I wanted to write about how to create a stockpile to save money on food, since we are in another season where it is good to stockpile items. Pay attention to the season. Each season has different items you want to stockpile during different times of the year. You will have what you need in your stockpile instead of having to run to the store
Items that are in season to stockpile:
Spring – Baking supplies
Summer – Fresh fruit and Veggies (learn how to freeze vegetables)
Fall – Baking supplies and candy
Winter – Canned goods and frozen veggies
How to Create a Stockpile to Save Money of Food
The time you want to stockpile and item is when it is FREE or 70% off retail price. My rock bottom grocery price list is a free printable to use as a guide to buying groceries at the store. I started my extreme couponing hobby in Feb. of this year and I have now seen all four seasons and I am more familiar when to stockpile an item and when to wait. I used coupons before, but I would only clip the ones I was going to use and when I went to the store the next time I would buy that item. I shopped at Walmart so the prices didn’t change. Or so I thought. Walmart does change their pricing and they do have sales on items. Especially this time of year. Walmart will change prices about once a month or once a quarter depending on the season and the item.
At first this is difficult when learning how to create stockpile on your own. You need to manage having enough food for your family to eat each week and create a large stockpile. You may wind up spending more in the first month, but once you acquire a lot of coupons, a lot of variety of items and learn the sales cycles, you will be a pro in no time. If I can learn how to do this, so can you. After the second and third month you should start to see a significant savings in your overall grocery budget. You will find your list of items you need will decrease, and you spend more money on less expensive items. Saving you money all around.
In order to create a stockpile you will need a large number of coupons to combine them with the sales. The more coupons you have the easier it is to match up with the items on sale. The general rule of thumb is to purchase as many papers as there are members in your family. I purchase 4 papers and clip the coupons from those in order to match them with the sales when they come along. I print additional coupons on items I really think my family will eat. But normally four papers will do it for us. I can then purchase four of the sale item and create my stockpile when that item is at its rock bottom price and this will be enough to last me through the next time this item will go on sale. You don’t need to clear a shelf of an item. That item will go on sale again and it will have a coupon to match.
I am now at a point where I have a great variety of food to where I can buy at the rock bottom price and still have enough to eat. This takes around four to six months before you have a wide variety of food in order to do this. Learning how to stockpile takes time. If you are like me trying to stockpile and are on a very strict budget it is difficult to accomplish both, but I like a challenge.
Here is what my stockpile looks like.
How to Create a Stockpile
My pantry Stockpile Canned and Baking goods
Pantry shelf stockpile Boxed items, cereal, breakfast items, Boxes meals, Pasta
My laundry room shelf stockpile with juice, Paper towels, a few other items
my closet stockpile with bathroom items
If you found this page, you might want to start from the beginning with my Couponing 101 series:
Tanner says
Very nice! I just ran out of flour too, but it seems that most places offer them at the same price…
frugalmommieof2 says
Thanks for stopping by my blog! I'm following you by GFC and facebook.
Lisa
http://frugalmommieof2.blogspot.com/
My Road to Savings says
Great job! After moving I had to rebuild my stockpile, but I am really fortunate it happened at the right time of year. Even though my spending went up slightly I didn't lose too much in savings which is always a plus! Have a happy Thanksgiving and as always keep up the great work 🙂
Elizabeth Owens says
That is a pretty good stockpile! I watch that show here and there and I think it is a problem when the stockpile is in every room and there is say 100 bottles of mustard or something absurd like that 🙂
couponingfromFL2MI says
Thank you for the follow, I am following you back. I love your blog! Very neat and organized. Right now I am on a mission to change mine and make it more brighter. I just wish I had a bit more computer skills when it comes to blog changes. 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!
LC Hunt says
WOW, that's some pantry 🙂 I appreciate this information and am going to growse your blog some more so that I can catch up. I have seen this on TV and really want to save more, but am not so great at it. Right now, my husband and I are just excited to get the fuel perks (we've get it up to about .65-.75 off per gallon, but that's about it). Thanks for connecting, Amy. I am now following your Facebook and GFC with sincere interest in learning how to reduce our weekly shopping expense and sharing other "mommy things" that I write about. I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Amy says
Thanks everyone. I have been working on building our stockpile while also trying to feed us real food. Please check out my couponing 101 series. Let me know if there is anything you don't understand I will do my best to explain.