Did you add this to your stockpile?

Tillamook yogurt is on sale for $.50 each with in-ad coupon at Fred Meyer this week. Stack the in-ad coupon with this $1.00/4 and get your yogurt for only $.25 each!

Tillamook Yogurt $.50

with in-ad coupon

stack with $1.00/4 printable

Final price: $.25 each!

Did you know that you can freeze yogurt?

Organizing Your Stockpile

Organizing your stockpile (and keeping it that way) can be a pretty daunting task. It is worth it though! Not only will you feel better, but you will also know what you have and what you don't have in stock. Knowing what you do have will help you from over-buying and from wasting what you have already purchased.

When you come into your house with items for your stockpile, put them away immediately. I don't always do this, but I know when I don't it will sometimes take me days to get back around to it. Move old stock forward and add new to the back. This way you are always using the oldest items first and you will have little to no waste this way.

A lot of people tell me they just don't have the space for a stockpile. To answer back I say "be creative!" When I was younger I had a bed that once once a bunk bed. My dad made it for my sister and me when we were sharing a room; after we moved into a larger house he just cut it in half! My half was the top of the bed so it was pretty high off the floor. My parents used that space to store boxes of toilet paper. How creative is that!?! Look around and I am sure you will find a little space here and there.

First I am going to share with you what I have been trying to get my husband to do for me for a while now. I LOVE the idea of having a pegboard to hang items like razors and toothbrushes on. I have a huge empty wall in my basement that would be perfect for a peg board too!

Amazon has everything I need too. Check it out:

These baskets are so cool! I really want them :)  I am going to have to save up my Swagbucks and buy them for myself!

Now here is how my stockpile is actually organized:

These plastic shoe boxes are in my towel closet. It not only keeps everything organized, but I can fit a lot more into a smaller space!

Right now on Amazon they are marked down 24%, you can get 12 of them for only $19.99!

Most of my stockpile is in my basement. I am lucky enough to have the space in my basement already. I live in an older house and so I have old cupboards that were once used to store canning goods in. (Look how much room I would have in here if I had my pegboards!)

I try to keep it organized by item so I know exactly how much of each I have. Every time I add something to the stock I make sure I do a mental inventory of what I have and what I am running low on.

I also have some simple shelves in my basement that are next to my dryer. These are perfect for laundry detergent and other large items like toilet paper and paper towels (no more toilet paper under my bed!!)

My mom has a cool set up for her canned goods. These are really neat because you load the new cans into the top and pull the older items from the bottom. It is a cool way to organize your canned goods.

They are a little pricey but so worth it if you have a lot of canned items.

If you are super crafty you can try making your own. Check out this DIY idea from Then She Made

Another great idea I have seen, which is also a great space saver! How about an over-the-door shoe hanger!?! You can fit just about anything into one of these!

On Amazon you can buy one for only $11.00. I like that this one is clear too so you can see the items in each pocket!

Organization is such a huge part of couponing! I personally think that your stockpile has to be organized to get the most out of it. 

How do you organize your stockpile? 

We would love any tips or pictures that you have!

STOCKPILES: Using the Sale Cycles

When it comes to starting and maintaining your stockpile, it can get a bit confusing. Now that you've found some great deals and you've come home with some great products, where do you put them? It doesn't take a lot of space to store a few things. Keep in mind that products go on sale about every 4-6 months, so only buy what you'll use in that time. 


This is where the Sale Cycle list can come in handy. This simple sheet will guide you by showing you when items are most likely going to be on sale. For example: September and October are great months to stock cereal, cheeses, and anything else you might need to get your kids ready for the new school season. It can help you not over, or even under buy, things you want to stock up on. Check it out!

View the Sale Cycle!

STOCKPILES: Creating a Stockpile and Finding Balance

Creating a Stock Pile takes time, so if you're in a hurry, take a breath and relax! You will not become the Ultimate Coupon Queen over night. It's sounds lovely, but most likely a fairy tale. A big thing to keep in mind: ONLY BUY WHAT YOU'LL NEED OR USE!


It's very important to find a balance. A balance can help you grow and maintain your stockpile so it serves well for your family. The following article is a great read for those just starting out or even those that need to pull the reins in a bit.

