http://www.11alive.com/money/consumer/story.aspx?storyid=125168&catid=289

CANTON, Ga. -- On a recent afternoon, about a dozen Canton residents, mostly women, sat at a long cafeteria table and clipped thousands of coupons. "Coups for the Troops!!" laughed American Legion Auxiliary Post 45 President Jo Ann Agee.

The volunteers clip and snip current and recently expired coupons to send to military families at the bases overseas. They have adopted an Army Base in Ansbach, Germany where thousands of U.S. Military families are stationed. "Everyone uses coupons who lives overseas. When you first get to a base you have nothing but the clothes on your back. Your stuff takes 30 days to arrive if you're lucky. You have very little money to set up house, and the coupons are a godsend, said Michele Pierce, whose husband just retired from the Army.

She said the cost of living for military families stationed overseas can be prohibitive. "I know in Japan there was a story about a lady who was pregnant. She wanted a watermelon. It was $20.00 for just one watermelon!" she said.

Pierce said stores located on military bases will accept coupons that have expired up to 6 months ago. "Women use them very strategically there. If they have a $4.00 coupon for an item that costs $1.50, they can use what they call overage for $2.50 worth of meat to feed their family," she said.

Pierce said she is in frequent communication on the internet with her adopted families. "The base in Ansbach used close to 40 thousand dollars worth of coupons in one month alone. Forty thousand dollars they saved!" she said.

Auxiliary President Jo Ann Agee said she is honored to be able to help the military. "It's because of all they have done for us that we have the freedom to sit here and clip coupons," she said. We all get so busy in our day to day lives sometime people forget to think about our troops and their families they have to take care of."

To donate coupons, send them to

AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY POST 45
160 McCLURE ST,
CANTON, GA 30114
ATTENTION: OPERATION OVERSEAS COUPONS

To Adopt a Base: go to ocpnet.org

http://www.cherokeetribune.com/content/index/showcontentitem/area/9/section/29/item/124575.html

Here is a link to a newspaper article in my local Sunday Newspaper. I am the Chairwoman of the Operation Coupon Program for my American Legion Auxiliary Unit. Here are some tips on how to support our military families overseas. Send them your expired coupons.

National Security
Coupon Program

The purpose of the Coupon Program, is to offer additional savings, to our overseas military families, that are living in areas that have a high cost of living. Many of these families can not afford to live in these environments, so they rely on expired coupons to make ends meet.

What do I do and How and do I get started?

Collect coupons

• Please do not send, rebate forms, restaurant coupons or store specific coupons, that say redeem only at "Publix".
• Coupons can be found just about anywhere, magazines, the Sunday paper, free newspapers thrown in your yard. Coupon machines in the grocery stores and in products that you purchase. Its amazing where you can find these wonderful cost savings creatures.
  
• Ask your friends, neighbors, church groups, Girl Scout Troops, Starbucks, Library's, etc to collect coupons for you. Many people just throw them away or only cut what they need.
  
• Coupons can be used up to six months after their expiration date at the overseas commissaries.
  
• It is best to only send coupons that have been expired for two months. Because of the time it takes to ship overseas and the time it takes for the Commissary or MWR to sort these coupons, they could expire and never be used.
  

Sort, Sort, Sort

• Coupons need to be sorted into two groups. Food and Non-food. You can further sort by putting items in to Health and Beauty, Frozen, Cat/Dog, Baby, etc. Its up to you.
  
• Place all sorted coupons in Ziploc bags, this makes it easier to pack and unpack.
• Coupons need to be counted for our annual report. Place in like groups and count. Or you can estimate, your average Sunday paper has at least $125 worth of coupons in it. Most sales stands will tell you that weeks savings.

Where do I send my coupons and what is the best way to send them?

• Go to http://www.ocpnet.org/base_list.htm to adopt a base.
• You can request, flat rate APO/AE Priority boxes from the USPS, you can send coupons for $9.30. I was using a different box, rectangular in shape. This box typically held 7lbs, but I have been able to fit 11lbs. I have not used the flat rate box yet, but will report on how much will fit in it.
  
