What does a stockpile look like?

A big issue often discussed in “couponland” is over how much is needed and when you just have too much.  Most of this has been brought on by the helpful folks at TLC, remember the extreme couponer shows?

First do we need a stockpile? 
Yes.  Our goal to save the most money on groceries is to only buy an item when it’s on sale.  To do this you need to get enough each week of what is on sale that week to get you through until the next time it is on sale.

How much do you need?
This varies based on where you live.  In the southeast sales run on a 6 week cycle.  In other areas of the country sales run closer to a 10 week cycle.  So this mean you need enough to last the length of that cycle.

What does 6 weeks of food look like?
For most of us getting 6 weeks of something really means getting 2-3 of an item.  You aren’t going to eat the same meals week after week, so if you eat tacos two times in a 6 week window you would need 2 boxes.  For some items you need even less.  How many bottles of glass cleaner do you go through in 6 weeks?  Most of us probably wouldn’t even finish one bottle by the time it came on sale again.

For larger needs like cereal and snack foods, this is where variety helps you.  I might need 8-10 boxes of cereal to get through the next 6 weeks with my 5 girls, but thankfully not every type of cereal goes on sale at the same time. So i can grab a couple boxes of Froot Loops this week and a couple boxes of Lucky Charms in another week.  I don’t need to grab all 8 boxes right now.

It’s different for everyone.
One thing we all need to consider though before we lash out at those taking more, everyone has different needs.  My family with 5 young girls need a lot less than a family with 7 teenage boys would need.

Be considerate of those around in the store and take what your family needs, but also be considerate of those that need a little more than you.

If you need (or want) a ton, try asking your store at the beginning of the sale if they will special order more for you.  Many stores will do this and your items come in on the midweek truck ready for you to pick up before the sale ends.  This actually benefits your store in two ways:

1.  They don’t have to write rain checks because you didn’t clear a shelf.
2.  If your store sells it to you during the regular ad week they actually don’t lose money, instead it counts towards their sales and helps their store!