This is the third and final installment of a three part series.  Click to go to Part 1:  The Coupon Mom and Part 2:  Save More than 50% on Groceries for Free.

Last fall, I attended a presentation at a local church’s Mom’s Network given by the Coupon Mom herself, Stephanie Nelson.  After posting 2 articles (part 1:  The Coupon Mom and part 2:  Save More Than 50% on Groceries for FREE) about The Coupon Mom’s website on saving money on groceries, I would be remiss if I did not take the time to post about Stephanie Nelson’s mission to Cut Out Hunger. 

Stephanie began using coupons and learning about how the grocery store pricing system works when she quit her job to be a SAHM and effectively cut her household income in half.  After learning how to use coupons, she thought it would be a good idea to go teach people at a local Food Pantry how to use coupons to save money on groceries.  Stephanie learned more in that visit than she could have possibly taught to others.  She realized that the employees and the volunteers in the Food Pantry had their hands full helping the waiting room full of people get food to help them over this rough spot in their lives.  She learned that the people who were there to get food, had so many difficulties in their own life right then that they did not have time to learn a new system to save money grocery shopping.  She also learned that the shelves in the Food Pantry did not have enough food to feed all the people that needed help.

Stephanie realized that her good intentions were not the best way to help these people.  Stephanie changed her plans and started donating food that she could get at the grocery store for free, or close to free, to the Food Pantry.  She took coupons for food that her family would not normally eat and used those coupons to purchase food to donate to the Food Pantry.  She began teaching her friends and others who were in a more stable financial situation how to save money grocery shopping and how to take advantage of coupons and sales to give food to local food banks.

Now, Stephanie uses her website to point out the deals that would make good charity donations.  When you search her website for the Grocery Store deals (see part 1 in my Coupon Mom Series), you will see line items that look similar to these:

• Dial bar soap 3 pack buy one, get one free–charity!
• Motts applesauce 6 pack cups buy one, get one free–charity!
• Kraft Velveeta Shells and Cheese dinner or Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Deluxe dinner buy one, get one free–charity!

These are items that are ideal to purchase and donate at your local food bank or right in the grocery store in the food bank barrel that many grocery stores have.  Stephanie also encourages creative ways to help local food banks.  Her are some suggestions from her website and the presentation I attended with her:

• Ask your friends and family who do not take advantage of coupons to give you their coupon circulars each week.  You can then use these circulars for your own savings and for charitable donation savings.
• Donation Jar in your house – use savings from other areas of your life to donate to charity.
• Change Collection Drive – have students bring in spare change that you can donate to charity.
• Have local business donate goods or services to be sold at a school or church festival, the proceeds of which go to charity.
• Setup a Coupon Donation Box at your church to have people who do not use coupons donate coupons for you to use to shop for charity.
• Teach others about the Coupon Mom’s system to save money and donate to charity.
• Volunteer at a local food bank.

Cutting hunger works for me.  What do you do to help local charities in general and food banks in particular?

This is the third and final installment of a three part series.  Click to go to Part 1:  The Coupon Mom and Part 2:  Save More than 50% on Groceries for Free.

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