While I was cleaning and reorganizing today

I sorted out some stuff and made a big donation to the food pantry.  It felt pretty good.  Alot of it was stuff that we would not use up by the expiration date (less than a month for the most part) and I knew the food pantry could use it. 

When I started stockpiling sale items and using coupons to get a lot of stuff for free or mere pennies, it was hard not to go overboard.  As a result of that I am finding that I sometimes have a lot more of an item than we will use so I have been doing quite a bit of donating.  The longer I have been shopping this way the more I realize that we don't use as much of some things as I thought we would so I have been buying or getting less, even if it is free after coupons and sales.  Other things we use more of so I have adjusted my plans accordingly.  It took awhile to get a good "feel" for what we need.  Others that shop as I do have said it takes time to figure it out but in the meantime the food pantries, friends and family in need, etc. can really benefit from it.  They have!  I have given away boxes of cereal that I got for 25 cents a box and were getting close to date to a family friend, knowing they were short on cash and needed the help.  It feel good to help and there was no waste. 

I still hope to be able to donate even though I am getting a much better feel for what we *should* have on hand.