• You must fill out a "long" custom's form, it is white. This looks very intimidating, but really is not. Description should be coupons. Please call me if you have any questions how to fill out this form.

Wreath's Across America, is way to honor those who have given their lives for our country. In 1992, the Worcester Wreath Company found themselves with an excess of wreaths nearing the end of the holiday season. Seeing an opportunity to make a boyhood dream a reality, efforts to do something special with those wreaths began in earnest. With the help of Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, arrangements were made for the wreaths to be placed at Arlington in one of the older sections of the cemetery, a section which received fewer visitors with each passing year.Now over fifteen years and over 100,000 wreaths later, the original group has been joined by many others who participate in the project each year.

In creating Wreaths Across America, it was the wish of Morrill and Karen Worcester to bring children and Veterans together, as the ideal way of expressing appreciation for the past, present, and future sacrifices our Veterans (and their families) make for this country.

http://www.wreaths-across-america.org/about.html

Today, my daughter and I joined about several hundred people today, in Canton, Georgia. At the Georgia National Cemetery to help honor those who have given all for our country. We unfortunately missed the actual wreath laying, but made it for the beautiful ceremony. What a site it was to see that awesome bird, the C-130 make not one but two fly by's over the cemetery. They were extremely low and absolutely moving. If you have a chance, take part in this event, at a National Cemetery near you next Christmas. It is a wonderful way to get the whole family involved in something very special.

Just a random picture, but Hemi, or as we have nicknamed him, Sir Fatness. Seems to enjoy all of the kitty treats, I get for free. Believe it or not, but he will be one in March.

Every where I look this year, this Apple Green seems to be a popular color this Christmas. I found these cute little baskets at the Dollar Tree, along with the tissue paper. Yes its a menagerie of items, but they were all FREE!!!!!

Total cost of gift basket.

Basket $1.00
Tissue $.10
2 - Glade Candle's , 2 - Glade Warmer's and Refill, Sharpies, Finger nail files, Finger Nail Clippers, Finger Nail Polish, Pledge Duster and Refill, Dawn Renewal hand soap,Martha White Muffin Mix, and hot chocolate mix. $0.00

Total OOP(out of pocket)
$1.10 plus tax.

Next year I will plan for more of a theme, heck I have 365+ days to plan.

Great deals found today at Target, I found more "free" Christmas presents.

Glade Oil Warmers
Purchased 32 for a total of $94.40.

Coupons redeemed - $71.62
(These were peelies found on the Glade Refills at Walgreen's. Buy Glade warmer and get itfor free.

Paid Out of Pocket(OOP) $22.78

Earned Target Gift cards for purchasing 4 Glade qualifying products.
$35.00(7*$5.00)


Used Target Gift Cards from a previous deal to purchase above items.
$15.00(3*$5.00)

Cash Paid
$7.78

This was a $12.22 money maker, basically Target paid me $12.22 to take these items home!

Walgreen's is my new best friend. Tonight I was able to stockpile more Christmas gifts.

10 - 3M Magic Tape ($1.19) Free after coupons
11 - Gillette Fusion Razors ($6.00) $.09 each after coupons
1 - Reese Peanut Butter cup ($.59)
1 - Marshmallow Santa ($.41)
1 - Label Maker ($24.99)
9 - Sunday Papers($.70)
1 - Plastic Cup($1.29)
1 - 2L of Mtn. Dew($1.79)
Total $113.27

Coupons $60.21
RR $ 15.00

OOP(out of pocket) $38.06
Savings 66%

And to think I only went to Walgreen's to pick up a 2L of Mountain Dew to tide my husband over until I can get to Target tomorrow for their major sale on 12 packs.

I was inspired by,

http://jane4girls800dollarannualbudget.blogspot.com

to create this blog. Wow! Can you imagine only spending $800 dollars a year on groceries for 4 people? I don't promise to do that, just yet, give me some time. But I do promise to share with you my shopping experiences and how I save money. So thank you for reading my blog, and please come back for my daily updates!