Do you donate stuff that's not free?

[dr. liz]

Everybody's circumstances are different--some can afford to give more, etc. But I'm just curious--do you donate stuff that you buy, or only free stuff? My DH says, if you're paying for it, just give them the money instead. That way they can buy what they need the most. So I'm just curious what other people's approach is.

I just gave a check to the food bank, but there's something satisfying about giving a couple of bags of stuff.

[twinsplus14me]

I'm donating both free and low cost items. I can provide them with several items I've bought for .50 or less. I just filled up my first BIG box of goodies for the women's shelter yesterday. It felt great knowing that I had accumulated such a large amount of items in such a short time. I can't wait to drop it off!

[Hayden'sMommy]

I give things I get for free as well as things I get for super cheap. The battered womens shelter here in my town needs femine items to give to its clients on the spot. They would spend more money running out and buying shampoo, when I could get some for $.20 a piece for them. Even though you have only paid a little bit of money for the items you donate, it is your time and effort getting the actual items that will be much appreciated.

[Bear]

I live in a small town with a small local food bank. I donate free and low cost items. They say they will take anything I can give. They also have a list of items that they are needing. I do my best to find the items cheap. I will not buy an item at full price even if it's on their list. I give cash donations at work during the food drive there.

[vagabond2]

I shop for our church pantry. My DH and I set aside a sum a mth that we give to the pantry, this money is kept in a separate wallet in my purse. The director has asked me to go out there and do my best to make those $$'s stretch as far as it will.........it is amazing at how much I can buy for x dollars....

[CherryPicker]

To me it is irrelevent if it is free or lowcost as long as it is a pragmatic need item. When I first started donating years ago, I wrote down a list of their most needed items, and focus on these. Imagine how happy I am to have gotten 15 boxes of pasta this week, for a total of .85 cents. That equals out to be 90 servings at a cost of something like .009 per serving, so I would say that was a great bargain.

[Baird]

I buy my donations -- and use coupons to try and stretch the money I spend as far as it will go. Last week, I got lots of cans of Hormel chili and Dole fruit for 43 cents a can, after my 55 cents for two coupons were doubled. I had lots and lots of coupons, as I had bought multiples off eBay.

[Andrea]

i did just spend like 25.00 and gave a ton of free to stuff to the local non profit place that did my puppies spaying... but they had a wish list on their site of stuff they really needed!!