Stockpiling

"Stockpiling" is buying more than you need when you don't need it.

Some may think they can't afford to stockpile. It takes every dollar they have to buy the groceries they need immediately and there's nothing left to buy anything "extra". But I believe you can't afford not to stockpile. By stockpiling with the Grocery Smarts program you should be able to come home with more groceries while spending less money.

I understand this concept may sound like a crazy idea. I'm not saying that you should go out and buy 200 rolls of toilet paper, but if you find toilet paper on sale and you have coupons, buy enough to last for a few months. You know you'll use the product and if you're forced to buy it when you need it, you may pay more for it because you'll probably have to pay full price. We need to change our mindset about the way we were taught to grocery shop.

Here's some tips about stockpiling I learned from Teri Gault's book, "Shop Smart, Save More."

1. You can stockpile almost everything.
   And by everything, I mean everything: the most expensive things on your grocery list, except for milk and produce (which you will most likely buy every week). Most of what you use/consume has a long shelf-life, except for these two categories. The key is to recognize stockpiling opportunities and take advantage of them.
2. Stockpile 3 months . . . at least.
   Start with planning to stockpile enough to last about 10-12 weeks. Eventually this will adjust as your stockpile adjusts and you are overstocked or understocked in different categories. The rule of thumb for how many non-foods to stockpile goes by the number of people in your family. If you have four people in your family, you should keep four tubes of toothpaste unopened in your stockpile. You should be able to get through until the next toothpaste sale. When the sale happens, if you have two tubes of toothpaste in your stockpile, buy 2 more. You should rarely pay more than $1 for toothpaste.
3. You (and your family) decide what you stockpile. You are the judge and jury. You should base your stockpile on what you like to eat, how much your family eats of certain foods and also how much space you have to store. Whatever your family likes, fill your shelves with it when it's on sale.
4. You will stockpile almost every week. Eventually, your stockpile will be well rounded. This is when Grocery Smarts shoppers only shop for milk and produce and can ease up on the extra buying. But I can't emphasize enough how important it is to keep building the stockpile EVERY WEEK and never let it get depleted. Also, on major holidays---up to about four a year, there may be no "new sales". These are the weeks when the Grocery Smarts shoppers are happy to take a breather (saves time and money), and let the stockpile serve it's purpose.
5. Keep track of your inventory. What good is stockpiling if you have no idea of what's going stale in your pantry or spoiling in your fridge? Make it a practice that you "fix" those expiration dates and sell-by dates on packages as soon as you bring them home from the store. By "fixing" them I mean making them easy to see. Before I put my groceries away, I mark them with a big permanent marker in big numbers right on the front of the package. It's also a good idea to keep a running list of what's in your fridge and pantry. Find a system that works for you (a list on a bulletin board, inside the cupboard door, index cards, a recipe box or computer spreadsheet) and use it. Make sure you're never scratching your head about what you have or don't have.

And the bonus is this: Stockpiling frees up money in other areas! Once you stockpile in all areas of your groceries, the day will come when you're so far ahead in your savings, and your cupboards are so bursting, and your bank account is so much fatter, that you can afford a SPLURGE!

Just try it! Stockpiling has worked wonders for my grocery budget -- it can work for you, too. Make sure you are getting one newspaper for each person in your family (that equates to one coupon for each item for each person in your family). Then watch the miracle happen. It works!