Stockpiling
One of the goals of “extreme couponing” is to create a stockpile of items. We are not talking “Y2K stockpiling in case the world ends”, so don’t worry! Stockpiling just means that you buy as many of one item as your family needs to last you until the item goes on sale at its rock-bottom price. The reason? If you can buy an item for free, why would you want to pay full price for it because you have run out? This is a waste of your hard-earned money, and a waste of time- you have to run out to the store again! Stockpiling is a way to be a good steward of your finances. Midweek grocery trips can kill your budget, and being sure that you buy enough to last you until the item is again at a rock-bottom price will save you a lot of money in the long run.
Every family has different needs. My family eats a lot of frozen veggies, so this is an item I like to stock up on when it is free. Your family may only eat frozen veggies once a week, so you only need to stockpile 6 or 7 bags to last you until the next sale. Take a good, hard look at what your family consumes and how much of it, and plan accordingly.
Every family has different needs. My family eats a lot of frozen veggies, so this is an item I like to stock up on when it is free. Your family may only eat frozen veggies once a week, so you only need to stockpile 6 or 7 bags to last you until the next sale. Take a good, hard look at what your family consumes and how much of it, and plan accordingly.
- To stockpile effectively, you need storage space. Shelves, a bigger freezer for meat and other frozen items, storage bins, etc. Be organized so that you know when your stockpile is running low!
- You also need as many coupons as possible. Buying 1 or 2 double issues of the paper, printing coupons for those items whenever you see them, and using clipping services are great ways to get extras of the coupons you really need.
- Meat is a great thing to stock up on. Meat can be very expensive, and trying to plan your menu around meat items you don’t have on hand can also kill your budget. When you notice a great sale on meat, buy a lot of it! Many times the family packs are an even better deal. Package it individually in a freezer for easy defrosting. I like to start buying chicken breasts and pork chops when they fall under $1.99 a pound (or 99 cents a lb for split chicken breasts). There are not a lot of coupons for meat, but buying it at a rock-bottom price is a very wise decision. It can also save a lot of money on your weekly budget- if you have a huge stockpile of meat in the freezer, you may not have to buy ANY for several weeks, and this frees up income for other groceries, purchases, or fun stuff!
- Track sales- there is nothing worse than using a coupon on an item when you thought it was a great deal, but coming back a week later and finding that it could have been FREE!
- Stockpiling is also great for ministry purposes. If you see items that are free or super cheap, and you have coupons that you are not going to use, pick up some of those items anyways to donate. This is a great way to glorify God and help your community with your coupons- do what you can with what you have! God will honor that!
- Don’t buy up ALL the items just because they are free, though. There are a lot of couponers in our area, so buying all the products for “ministry” when there are many other people who need those items and will be coming into the store for them is not fair, nor is it kind. If you take all of them, you are not only robbing those people of a chance to provide those items to their family at a rock-bottom price, but you are also robbing them of an opportunity to use it for ministry. God does not honor selfishness, even if you try to cover it up with a “ministering” attitude. Let’s minister to each other as well! (Buy a few, then go back in when the sale ends and buy more. If they are gone, ask for a raincheck. If you need a lot, talk to the store manager about ordering some for you.)
