Stockpiling on a budget

[Irishgirl4u2c]

I've been unemployed since Feb. '08, so I can attest to "really tight budget"!!

This is very, very do-able. Watch your local ads, I know that my local stores, and Publix in particular, have items that go BOGO very, very regularly... cereal, pasta, rice, spaghetti sauce in particular. When that happens, get what you can afford, and plunk down those coupons with pride!!! If you have a freezer, make the very most of it. I get hot dogs, bacon and lunch meat on sale all the time, and I put 'em in there. Same with those little cups of yogurt... freeze 'em!

I take advantage of when K-Mart does double coupons as well, as this is the ONLY time we ever see doubles in my area. Use those CVS Extra Care Bucks and the RRs for Walgreens to your best advantage too.

In the past month or so I have built up such a stockpile of personal care items (toothpaste, razors, dental floss, lotion, deodorant and shower gel) that I won't need to purchase any for about a YEAR.

It takes a little bit of homework and a little bit of time, but you can do it too!! As you do it more, it becomes MUCH easier to do!

[elabrahamson]

Originally Posted by csimon99

Thank You for asking this question.I myself have been wondering if it's even possible to start a stockpile if funds are limited to begin with.

I am limited to $75 a week for my husband and myself and for all groceries, clothes, and household items.

What I do is I first make a list of all of the things i need to buy that week that I could not get by without- that may be milk, eggs, bread, or lunchmeats depending on the week.

I go on couponmom and compare the lists with my store ads to see what the best deals. I then also look for printed coupons on store deal items. I especially look for things under $1.

I try to get at least 3 of each of these items and I've been able to start a stockpile this way. Since its just the two of us, it is a pretty great stockpile so far :-)

[NEW2CLIPPING]

Every week I would pick something to stockpile on. If chicken was on sale one week... that's what I chose to stock up on.

Also, I always kept an eye out for the FREE stuff. I carried my coupon binder with me EVERYWHERE... that's how I found a lot of good deals that weren't advertised.

[r2short]

Originally Posted by NEW2CLIPPING

Every week I would pick something to stockpile on. If chicken was on sale one week... that's what I chose to stock up on.

Also, I always kept an eye out for the FREE stuff. I carried my coupon binder with me EVERYWHERE... that's how I found a lot of good deals that weren't advertised.

I do this too. Some say to "make a list and stick to the list"...but I've found a lot of unadvertised bargains when I stroll the aisles. Also keep your eyes peeled for tear pads and blinkies, I've found some great unadvertised bargains (made those items free or almost free).

[debl08]

If you find something at target that you can use, for me I try to get those things that are multi-taskers, like crackers that can be used in several ways or cereal bars and toaster pastries that double for snacks, or breakfast something like that, that has a $5 gift card offer, gather your coupons that will bring your out of pocket expense down as low as possible, then borrow a bit from your budget allowance. Do the deal, get the gift card, sometimes you can do this for very very little out of pocket. Then roll the gift card into more of the same item for as many coupons as you have, wah-lah!! Stockpile items!! Then you can use the final gift card that you recieve to use at target for those necessary items that you would have purchased with your budget money and the gift card deal would net you items that you are paying for that would have been in your normal shopping trip so not really out anything.My mom would call this robbing peter to pay paul ha ha. But I've done this, can be done with the wags or cvs RR too, but they are very unreliable and if the budget is too tight can't afford to not have them print for you. They do these very often on everyday items like cereal, cereal bars, poptarts, don't reccommend using them for the household paper items or some of the health and beauty aids as sometimes not always they require quite a bit out of pocket up front cash. I use my target gift cards when I have several to pay for these items when I can't get them free. Makes me feel like target bought them for me ha ha, a mind trick, only a mind like mine would fall for.

[Dodie]

We have a very small budget and can use all the tips that we get.

[angela2678]

It's not a question of whether to stockpile OR just buy what's necessary--if you only buy what's necessary that week, you'll never see the savings you want to see. As others have said, it just takes time to build that stockpile.

