What did you donate this week?

[BostonRed]

My company is having a can drive this week for the area social service agency. The beautiful thing is that the boss has promised to match the donation. We'll see if he can afford to live up to it.

Donation:

100+ cans of Healthy Choice soup (from the Conagra deal at Shaws)

4 grocery bags full of HBA...lots of toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo

The company may go broke...that's $250 in soup alone at retail prices.

[mimipaula1]

What a blessing, Boston Red! Keep up the good work!

The soup sales/coupons have been WONDERFUL, haven't they? I was able to donate about two cases of Campbell's through our church community outreach!

[browntl5]

A few people have asked what others are doing as far as tax deductions for these charitable contributions. The IRS website (www.irs.gov) has extensive documentation on what is deductible. You could also use a software program like It's Deductible.

I AM NOT A TAX PROFESSIONAL, so take the following as a layman's opinion.

I disagree with a PP who said that you can't take a deduction for something you got for free. Everything I have read on the IRS website states that you can deduct the Fair Market Value, which is what a person would pay if they walked in off the street and bought it at a store. The only reference I could find pertaining to the value of an item vs. what you paid for it says that you have to be able to prove that the FMV is different from what you paid. To my mind, that means a receipt which shows what I paid, along with "Regular price $x.xx."

I keep a detailed spreadsheet and keep all of my receipts. I also get a donation acknowledgement from the charity stating that I got no benefit from my donation.

FWIW, I have attached here the spreadsheet that I use in the hopes that it might be useful to someone else.

HTH!

[mrsjschultz]

A few days ago I donated items to a local church for their Christmas project which I *believe* goes overseas to children in third world countries =)

40+ Crest TP
Olay bar soap
College rule notebook paper
Kotex
Toothbrushes
PENS - lots of free pens from RA, lol

[SpendyWendy]

Is this thread dead or what?

I've decided that, along with saving myself a ton of money by couponing, I'm going to give back to the community more than ever before. I've been trying to come up with a goal and I think I've decided. I want to donate $2000 worth of items this year to the local charities/food banks. I think it will be easiest to do this one time each month, and it's perfect because this week there is a Caravan of Care house that they are filling up for local charities!

Here are January's donations:
10 bags cough drops
6 boxes Equal Sugar
4pks Hanes socks
2pkHanes underwear
4 Garnier shampoo
4 Garnier conditioner
5 Pert Plus
4 Small lotions
6 Colgate toothpaste
9 J&J Buddies

The sticker price for all of this stuff is$169.43, so it looks like I'm right on track!

[proudtxmomof3]

I've donated ALL.. WEll I left myself with 4 of everything but I donated everything you can imagine stockpiling from food to HBA to my church pantry. Now i've decided to shop for them!! As long as I keep myself stocked with 4 at a time I'll be great!!!! Well besides TP!!!

[loladooder99]

Good for you. I never donate stuff because i don't buy so much that i have too. I don't have the money to donate. Although i wish i could.

[course24]

So far this year I've donated to Sal Army & Angel Arms (a girls foster home):

44 Reach TB
44 packs Stayfree Maxi's
19 boxes Equal
26 Bic Soleil
23 Bic comfort 3
16 Suave poo & cond
10 Sure Deodorant

Total thus far is around $860. My goal if sales are as abundant as last year $2,500.

[lbveggie]

Thanks to all the wonderful members of HCW I am now in a position to donate food and toiletries to a local food bank 1-2 times each month!!!! It is sooooo awesome to be able to give to those who are in need. Today I am giving the following items to charity:
15 Garnier NutriseS poos and conds, 2 pkgs. Kotex Pads, 4 cans of Rotel, 4 cans Chilli, 8 tubes of toothpaste, 2 bottles of juice, 4 pkgs. of razors, 4 Bandaid To Go,1 box cereal and one bag of cheese snacks! What a blessing to not only have more than enough to keep, share with family, friends and co-workers, but to even have some to donate to less fortunate. Thanks HCW for showing me the way to spending less and getting more.

[elizabethm]

I found a local church food bank open 3 hours each Saturday that takes everything - non-perishables, has a chest freezer for perishables and takes HBA. They have regular clients and they let the clients just "shop" their shelves. After I heard that large food banks were just throwing out peanut butter jars in a complete overreaction to the peanut recall, I'm swearing off the county food bank for a while.

I donated a full paper grocery bag of Colgate/Crest and toothbrushes (I didn't realize I had so much!), 16 cans of Progresso soup, 16 cans of Hormel chili, Hormel Compleats, cookie mixes, cake mixes, frostings, assorted cereal, peanut butter, instant oatmeal, traditional oatmeal, Stayfree, Knorr pasta/rice sides, etc.