FINDING YOUR COUPON BALANCE:

When I was a coupon newbie, I felt like I had to go get every single good deal that blogs posted about and get as much of it as I possibly could. I will admit that I may still have a few items in my stockpile that I bought almost two years ago and have not used yet (see the circled Scrubbing Bubbles cleaners below? I used to have enough of those to clean my toilet every day for a year!). Learning to coupon is also about learning what your family needs and how to find the balance between buying and using your stockpile.

Click Here To Read The Rest of This Article

Adding To Your Stockpile! *This week's deal that you don't want to miss.*

Welcome to

Adding To Your Stockpile!

Here we will post a deal or two from this week that you don't want to miss.

Albertsons Twice the Value coupons are coming this Sunday! These are valid from Sunday to Tuesday. I LOVE that we are getting them this week, but it is going to be hard to choose what awesome deals to use them on!

This week Albertsons has a great promo going on with breakfast items where you can earn a FREE gallon of milk!!! Here's a few deal ideas for you that will help you score big!

The More You Shop, The More You Save Promo

Coupon issued at checkout; no limit

Better Oats Oatmeal $1.25

buy 4, receive $1.00

use $1.00/3 printable from Facebook

use doubler

Final price:$.50 each wyb 4!

Malt-O-Meal 

Golden Puff, Mini Spooners, Frosted Flakes, or Honey and Oat Blenders $2.50

buy 2, receive $2.00

$1/3 Malt-O-Meal Cereals 11/29/2011 Malt-O-Meal Rolling

*deal scenario*

buy 6

use (2) $1.00/3 coupons

use (2) doublers 

pay $11, receive $6

Final price: $.83 each

Emerald Breakfast on the go $2.50

buy 2, receive $1.00

$1/1 Emerald Breakfast on the Go Product (IE), 7.5 oz 01/03/2012 Bricks Rolling 

$0.75/1 Emerald Breakfast on the go! or Canister, 7.5 oz+ 01/08/2012 RP Insert (exp 03/04/2012) 

*deal scenario*

buy 2 boxes

use (2) $1.00/1 printables

use (2) doublers

pay $1.00, receive $1.00 CAT

Final price: FREE!

Cheerios (if whole grain are included) $2.50

buy 4, receive $2.00 AND 1 gallon free milk

$1/1 General Mills Multi Grain Cheerios Cereal 02/01/2012 Coupons.com (exp 03/02/2012) 

 *deal scenario*

buy 4

use (4) $1.00/1 printables (will need 2 computers)

use (3) doublers

pay $3.00, receive $2.00

Final price: $.25 each AND free milk! WOO HOO!

Cheerios (if whole grain peanut butter are included) $2.50

buy 4, receive $2.00 AND 1 gallon free milk

$0.80/1 General Mills Multi Grain Cheerios with Peanut Butter Cheerios 02/05/2012 Couponnetwork.com (exp 03/05/2012)

 *deal scenario*

buy 4

use (4) $.80/1 printables (will need 2 computers)

use (3) doublers

pay $4.40, receive $2.00

Final price: $.60 each AND free milk! WOO HOO!

Cheerios, cinnamon toast crunch, trix, cookie crisp $2.50

buy 4, receive $2.00 AND 1 gallon free milk

$1/2 General Mills Cereals 02/05/2012 Couponnetwork.com (exp 03/05/2012) 

 *deal scenario*

buy 4

use (2) $1.00/2 coupons

use (2) doublers

pay $6.00, receive $2.00

Final price: $1.00 each AND free milk! Still WOO HOO :)

You will definitely want to print your coupons ASAP for this sale. These coupons will run out fast! Good Luck!

Finding Your Coupon Balance

We (the Savvy with Savings ladies) have been talking a lot about couponing for our families lately. It is a great way to support our families by making each hard earned dollar stretch just a little further. But is there such a thing as too much?

When I was a coupon newbie, I felt like I had to go get every single good deal that blogs posted about and get as much of it as I possibly could. I will admit that I may still have a few items in my stockpile that I bought almost two years ago and have not used yet (see the circled Scrubbing Bubbles cleaners below? I used to have enough of those to clean my toilet every day for a year!). Learning to coupon is also about learning what your family needs and how to find the balance between buying and using your stockpile.

A good way to know how many of one item to buy is to figure out how much your family will use in 6 months time and buy just that many. One thing I am glad I have learned is everything will go on sale again! We even have posted a sale cycle list here on Savvy with Savings that shows what time of year most items will be on sale.