The beauty of stockpiling while using coupons is that it won't even cost that much to buy the stockpile--ideally, you're buying these items at as close to free as possible. So you can get 10 of an item for the same price 2 would have cost you before. I spend less than $300/month for me, hubby, and two kids (three kids in the summer when stepson stays with us). And we eat WAY better food than we used to--before coupons, I spent probably $700/month at least and it felt like we were constantly eating spaghetti b/c it was the cheapest meal to make! Now those spaghetti meals are almost free...

Obviously there are perishable things you'll need every week, but even those can be stockpiled some. Example: Kraft cheese. When they have coupons, you want to go ahead and get a lot of it, because the coupons aren't out that often. It usually doesn't expire for several months, so I go ahead and get a lot. Same with milk--it often has a month or so before expiration, so go ahead and get two gallons if it's on sale that week. Find a store that has a "Buy 5 gallons milk, Get the 6th free" or similar promotion and make that work for you.

The longer you do this, the more strategies you'll learn. It will get easier and easier. Especially once you've gotten used to the sale cycles, you'll know when to buy and when to wait--thereby saving your budget for perishables and replenishing the stockpile, rather than building it. You'll get there!

[2LILMOMMIES]

I too have an amazing stockpile. If it's foods....I buy alot of cereal....some sugar for the kids like Trix or Pops and also the healthy ...Kashi, Special K, Cheerios....and I must have 20 boxes in a seperate closet. Most of their expiration dates are in late 2010. So perfect. Campbell soup is now on sale with a $5 catalina if you buy $15.00 worth. (FYI...going by the shelf price..NOT the sale price) So I've stocked up on the soup....because hey....when it's cold out...it comes in very handy for a snack or a part of a meal. I have stockpiled the Glade candle tins and refills thanks to Target's amazing deals and with the coupons.....OMG! Batteries.....Health&Beauty.....medications....Wal greens is great right now for stocking up on the kids cold medicine too. I purchased a ton of the chapsticks and Soft Lips from CVS when they were just pennies! The hubby and kids go through them like water. Now with Walgreens doing the amazing nail polish deal...and allowing the overage...I have actually started picking up toys for the kids for Christmas. I ended up paying $0.40 for a Little Pets set and other little stuff. It's not only food...but if the stores will allow you overage...I take advantage of it! Especially with the little things that make the kids happy! They never have to know that Mommy got it for FREE! Stock up on everything! If it's FREE...TAKE IT! You can use it some time or give to a friend or family member that may need it!

[CherryPicker]

Originally Posted by r2short

I do this too. Some say to "make a list and stick to the list"...but I've found a lot of unadvertised bargains when I stroll the aisles. Also keep your eyes peeled for tear pads and blinkies, I've found some great unadvertised bargains (made those items free or almost free).

Hi r2short....I am known to say make a list and stick to the list....and there is a very important reason as to why.....

Obviously, if you are finding freebies in your store, (and I am defining freebies in this example as .00 OOP BEFORE store incentives such as RR's and ECB's) then obviously, that is a no brainer....

However....It must also be noted that the average grocery cart contains around 100 items per grocery trip. Now presume, that many of those items were all "deals" found in-store at .50 each.....that is an additional $50 added to that shoppers grocery budget that they might not have been prepared for.

Unfortunately, I have encountered a few couponers who have raked up credit card debt because of impulse deals (in store) and they were struggling as a result.

So, Hope you didn't mind me quoting you....but the purpose of sticking to the list is to help shoppers get great deals while staying within their allotted budgets. Its about discipline. HTH.

[californiashopper]

Originally Posted by CherryPicker

the purpose of sticking to the list is to help shoppers get great deals while staying within their allotted budgets. Its about discipline. HTH.

Another idea that I used to do (don't need to anymore now that I'm well stocked and spending less money) is allot a small portion of my weekly budget ($5 to $10) to go towards clearance items or other great deals that I found which weren't on my shopping list (or items that I forgot about when I made my list! ).