Donating Expired Coupons to the Military
How the Military Can Benefit From Your Old Coupons
Coupon shopping is a great way to save money, but many people often do not use all of the coupons that they clip, print or otherwise have in their possession. If you have expired coupons in your collection, the savings are not completely wasted. Instead of throwing out your expired coupons, you can donate them to the military.
Military families are able to use coupons for up to six months after the expiration date printed on the coupon. Therefore, sending your expired coupons to military families can help them save money and stretch their budgets further. Sending your coupons to families in the military is a simple way to thank them for their service.
How to Send Expired Coupons to the Military
Below are five steps to sending your expired coupons to the military.
1. Gather your coupons. To send expired coupons to the military, first separate out the coupons that you want to send. You might also include unneeded coupons that you have collected but do not plan on using, whether expired or not.
2. Separate coupons by category. Next, separate and organize the coupons into two categories: food coupons and coupons for non-food items. This will ensure that the coupons get to the right place. Military bases typically have two stores: the commissary (a grocery store), and the PX or BX (a department store). Sorting the coupons by type beforehand makes this distinction obvious for military personnel at the base.
3. Send manufacturer’s coupons only. When you are organizing coupons and deciding what to send, be sure to send manufacturer coupons only. You should not send coupons for local stores or restaurants. Additionally, avoid sending coupons that are more than 30 days past their expiration date. Though coupons are good for six months after expiration, you need to try and send coupons that are less than 30 days past their expiration date, because shipping time for the coupons can be significant, sending them less than 30 days after expiration helps insure they will arrive in time to be used.
4. Bag and label the coupons. Place the organized coupons into plastic baggies which are labeled food items and non-food items. Avoid using rubber bands or paper clips when you are organizing the coupons.
5. Mail the coupons. Finally, mail the organized coupons to organizations that ship them to military families stationed overseas. For example, you can send your coupons to:
- The Krazy Coupon Lady
- Troopons– Coupons for Troops
- The American Legion Auxiliary
You can also adopt your own base and send your coupons there by finding a base from the Overseas Coupon Program and following the instructions for the base you wish to send your coupons to army families.
When you mail the coupons, you can use parcel post as the lowest cost shipping option. Fortunately, even if you send overseas, sending shipments to a U.S. military base is charged at the same rates as if you were sending a package within the U.S., so you can expect shipping to be a low cost.
When you follow these steps, sending expired coupons to the military is simple and easy. Organize and mail your coupons today.
Additional Resources
- How the Overseas Coupon Program was Founded, by Becky Thane
- Donating Expired Coupons to the Military, by Melissa @stockpilingmoms
- Coupons for Troops, by Coupon Cabin
- A List of the Top ‘Coupons for Troops’ Programs and Addresses, by the Coupon Blender
Videos
- Sending Expired Coupons to Military Families, by Grocery Coupon Network, YouTube
- Donation Expired Coupons to the Military, by WEWS News Channel 5, YouTube
- Expired Coupons Helping Military Families Overseas, by KTVK/KASW MSN
- Coups for Troops, by WWAY News Channel 3
- Military Discounts, by hCard
Books
- The Military Coupon Book, by The Red, White and Blue Flagship
- The Military Book Club, Discount Coupons, by Coupons to Grab
