michellephilippi.com

We started a new tradition in our family yesterday, one that we called our family give back day.  I even hashtagged it on Instagram and Twitter as #thephilippifamilygivesback.  It was great fun!  It’s no secret that I am an extreme couponer.  And it’s also no secret that I do not turn down anything if it’s free.  Vitamins that we won’t use, cat and dog food when we don’t have pets, other food we won’t eat, etc.  If it’s free, I’m gonna get it.  I have heard people comment that doing this takes away from “the people who really need it.”  Like the people who would normally buy these things or take advantage of these hot deals and use the items.  And I thought to myself, “oh don’t you worry, I’ll get it to the people who really need it.”  😉
So yesterday we did.  And I’m sharing the day with you here in the form of pictures from my iPhone.

My kids were NICU babies – and the hospital does a get-together for them in the summer and in the winter.  Yesterday was the holiday party, so we went to Kohl’s and bought some clothes to replenish the NICU’s stock of clothes.  I remember them changing the babies’ clothes several times a day.  We found bunches of cute onesies for $2.40 each.

And donated them when we got to the party.

My son had a box of candy bars to sell for band.  I think we ate more than we sold.  OK, we ate them all except for the dark chocolate almond bars that none of us wanted.  So I saved the box with the dark chocolate almond bars in it, and then filled the remaining space with candy that I picked up free lately on my coupon runs.

I made a pretty bow, and my daughter wrote the tag.

And we took it down to the fire station.  They invited my son in and gave him stickers and pencils.  So fun for him!

2 big bags of Toys for Tots.  We didn’t go out and buy these, I have been collecting them in a box out in the garage.  Either things the kids had duplicate of, a toy I bought for them and they grew out of before I remembered to give it to them, or a hot deal I found and saved for the occasion.

These cat food boxes were moneymakers a while back. I think the coupon was for $4 and the box was $2.97, so I made $1.03 each time I bought a box.  I only wanted that $1.03 – but knew that I could donate the box someday.  Same thing with random dog treats, and samples that get sent to me.

We took them to my husband’s work where they had collection barrels for the Idaho Humane Society.

Gosh he looks cold in that picture.

Our last stop was the food pantry at church.  We donated 30 bottles of vitamins that I had picked up free with coupons, some baby formula that I got a sample of, and a bunch of whole wheat pasta that I had gotten free as well.

We had one more stop, but they were not open on the weekend, so hopefully this week we can get out there and donate some more.