ECHOage Birthday Parties

Not to long ago I found myself at a 2 year olds birthday party. The party was full of adults and each one came bearing a present (or two or three) for this little youngster. As I watched each present get unwrapped and discarded, only to join a mountain of other toys already living in the toy chest I couldn't help but think to myself that not only was this way too many toys for one little person but also how wasteful it seemed to use up all that wrapping paper and spend on that money on things that may never get used. I knew there had to be a solution and shortly after I began my search I came across ECHOage.com.

ECHOage is a charity-driven, eco-friendly, online party service. No matter what your party theme or venue is this service will work! Everything is paperless and completed via email and online. Guests can RSVP online and make a monitary donation to the site. Half of all of the donations will go to you to contribute to the cost of your child's dream gift and the other half goes to the charity of your choice!

GO HERE TO READ MORE!

Not only is this an environmentally friendly party planning idea, it is easy on guest and allows your child to learn about how meaningful it is to give back to deserving charities!

A Better Use for Expired Coupons

It can be very disappointing to find a great coupon only to then realize its expired. Usually the first reaction is to cut our losses and toss it in the trash (or hopefully recycling).

At the end of each month I sit down to begin the lengthy task of cleaning out my coupon organizers of all of the expired coupons and given the amount of coupons I collect weekly, there are usually A LOT of expired ones come the 30th or 31st of each month.

I used to simply gather them all up and place them in the recycling along with all the other papers, but then I found an even greater use for them HERE at ocpnet.org. The Overseas Coupon Program (OCP) collects and distributes manufacturer coupons to military families stationed overseas. Did you know that on military bases overseas the commissary and PX will accept manufacturer coupons up to 6 months past their expiration date? It's true!

How to get involved? 

• Visit http://www.ocpnet.org/ and adopt a base you wish to donate to.
• Separate you clipped coupons into two categories: Food and Non-food.
• This is because most bases have 2 stores,  the “Commissary” (grocery store) and the PX or BX (department store). By separating your coupons into “food” and “non-food” bundles the volunteers on the receiving end can more easily placed your donated coupons at the correct venue.
• The general rule of thumb is a "food" item is something humans can eat (this includes products like Ensure and Slimfast). A "non-food" item would include pet food, soaps, cleaning supplies etc.
• Clearly label your bundles - the easiest way to do this is to place them in zip lock baggies.
• Talley an approximate total value for each bundle.
• This helps the program keep track of which bases are receiving the most support and which bases need more coupons.
• Stick your bundles in an envelope and send them off to your adopted base!

Don't Forget: Gap's 'Give and Get Program' equals 30% off Printable Coupon

Print one of the coupons below and starting today August 26th-29th get 30% off at Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Banana Republic Factory Store, and Gap Outlet in-store. When you use these coupons 5% of your purchase will go to charity!

This year Gap partnered with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Feeding America, Teach for America, Big Brothers Big Sisters and World Wildlife Fund. Choose from one of the following coupons below:

Give to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Give to Big Brothers Big Sisters

Give to World Wildlife Fund

Give to Teach for America

Give to Feeding America

Goodie Bags

Upon putting away the items from Thursday's shopping trip I came to realize that my toiletries stock pile was getting out of control. Really - I have tubs that I keep all the toiletries in and the lids would no longer close. So rather than buy another tub (which I definitely dont have room for) I decided to put together a goodie bag for an adorable couple that I know will appreciate the freebies - my big brother and his girlfriend who both happened to come down this weekend from NYC for a family cookout at our grandparents house! Here's what they got:

I figure small bundles of goodies will keep them coming back to visit me! hehe!

Donations: Giving Back

There are times when I make purchases that dont quite seem to make sense. I dont have children, but I bring home diapers and wipes. We aren't able to use 8 bottles of body wash or 9 tubes of toothpaste, nor do we have space in our apartment to store them. However, sometimes in order to get the best deal you have to buy some filler items. Other times the items are just flat out FREE when you pair a coupon with a store sale.

Here is an example, recently Rite Aid had Stayfree Maxi Pads on sale BOGO free. I used a BOGO free coupon making both packages FREE. Now I dont use this product but I still went ahead and grabbed 6 bonus size packs for free! I always try to take advantage of freebie sales or sign ups online. This allows me to still make donations to local organizations even though my budget doesn't really allow for it.

This past weekend I made this donations to our local women's shelter:

I have shared before that I believe we each have the responsibility to leave a positive lasting impression from our presence in the world. This is just one of the ways that I feel I am able to take my passion and hobby and give back to my community. I may not be monetarily rich, but I feel rich being able to use my money saving skills to give back and better the lives of others!