Stockpiling 101
The first thing that you need to know is that building a stockpile should not negatively affect your budget! The whole concept is one of savings! Do not neglect the overall savings in favor of stocking up on individual items. If the current hot deal is for something that you will not use a lot of, exercise some restraint and look for the deals on things that your family uses every week. Don't end up paying full price for everything else because you spent all of your time and energy getting 20 widgets that you won't use for 2 months or more. What is a stockpile, anyway? A stockpile is, in its most basic form, having a backup for every item that you use on a regular basis. It's not something that you go out and buy all at once, and say "Voila! I have a stockpile!" OK, technically, yeah. You could do it that way, but where are the savings? A stockpile is built one item at a time, not bought.
There is no reason that you need to start stockpiling flat-out, no holds barred. If you have budget constraints, which you are likely to if you want to coupon in the first place, start out by designating $10.00 a week toward your stockpile. When that's gone, you only go after the things that you can get for free.
How do I know how much of something to stockpile? Family Usage: To begin with, figure out how large a supply you want to have on hand-- 3 months? 6 months? A year? Then, determine how much of a given item your family uses each week or month.
Stockpiling is an ongoing process, not an end in itself. Just because you got free cat litter doesn't mean you will pass up the next Tidy Cats sale. You are never "finished" with a stockpile, because as soon as you get a full supply of one item, you will run low on another. For some reason it seems there are always some items you can never find a good enough deal on to stockpile. One example is paper towels. For some reason, one of our hard-core couponers has not found a really good deal on paper towels in years. She never has more than a 6pk of them in the house. Brand loyalty is another reason that the stockpiling process may be off kilter. Although brand loyalty is a rare thing among couponers, for some things you just won't compromise! You may overbuy by normal standards if you know it's the only brand that you will use, and it doesn't go on sale that often.
Keeping control of your stockpile! Control? What? Why would you want to do something crazy like that! I can get 200 of them for free! I'll take all I can get. There are several reasons to keep a handle on the stockpile.
1. Space: Don't let your stockpile take over. Sacrificing the comfort of your family and making daily life difficult is not the goal of a stockpile. If things get uncomfortable, you have probably bought too much.
2. Safety and Expiration Dates: A deal isn't a deal unless you are actually going to use the item before it spoils. Ask yourself how much of a product your family can reasonably use in a given time frame, and STOP when you have that amount.
One of the most important concepts in stockpiling is to stockpile the savings, rather than just buying something to have it. But sometimes the savings aren’t obvious. Stores often offer “deals” that emotionally feel like good deals, but really aren’t. A deal term that stores often use to attract customers is the BUY X GET Y. One example is Buy One, Get One 50%. While this can easily “seem” like a great deal, look at the actual spending, versus savings. Buying one item at full price, and the second at half price simply means you are buying two items at only 25% savings each. Unless you have great coupons, or there is an additional deal to add on, this probably isn’t the deal to stockpile.
Now that you have a grocery budget I want you to decide on a number that you can pull from that allotted amount of money that you can dedicate to stockpiling. When I first started couponing I allotted $10 a week to stockpiling. And then the rest of my budget ($90 a week) was spent on the normal everyday items that my family needed to eat and use. As you build your stockpile that number is going to shift. Your goal is to find whatever deals you can each week that meet these four requirements:
1. Free – If something is free after coupons purchase it and stockpile it. Take into account that depending on where you live you may still need to pay sales tax.
2. Cheap – Aim for at least 50% off retail or cheaper than the price of generics.
3. You can store it – It does not make sense to buy 100 bags of frozen veggies if you do not have room in your freezer for them.
4. Within your stockpiling budget – This one is important! You need to stay within the set amount in your budget that is dedicated to stockpiling.
5. The Break Down.
Let’s break it down and let me give you an example of what this is going to end up looking like each week over the course of time. In the following examples I am going to use my budget of $100 a week, your budget may be more or less depending on your circumstances and needs. The $100 a month at the beginning is going to be divided into $10 dedicated stockpile money and $90 for regular groceries. Those numbers are going to shift as we build our stockpile.
