Share your good Coupon Karma story (it doesn't have to be about coupons!!!) - Page 6

mom2lillian · 06-22-2008, 03:57:40 AM

today I saw an old woman and wags with a bunch 7 day q's looking for her items so I figured she really used coupons and I saw she had the kraft M&C (3) so I gave her a coupon for the 3 off planters deal and showed her where they had some cans clearanced to 2.79 so she could get free peanuts plus pay 0.21 less for the macaroni cheese. It took her a bit to understand what I was saying but then she was excited because she 'loves' peanuts. She caught my eye because she was eyeing my daughter and talking with her and I just love old people but I got more out of it than her free peanuts--I felt really good about it. I think it is the 3rd time I have done similar in the past month or so (strangers, not counting friends) and I really love it!

He'sAlive · 06-22-2008, 04:31:47 AM

these are awesome stories. Am I the only one with tears in her eyes while reading these posts?? I LOVE being used to help anyone in any way. It's what life is all about, IMO.

I've done a little coupon-fairying myself....you know, leaving coupons w/ the products on the shelf. Hoping and praying they get used.

I've passed on coupon and store deals to random strangers in the aisles of every store I frequent.

The coolest thing for me is that couponing has created a unique bond between me & my MIL. We've always gotten along well. But now...we talk so much b/c I'm always sharing coupon deals with her. She calls me the Coupon Queen and calls herself the Coupon Princess! It's fun!!!

chriscree · 07-12-2008, 10:13:29 PM

This seems strange to toot my own horn but...My boys sell scout fair tickets every year here in Houston..On them are all sorts of coupons, about $200 worth: for resturants, oil changes, and 8 $5 off a $75 dollar purchase at Kroger...I usually buy two for our family they are $10 dollars a piece then I buy 8 more and pass them out to people I see couponing around town... It feels good to help the Boy Scouts and others at the same time...

Mothernature · 07-14-2008, 07:30:30 AM

My Karma story? I am always giving and donating. There are a few that stick out in my mind.

1) There were two families in my hometown struggling. The one was helped through an acquaintance. I gave the family 3 truck full loads. I even ran around and collected free items from Craigslist. The other is such a sad story. The mother was ill and the father was very abusive. A friend told me about the family and I wanted to help. I stopped by while the two children were outside playing. They were rail thin. I swung out a pack of candy (DH worked for a candy distributor at the time) and the kids were so grateful, they cried. I met the mother who is a stick and clearly mentally ill. I told the kids that I grew up in an abusive home and to hang in there. It broke my heart growing up in such a home but at least, I made a difference that day for those kids. i never had anyone make it better for me. I did call DCFS and filed a complaint.

2) The homeless woman on the hot day/ blind guy in the subway station. This happened a year ago. It was 105 that day. We stayed in a hotel. I ran into my university's bookstore, purchased 3 cold bottles of water, and gave it to the homeless woman. When we went into the subway, a blind guy was lost. He came up to me and asked for help. I asked him to stay still with my husband and son watching while I found an employee. I explained to the employee the gentleman was blind and needed help. I quite frequently help tourists visiting on-campus or in the general area.

3) My Mother and Father in law. We furnished their apartment (including new tv's and Dyson), I hung blinds on their living room and patio sliding door window, I repaired their walls, hung difficult towel racks, repaired their computer upon call. I even purchased for free and built a very large computer desk. We took them to CVS to spend $300 in ECBs, took them out to expensive dinners (we sat at the chef's table a few time), and even an evening out to a play, dinner, and a room. What angers me about all of this is they did take us for granted. We will see what happens now that we live 1000 miles away. We have 2 gift baskets of HBA and 1 towel cake ready to take when we visit in late December.

4) Members here. I have sent ROAKs and boxes of merchandise by surprise. I realize how lucky we are compared to many here. Jut look at my feedback.

Mothernature · 07-14-2008, 07:41:54 AM

Originally Posted by latte

sometimes its hard to be the coupon fairy.......went into walmart today, and got 5 bags of iams cat food, saw 4 people looking at cat stuff, had cat stuff in carts....but "stuff" not food couldnt help them.....college kids needing soap, handed over every irish spring coupon i had after asking them what brand they liked (i think it was 5?) then went to the cleaning aisle......no one buying stuff i had coupons for(and no tape with me as i need to replace the tape that belongs in my backpack)....went to self checkout (like 30 items, and 28 coupons, using my canvas bags) this poor lady came up halfway threw me ringing stuff up with like 5 items with her........my son is handing me my stuff in the order i want it rung up and bagged, the register is freeking out causei have my own bags (it throws off the weight?) then she gets on her phone and starts telling someone that shes at walmart behind this lady in a kinda sneery sort of voice, i have no propane coupons or book coupons for her,then the register starts freeking out on me some more after like 10 coupons, the girl comes over and helps with 5 or so more, the lady is still behind me, my total has gone from 75ish down to 40, and i still had 9 more coupons to use!the manager comes over, and thankfully suspends/transfrers it to finish my transaction(knocking another $15 off my total) that poor lady was gone by the time i was done otherwise i would have shared my goodies with her

I do not bother to offer coupons here anymore. Couponing at this level is almost akin to drug dealing. I've tried to offer coupons to help people (think CVS Engerizer deal last year). The looks and reactions for offering coupons; you'd thought I offered them PCP. Their loss.

