The Art Of Stockpiling

In the couponing world, the term stockpiling is used to refer to stocking up on products that are free or nearly free after coupons/sales. In a relatively short period of time, you can stock your pantry with 3-12 months worth of nonperishables and eliminate them from your grocery budget. This is how the most savings is realized because by doing this, you eliminate buying out of necessity – which is when you pay the most! The goal is to have enough on hand to get you through to the next rock bottom pricing, thus NEVER paying retail – or anything close to it!

For example: if you have a stockpile of shampoo, you’ll be able to wait three months until it’s at its rock bottom price before buying more. In contrast, if you’re out of shampoo, you’ll gladly pay the shelf price for it, sale or not.

Right now I have so much free deodorant, razors, shampoo, conditioner, styling products, toothpaste, toothbrushes, bar soap and body wash in my stockpile that I won’t even buy it unless I make money doing so (yes, it’s possible). This can be YOU in a few months time! For the most part, you’ll need to give up brand loyalty in order to maximize savings. Concentrate instead on matching coupons with sales and filling your cupboards with FREE STUFF!

Before I started couponing, I was the worst about brand loyalty. It was one of the excuses I used for thumbing my nose at the whole coupon clipping thing.

I liked what I liked.

I wanted what I wanted.

And that was that.

As the economy continued to nosedive however, my brand-snobbiness quickly withered away, and I have been very pleasantly surprised at the quality of items I have acquired. I have more skin care products, makeup, home fragrance items, candles, etc. than I ever had before. Good stuff. You know, the nice little “extras” that we often sacrifice when the budget is tight. I actually enjoy a better quality of life by taking what is free rather than staying in my old rut of brand loyalty.

You will too.

This will, of course vary by family. For me, I found it helpful to start by determining the twenty non-perishable food items my family consumes most often. Since my goal is a 3 month stockpile, I estimate how many I’ll need of each item and place it in parenthesis next to the item name on my inventory sheets.

For example, my family of seven uses 4 jars of tomato sauce per week. I multiply that by 12 weeks and write “48″ on my inventory sheet next to my tomato sauce entry.

Other items to stockpile – here is a basic list to give you some idea:

~toilet paper

~tissues

~paper towels

~paper plates

~feminine hygiene products

~diapers, wipes

~furniture cleaning spray

~window cleaner

~dish soap

~laundry soap

~fabric softener

~bleach

~surface & misc cleaners

~shampoo

~conditioner

~deodorant

~toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash

~hair styling products

~baby wash products

~razors, shaving cream

I use a simple an inventory system to make stockpile shopping a lot easier. You’ll find the free downloadable spreadsheets below. With this system I am able to know at a glance how much I have and what I need:

~Pantry Inventory Sheet

~Freezer Inventory Sheet

~Toiletries Inventory Sheet

I begin by listing items by catagory so they’re easy to find. As items are added or used from my stockpile, I place a single line through the quantity and update the number in the next box. The box to the furthest right is always the current inventory amount (see below).

There are dozens of ways you can organize your stockpile. For me, I found it helpful to keep all toiletry and personal care items in a large linen closet near the bathrooms, while the rest of it is stored on shelves in the mudroom – which is near the kitchen. Think about where you’ll be using these items and where you can find the space. You may need to get creative.

One thing to keep in mind is that your stockpile will always be evolving. You’ll have lots of extra hair products one month. The next month you’ll have a bit less, but lots more deodorant. Remember to be flexible and be prepared to quickly reorganize each month or so.