Week 1:
There is a sale on Crest toothpaste for $1.00 and with my coupons I can get 10 tubes for free. – Total spent is $0.00 At another grocery store there is a deal on Kraft cheese $2.00 each, I have $1.00/1 coupons making each package $1.00 after coupons. I have (10) $1.00/1 coupons making it $1.00 a package so I get 10 packages – Total spent – $10.00 My stockpile budget for this week is now spent. I use the rest of my grocery budget of $90 to buy the normal things my family needs. In my stockpile, 10 tubes of toothpaste and 10 packages of string cheese.
Week 2:
Deodorant is on sale buy one get one free and I have 6 coupons for buy one get one free, that makes 2 free deodorants for each coupon I have, so I pick up 12 sticks of deodorant for free – Total spent is $0.00 Star-Kist tuna is on sale for 10 for $10 and I have 20 coupons for 50¢ off 1. That makes each pouch of Tuna only 50¢ each – Total spent is $10.00My stockpile budget for this week is now spent. I use the rest of my grocery budget of $90 to buy the normal things my family needs. In my stockpile 10 tubes of toothpaste, 10 packages of string cheese, 12 sticks of deodorant, 20 pouches of tuna
Week 3:
This week there is a big sale on Kellogg’s cereal, it’s on sale $1.88 a box and I have 10 coupons for $1.00/1 making each box only 88¢ each – Total spent $8.80At another store I find Barilla pasta is on clearance (with a 1 year expiration date) for 40¢ a box, I have 20 coupons for $0.35/1 making it just 5¢ a package after coupon – Total spent $1.00I have spent $9.80 from my stockpile budget (close enough). I use the rest of my grocery budget of $90 to buy the normal things my family needs. In my stockpile 10 tubes of toothpaste, 10 packages of string cheese, 12 sticks of deodorant, 20 pouches of tuna, 10 boxes of cereal, 20 packages of pasta.
Week 4:
It’s a slow week this week for sales and I cannot find anything that is free or a great deal because I have any coupons to go with the sale. But, there is a great deal going on this week on boneless skinless chicken breasts at 99¢ a lb. So I am going to go ahead and stock up and get 10 pounds and freeze it. – Total spent $9.90 I have spent $9.90 from my stockpile budget. ). I use the rest of my grocery budget of $90 to buy the normal things my family needs. In my stockpile 10 tubes of toothpaste, 10 packages of string cheese, 12 sticks of deodorant, 20 pouches of tuna, 10 boxes of cereal, 20 packages of pasta, 10 pounds of chicken breasts
Here is a bit of a turning point…take a look at the things I have started stockpiling! Now I have some ingredients that I can use to plan my meals around. I cannot eat the toothpaste or deodorant but I can eat the cereal, string cheese, tuna, cereal, pasta and chicken. These are things that I can now scratch off your weekly shopping list. I think I am going to see if I can shift $5 from my regular grocery budget on over to my stockpiling budget. Now my stockpile budget is $15 and my regular grocery budget is $85 a week.
Week 5:
Laundry soap is on sale this week for $1.99 a jug and I have $1.00/1 coupons making it 99¢ a bottle. I do a ton of laundry so I am going to buy 15 jugs of laundry detergent with my 15 coupons – Total spent $14.85 I have two printable coupons for $3.00/1 package of Bic Razors and there are 5-packs of the razors for $2.99. I go ahead and grab 2 packages of razors (that is 10 razors total) and get them for free plus 2¢ overage that I will apply to the other items in my order – Total spent $0.00 (I have spent $14.85 from my stockpile budget.). I use the rest of my grocery budget of $85 to buy the normal things my family needs. In my stockpile 10 tubes of toothpaste, 10 packages of string cheese, 12 sticks of deodorant, 20 pouches of tuna, 10 boxes of cereal, 20 packages of pasta, 10 pounds of chicken breasts, 15 bottles of laundry detergent, 2 packages of 5 razors.
