You see this word EVERYWHERE on sites about couponing. Stockpiling is very important when it comes to saving money because it eventually reduces your shopping budget... you won't need to run to the store for things you run out of... just grab them from your stockpile.
There is no hard and fast rule to the best way to do this because it will vary depending on your needs and the deals you find. You can create a stockpile of almost anything. Believe it or not, even eggs (if taken out of the shell) and milk can be frozen if done properly. Click HERE to see some guidelines. Dry foods and household items can be stored in your house. Of course, this all depends on how much room you have in your house, but get creative on where you store things. You would be surprised how much "hidden" space you have in drawers, closets, under beds, etc.
How do I start?
Everyone will have a different stock up price for items, but eventually you will find that your stock up price will go down because you have enough of an item to last you until you can get more very cheaply or free. For example, when I first started couponing I would pay $.50-.1 for body wash and I thought that was a great price because we were spending around $4-5 in the past. Now that I have at about 25 bottles, I will not buy any unless it is FREE. I have a lot of items that I know I have gotten for free and will not pay for again. Here are some of those items:
PERSONAL CARE:
- Razors
- Toothbrushes/Toothpaste
- Mouthwash
- Shampoo/Conditioner/Stylers
- Shaving Cream
- Deodorant
- Feminine Products
- Baby Wipes
CLEANING PRODUCTS:
- Glass Cleaner
- Furniture Polish
- Toilet Cleaners
- Sponges
- Dish Soap
FOOD:
- Rice
- Noodles/Pasta
- Tuna
- Tomato Sauce/Paste
- Spaghetti Sauce
- Condiments (ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, A1, etc)
There are so many other items that I've gotten for free and even MADE money on some of them that I could use toward the rest of my purchase. It still amazes me that I don't have to pay for these things anymore! I usually won't pay more than $1 for any item unless I really need it or it's something that rarely goes on sale. My one exception is diapers, but I still get them really cheap... I have not paid more than $3 for a pack of Huggies or Pampers in the last 4 months.
Stockpiling is so important because if you have 10 bottles of ketchup and the one in your refrigerator is empty, you go grab another bottle from your pantry. If you don't have a stockpile, you have to go to the grocery store and pay full price. My last grocery trip to Publix included 10 bottles of ketchup and I actually had $1.75 in overage toward my other groceries... I got paid to buy ketchup that we need eventually anyway!
Creating your stockpile will take a few months and everyone will have different needs. If you have enough coupon inserts and stock up when items are very cheap or free, you will be saving money on shopping trips in the future. While creating my stockpile, I still NEVER went over my grocery budget and most of the time actually saved money each week because of all the coupons I was using. Once you have a good stockpile, you can wait until the next sale to stock up again.
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