood. I think my local Target thinks I am nuts with all the travel size stuff I get all the time! lol. I can’t wait to try this Meter deal!! I am planning on going to my Rite Aid tomorrow since they get new stock in on Fridays! Can’t wait to donate this!!
My 13 years old son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when he was 6 years old 🙁 So I know how important is to have all the supplies available. I have couple of meters extra that I got for free from different companies where I am signed up for newsletter, so if anyone is in need of one I will be glad to ship it for free.
“To whom much is given, of him shall much be required.” — Luke 12:48
I became a couponer 8 months ago and have been so blessed by it. This post has reminded me that I need to do more to share my blessings with others. Thank you Collin for all you do!
I use my extras to give to the :”Independent Living” group who help foster kids who age out (at 18 foster parents no longer get money so often move them out) get started – tolietries are so expensive, but couponing has allowed me to give a box every month.
When I started couponing this year the first things I got were 2 meters thinking I could donate them but nobody seems to want them?
My local food bank will not take medical items and I have contacted a retirement home nearby and they are not interested. So I have 2 perfectly good meters going to waste.
Any ideas gratefully received. I am in NJ.
How about your local school? School nurses might need it or even she/he might knows who is interested in.
good idea – will try this, thank you
Collin, it is because of you that I am able to donate a huge box (empty diaper box that I got a killer deal on using amazon.com’s subscribe and save with the 20% off diaper coupon, of course) of toiletries and baby items to the domestic violence shelter in my town. It started off as a small shopping bag but the grew and grew due to all the deals you let us know about. You are a great person for sharing all your deals with us. I’ve been following your site for about a year and a half or two years and tell everyone about it that asks! So, THANK YOU COLLIN for all your hard work and inspiration! You are great!!!! I know so many of your readers feel the same way!!!
I have a Bayer monitor also that I do not need. If someone needs it, email me at reynoldsmalissa@yahoo.com and put in the subject line Bayer Monitor and I will get it out to you.
This site is offering free meters, and some other freebies: http://www.shop4freebies.com/
My husband was recently dianosed with diabeties. Because of the original post I was able to get a monitor, 8 pk. of Boost and 6 pk. of glucerina, using coupons of course for $5.36, three dollars of that was sales tax. Thank you Hip2Save and all of the above posts for your inspiration and to confirm that, yes, there are angels here on earth.
Collin if you know anyone else you would like it, we would be happy to mail ours to someone.