Pay It Forward - Complement a Bagger/Cashier

Write a note to your corporate store telling them what a good job your cashier/bagger did. I personally did this about a month ago. I have this kind hearted gentleman who frequently bags my groceries. He is so good with the baby and is so helpful to me when I am trying to get her strapped into the car seat. The second I turn back around he always has ALL of my groceries in my trunk so all I need to do is drive away. I had to send a thanks when I was driving home one miserably wet day so upset that I realized I forgot my umbrella in the bottom of the grocery cart. This is a beloved umbrella for its size and sturdiness (it is hard to come by these great umbrellas.) Well when I pulled into my garage, I opened the trunk to find my beloved umbrella tucked right beside my groceries. He didn't let me forget it after all.

Thanks Mr. Terry!

Pay it forward!

Pay It Forward - Teach Someone to Coupon the Right Way

Have you heard the saying "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." We can always "coupon" shop for a needy family, but why don't we teach a family the skills to coupon. Take a friend shopping, create a list of "hints" when coupon shopping or sit down and give them a tutorial of how to save money shopping with the combination of sales and coupons. Remember if we "fish" for our friends, they will be fed them for a day (unless we stockpile - wink) but if we teach them to tools of the trade, we are giving them a skill that can save their family money for years to come!

Pay it Forward!

Pay it Forward - Take them a Meal

A number of my friends have been using this program for families with new babies, families that have had surgeries, and families who have lost loved ones. I have been fortunate enough to receive this service twice now (thanks to the delivery of two very special little babies...What a blessing!)

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Take them a Meal is a website that allows you to send out a username and password to a bunch of your contacts. Friends sign up for different dates to bring a family a meal. It gives you a place to list your phone and email address (for a reminder) as well as a list of what you are making for the family (so repeat meals are not made.) Not only do you know what dates are available for a family who needs meals, but the family who recives the meals know who is coming each day, what they are bringing and has a contact number for them if needed.

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Check out Take Them a Meal. I hope you find it as useful as my friends and I have...and thank you to all my friends who are keeping us fed over these few weeks - boy would my husband and little girl starve without your help!

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Pay it Forward!

Pay It Forward - Pass on Your Expired Coupons

Did you know that overseas Military families can your expired coupons up to 6 months after they expire? Rather than recycle these old gems, send them to someone who can use them - Pay it Forward! Go Here to find places to donate your expired coupons. Thanks, Brittan

Pay It Forward - Donate Your Extra Giftcards

Take a look at what Devon at Mama Cheaps did to Pay it Forward Here.

Pay It Forward - Hand Off Your Catalina

Love to Coupon has another great idea this week. She mentions sometimes she hands off her printed Catalina (or discounted coupon $4/$20) to the shopper behind her. She is right when she states she is a bigger winner than for the other shopper behind her - it blesses you, just as much as them. Try and do something similar this week when you are shopping.

Pay It Forward - Rebate Checks

This idea comes from a reader and I love it!

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When this reader has a rebate, she sometimes sends her rebate checks anonymously to friends - especially those friends that could use the extra money. Instead of filling out the rebate in her own name and address, she does it in a another's name. Someone is surprised with a nice little check in their mailbox. The only time I see this as a problem is if you know someone who would see this as junk mail if they are not expecting it. So perhaps a nice little anonymous note, as well, (letting them know what is coming) could prevent this rebate check from hitting the garbage can!

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Thanks, Love 2 Coupon.

Pay It Forward - Make a Gift Welcoming Home Basket

I have done this and think is a great and friendly idea. Do you have new neighbors in the neighborhood? If so, consider making a basket of household items to welcome the new couple, individual, family. Every new homeowner LOVES items for the home.

Pay it Forward!

Pay It Forward - Make a Dinner

If your pantry is like mine, you have a lot of food you can use to create a meal for a neighbor, new mother, elderly individual, etc. Use that extra stockpile to make a meal for a person who would greatly appreciate it at this time - or catch someone by surprise and make a meal for them for no apparent reason! Pay it Forward!

Paying It Forward - Ideas?

Leave your extra Pay it Forward ideas in the comments below (or email me) and lets see if we can run some great ideas this month!

Pay It Forward - Donate Some Extra Stockpile

No this isn't my stockpile - it looks good, though, I almost wish it was!

This week, clean out your stockpile. Donate some items to a sheltar, pantry, or a family who could use some extra supplies.

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Do YOU have any Pay It Forward Ideas? What you have you been doing to Pay It Forward?

Pay It Forward - Be a Coupon Fairy

Be a Coupon Fairy - Leave a coupon behind!

When you don't have use for a coupon, leave it on the shelf by the item for which it is intended.

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Do YOU have any Pay It Forward Ideas? What you have you been doing to Pay It Forward?

Pay It Forward - Thank Your Grocery Store Manager

This week's challenge for "Paying it Forward" is thanking your Grocery's Store Manager.

If you are thankful for being able to use Internet coupons, having a system of coupons that doubles, your store taking competitor coupons, any of the above or even anything else - be sure to thank you store's manager.

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I provided some contacts for grocery stores I weekly post. Usually you are able to write corporate and the information will get back to your grocery store as long as you specify your location somewhere.

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Enjoy Paying it Forward!

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Store Contact Information

Acme: Contact your local store

Albertsons: Here

Brookshire Brothers: Here

Central Market: Here
Fiesta: Here (go to welcome, go to contact us)
Food Lion: Here

Food Town: Here
Fred Meyer: Here
Giant Food Stores: Here

Harris Teeter: Here
Kroger: Here
Lowe's Foods: Here
Publix: Here
Raley's/Bel Air/Nobb Hill : Here
Safeway: Here
Sedanos: Here
Shaws: Here
Shop Rite: Here
Target: Here

Tom Thumb: Here
Vons: Here
Wal-Mart: Here
Wegmans: Here
WinCo: Contact your local store
Winn-Dixie: Here

Paying It Forward

In the past, I have highlighted on "being a good customer", writing letters of appreciation, and being a "coupon fairy." It has been a while since we have been some of these "paying it forward" types of post. In honor of a recent email that Sarah sent, I would like to highlight again some of these "paying it forward" type of deeds.

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So what does it mean to "Pay it Forward?" When one pays it forward they are doing something nice for someone else and hopefully, in return, the person of the received kindness, returns the favor to someone else. If we all do this, we would exponentially be making the world a kinder place - sometimes this is easier said then done.

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So this weeks Paying it Forward is (in honor of Sarah) being a coupon fairy to your cashier.

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We all have that cashier whose mouth drops every time you buy someting for FREE, or when you go home with bags full of loot for only $3.21. There is also the cashier who is willing to go the extra mile to help you find the right sale item, the extra bottle of shampoo in the back, or lets you know of a hidden deal. Yes, I am talking about these cashiers -the ones that are always so helpful. Let's work on paying it forward this week to these cashiers. Sarah, shared with me in her email "today, when I read about the great catalina rebate on Goody hairbands, I printed up 2 coupons with the intention of trying it out and if it worked, sending rebate #2 to my daughter as a surprise. But instead, I asked the clerk if she would be like a free headband as well - so I gave her the second coupon."

...and that is paying it forward!

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So in honor of Sarah and kindness, let's work on paying it forward to our local cashier this week!