Week 6:
Ragu pasta sauce is on sale $1.00 each and I have 10 coupons for $1.00/2. That means I can buy 10 jars of sauce for 50¢ each – Total spent $5.00 Quaker Instant Oatmeal is on sale $1.75 each and I have 9 coupons for $1.00/1. That means I can get 9 boxes for 75¢ each – Total spent $6.75 Pantene shampoo and conditioner is on sale for $3.00 and I have coupons for $2.00/1 making each bottle $1.00 each. This is my favorite brand of shampoo. I am going to buy 4 bottles – Total spent $4.00 I have spent $15.75 from my stockpile budget. (OH NO I went over budget, but only by 75¢ I can just take from my regular grocery budget, no worries there). I use the rest of my grocery budget of $84.25 to buy the normal things my family needs. In my stockpile 10 tubes of toothpaste, 10 packages of string cheese, 12 sticks of deodorant, 20 pouches of tuna, 10 boxes of cereal, 20 packages of pasta, 10 pounds of chicken breasts, 15 bottles of laundry detergent, 2 packages of 5 razors, 10 jars of pasta sauce, 9 boxes of instant oatmeal, 4 bottles of my favorite shampoo.
Week 7:
There is high value coupon this week in my Sunday inserts for $3.00 off any bag of Pedigree dog food. My mission this week is to find out where I can get that dog food as cheap as possible. This is the brand of dog food my dogs eat and I want to stock up! I check all of the stores in my area to see who has the best price. Turns out one of my grocery stores sells a 5 lb. bag for $3.05 everyday price (no sale needed!) Great I have 20 coupons making each bag only 5¢ – Total spent: $1.00 (A DOLLAR FOR 100 POUNDS OF DOG FOOD! I am officially HOOKED!) Other than the dog food there is not a whole lot to pick up. I check my now growing stash of coupons at the trial size section of my local “Mart” store and find will be great for when we go camping or as stocking stuffers. I get 14 trial size shampoos, hair sprays and single packs of laundry soap all for free – Total spent $0.00 While in the store I notice that strawberries are on sale for $1.99 a lb. So I pick up $14 worth of strawberries (about 7 lbs.), take them home and prepare them and freeze them – Total spent $14.00 (I have spent $15 from my stockpile budget.). I use the rest of my grocery budget of $85 to buy the normal things my family needs. In my stockpile: 10 tubes of toothpaste, 10 packages of string cheese, 12 sticks of deodorant, 20 pouches of tuna, 10 boxes of cereal, 20 packages of pasta, 10 pounds of chicken breasts, 15 bottles of laundry detergent, 2 packages of 5 razors, 10 jars of pasta sauce, 9 boxes of instant oatmeal, l4 bottles of my favorite shampoo, 20 bags of dog food, 14 various trial size items, 7 pounds of strawberries.
Week 8:
Frozen vegetables are on sale 10 for $10.00. I have coupons for $0.75/1 making them only 25¢ I have 10 coupons – Total spent $2.50 Canned fruit is on sale for 50¢ a can and I have coupons for $0.50/3 making them 33¢ a can. I have 14 coupons so I am going to get 42 cans of fruit – Total spent $13.86 Window cleaner is on sale for $1.50 a bottle. I have coupons for $1.00/1 making them 50¢ a bottle. I have 6 coupons so I am going to get 6 bottles – Total spent $3.00 I have spent $19.36 from my stockpile budget. . I use the rest of my grocery budget of $80.64 to buy the normal things my family needs. In my stockpile: 10 tubes of toothpaste, 10 packages of string cheese, 12 sticks of deodorant, 20 pouches of tuna, 10 boxes of cereal, 20 packages of pasta, 10 pounds of chicken breasts, 15 bottles of laundry detergent, 2 packages of 5 razors, 10 jars of pasta sauce, 9 boxes of instant oatmeal, 4 bottles of my favorite shampoo, 20 bags of dog food, 14 various trial size items, 7 pounds of strawberries, 10 bags of frozen vegetables, 42 cans of fruit, 6 bottles of window cleaner.
