Shopping for Charity

Here is another opportunity I just couldn’t pass up.  Walmart asked me if I’d like to see how many toys I could purchase for charity with a $100 gift card.  I got to pick the toys, pick the local charity that would get the items, and all I had to do is share with all of you what exactly I did to get the most “bang for my buck”.

I live in an economically depressed area-and even though Yankee Bill and I regularly support our church and other charities (our favorites are those that help veterans, literacy related and Habitat for Humanity) I always wish I could give more.  So saying yes to this campaign was a no brainer.

Before I headed out to Walmart I figured it would be a good idea to know who I was shopping for-so I choose a local charity-the Rotary.  They always provide baskets for families in our town who are in economic need at Christmas.  I also decided to help support the Giving Tree at my church.

Here is my experience:

Here are some of my tips:

1.  Try to help as many families as possible.  Yes-I could have gotten two Wii games or fancy Barbies, but then that’s only two children who are being helped.  Instead I purchased 17 items with the $100.

2.  Check out store brands.  Walmart has it’s own line of toys-mostly for the younger set.  You can often get items very similar to bigger brand names for a smaller price.

3.  Scout out the sales.  There were a lot of items that were reduced for the holidays-hit those things first & fill up your cart.

4.  Shop all year long.  If you have the money and the space to store it-you can get a lot of items for charity by shopping clearance throughout the year and then pulling it all out for Christmas.

What are some of your tips for getting a lot for you money when shopping for charity?

What are your favorite tips when shopping for charity?

Disclosure: This post is part of a campaign I am participating in with the Walmart Moms. Walmart has provided me with  compensation for this post. My participation is voluntary and opinions, as always are my own. 

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