Image courtesy of Andrew Hounslea
Stockpile. That word seems to induce fear in most people. I think they envision Costco-sized boxes and cans hanging out of every closet and crevice in their home, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
First off, let’s talk about when and why you should stockpile. When? When the price of an item, usually by combining a sale price with a coupon, is the absolute lowest price the item goes. For example, Giant has L’Oreal Kids Shampoo on sale for $2.50, and this past Sunday 1/4 there was a .75 off coupon in the inserts, which Giant now doubles. That brings the price down to $1.00 on a shampoo that’s usually $2.99. This is my preferred brand for my girls’ very curly/frizzy hair, so I’m buying as many as I have coupons for. I’m not using this a deal example–as you may not need shampoo–but as an example of when to stockpile. Storing 3-4 bottles of shampoo doesn’t take up much space in my home, and I know it will get used up.
What should you stockpile? Think about the items you use the most, or the ones that cost the most. I’ve already mentioned stockpiling meat (by way of cooking ahead and freezing). Shampoo is expensive, and with two girls we go through it, so saving $1.99/bottle is what makes it affordable for me to have a preferred brand (my husband and I use whatever I get free at CVS). What does your family run through a lot of? Pasta? Tissues? Diapers? When you see a sale on something you buy regularly, purchase 2, 4 or 6 of the item so that you save money versus purchasing it every week or two.
Start with a couple of items–grocery or otherwise–and see how it feels. You do not need to turn your basement into a warehouse store. Find a little space under your bathroom sink or in the linen closet to hold a few extra items. I’m storing Kleenex in the top of my son’s closet, and I have enough cupboard space to hold an extra jar or two of salsa or spaghetti sauce.
Stockpiling isn’t just for food or toiletries. This concept works with clothing as well, though the outlay can be more. If you find a fantastic price on kids’ basic tees, shorts, etc., buy 2-3 as long as you know they will be used. The key is, be willing to buy a few extras of your family’s staples when they’re at their lowest price.
Read the other articles in the 20 Money-Saving Habits for 2009 series.
Great tip! I’m a big believer in stockpiling. I would suggest stockpiling anything that has shelf life longer than a few days. Most often used items is a great place to start, but the savings add up the more items you include.
You are speaking to my heart! I first started with the kids bathroom. They have this awkward cupboard in the middle of the two under the sink cupboards. It was long and narrow and we didn’t put anything in it. I found some plastic drawers at Staples, which were on clearance for $1.00. Yes, $1! So I bought them and they fit just great in the bathroom. Now when I get toothbrushes, makeup, deodorant and other little items, I store them in these plastic drawers. I put the toothpaste on top of the plastic drawers and the shampoos and soaps on the side. I’m amazed at the amount of extras I can buy when items go on sale and I combine with coupons! They fit easily in this small space but save me a lot of money!
Then I went to the garage and I cleaned off a shelving unit that was collecting items that we weren’t using. A lot of which I threw away! I store my extra cleaning supplies, plastic baggies (think Ziploc), paper towels, toilet paper, paper plates, cups, napkins… on these shelves, where temperature does not matter. So now I can buy TWO large 24 roll tp’s when they are super cheap, combined with coupons!
The last thing I did was to clean out my pantry and organize the shelves. I didn’t have to throw anything out, but by putting like items on each shelf, I ended up with a lot more room. And it makes more sense when I need to find something! I can buy 3 peanut butters, or 5 ketchup bottles, etc and keep them all in my pantry simply because it’s more organized.
The best part about stocking up on items you use and need, is that when you run out, you can go to the pantry, the garage or the bathroom cupboard to get another, rather than to the store and pay full price for the item and waste gas!
Kristen–great job on finding creative storage spaces! I find that I have a tipping point on how much I can stockpile. Once I go over the limit, I can no longer find things and forget what I have. It’s a challenge to stay organized!
AFL–good points!