Don’t freak over expired coupons, just throw them out
Here’s a dilemna that usually confounds the coupon newbies:
What do you do with the coupons that expire before you can use them?
Don’t fret or freak out. Just throw them out.
Most coupons have expiration dates at the end of the month. So the first of the month is a good time to go through that coupon box and purge out the ones that have already expired or will expire before your next shopping trip.
You aren’t throwing away money when you throw out a coupon. It’s a deal that you decided not to pursue because there were better deals for your money.
And well, it’s just paper. Put the dead coupons in your newspaper / magazine recycling bin.
If it really bothers you that much, then sort your coupon box so that your “soon to expire” coupons are the first ones you see.
Posted: November 1st, 2008 under Coupon tips, Groceries.
Comments: 8
Comments
Comment from lulugal11
Time: November 1, 2008, 4:19 pm
I just finished going through my coupon binder and throwing out the October coupons.
I will never understand why some people feel they HAVE to get the item if the coupon is expiring. Coupons recycle so you will get another one just like it in a few weeks.
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Comment from alianora
Time: November 8, 2008, 11:00 am
I think I remember hearing that military commissaries (sp?), especially the overseas ones, will accept expired coupons. I believe there is a way to donate coupons to military families. That might be a better option that throwing them away if people feel guilty about it.
Comment from Kate
Time: November 8, 2008, 1:27 pm
Alianora is right. If you click on my name, there is a button in the left sidebar for “Coupons For Troops.” Click the button to get an address where you can send expired coupons to military wife, “The Happy Housewife.” She ships all the expired coupons she receives overseas for military families to use at their local commisaries. Great way to give back!
Comment from Paula Wethington
Time: November 8, 2008, 8:33 pm
Yes, the overseas military commissaries will take outdated coupons within a certain time frame.
The program that coordinates most of this effort is Overseas Coupon Program at http://www.ocpnet.org. I was involved off and on with that effort from the start of that campaign. Currently at least two of the VFW Ladies Auxiliaries groups in Monroe County are sending coupons.
It’s a very easy community service project for youths and homebound seniors in particular to become involved in.
The catch is that someone has to pay for the postage to ship the coupons. That’s what the VFW Ladies are doing.
Comment from Lindsay
Time: November 28, 2009, 11:31 am
The overseas commissaries will accept coupons up to 6 months past their expiration date.
The OCP program has been around for a long time!!! There’s also a website at http://www.CouponsToTroops.com that offers some great advice for individuals or groups to get started with this. They also have a project directory where you can look to see if there’s a group in your area that’s collecting coupons, that you can help support, either with coupon donations or with monetary donations to go towards the postage.
Comment from Paula Wethington
Time: November 28, 2009, 4:06 pm
Another option: start or contribute to a coupon box in your neighborhood such as at your school, library or church.
During the past year or so, my leftover coupons have been going to other families in Michigan and Ohio because the recession’s impact in this region has been so bad. I’ve also taken lots of coupons over to the Dorsch Library in downtown Monroe because they have a coupon swap-and-take box.
The swap box isn’t a way to get rid of expired coupons. It’s a way to hand down the coupons BEFORE they expire.
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