If you didn’t catch my last two posts this week check them out here and here.
I am working on my first book to be released in early 2010! I really want to include some of your stories, so over the next two days I will post one question on certain topics. If your story gets picked it will be included in my book!
So… tell me your story!
Have you always stocked up on deals? Or is stocking up a new idea? How did you get started? What do you love about it? What are the staples you always have on hand? Why do you think stocking up makes sense, and how does it save you money in the long run? Share your experience with me, and you could be included in my upcoming book!
You can answer in the comments below, or feel free to email me your story to kelly (at) faithfulprovisions (dot) com.
My “stocking up” story doesn’t have anything to do with groceries, as most of them do. What I keep a steady supply of are toiletry items; shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, etc… I started “stocking up” about 2 years ago when I discovered some freebie websites and began signing up. I was receiving small samples of toothpaste, lotion and such and would use them when traveling. I told my mother-in-law what I was doing and she sat me down and showed me the ins and outs of drugstore rebates. My in-laws have in their house a small hall closet full of products they get for free after rebates and they never failed to let me raid it when my husband and I were visiting. It always amazed me that they got so much for free or really cheap. I was elated the day I learned about RiteAid and Walgreens rebate programs and even more so when I was also introduced to CVS ECBs. Ever since I was shown what to do and how to do it, I have been “stocking up” on any free item I could. I sometimes get things we don’t need at the moment, but might need it or find someone who does later on. A few months ago I purchased an old traveling trunk at a yard sale and it now houses every free product I bring in. I can’t remember the last time we had to pay for shampoo, conditioner, deoderant, toothpaste, or toothbrushes. I only wish that I had known about these resources when I was single and broke.
I LOVE stockpiling now. I’d never done it before and have only started all the things you teach in the last month. So just this last Sunday we’ve finally gotten our normal pantry full (it’s not big, just two cabinets where dishes usually go) and I was so happy with how well it was stock piled I’ve been going in sometimes and just looking at it. My husband thinks it’s funny. But it’s just so nice to FINALLY have stuff that I know I can put together and make a great meal and not to have to get my husband to run out to the store while I’m either in the middle of cooking or before I start because I need something to complete the meal. Now I plan my meals based on what’s in there. It’s so simple, I feel stupid for not thinking of it before.
We used to get annoyed at each other because we were tired of having to come up with something to eat all the time and then not having the things we’d need in the pantry to do it. It’s just saved us so much headache and we’re not stressed out about staring into either a bare pantry or one filled with stuff that we don’t have the other ingredients to use it in a recipe.
We’ve already been able to tell a difference in the money we have in our bank account too. Because now no one is making a quick stop to the grocery to pick up stuff every day for dinner. We both get to come straight home from work and just enjoy being home. Or if we go to a Preds game and only have a certain amount of time I can tell my husband what to lay out and thaw and he can start on it. Then we don’t spend money eating fast food and our meal is healthier!
I LOVE YOU STOCKPILING! 🙂
Stockpiling was a new concept to me. I have always used coupons but had never even heard of the concept of stockpiling before. I learned that if you buy several of an item when you find a good deal then you will NEVER have to pay full price for that item again. I literally started with buying one extra item a week and built up from there. Eventually I noticed that my spending was going down but we had more and more food in the house. I had to clean out extra pantry space and have hubby put up shelves in the garage. I was amazed that I had cut our grocery budget in half but we had more food than ever. My husband is now a believer in stockpiling too!