I’ve joined a “Couponing for Food Banks” Club

Thanks once again to Dani-the-Coupon-Expert, I’ve found a virtual “club” of sorts for my Robin Hood activities. Jeffrey, who posts regularly on SavingAdvice, has started the Penny Experiment. He is attempting to turn a penny found about 10 weeks ago into $1 million worth of food donated to food banks (full story behind it can be found here).

Participating coupon crazies do their super-bargain shopping thing, post pictures of the shopping haul and receipt on their blog, donate it to a food bank, and get reimbursed by the Penny Experiment funds for the money they laid out for their super-bargains. I contacted Jeffrey, explaining that food banks in NYC are so massive that they don’t really want donations of goods from individuals – which is fine with me since I’d have to take a subway and then a bus to a warehouse in the South Bronx toting it all (I’ve been there). I described what I’ve been doing, and he’s fine with it since I’m just basically cutting out the middle man in the donation process.

So, here’s my first shopping trip towards the Penny Experiment. I’m hoping it counts even though I am unable to post the required items because, in a fit of efficiency, I mailed off the receipt for a rebate immediately and gave away the cereal in under 24 hours. I really think it should count though, because there is no out-of-pocket expense to be reimbursed!

Date:  Saturday, January 30th
Store:  CVS
Product:  Kelloggs cereal
Quantity:  10 boxes
Full price:  $4.59 x 10 = $45.90
Sale price:  $2.00 x 10 = $20.00
Coupons used: $5/$30 purchase (full price), 10x $1/1 MFR coupons, $5 ECB
Total OOP (out-of-pocket expense):  $0
Qualified for $10 debit card rebate from Kelloggs!

I’m not sure this transaction will qualify for The Penny Experiment because, in an uncharacteristic burst of efficiency, I mailed the receipt immediately for a $10 rebate on 10 Kelloggs/Keebler items and gave the cereal away 12 hours later, before I could find my digital camera. But since there was no money laid out and therefore none to be reimbursed, I’m hoping it can be included towards the $1 million total anyway.

The donation story:  All 10 boxes, plus another 10 from a previous purchase, were given to Maribel and her 10 kids. It might even be enough to keep them in breakfasts until her food stamps are reinstated – her case has been resolved, and that should happen in a couple of weeks. I also gave her a bag of 5 used towels in good condition to replace the ones she had to throw out from cleaning up the vomit of a bunch of sick kids, and a bag of 12 pairs of new socks from my mom. Well, World War 3 broke out because (a) the kids are used to white towels and these are colored – the novelty was apparently exciting, and (b) some of the socks were incredibly soft, and this made them all doubly crazy. Funny, I thought they’d be all over the big bags of Wise chips I’d gotten for .49, or the Pepsi I’d gotten for free.