Wow! After only 8 weeks of couponing I am really starting to see my stockpile grow. I think I have the hang of it now. I will just keep slowly building up my stockpile a few things at a time. The more I can stockpile the more items I have on hand at my house to plan meals out of instead of paying full price for those items each week or as I need them. Pretty soon I will be able to shift more and more from my regular grocery budget into my stockpile budget so I can buy more. Over time I am going to have more coupons too so that means more deals! Pretty soon I am going to run low on some of the items I stockpiled earlier, so that means I am going to need to make sure I have my coupons ready the next time those things are on sale. Cereal for example, those 10 boxes are not going to last very long when we eat two boxes a week. Next time I am going to try and buy more for my stockpile on the things we use a lot of.
So that is how it is done, one or two items each week that you stockpile. Build that up over time. Give yourself a good 6 months to a full year to really see the savings. It can take that long before you really see the full year of sale cycles. While there are some things that go on sale every 4-6 weeks, there are other things that only go on deep discounts two or three times a year. Keep in mind that you should always pay attention to seasonal produce and meat sales and stock up and freeze (or can) those items so that you have them later when the prices are higher. Stockpiling is a mentality. You can carry on the concept to other things outside of groceries too. For example when the great back-to-school sales are going on I stockpile office supplies for both myself and my home office but also for the kids to have supplies all year long. There is nothing worse than having to pay $1.50 for a pack of notebook paper midyear when I know I can get for 5¢ a pack at the back-to-school sales. Hopefully these will help you understand more about stockpiling... They more coupons you have, the better stockpiling you can get. But by all means... DO NOT BECOME A FOOD HOARDER... Couponing can be fun and help save money for families, but when you watch TLC Extreme Couponing... These people strip the shelves bare. That is not what Couponing is about. It is about saving money on everyday items. Saving anywhere between 40-60% is an awesome shopping trip. Actually, any savings is an awesome feeling. And how you save helps you when an emergency arises. Take the money you save on your groceries and put it aside, it will add up quick. I put mine in an account so that I can watch it grow. Then I use that for Christmas shopping. Even though I start my Christmas shopping, right after Christmas. They have the best deals on Christmas items and that is when I like to stock up. Or if an emergency comes up, we have it covered. It’s a good feeling not having to worry. I hope this has taught you a few things that you can use and share with your friends. I know I have shared, and it always seems to work out for everyone involve.
There is no reason that you need to start stockpiling flat-out, no holds barred. If you have budget constraints, which you are likely to if you want to coupon in the first place, start out by designating $10.00 a week toward your stockpile. When that's gone, you only go after the things that you can get for free.
How do I know how much of something to stockpile? Family Usage: To begin with, figure out how large a supply you want to have on hand-- 3 months? 6 months? A year? Then, determine how much of a given item your family uses each week or month.
Stockpiling is an ongoing process, not an end in itself. Just because you got free cat litter doesn't mean you will pass up the next Tidy Cats sale. You are never "finished" with a stockpile, because as soon as you get a full supply of one item, you will run low on another. For some reason it seems there are always some items you can never find a good enough deal on to stockpile. One example is paper towels. For some reason, one of our hard-core couponers has not found a really good deal on paper towels in years. She never has more than a 6pk of them in the house. Brand loyalty is another reason that the stockpiling process may be off kilter. Although brand loyalty is a rare thing among couponers, for some things you just won't compromise! You may overbuy by normal standards if you know it's the only brand that you will use, and it doesn't go on sale that often.
Keeping control of your stockpile! Control? What? Why would you want to do something crazy like that! I can get 200 of them for free! I'll take all I can get. There are several reasons to keep a handle on the stockpile.
1. Space: Don't let your stockpile take over. Sacrificing the comfort of your family and making daily life difficult is not the goal of a stockpile. If things get uncomfortable, you have probably bought too much.
2. Safety and Expiration Dates: A deal isn't a deal unless you are actually going to use the item before it spoils. Ask yourself how much of a product your family can reasonably use in a given time frame, and STOP when you have that amount.
