For many people, the menial tasks that occur throughout their daily routines are easily forgotten or taken for granted. A good example of this is the task of coupon clipping. Many moms sit down in the kitchen after breakfast to read the paper and clip coupons. Sadly, many military moms do not have the luxury of clipping coupons to help them save money at the grocery store, as they are overseas. These military moms have an appreciation for coupons, as prices overseas are often the same or higher than those in the United States.
Commissary Stores Accept Expired Coupons
The commissary stores on most military bases will accept coupons that have been expired for up to 6 months. This makes coupon sharing an extremely easy way to help military families in need. Thankfully, there are several different ways to get coupons to these military families. By just paying a little postage every few months many military families can pay less at the grocery store the next time they go there.
Sending Coupons to Military Families
There are several websites available to assist in sending coupons to military families. Thehappyhousewife.com sets military families up with a coupon donor. The donor fills out a form and waits to hear when he has been matched up to a military family in need. It is that simple. Note: presently, there seems to be a waiting list for those wanting to donate coupons.
Another great site that promotes sending coupons to US troops is Couponmom.com. Couponmom.com lists the addresses for commissary stores that will display the coupons that have been sent for military families. There is also an address for a woman in the States who coordinates the coupons before sending them out to various military bases.
The OCP (Overseas Coupon Program) is another coupon program for American troops. The website is chock full of useful information such as: which bases to adopt, how to package the coupons, and how to mail the package. They even provide a list of names detailing how much each person has donated. In 2009, the OCP received over $2,000,000.00 in donations.
Helping Military Families With Expired Coupons
Military families greatly appreciate the coupons that donors send. So the next time the newspaper arrives overflowing with coupons; please remember the military families overseas that do not receive a paper, and set aside any expired or unwanted coupons. The best types of coupons to send are those for household items, diapers, toiletries, and laundry soap. Internet coupons are not needed as most families have access to the Internet.
Also, please keep in mind that sending items overseas is not nearly as fast as sending letters or packages across the United States, so allow for delays. Lastly, please ensure that coupons will not be more than six months out of date before mailing.
Lara Johns - My name is Lara Johns. I graduated with a BA in English from West Texas A&M University. I also write articles for Associated ...
