My Stockpile

I've had a couple of requests to post pictures of my stockpile. I'm nowhere near the level of some of the hard core stay-at-home mom stockpilers that I know are out there, but I'm doing pretty well for my little family of four. The general rule of thumb is that it's a good idea to have food for 3 months of meals reserved. You just never know and I have to say, if I had had this mindset and all the couponing knowledge I have now, when I was first married - well - things may have gone a little better for us and I may have been a little less stressed when we were praying for jobs. You know?

I didn't take any pictures of our freezer - but that probably contains the best stockpile. We bought a 1/4 of a cow for beef and 1/2 of a pig for pork, so the only meat I buy consistently is chicken and then I wait for a good sale and stock up to get me through a couple of months.

This may look totally crazy (psycho!) to a lot of people out there who grocery shop the way I used to. But, this is the work of planning, clipping and changing my grocery shopping mindset and I must say - we are eating better (not just tastier food, but more homemade and healthier) than we ever have and we are spending a lot less than we ever have before. Even when it was just the two of us!

We cleaned out (4 truckloads!) of stuff from our basement for a garage sale on Friday so I took the opportunity to reorganize and take pics of my stockpile.

I have 5 shelves that are pretty well packed - in fact, I could use more!

Here's my toilet paper(running low!) and diapers and baby items. The blue tote is my "gift" tote if I find items at rock bottom prices, I buy them - and then keep on hand for random gift occasions that come up. It's not very big, but I just started it. On top of the tote is about 2 cases of homemade strawberry jam that Hubs made last summer! It is SO yummy. We planted blueberry, raspberry and strawberry plants this year - I'm excited!

Kinda far away, but you get the idea.

Then, over here is my Health & Beauty section, along with my cleaning supplies and a generous pile of Glade Air Freshner. Please keep in mind, most of this stuff I only paid tax on and was either completely free - meaning that I got my money back or it was a moneymaker by using coupons and register rewards.

They say you should never have to pay more than tax on shampoo, body soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shaving cream and razors. Well - it's TRUE!

Put Kotex on that list too!

Johnsons Buddies soaps - can almost always get these for free and a ton of Dove soap that was a moneymaker

Never pay for Glade. Rule of thumb. Never. Ever. I mean it - don't do it.

And if you need to - email me, I probably have it on hand.

Shaving Cream, deodorant, chapstick, toothpaste - wait till it's free and then stock up.

I think I'm set for a while.

There ya have it folks, turns out this stuff has been free for years - I just never cashed in.

Knowledge is power, folks.