One of the most important concepts in stockpiling is to stockpile the savings, rather than just buying something to have it. But sometimes the savings aren’t obvious. Stores often offer “deals” that emotionally feel like good deals, but really aren’t. A deal term that stores often use to attract customers is the BUY X GET Y. One example is Buy One, Get One 50%. While this can easily “seem” like a great deal, look at the actual spending, versus savings. Buying one item at full price, and the second at half price simply means you are buying two items at only 25% savings each. Unless you have great coupons, or there is an additional deal to add on, this probably isn’t the deal to stockpile.
Now that you have a grocery budget I want you to decide on a number that you can pull from that allotted amount of money that you can dedicate to stockpiling. When I first started couponing I allotted $10 a week to stockpiling. And then the rest of my budget ($90 a week) was spent on the normal everyday items that my family needed to eat and use. As you build your stockpile that number is going to shift. Your goal is to find whatever deals you can each week that meet these four requirements:
1. Free – If something is free after coupons purchase it and stockpile it. Take into account that depending on where you live you may still need to pay sales tax.
2. Cheap – Aim for at least 50% off retail or cheaper than the price of generics.
3. You can store it – It does not make sense to buy 100 bags of frozen veggies if you do not have room in your freezer for them.
4. Within your stockpiling budget – This one is important! You need to stay within the set amount in your budget that is dedicated to stockpiling.
5. The Break Down.
Let’s break it down and let me give you an example of what this is going to end up looking like each week over the course of time. In the following examples I am going to use my budget of $100 a week, your budget may be more or less depending on your circumstances and needs. The $100 a month at the beginning is going to be divided into $10 dedicated stockpile money and $90 for regular groceries. Those numbers are going to shift as we build our stockpile.
Week 1:
There is a sale on Crest toothpaste for $1.00 and with my coupons I can get 10 tubes for free. – Total spent is $0.00 At another grocery store there is a deal on Kraft cheese $2.00 each, I have $1.00/1 coupons making each package $1.00 after coupons. I have (10) $1.00/1 coupons making it $1.00 a package so I get 10 packages – Total spent – $10.00 My stockpile budget for this week is now spent. I use the rest of my grocery budget of $90 to buy the normal things my family needs. In my stockpile, 10 tubes of toothpaste and 10 packages of string cheese.
Week 2:
Deodorant is on sale buy one get one free and I have 6 coupons for buy one get one free, that makes 2 free deodorants for each coupon I have, so I pick up 12 sticks of deodorant for free – Total spent is $0.00 Star-Kist tuna is on sale for 10 for $10 and I have 20 coupons for 50¢ off 1. That makes each pouch of Tuna only 50¢ each – Total spent is $10.00My stockpile budget for this week is now spent. I use the rest of my grocery budget of $90 to buy the normal things my family needs. In my stockpile 10 tubes of toothpaste, 10 packages of string cheese, 12 sticks of deodorant, 20 pouches of tuna
Week 3:
This week there is a big sale on Kellogg’s cereal, it’s on sale $1.88 a box and I have 10 coupons for $1.00/1 making each box only 88¢ each – Total spent $8.80At another store I find Barilla pasta is on clearance (with a 1 year expiration date) for 40¢ a box, I have 20 coupons for $0.35/1 making it just 5¢ a package after coupon – Total spent $1.00I have spent $9.80 from my stockpile budget (close enough). I use the rest of my grocery budget of $90 to buy the normal things my family needs. In my stockpile 10 tubes of toothpaste, 10 packages of string cheese, 12 sticks of deodorant, 20 pouches of tuna, 10 boxes of cereal, 20 packages of pasta.
