Ask and Ye Shall Receive

Do you share well?

Quatro is in the final couple of months of using formula, as her first birthday is approaching. Although we are sad to see the baby days pass, the thought of no longer mixing bottles makes me a little giddy. We have been extremely fortunate and have not had to purchase a great deal of formula, during the time she's been using it (blessedly).

However, our stock of free formula from doctor's office samples and manufacturer's checks recently ran out. Refusing to pay the ridiculous retail price, I went to Kroger and purchased 2 cans in the clearance section on Manager's Special (woot!). Knowing that wouldn't last forever, I shot out a shameless text to several girlfriends who have babies about the sa me age and asked them if they had coupons or manufacturer's checks they wouldn't be using, if they'd bring them to me.

You know, we really have to band together and look out for one another, financially speaking. If you use a product, ask your friends to save coupons for you (provided they won't be using it). Within a few days of shooting out that text, 2 of my girlfriends brought me coupons and/or formula checks and a third had asked her doctor for samples and gave them to me. Wow. Wow!

I'm fearful that many people view asking for discounts, coupons, samples, etc as appearing as beggars. There's a reason why it's called the suggested retail price and there's a reason why they are called samples. If you had no use for something, but your friend needed it, wouldn't you give it to them? View saving money the same way.

My friend Sandra recently started a coupon swap at our church, which is a great way to help your friends out if they use something you don't. The ladies in the nursery at our church have a small basket where you can drop off or take coups for baby products (kind of the take-a-penny, leave-a-penny idea). Surely there's bound to be one coupon that you would never use, but a friend might. My friend Anne is constantly bringing me coupons at school that she got from her mom, but she has gleaned from them first. When I finish with them, I pass them on to our mutual friend Angie.

Be sweet to each other, share those coupons, and save on, friends! :)