Frugal 101: Expired Coupons

No matter what coupon organization method you use, you will eventually have to clear out the expired coupons. The end of the month is a great time to do this as most coupons typically expire around the last day of each month.

Did you know that military families overseas can use expired coupons up to 6 months past the expiration date? The commissaries have an agreement that allows them an extended grace period to redeem them. I have been sending my coupons to a military base in Germany and you can too. Simply ship your expired coupons to:

SPANGDAHLEM FAMILY SUPPORT CENTER
52 MSS/DPF
Unit 3655 Box 65
APO AE 09126-5565

Here are some tips for preparing your coupons for shipment.

• Manufacturer's coupons only.
• No store coupons allowed (i.e. Publix, Walgreens, ect.)
• No printables are accepted.
• No local brands (i.e. Purity, Lays Chips, ect.)
• Coupons need to be sorted into Food & Non-Food categories (I use a Ziploc bag for each)
• Do not use paper clips or rubber bands.
• Coupons need to have an expiration date of no more than 2 months.

Because this is a U.S. Military Base, packages can be shipped at U.S. rates. I have found the best (and easiest) way is to ship them in a flat-rate priority envelope and the cost is around $5. You can get these envelopes from your local post office or order them online for FREE.

If you are interested in doing this, I want to encourage you to buddy up with some friends. This could be a project for your Sunday school class or even church wide. You could start this with your mom's group or just a few friends and take turns mailing off the envelope each time. Either way, just know that your expired coupons will help another family.

I hate to see a good coupon go to waste and this program buys it extra time. :)

On Monday, I'm gonna give you some pointers for purging expired coupon inserts.

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