Sharing Your Abundance…
I just received an email from a reader and wanted to share it with all of you:
I just wanted to say thank you for all the hard work that goes into this site. I’m packing 9 boxes tonight that contain over 200 handmade Christmas stockings filled with candy and other goodies and games I have stockpiled during the year. I have 2 soldiers that I have adopted (these are # 7 & 8 over the last 2 years) and they will share all the goodies with their buddies in Iraq & Afghanistan. I couldn’t have managed this if it weren’t for all the savings that you help with. I’ve saved over $3000.00 this year on sales and coupons, so I can support my soldiers every month with boxes. Thank you, Thank you.
This email touched me deeply. Not just because my hubby is in the Military, but because these simple acts of kindness are just amazing! …And what a better way to pay it forward than to give to others who are so very deserving.
If you read my blog regularly, you are most likely very talented in the coupon department… and yes, it IS a talent! Use this awesome talent to give back and show others you care. Compassion, kindness, generosity… what amazing qualities to exude. And knowing you are touching someone else’s life in such a positive way… there really are know words to describe it!
If you’re interested in adopting a Military member, check out these links below:
*Adopt a US Soldier
*Any Soldier
*Soldier’s Angel
*HeroBox
On another note, it looks like Pay it Forward Day is tomorrow, 12/1! 🙂 (Thanks, Heather!)
Thanks Collin. Read your blog and signed up to adopt a soldier! Also was able to get the ESPN deal for 3.99 to send with my other goodies I get from your site. Your site has been a blessing to my family, and now it will be a blessing to a soldier so far away from home.
I started couponing in order to save money on packages I was sending to soldiers overseas. I personally go through the Anysoldier.com site. I love being able to supply comforts from home for our guys and gals serving our country. There’s nothing like a brand name bottle of shampoo or that really nice 4 blade razor to make you feel better about yourself. God bless our troops and all those back home who support them!
Here is another adopt-a-soldier site to add to your list. https://www.soldierassist.com/
Thanks to you Collin I was able to put 5 boxes together for Operation Christmas child! Using coupons/ECB/RR I made all of those boxes for almost free! Thank you for all that you do! You make helping people possible for families on a budget. We had budgeted some money for Christmas giving and due to the boxes being almost free (Had to pay for them being shipped 🙂 We are using the extra money to help feed a couple of families Christmas dinner through our local shelter! THANK YOU! May god bless you for all that you do!
Hi Collin,
I live here the Dayton Ohio area and the girls at my work have adopted the Bluedevils (from Wright Patterson Air Force Base), that are over fighting for our freedom in Afganstain (s/p). Because of your site I have been able to give lots of things. This past week I was able to send over a crock pot that I paided only $4.15 for. Now we can send food in a can that just needs to be warmed up. I hear the food over there is not that good. Hope they enjoy some taste of food from home. I like the idea of putting things in a stocking, I have tons of razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deo., etc., I could put in a large stocking. Thanks for the idea.
Thanks for the post! 🙂
Thanks Collin for sharing the most wonderful email. It inspired me. I won’t be able to manage anything this year, but next year I’m definitely going to send out some goodies…
That is so cool! 🙂 I just got back from taking over $300 worth of items that I’ve stockpiled and got for next to nothing throughout the year to my local food bank. They said they really needed the items I donated, too, like toothpaste, toothbrushes, shavers, etc. Said they don’t get a lot of those items donated and so they don’t have many. It made me feel so good to be able to give them so much and see the look of happiness on their face! Since we are pretty poor ourselves (we get a tiny amount of state help through our state’s WIC program like milk and eggs to help us), couponing is the only way I would have been able to do this. I love giving back to the community. Especially since I’ve been there. We visited that same food bank a couple of years ago when my son was small and my husband had lost his job for medical reasons. It felt great to be able to pay back in tenfold since they helped us through a difficult time.
I have been passing along my expired coupons onto a military family for about 6 months.
Here is a website that gives lots of information:
https://thehappyhousewife.com/donate-expired-coupons-to-military-families-overseas/
If you are interested in helping military families with your expired coupons, please send an email to couponsfortroops at gmail dot com. Please remember this is one person sorting thru hundreds of emails daily and it may take a few months to receive a response.
We have been a part of Soldiers Angels for 3 years now and its been SO rewarding! Do note you won’t neccessarily hear from your soldier…but its lots of fun to get your whole family involved!! DO note you are required to send at least 2 packages a month and a letter a week. So be sure that you WILL be able to take care of your soldier!!
Collin — You have me hooked on requesting samples. We do “Operation Santa” around here. Specific items are requested for dontation and from those items, stockings are filled and sent to our troops. I donated lots of the samples as well as items I’d received for next to nothing from coupon deals. It made me feel so good to help more abundently then I normally could have. Thanks for all your tips and tricks – you help us to help others!
What a wonderful idea! I had at least one of my younger siblings serving overseas for 4 Christmas seasons. I guess I’d never thought of looking for an organization like this. We will be out of town most of December, but I’m excited that I’ll be able to plan for this next year!
