I have to be honest, I’ve been a little touchy about this couponing subject lately.  I want people to see past the jokes about free razors and free toothpaste and see the bigger picture.

For me, it’s two-fold.  #1  Save money on things you will always HAVE to buy, so you can afford to spend the money in other areas (or not spend – SAVE!)  #2  Give more than you could previously afford to give:

Mom called today.  A family of 5 is living in someone’s basement.  The mom is sick, the dad lost his job, and there are three kids ages 7 months, 2 years, and 5 years.  A not-so-uncommon story, unfortunately…

So, I did some quick shopping in my stash box and it yielded a small gift for each of the kids and a few odds-n-ends for the parents.  A total of about $100 worth of stuff I spent about $5 on (including tax!)  That’s why I get crazy about coupons and free shampoo… because it gives me more than I need and I can give the rest!

My goal is to give away every last item in my stash box before Christmas… maybe it will mean something to someone…