Couponing and Stockpiling

It really amazes me the way some people shop. For instance, I was at Tops yesterday and I was waiting for a lady to pick up Domino sugar, so I could get some. She puts a bag in her cart and then looks at a coupon someone had left there. It was for $.50 on 2. Well, she reads it and then puts it back on top of the sugar on the shelf. Maybe it was because she would have had to have bought 2? Or maybe it was because she doesn't know that Tops doubles up to $.99, making that coupon actually $1 off the 2? It was $1.99 for a 5 pound bag of sugar and it was a really good deal anyways, even without a coupon. Maybe she thought that 10 pounds of sugar was a lot, not thinking that sugar lasts like 10 years! If she had bought 2 and used that coupon, each bag of sugar would have been $1.49!!!!

I think there are a lot of people out there who are still only shopping for that week's worth of food. This is the wrong way to go. You end up having to buy stuff that is not on sale. If you buy things and stock up when you have a good deal, you can wait until the next time something is on sale again before you have to buy it. I know this doesn't always work, but probably 98% it does. I very rarely buy something that is not on sale, and usually if I need to I am buying it at Aldi's if it is food and Walmart or Target for household and bath products. If you look at my Tops receipts that I post each week, you will see that very few things are on there that are not on sale (and most of the time with a coupon also), with the exception of bananas. If it's not on sale, I figure I don't need it.

Couponing and stockpiling go hand in hand in my opinion. In order to save the most money, you need to buy enough of the products on sale to last you until the next time they are on sale. Along with saving you money, this also provides you with food and other products during times of crisis, like natural disasters or lay offs. Having a stockpile is like money in the bank. There for you when you need it most. Plus, no more running to the store just to buy "one thing". If you plan and keep your stockpile up, you will always have the stuff you need. For instance, my husband needed a new toothbrush the other day. Instead of running to the store to get one, I told him to shop the stockpile. I have about 5 or 6 toothbrushes down there that I had gotten cheap or even free, along with other household and bath products. I would say I have a stockpile of at least a year of most HBA products.

As a side note, knowing how much of each product you use is essential to building a great stockpile. If you aren't going to eat something before it goes bad, don't buy it. If you know you use 3 of a certain product each month this will also help you stock up enough to last you until the next sale. Sale cycles are usually 12 weeks, but may vary depending on if there are any holidays.

Do you have a stockpile? What kind of things do you always keep in there and how much of a supply do you have? Please let me know by leaving me a comment.