Mothernature · 07-14-2008, 07:47:34 AM

Originally Posted by MustangSally

My story is from after doing my coupon shopping...Long story...but I was in another state taking care of my grandmother after a fall, and I was leaving the Dominick's with my mother as we were pulling out this car went flying through the parking lot and jumped the curb and landed smack dab in the middle of the retention pond. Well, ran over and into the retention pond and found it was an elderly couple and I had my mother call 911, another gentlemen (young kid) joined me in the water and we worked to ensure the couple were safe and medically ok, and the car was stable on not sinking, we called their children and told them what happened and that they were ok, and we waited until the rescue teams got there...as soon as we gave our contact information to the police and our version of the events, I jumped in my car and hightailed it out of there....That evening it was on all the local news stations there was even a helicopter out there, they interviewed the young kid, and I followed the news and heard that both people were ok, and back home...and I was happy for my part in saving them, but remaining a mystery rescuer.

Later that week, I found a scratch off lottery ticket in the parking lot and won $1,000!!

How long ago was this? I think I remember this story!

<---Illinois native.

emily26505 · 09-02-2008, 06:57:31 PM

I guess my first experience with good coupon karma was just a few months ago during the Walgreens diaper deal. I don't even have any kids, but I left work to go get in on this deal because I thought this would make an excellent donation to a local women's/children's shelter. After getting about 20 packs (and NOT being allowed to "double dip", so I paid a little OOP) I called the local shelter to offer them. The director I spoke with was not a very friendly person, to say the least. In fact, she was quite rude and flat out told me that they didn't want the diapers.

OK..so maybe they didn't need diapers, but I was a little peeved that she had to be rude about it. But I still knew that there are sooo many struggling parents in my area, so I really wanted to give them to someone who would be grateful.

Well, as it happens, the next day I am checking out at CVS and paid about 41 cents for $45 worth of merch. The young girl behind the counter was just totally blown away and started telling me how she needs to learn how to coupon like that because she can barely afford to put diapers on her 2 kids.

Umm..did she just say diapers?? My ears percked up and I told her that I had a whole trunk full of diapers if she would like them. I went out to my car and came back in with bags and bags of diapers for her.

She held up her whole line to come around from the counter and give me a huge hug. She almost cried, she was so happy. It totally made my day and made up for the rude lady from the shelter. And I was happy to actually see the face of the person I was giving to. (And it turns out, most of them were the sizes she needed anyways!).

From then on, I always strive to give to someone that I may know already or happen upon that may need someting or may need good coupon advice instead of relying on campanies, etc to pass along the goods. The last few weeks I have given away over 200 packs of Kool Aid from the Kraft deals to the cashiers at Food Lion who have little kids, lol. They love it when I come in, I'm always sharing my loot haha!

Abbybob · 09-03-2008, 12:16:09 AM

I posted this in another thread, but here goes, about 3 weeks ago I did a trip to Vons to use us some q's before the super store sale ended (2 free south beach pizza- OK!!), and I loaded up on some other things that were on sale that I had Q's for. I saved $65.33. HEE HEE!!

As I am checking out- I hand my stack to the cashier and swiped my store card, the lady behind me- a few years younger than me, 2 kids, lots of food in her cart with stuff I had q's for in my stash just marveled.

I asked her if she wanted some q's for stuff she had in her cart, and she hugged me when I handed her what I pulled from my q wallet. Q's for Eggos, Cereal, milk, syrup, frozen veg, oleo, cookie dough, juice, boca stuff, gilette shampoo, shave gel... all stuff I wasn't going to buy b/c it wasn't on sale or we didn't need (or have enough or in my stash!). SHe asked me to wait so I could see how much she saved. Swiped her card, handed the cashier the q's... Her kids (little-ish maybe 3 and 5) asked about my little pizzas, and asked what I did with all the money I save. I told them I used my savings as an allowance and I went to the movies, and out to lunch and to get my toenails painted.

Their mommy saved $60 with the Q's and store card. I gave her the website address to HCW and coupons.com.

I give strangers in line q's all the time, and I leave q's I won't use that are still good on the shelf next to the item. Last month, a lady followed me around the store and took them all. She and I checked out all the time- she saved over $100.

Someone else should benefit from my thriftiness.