Week 4:
It’s a slow week this week for sales and I cannot find anything that is free or a great deal because I have any coupons to go with the sale. But, there is a great deal going on this week on boneless skinless chicken breasts at 99¢ a lb. So I am going to go ahead and stock up and get 10 pounds and freeze it. – Total spent $9.90 I have spent $9.90 from my stockpile budget. ). I use the rest of my grocery budget of $90 to buy the normal things my family needs. In my stockpile 10 tubes of toothpaste, 10 packages of string cheese, 12 sticks of deodorant, 20 pouches of tuna, 10 boxes of cereal, 20 packages of pasta, 10 pounds of chicken breasts
Here is a bit of a turning point…take a look at the things I have started stockpiling! Now I have some ingredients that I can use to plan my meals around. I cannot eat the toothpaste or deodorant but I can eat the cereal, string cheese, tuna, cereal, pasta and chicken. These are things that I can now scratch off your weekly shopping list. I think I am going to see if I can shift $5 from my regular grocery budget on over to my stockpiling budget. Now my stockpile budget is $15 and my regular grocery budget is $85 a week.
Week 5:
Laundry soap is on sale this week for $1.99 a jug and I have $1.00/1 coupons making it 99¢ a bottle. I do a ton of laundry so I am going to buy 15 jugs of laundry detergent with my 15 coupons – Total spent $14.85 I have two printable coupons for $3.00/1 package of Bic Razors and there are 5-packs of the razors for $2.99. I go ahead and grab 2 packages of razors (that is 10 razors total) and get them for free plus 2¢ overage that I will apply to the other items in my order – Total spent $0.00 (I have spent $14.85 from my stockpile budget.). I use the rest of my grocery budget of $85 to buy the normal things my family needs. In my stockpile 10 tubes of toothpaste, 10 packages of string cheese, 12 sticks of deodorant, 20 pouches of tuna, 10 boxes of cereal, 20 packages of pasta, 10 pounds of chicken breasts, 15 bottles of laundry detergent, 2 packages of 5 razors.
Week 6:
Ragu pasta sauce is on sale $1.00 each and I have 10 coupons for $1.00/2. That means I can buy 10 jars of sauce for 50¢ each – Total spent $5.00 Quaker Instant Oatmeal is on sale $1.75 each and I have 9 coupons for $1.00/1. That means I can get 9 boxes for 75¢ each – Total spent $6.75 Pantene shampoo and conditioner is on sale for $3.00 and I have coupons for $2.00/1 making each bottle $1.00 each. This is my favorite brand of shampoo. I am going to buy 4 bottles – Total spent $4.00 I have spent $15.75 from my stockpile budget. (OH NO I went over budget, but only by 75¢ I can just take from my regular grocery budget, no worries there). I use the rest of my grocery budget of $84.25 to buy the normal things my family needs. In my stockpile 10 tubes of toothpaste, 10 packages of string cheese, 12 sticks of deodorant, 20 pouches of tuna, 10 boxes of cereal, 20 packages of pasta, 10 pounds of chicken breasts, 15 bottles of laundry detergent, 2 packages of 5 razors, 10 jars of pasta sauce, 9 boxes of instant oatmeal, 4 bottles of my favorite shampoo.
Week 7:
There is high value coupon this week in my Sunday inserts for $3.00 off any bag of Pedigree dog food. My mission this week is to find out where I can get that dog food as cheap as possible. This is the brand of dog food my dogs eat and I want to stock up! I check all of the stores in my area to see who has the best price. Turns out one of my grocery stores sells a 5 lb. bag for $3.05 everyday price (no sale needed!) Great I have 20 coupons making each bag only 5¢ – Total spent: $1.00 (A DOLLAR FOR 100 POUNDS OF DOG FOOD! I am officially HOOKED!) Other than the dog food there is not a whole lot to pick up. I check my now growing stash of coupons at the trial size section of my local “Mart” store and find will be great for when we go camping or as stocking stuffers. I get 14 trial size shampoos, hair sprays and single packs of laundry soap all for free – Total spent $0.00 While in the store I notice that strawberries are on sale for $1.99 a lb. So I pick up $14 worth of strawberries (about 7 lbs.), take them home and prepare them and freeze them – Total spent $14.00 (I have spent $15 from my stockpile budget.). I use the rest of my grocery budget of $85 to buy the normal things my family needs. In my stockpile: 10 tubes of toothpaste, 10 packages of string cheese, 12 sticks of deodorant, 20 pouches of tuna, 10 boxes of cereal, 20 packages of pasta, 10 pounds of chicken breasts, 15 bottles of laundry detergent, 2 packages of 5 razors, 10 jars of pasta sauce, 9 boxes of instant oatmeal, l4 bottles of my favorite shampoo, 20 bags of dog food, 14 various trial size items, 7 pounds of strawberries.
