Stockpiling 101

If you are new to couponing you may wonder what is stockpiling? How do you start a stockpile?What is the benefit? Hopefully, this post will help answer some of these questions.

Why Stockpile?

1. Product prices fluctuate on cycles normally 5-6 weeks long. When an item is at its lowest price in that cycle you want to buy enough of that item to get you through until it comes back on sale.
2. For example: your family eats 1 box of cereal a week, so you buy 6 boxes when it is on sale to get you through the sale cycle. If the regular price is $3.50 a box and they are on sale B1G1F for that week, the price will be $1.75 each. Let’s also say that you have 6 coupons for $0.75 off each box. If you use all 6 coupons and purchase the cereal when it is on sale, you will end up spending $6.00 total. If you purchase 1 box when they are on sale and 5 boxes when they are not on sale, even after coupons you will end up spending $14.75 and without coupons $19.25. (Savings of $13.25)
3. Once you have a good stockpile you will only be shopping for sale items and never having to pay non sale prices. This is where you are going to see a HUGE difference in your grocery bill!

Tips for Building your Stockpile:

1. The concept is simple. Buy sale items that your family will use and buy enough of that item to last until at least the next sales cycle. (Most items are on cycle 5-6 weeks.)
2. You will spend more in the beginning building your stockpile, but once you build a stockpile you won’t be spending nearly as much.
3. Building a stockpile takes time. Took me weeks!
4. Get more than one set of coupon inserts. (Ask friends or other family members if you can have their coupons, if they are not going to use them) That way you will have more coupons to use on sale items that you can stockpile.
5. Be prepared for your shopping trip. Know what you need and do not need.
6. Check the expiration date on items that you are stockpiling. You want to be able to use what you have before the expiration date.
7. Learn to shop CVS and Walgreens for toiletry items (razor, toothpaste, etc...) I have saved a ton of money at CVS for these type of items!
8. Find a place to organize and store your stockpile. (It's like your own mini store.)
9. The true benefit is that I have saved A LOT of money on items that we need and use daily. Rarely am I just plain out of something! Hopefully, this will help you too!