Pay It Forward

Consider sharing your good fortune with others:

Be a Coupon Fairy.coupon_fairy_2

As you gather coupons, there will always be some that you don’t use.  If you have good coupons nearing their expiration date, consider leaving that coupon on the grocery shelf next to the item.  You will probably make someone’s day, and save them some money.  In the picture (right), that $1.00 coupon will make the soy sauce only $0.39 (maybe free if the store doubles coupons).

Donate your excess. 

As you become a more experienced coupon user, you’ll find it easy to stock up on free food and other items like toothpaste, soap, and cleaning products.  There are many places that would love to have your excess, including food banks, homeless shelters, schools, and senior centers.  If you don’t know where you can donate locally, one option is to google something like “donate toothpaste chicago” for whatever product you have, for your city.  Here are some additional sources of donation information:

Compliment a Good Cashier.

When you have a cashier that happily helps you with your coupons, make note of their name tag, and let the company know about their great employee.  Most stores will have a phone number you can call, or a web form where you can submit comments.  It takes only a few minutes, and will make a difference to that employee, and it will help to maintain a coupon-friendly environment where you shop.