Because of H2S, I have become a super couponer. Our household income took a hard hit last year and H2S was such a bright light during in a bleak economy. Collin… FYI the direct impact of your web site in my little corner of the world…
I have been able to donate things I would not have been able to otherwise including.
* 3 amazing boxes for the troops this year. I was even able to get some great hand-held games for them.
* Toys for children in need. Pajamas for a child in need
* Donating food, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shampoos to our food pantry
* Supplying my child’s classroom w/ packages of crayons for everyone, glue sticks, Kleenex, cleaning supplies
* Currently working on a basket for a local nursing home w/ nice shampoos, body lotions, body wash, toothpaste, deordorant etc. I am told these are items residents really like b/c the standard issue stuff isn’t so great.
I too have stockpiled goodies and will be participating in Toys for Tots this year and am even giving my company ideas on where to find the toy deals thanks to the Hip2Save community 😉
Another GREAT organization is asoldierschild.com
You can adopt a military family and provide gifts to their kids. This is our first year doing it and I am so excited to go shopping with my teens for two deserving little ones that are one and three years of age. If you ask me, we proud Americans need to support our heros first!
I love, love, love being able to “adopt” a soldier at anysoldier.com We are not a military family and were looking for a chance to help give back when we found the site. We know military men/women and their families go through so much for all of us!
We have adopted about 6 soldiers and have heard back from a few of them. Some passed our letters around so we have heard from more than just the soldier we have sent the package too but from others that have partaken of the supplies. 🙂 Also my kids love receiving letters from all the way around the world. 🙂 It’s been a win – win situation and so worth it!
i have been collecting used printer cartridges at my child’s school for the pta. we mail them to fundingfactory.com which mails check to pta. this money has been used to support many events. for cartridges they don’t accept, i recycle at office depot for the rewards given as gift card every 3 months. i buy classroom supplies for teachers with the gift card. i use as many coupons as possible to stretch it. i also try to use as many coupons as possible when shopping for my family. thanks hip2save.
Thank you for this post. I have been wanting to send care packages to soldiers for some time now. but, have not found a trusted sight that the soldiers actually get the items I send. I will definetly be sending care packages now!
What a wonderful idea, I have a son in Afghanistan and have been sending him packages, he says they are a real blessing to him and his buddies (because of course they all share!) One thing he told me was that when they first arrived, they got a couple of packages from the Any Soldier program, he said they were all so excited to get them. I think it eased their transition a lot. Certainly all the incredibly helpful information you post on your blog can help get these boxes filled up and on their way. Thank you so much for all your hard work, I can tell you it has helped us out so much, I always love to see what new info you have for us each day!
I’d like to say that each of your comments have inspired me to “pay it forward” by adopting a soldier. God has really blessed our family and with the many savings from learning to coupon this year I’m excited to be giving!! Thanks so much Collin for providing this website, not just for the wonderful savings, but for the wonderful ways we can communicate about a variety of topics!
Love this – I’m going to do this all this next year –
Oh I am now so inspired – I went to anysoldier.com and I love how you can find requests from service people from your state – and they get specific about what they want and need. LOVE that the women want ‘girl’ shampoo, nail polish for their toes etc. So much of it is stuff in my stockpile that I got for free or really cheap – can’t wait to get started.
okay for those of you who have shipped packages the forms look daunting, is it that difficult to send the packages. I have two boxes full ready, but from what I see I have to list everything and the size of the bottles and what is in them? Can anyone offer any advice on shipping and how to do this. I would love to send some packages but I have never shipped anything like this. thanks!!
Hi, I saw your post where you have sent packages to troops. I want to do this but the forms are daunting to me! Is it as difficult as it seems? I have two boxes full of toiletries I would love to send but not sure about all the “red tape”. Any ideas or suggestions, is it simpler than it looks? I looked at anysoldier and would love to do this. thanks for any info.
I just saw your comment. I wrote Collin the original email that she posted and I’ve been doing this for over 2 years. The customs forms look wicked but they really are not. My postal worker told me to make a list of items in each box and then print a few copies. On the customs form that goes on the box. There is a spot that asks for contents. I print “Itemized List Attached” and then it goes in the plastic envelope with the customs form. I put one copy inside the box with my letter and make sure the soldier’s address is inside the box as well. Those boxes take a beating getting to their soldier. If you need any help my email is caboose@kc.rr.com I would be happy to answer questions if I can as to what you can send. Some things are a no-no.
Thanks for the reminder post! I just adopted a female solider for a year! I’m looking forward to putting together packages for my hero and sending them out every month!
My daughter has just gotten out of the military and going to college now and after her spending 2 tours in Afghanistan I can say that the troups really appreciate getting care packages. She said one of the favorite things that I would send her was all those money making Yakisoba noodles. She had a make shift pantry full of them and her fellow soldiers would always come and ask for more. We take for granite what we have sometimes. Our soldiers make a lot of sacrifices for all of us, so next time you see one while your out, take time to thank them for what they do.