Busy, Smart and Strong: Save those box tops, a school will thank you

You wouldn’t throw money into your kitchen trash can, would you? Not purposely, anyway, but, there’s a good chance you are, several times a week.

The money is in the form of those little box tops that are on General Mills products. They’re worth a dime each to a school and I’m certain there is a school near you that collects them.

If you have schoolkids you already know this. If you have kids who will be starting school, there’s no time like the present to get used to looking for them in your pantry. And if you have kids who’ve moved on from elementary or middle school, did you stop collecting them?

Schools across the country make thousands of dollars every year from the program, Box Tops For Education. A dime may not sound like much but with the army of parents and grandparents out there clipping and saving, it adds up fast and pays for significant things, mainly school extras such as equipment, supplies and field trips.

I still clip them and save them in a ziplock bag in a kitchen drawer. Once a year I stop by the local elementary or middle school my kids attended and drop them off in the PTO box. They don’t know where they came from and it doesn’t matter because my 30 or so additional box tops will add up to roughly $3 for their projects. And the thing is, it doesn’t take any time or effort, really … one stop a year and just a quick clip while I’m cooking.

Starting in 2014, I’d like to encourage you, whether you have kids or not, to clip those box tops and drop them by a local school. sometime this year. You’ll find them on so many things you bring home from the store and even on some surprising items such as office supplies (printer paper and mailing labels, for instance).

It’s one small thing we can all do to support our schools, our neighborhood children, and their education.

It’s free money, don’t throw it in the trash!