A good example of this is when I buy chicken. I usually purchase my chicken through Zaycon Foods. They sell their chicken in 40 lb. boxes. My family usually eats 2 lbs of chicken a week so 40 lbs. will last around 5 months. Which is perfect since Zaycon Foods sells their chicken about every 5 or 6 months! I buy one box at a time knowing I will be able to use all of it before the next sale.

I love this article by Fabulessly Frugal,  "Stocking up: How Much is TOO Much."

This past weekend I wanted a couple bottles of free Dawn dish soap with doubles at Albertsons. There were none on the shelf so I talked to one of my favorite managers who informed me that they only had 30 to begin with and one lady had purchased all 30 of them. I understand that I am not going to get every deal since there are so many trying to stretch their dollar also, but to hear that one person ruined it for everyone else is really pretty annoying. I think Fabulessly Frugal says it best, "Some couponers aren’t trying to build a massive stockpile, but just need to feed their families that week. When the shelves are empty, they don’t have a huge stockpile to fall back on."

I have always believed that couponing is all about finding balance. In this case it is all about finding the balance between buying and using.

Have you found your balance?

My Personal Stock-up Prices

One of the things I have learned in my couponing adventure is what I am willing to pay for items in my stockpile. Everyone's stock-up price points are going to differ slightly just because I may be willing to pay more or won't pay as much as someone else. If you are brand loyal, for example, your prices may be a little higher. It is all about learning what you are willing to pay and then looking for a good deal!


Here is a list of my personal stock-up prices to get you started:

Free (things I don't typically pay for):
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Men's body wash
Cheap Deodorant (suave, dove etc.)
Bar Soap

Pasta
Salad Dressing
Barbecue Sauce

$.25-$.50 items:
Shampoo/Conditioner/Hairspray etc.
Expensive deodorant (Mitchum, Old Spice, etc.)
Feminine Hygiene products
Liquid Dish Soap
Paper plates

Brownie and Cake mixes
Granola bars
Canned Soup

$.50 - $1.00
My husband's deodorant (he is brand specific--he only uses Arm&Hammer)

Razors (disposable and re-usable)
Cleaning Supplies
Ziploc bags
Cold Medicine

Shredded cheese
Cereal (I will pay up to $1.50 for my favorite healthier cereal)
Crackers
Peanut Butter/Jelly
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo etc.)
Olives
Pasta Sauce
Tortillas (lately I have been paying $1.50 for these though)

Other items:
Butter $1.75/lb.
Flour $.99/5 lb.
Sugar $1.50/4 lb.
Eggs $.99/dozen
Bread $1.25/loaf (I buy the more expensive bread)

Boneless/Skinless Chicken breasts $1.99/lb.
Ground Beef $2.49
Ground Turkey $1.49/lb.

Toilet Paper $.17/single roll
Paper towels $.50/roll
Dishwasher tablets $.12 each
Laundry detergent $.10/load (If you are a loyal Tide user double this!)

Diapers $.10/diaper
Baby Wipes $.02/wipe

My Shopping Trip 10/26

I just wanted to share my first couponing trip in awhile! I'm getting my coupon MOJO back!!

I stopped by the commissary this morning, and was able to match up some military coupons with some good sales and stock up on (a family favorite!) granola bars and brownie mix for under $10!!

(Because it was a commissary trip, I cannot post specific pricing or coupon amounts, due to military and commissary laws. But if you're military, go check out these sales!!)

A list of sale cycles to help you with your stockpile

SALE CYCLES:
How and when to stockpile can be very tricky sometimes. knowing when items will be on sale/free again can help you decide whether to stockpile for 3, 6, or 12 months. Who wants to run out of anything and have to pay full price?? :)

The best way to start a new stockpile item is when it is brand new. Manufacturers typically launch promotions around new products. Look for clearance prices right before a new product is announced. Stores need to make room for new products by selling off the old products.

Once a new product arrives, look for major promotions to clear the first wave of the product. Stores don’t stock products that don’t sell, so companies want to “prove” that the product should be stocked.
New Packaging: No one likes to purchase “old” products, so any products packaged in holiday, special occasion, sporting event, or special promotion packaging will go on clearance after the event. Some of the largest packaged events include Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, but also Super Bowl/Football, World Series/Baseball, Olympics, etc. Special packaging is common for any “party foods”, like Pepsi, Coca-Cola, crackers, and chips.

