Stockpile Example

Many people assume I have this enormous stockpile of stuff. This idea, I'm sure, comes from the ever-appalling "Extreme Couponing" show - that has the world convinced that everyone who uses coupons has enough cereal stored in their basements to feed a small country. However, contrary to popular belief, I have a very small stock-pile. I'm not even sure I'd call it a stock-pile; it's more of a "reserve".

My basic principal of stock-piling is that I want to have 6 months worth of living supplies. This idea comes from a Dave Ramsey seminar I went to when I was in college. The point he reiterated over and over again was that you need to have 6 months worth of living expenses. That has always resonated with me and something I've always wanted to be able to do. But try as I might, I've never been able to save that much money. But what I am definitely able to do is stock-pile 6 months worth of non-perishable supplies! I figure that's almost as good! So that is always my goal and mindset when I'm buying things. That also helps me to keep a good perspective and not just buy things - just because. If I have my 6 month supply, then I don't need to buy. Period.

I thought I'd show you an example of my laundry "stock-pile" and how I know when it's time to buy. So here it is:

Not very impressive, huh? It's very simple. I have three bottles of laundry detergent, 2 bottles of Downy, and one bottle of stain remover spray. Here's what I do with my bottles when I start them:

I simply mark the date on the top so that when I'm done with the bottle - I know exactly how long it lasted me! As you can see, I've had the bottle of Purex open sine Feb. 21st - almost a month. Judging on how heavy it is, I'd say I have about another week left. That lets me know that one bottle lasts about 4-5 weeks. Since I only have two more bottles of detergent in my stockpile, I know that I need to start looking for good deals on detergent. But I'm in a good position, because I still have about 10 weeks supply. So I know that I need to be on the look-out for good deals, but I'm not pressured into buying something full-price. Same thing with the Downy. Each bottle lasts me about 6 weeks. And I just started this bottle on March 7th. Since I have another bottle in reserve, I shouldn't run out of Downy until the end of May. So I'm going to keep my eye out for good deals - because I want to have my 6 month reserve. But I'm not in a situation where I'm forced to pay full price for it!

In my opinion, the most important principals to stock-piling are:

• Have a set amount/goal that you work to attain and maintain. This will keep you grounded, focused, and purposeful in your couponing.
• Know how long things will last you, so you know how much you need. 
• Buy when you can find it on sale, so that you aren't forced into paying full-price because you need it immediately!