Week 8:
Frozen vegetables are on sale 10 for $10.00. I have coupons for $0.75/1 making them only 25¢ I have 10 coupons – Total spent $2.50 Canned fruit is on sale for 50¢ a can and I have coupons for $0.50/3 making them 33¢ a can. I have 14 coupons so I am going to get 42 cans of fruit – Total spent $13.86 Window cleaner is on sale for $1.50 a bottle. I have coupons for $1.00/1 making them 50¢ a bottle. I have 6 coupons so I am going to get 6 bottles – Total spent $3.00 I have spent $19.36 from my stockpile budget. . I use the rest of my grocery budget of $80.64 to buy the normal things my family needs. In my stockpile: 10 tubes of toothpaste, 10 packages of string cheese, 12 sticks of deodorant, 20 pouches of tuna, 10 boxes of cereal, 20 packages of pasta, 10 pounds of chicken breasts, 15 bottles of laundry detergent, 2 packages of 5 razors, 10 jars of pasta sauce, 9 boxes of instant oatmeal, 4 bottles of my favorite shampoo, 20 bags of dog food, 14 various trial size items, 7 pounds of strawberries, 10 bags of frozen vegetables, 42 cans of fruit, 6 bottles of window cleaner.
Wow! After only 8 weeks of couponing I am really starting to see my stockpile grow. I think I have the hang of it now. I will just keep slowly building up my stockpile a few things at a time. The more I can stockpile the more items I have on hand at my house to plan meals out of instead of paying full price for those items each week or as I need them. Pretty soon I will be able to shift more and more from my regular grocery budget into my stockpile budget so I can buy more. Over time I am going to have more coupons too so that means more deals! Pretty soon I am going to run low on some of the items I stockpiled earlier, so that means I am going to need to make sure I have my coupons ready the next time those things are on sale. Cereal for example, those 10 boxes are not going to last very long when we eat two boxes a week. Next time I am going to try and buy more for my stockpile on the things we use a lot of.
So that is how it is done, one or two items each week that you stockpile. Build that up over time. Give yourself a good 6 months to a full year to really see the savings. It can take that long before you really see the full year of sale cycles. While there are some things that go on sale every 4-6 weeks, there are other things that only go on deep discounts two or three times a year. Keep in mind that you should always pay attention to seasonal produce and meat sales and stock up and freeze (or can) those items so that you have them later when the prices are higher. Stockpiling is a mentality. You can carry on the concept to other things outside of groceries too. For example when the great back-to-school sales are going on I stockpile office supplies for both myself and my home office but also for the kids to have supplies all year long. There is nothing worse than having to pay $1.50 for a pack of notebook paper midyear when I know I can get for 5¢ a pack at the back-to-school sales. Hopefully these will help you understand more about stockpiling... They more coupons you have, the better stockpiling you can get. But by all means... DO NOT BECOME A FOOD HOARDER... Couponing can be fun and help save money for families, but when you watch TLC Extreme Couponing... These people strip the shelves bare. That is not what Couponing is about. It is about saving money on everyday items. Saving anywhere between 40-60% is an awesome shopping trip. Actually, any savings is an awesome feeling. And how you save helps you when an emergency arises. Take the money you save on your groceries and put it aside, it will add up quick. I put mine in an account so that I can watch it grow. Then I use that for Christmas shopping. Even though I start my Christmas shopping, right after Christmas. They have the best deals on Christmas items and that is when I like to stock up. Or if an emergency comes up, we have it covered. It’s a good feeling not having to worry. I hope this has taught you a few things that you can use and share with your friends. I know I have shared, and it always seems to work out for everyone involve.