![]() ![]() Get creative, think outside the box, and I’m guessing you’ll find someplace you can use! Perhaps you could store things under the bed or in a few boxes in a closet. Or maybe you could install some extra shelving in a closet. Maybe you need to clear out some items you’re not using to make room. But in most cases, there are plenty of creative nooks and crannies in your home you could use to store extra non-perishable food and household supplies. The argument I often hear when I suggest people practice the Buy Ahead Principle is “But I don’t have any space to stock up.” Well, in very rare cases (say, if your family of 6 is living in a one-bedroom apartment!), I’d agree. 2) Designate a Small Area of Your Home to Store Your Stockpile If you don’t find any really great deals one week, save your designated “Stockpile Money” for the next week. Instead, designate a small percentage of your grocery budget each week to buying extra of those heavily-discounted items which you know you will use sometime in the next few months.Įven $5 or $10 a week devoted to stocking up on deeply-discounted items can go quite far. If this is a new concept for you, don’t go out and spend $500 tomorrow trying to build up a stockpile. Would you like to see significant savings by Buying Ahead as well? Here are some suggestions: 1) Designate a Small Portion of Your Grocery Budget to Building Your Stockpile What if you were to practice the Buy Ahead principle on when buying the majority of your groceries? Think about how much you would save! From my best estimates, I would say we routinely save at least $30-$50 each week by practicing the Buy Ahead Principle. How to Build a Stockpile of Food and Toiletries If, however, you practiced the Buy Ahead Principle, and you collected your $1/1 toothpaste coupons and waited until toothpaste went on sale for $1 (which it does a few times per year in our area), you could buy 10 tubes of toothpaste for free. If your family uses 10 tubes of toothpaste in a year’s time and the retail price of toothpaste is $2.49, if you bought it at retail, you’d be paying $24.90 per year for toothpaste. ![]() However, it makes complete sense if you stop and consider it. ![]() Instead, I purchase as many items as I can afford in my grocery budget to tide me over until the next sale.įor many people who are used to buying only what groceries you’ll use in the next week, the concept of buying ahead can be mind-boggling. I don’t just buy one of an item when it is at it’s rock-bottom price. Because I’ve been using coupons and bargain-shopping for over 10 years now, I aim to purchase most things when they are 75-100% off of the retail price. If you’re willing to be patient and observant, you can almost always buy most items at 50% off their retail price or more. Which means, basically, other than dairy products and produce, I aim to never pay full price for anything. One of my biggest secrets for grocery saving success is that I practice the Buy Ahead Principle. I bought 18 sticks of deodorant because I had coupons which made them free or more-than-free. Yes, I said 18!ĭid I buy all this deodorant because I heard that there was going to be a shortage of deodorant for the next 4 years? Um, no. Last night when I went grocery shopping, I bought 18 sticks of deodorant. Missed the first posts this series? Read them here. ![]()
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