Couponing Tips and Tricks: How to Create a Stockpile

Couponing: The New Frontier

Everyone all over the TV and internet is buzzing about the newest fad to hit mainstream America, couponing! And why wasn't it bigger sooner? Why pay full price for anything if you can get it for free or cheap?

This was some of the questions I began asking myself a little over 3 years ago when I began my couponing venture. I am now well enough versed in the couponing trade to be able to show you all a few tips, tricks, and ideas of how to get yourselves started.

In this article, I want to discuss the idea of stockpiling. You've seen the photos of people's garages, basements, or spare bedrooms that look like large convenience stores. My method of stockpiling is a little simpler for the regular family.

Here is a few pictures of my stockpiles currently:

Small and simple. The neatness of it is a personal quirk to keep everything in line, organized, and yes, facing front. Some other things not pictured are the bbq sauces I keep in jumbo sized diaper boxes. It's not necessarily the look of the stockpile that you are striving for, it's what is in the stockpile.

Stockpile in any fashion you choose. Go for quality over quantity.
For instance: if you look in the above pictures, you can see I have enough soap and bodywash (all attained for a profit) to last my current family of 7 at least a year or two. I personally don't like the bar soaps, I donated about half of the ones I did get, and the ones I kept I give to families and friends I know that need them when they are in need. The kids and adult shampoos (93 cents each) should last us about 3 or 4 months (I hope). The cat food (all for free) should last our one cat for about 6 months.

Don't be ashamed! If something is free or cheap, stock up!
That's the concept of stockpiling. I paid low or nothing for as much of the items as I could get my hands on. Now when we need the items, they will always be there, and I will never have to pay *gasp* FULL PRICE for ANYTHING!!

Know just how much your family will need for 6 months.
Most items will go on a rock bottom sale (combined with coupons) every 6 months or so. So, my goal is to always stock up on free items for a 6 month supply. This has nearly cut my family's bill in a third. We now have money for clothes, shoes, trips, and other things we just want and not necessarily need. Of course I still have a strategy to pay low prices for these things as well, to come in a later post.