Did you know military families stationed overseas can use your expired coupons in their commissary’s (military grocery stores) for up to 6 months after their expiration date? YES they do! You see, unfortunately they don’t have access to a Sunday newspaper all nicely filled with coupons like we do.
So this is where you come in. Happymoneysaver readers can all come together and help help out the military while at the same time making use of our expired coupons. You can adopt a military base yourself or drop off your coupons at one of the locations of our specialists in the Pacific Northwest.
Acceptable Coupons:
You can only send MANUFACTURER’S COUPONS, no store coupons
Do not send coupons that are over 30 days expired
Sorting the Coupons:
The coupons that you are sending need to be separated into FOOD and NON-FOOD in plastic zipcloc style bags. Label them with a pen or marker as well.
If you or your family want to adopt a military base you can do so directly. Package up your coupons into Food and Non-Food and mail them to the military base of your choice. My favorite website with bases you can adopt is Grocery Saving Tips. They seem to keep updated lists going of military bases accepting coupons. Please try not to send coupons expired past 30 days because of shipping time, sorting time and other time factors.
Have you mailed off your expired coupons to the military overseas program? Any helpful tips or tricks?
About Karrie
Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...
Comments & Reviews
Amy Barnes says
I live in Klamath Falls Oregon and have no idea who to send them too, does anyone know where I could send mine too??
thanks
Heather Willis says
Send them to me! I am in Corvallis, OR. Use a priority flat rate envelope, cram them ALL in there, tape it shut and write “Coupons” on the outside of the envelope; it is only $4.95. Mail to
Heather Willis
c/o Corvallis Family Medicine
2400 NW Kings Blvd
Corvallis, OR 97330
I will be putting together a few pkgs to mail in the next week or so.
And if you don’t mind, slip one of two dollars to help cover shipping when I mail.
Thanks!
len says
id be honored to accept your coupons
i accept any manufacturer coupons
i also donate the rest of the coupons to the airforce family readiness
reddragonaif@hotmail.com
we are a family of 5 and we are stationed in GUAM
my address is
Len Fedele
PMB 274
111 Chalan Balako St.
Dededo , GUAM 96929
jennifer says
I’m getting some together for you.
Nicole Fairbanks says
What is an address I can mail my recently expired coupons to if there aren’t any “local drop off” locations near the area I live in? I have several I would love to donate!!
Diane says
Regarding part of Megan’s comment about Internet Coupons~~As we are usually limited in the number of coupons that we can print off, could it still be helpful to send our unused internet coupons overseas?
Cortni says
Can we mail them to the address of our nearest drop off house??
Karrie says
Sure if you would like to! But if you are planning on mailing you might just consider choosing one of the bases listed on the website in the link above to mail directly to the base. Either way feel free though.
Jeanette says
I was wondering how to get those coupons? Im station in S Korea right now. Any help we can get would be awesome! 🙂
Annie says
I just dropped off coupons at the lynnwood address..there was no box so I left them on the porch…I hope that’s right??
Rusty says
are there any of thoses drop off locations in Ohio? If not, how do you start one? I think this a great way to support the ones that are left at home.
Lesley says
I always like to see others sending coupons overseas to our military families. It’s such a simple thing to do yet it means so much to the families to know that we do support them!
We have a coupon project directory at http://www.CouponsToTroops.com where you can check to see if there’s a drop off point in your area if you’re not nearby to any of the dropoffs mentioned above.
The large priority flat-rate mail boxes DO require a customs form. I’m not sure exactly where the line is for not needing one vs needing one. I do know that regular #10 size mailing envelopes do not need one but beyond that I’m not sure.
I personally keep a list of military families overseas that are interested in receiving coupons so if anyone would prefer to mail directly to a family but doesn’t know anyone stationed overseas, contact me at sbp (at) hughes.net and I’ll be happy to help put you in touch with someone.
Karrie says
Thanks Lesley!
Annie says
THANK YOU for the drop off locations – I do this every month but the postage to Atlanta (the only drop off I knew) was starting to erk me as I send coupons for my entire office! Lynnwood is just a short drive away (and where I hit walmart!)
THANK YOU!
Megan says
I have lived at an APO (as a cilvilan wife) and as for the custom forms, if you mail an envelope with paper (or coupons) you dont need a customs form, although if it seems overstuffed they might have you write “paper only” on the envelope. But if you mail a box, you probably will have to fill out a customs form, no matter what is in it, since they can’t feel that it is paper.
As for internet coupons, most Americans overseas have access to Internet and can print their own Internet Printable coupons, so no need to send those.
Pamela says
Oh sorry – I guess I was thinking of sending care packages (needing the customs form)! Then, I saw on another coupon blog over 20 of the APO/FPO Priority Mail boxes (of coupons!!!!), so I assumed it was needed. Nice to know it isn’t for sending coupons.
But related to Julie’s post/Christy’s reply, I actually thought Internet coupons were eligible for overseas military. I had previously read that the only coupons NOT accepted were store-specific ones (such as Target, Fred Meyer, Albertsons, Rite Aid, etc.) that are printed with “use at xxxx store” only type of thing.
Karen says
In regards to Pamela’s post, I don’t think you have to fill out a custom’s form. I’ve been shipping these for a few months now and thought I needed to fill one out, but coupons fall into some category that does not require the custom’s form. I’ve even had a post office worker question me on that (after I’d done it without one previously) and he looked it up. Wala! No customs form was needed. I’ve been shipping in padded envelopes, but I’d think boxes would be the same. You’ll have to check for sure, but it was super easy. Just address and send.
Christy B. says
Julie, You cannot send internet printed coupons (which is what I read on that website that Karrie posted.)
Julie says
Thanks for posting this. Can you send the online printable ones too, or just the ones from the paper?
Pamela says
My husband was deployed previously, and I have an active Marine nephew, so I know a little about the mailing. For APO/FPO addresses, you must fill out a Customs Form, which is available (and easier) electronically (USPS.com). There are multiple copies that are kept in file and move with the package in a plastic mailer (much like FedEx mailings). ‘Tis best to go to the post office PREPARED (i.e., form filled out in advance), especially during this busy holiday season. Should also be REALLY easy because the only contents (for the Customs Form) would be coupons!
Also, the longest part about the mailing is getting to the APO/FPO which, depending on the military unit, is based in New York state (or generally somewhere east) – so from the west coast, you’d really want to send Priority so that the military mailing unit gets the coupons ASAP. USPS has Priority Mail boxes that are specific to APO/FPO addresses (and at a slight mailing discount than if you were priority mailing in the continental United States). These boxes, too, are also available from USPS.com, are free, and can be mailed right to your home.
So, this is all if you want to mail the coupons overseas yourself. 🙂 I don’t know any of the specific addresses of where to send, though; I’m sure that’s a quick Google search.