If you are a novice coupon shopper you may think that
as soon as your coupons expire they should be thrown straight in the
trash. But that is not always the case!
If you can't find a place
to use the coupons yourself or would just like to help out our
country's military families, you should know that commissaries on
military bases overseas will honor expired coupons. Usually they will
accept coupons up to six months past their expiration date. This can be
a great way for military families to really stretch every dollar. There
are several groups who gather and mail expired coupons overseas to
families there who can use them.
If you are interested in doing
this, make sure you sort the coupons into two categories: food and
non-food. Clip the coupons out of the inserts. This will not only make
it much easier for those receiving the coupons on the other end but
also will make shipping less expensive for you. Consider putting the
coupons into plastic baggies or rubber-banding them so they stay
organized. Flat-rate shipping is a great way to get a lot of coupons to
the military families without paying a lot for shipping. Your local
post office may want to examine the contents of the package you are
mailing overseas, so take the box or envelope to the post office open
and then do the final taping there after it has been viewed by a post
office employee. You will also be asked to fill out a customs
form. This is common for anything that is going to a military
base. This can be a great thing to help out the military families, so
if your store doesn't accept expired coupons, consider sending them
overseas.
There are also opportunities stateside to use expired
coupons. Some stores will accept expired coupons. Finding out if your
local stores will accept them is generally as simple as asking at the
customer service desk or calling the store and speaking to the
manager. It is best to not just try to pass them off to the cashier and
hope you don't get caught. If it is not your store's policy to accept
these, you can get a bad reputation as an unscrupulous coupon shopper.
Frequently
companies that issue store coupons (coupons that are only good in their
stores) will be more lenient with the expiration date on these types of
coupons. Again, it's good to ask, but the closer to the expiration
date, generally the better luck you will have with being able to redeem
them.
Stores that accept expired coupons are often proud of this
fact and will prominently display a sign in their window or information
on their website letting you know. But if your store doesn't do this,
don't hesitate to ask and find out what their policy is.
There
are lots more tips and tricks to using coupons to maximum benefit. For
more information and to sign up for a free mini-course on coupon
shopping, please visit http://www.KeyIngredientPublishing.com
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