A few months ago I shared that our effort to spread the military coupon initiative that my Shopper predecessor, Martin Sloane, started years ago is working. For those new to this column, overseas military base stores have a policy of accepting grocery coupons up to six months after their expiration date.

Unfortunately, after heightened security measures due to 9/11, many of the original military base addresses Sloane listed were not complete enough to ensure delivery of coupons to families who need them. About a year ago, I began hearing from overseas military bases requesting that we start sending coupons again.

After learning more about the mailing-process requirements and getting a few more addresses with contact names of overseas military bases, we started promoting this important initiative. A radio host dubbed the effort “Operation Expiration,” and I added a list of addresses with contact names and e-mail addresses to the Coupon Mom Web site. You can find them listed in the Military Coupon section of www.couponmom.com.

It is important to mail the coupons properly to get them to the shoppers who need them. The package must have the full name of a person on the base to distribute them, as well as the address. It is also very important to send coupons that are just barely expired, by only a month or two. Although the military base stores can accept coupons up to six months past their expiration date, it can take time to get the coupons distributed to families once the coupons arrive at the base. I have heard from one base contact that she was receiving coupons that were many months past the six-month limit, and it was taking her hours to sort out the coupons that could not be used. She begged me to remind readers not to send extremely expired coupons. Organizing them by category in envelopes would be even more helpful for the military base families. As an added bonus, the postage is based on domestic rates rather than international rates, so it is not expensive to mail coupons.

The great news is that I am hearing stories from readers who are sending military bases coupons, as well as appreciation from the military bases that are receiving coupons. Birgit Pally is the volunteer coupon coordinator at a military base in Germany. She e-mailed me a few months ago to request that their base be added to our address list. I received this nice e-mail from Birgit after she received her first packet of coupons:

“Hello Stephanie, I received a big envelope full of wonderful coupons, they are ready to go to the military post office on base tomorrow, where they keep a coupon box, available to everyone. It was such a great surprise! Thank you so very much! Do you know about the flat-rate envelopes and boxes, they can be picked up at the post office? I will look forward to more mail and coupons. Loving it and smiling here in Germany, I’m sure there will be a lot of happy thrifty shoppers.”

I also received a heartwarming letter from Brent Zimmerman, a high-school graduate in Bernville, Pa. Brent read about Operation Expiration in the Reading Eagle and decided to take the project on as his senior project. He wrote to tell me that he collected coupons over a three-month period, organized them by category, and then had them shipped to Birgit Pallay in Germany.

He was able to send 1,100 coupons that will no doubt help many families save real money! His initiative inspired me; I hope it inspires you, too. I mailed some coupons overseas today.

 

Stephanie Nelson shares her savings tips as a regular contributor on ABC News’ “Good Morning America.” You can find more of her savings tips in her book  “The Greatest Secrets of the Coupon Mom” and on her Web site at www.couponmom.com. She can be reached at shoppingmom@unitedmedia.com.