Mar 20

STOCKPILING
Previously I posted Tips To Maximize Savings On Your Grocery Bill. This article will go into more detail on one of those tips, stockpiling.
Stockpiling sounds like you are preparing for an emergency.  While that may be a good thing, stockpiling in this article is referring to a tactic that helps you stretch your grocery budgets. It is one of the best ways my family is able to save money on groceries, but does require getting use to a new way of shopping. You will buy multiples of products that are on sale, rather then making a list of the things you need for one week and buying one of each of those items. The basic idea behind stockpiling is to buy enough of a product while it is on sale to get you through until it goes on sale again. The goal is to rarely have to pay full price by shopping this way.
For example if a pasta your family uses is usually $2 a box and you can get it for $.50 a box you would stock up on that item.  That way (at least theoretically) you should not have to pay $2 for that item again.  You wait until it goes back on sale before purchasing more.
Stockpiling is an skill, one that those who have experience purchasing inventory for a company would be good at.  It’s the same basic principle. You need to know what your family eats, how often and what a good price for those items are.
Tips for stockpiling -
1) Learn what your ingredients your family uses regularly. This may sound obvious, but it is not as intuitive as it sounds. For example I use tomato sauce in a number of recipes I make. I used to know how many recipes I needed that ingredient for. Now I also know how many times a month I typically will cook those recipes and need that ingredient. I have also learned how to substitute similar products in recipes if they are on sale instead. If stewed tomatoes are half the price of tomato sauce I will buy that instead and crush the tomatoes up so they work in a recipe requiring tomato sauce.
Learn price points for the ingredients you buy. I used to make a list and would then head to the grocery store and purchase that item. So if I tortillas on my list I would look for the best price or a certain brand I liked of tortillas and purchase. This meant that I was spending over $3 per pack of tortillas usually. Now I know that my price point for tortillas is $1, so when I find them for that price I stock up. They freeze great and I am paying 1/3 of what I use to for this item. Money Saving Mom has published a list of price points here you can use as reference. What price points you will be able to hit will depend on where you live and how  you shop. Do not be discouraged if you can not get items this low, figure out what is a good deal in your area and run with that.

Buy enough of an item to get you through approximately 3 months. This is because grocery stores typically cycle their sales on a 3-4 month basis.  If it is a non-perishable (especially drug store item like toilet paper) you can stock up further ahead if you have the space.
Pay attention to expiration dates. Make sure you don’t buy more then you will go through before the item will expire.  Don’t stockpile foods that are new to your family. Make sure they like them first before you buy 8 packs, or they may end up going stale in cupboard. DON’T FORGET TO ROTATE YOUR STOCKPILE.  If you buy new items before you use up old, move the old to the front so they get used first.
Be practical - know what kind of storage space you have. You may want to invest in some storage solutions (vacuum pack your food before freezing, consider a deep freezer, etc.).
Realize that initially it may cost a little extra to start stockpiling. Until you have a stockpile built up you will have to spend a little more to build it up each week. Once your stockpile is built up you should see significant savings as you will be not be paying full price for most items in your cart any longer!
Ideas on what to stockpile:
(Again – this is really very individual based on what your family consumes. These are just ideas to get you started)
Canned goods (tomatoes, olives, vegetables, soups, etc.)
Bulk Foods (beans, rice, staples, etc. Be sure to store in air tight containers)
Spices (include oils, cooking sprays, salt and pepper, seasonings, etc.)
Water (cant go wrong here)
Other beverages (juice, soda, etc)
Cereals
Condiments
Breads, Tortillas etc (you can freeze these and they should hold well for around 3 weeks)
Non food items -
Shampoo and conditioner
Razors
Toothpaste/toothbrushes
Deodorant
Hair coloring
Feminine products
Toilet paper
Cleaning supplies
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