Stockpiling Works for Me.I know there are many people out there who cannot stand the clutter of stockpiling (my sister included - it drives her nuts.) But, for me, this is one of the best ways of keeping our grocery budget low and keeping things on hand that I use nearly every day.
I prefer to buy things as they go on sale, especially if they are on a good sale and I have a matching coupon (see these posts). The "clutter" doesn't bother me, as long as I have a place to put it. I will stockpile almost any grocery item - as long as it has a long shelf life. At the moment I have 3 packs of toilet paper (24 rolls each) stored in the attic. I'm still working on the 5-6 boxes of dishwasher detergent I bought last spring; I have more toothpaste, toothbrushes and soap than we will use in a year; enough Pop-Tarts and granola bars to last through the school year; 8-10 boxes of cereal, 6 jars of spaghetti sauce, lots of extra baggies, 8 bottles of apple juice, and the list goes on.
There are some rules I live by when it comes to stockpiling.
- Never stockpile an item your family does not use or does not eat.
- Only stockpile items when they are on a good sale. (Not all sales are good!)
- Only stockpile as much as you have space for. (I do not stockpile milk - too little freezer space.)
- Be extremely careful of stockpiling items with a short shelf life, i.e., produce, dairy products. (If the food goes bad before your family can eat it then it didn't save you money.)
- Sales go in seasons - watch for which items are on sale at what time of year.
- Halloween items (of course)
- Apples (good for canning)
- Pumpkins (good for freezing)
- Kraft items
- crackers
- baking and candy making items
- some holiday foods (gravy, broth, Stove Top, etc.)
- more items here.
There are several good deals this week at our local grocery stores. Tomorrow I'll be posting about some of the deals I'll be hitting to add to my current stockpile.
Does stockpiling work for you? Or are you a "clutter-phobe" like my sister? I'd love to hear your thoughts on stockpiling.
For more kitchen organization ideas visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer.
4 comments:
I love my well stocked pantry!!!
I'm not organized enough to stockpile anything consistently. . .I love a good bargain and have bags or diapers and toilet paper on hand, but I am more likely to look around and realize we used the last of the ________ 2 days ago. Oh, to be organized and frugal, like you. . .
I'm with you on the stockpiling! Good sales are hard to beat. My hubbie's got his sale-buying almost down to a science. My job is to organize everything. Our little kitchen cabinet pantry didn't hold everything, so I've branched out to putting shelves elsewhere. Our own 'walk in pantry' so to speak!
I stockpile selectively. I try to keep at least a month's worth of things we eat frequently (marinara, black olives, etc.) when they go on sale. But that might not really be considered "stockpiling" as I don't buy THAT many (three or four) and I don't ever buy more than will fit in my cupboards in an organized fashion.
So, no I guess I don't stockpile in the truest sense and yes, the main reason is that it would mess up my perfect clutter-free cupboards! :)
Post a Comment