To stockpile an item when it isn't new, wait for it to go on sale, then stock up!!!
Here is a monthly list of when certain items usually go on sale and when you can expect the best prices:

JANUARY sales and deals:
Diet foods and products (New Years resolutions!!)
Healthy Choice
South Beach
Lean Cuisine
Yogurt
100 cal. packs
Special K

Cold meds.
Vitamins
Health products

Super Bowl party foods--
soda
chips
dips
crackers

OATMEAL!! (national oatmeal month)

FEBRUARY sales and deals:
**national canned food month
Canned veggies/fruit
canned tuna
canned beans

cereal
eggos etc.
syrup

dog food

Valentines day promos (Chocolate)

Chinese New Year promos--
soy sauce
teriyaki
ramen noodles
stir fry

MARCH sales/deals:
**Frozen food month
Frozen veggies/fruits
Frozen dinners
Icecream

spring cleaning month--
household cleansers


APRIL sales/deals:
marshmallows
chocolate chips
sugar (white, brown, powdered)
brownie mix
cake mix
food coloring

*look for clearance olive oil

MAY sales/deals:
condiments--
bbq sauce
ketchup
mustard
mayo
pickles
relish

cheese
chips and dip
salsa
tortillas

charcoal
paper plates, napkins etc.
sunscreen
bug spray

JUNE sales/deals:
**National Dairy month--
milk
eggs
cheese
butter
yogurt
ice cream

condiments

hamburger/hotdog buns

JULY sales/deals:
**best BBQ sales of the year--
BBQ sauce
baked beans
ketchup
hot dogs
ground beef
steak

blueberries
AUGUST sales/deals:
**back to school sales--
lunch box foods
pudding cups
lunchables
lunch meat
bread
cereal
waffles

school and office supplies
disinfecting wipes
hand sanitizers

SEPTEMBER sales/deals
more back to school sales

tomato products--
spaghetti sauce
canned tomatoes
tomato sauce
tomato soup

baby item month--
look for sales on major purchase baby items (strollers, carseats etc.)

OCTOBER sales/deals:
**Halloween promos--
cookies
candy
chocolate chips
nuts

apples
pumpkins

NOVEMBER sales/deals:
quilts/blankets
hot cocoa
canned food--
soup
broth
condensed milk
canned veggies/fruits

Holiday foods--
Turkey

Pumpkin (canned)
Stuffing mix
Potato mix
Butter
Sweet potatoes
Fresh potatoes
Gravy
Bread/rolls
Frozen pies
Cranberry sauce
Fresh cranberries

DECEMBER sales/deals:
crackers
chips
soda
stuffing mix
potato mix
potatoes
butter
frozen pies
cream soups
broth
egg nog

baking supplies--
Flour

Sugar
Butter
Cream
Cake mix
Brownie mix
Muffin mix
Breads
Pie Crust
Marshmallow
Whipped cream

Christmas items--
cards
bows
tape
ribbon
wrapping paper

I am excited for November's sales. I am running out of my soup and broth that I stocked up on last year. I am also looking forward to all the baking sales since December is definitely the month I do just about ALL of my baking (I think I do enough in December to cover the rest of the year ;)   )

What are you looking forward to adding to your stockpile?

Starting a stockpile on a limited budget

How can you start a stockpile if you have a very tight monthly budget?

NUMBER ONE-- lose the old routine. If you shop once a month for your family, you are overspending! I know it is more time consuming to shop weekly, but you will see your savings in just one month!!!
NUMBER TWO-- plan your dinner menus around your shopping. Don't plan your shopping around your dinner menu! I used to make up a monthly menu and every week or two shop for everything I needed. Now I plan my dinner menu around what I already have on hand and shop for the "extras" like fresh fruits and vegetables.

The best way to start a stockpile is to look for anything you can get free--
toothbrushes
toothpaste
body wash
pasta
I won't pay for these items anymore. If you are patient, you too can get them free! So start here. When you are no longer spending money on these items you can use that money elsewhere. Like starting your grocery stockpile :)

Here is how I would get started with items that aren't usually free:
month 1--
If I normally spend $8.00/month buying healthy cereal for my family (realistically this is only 2 boxes of healthy cereal these days!) and I can find it for $1.00 this month, I am going to buy 8 boxes. Now I have a 4 month supply.
I normally spend $6.00 on pasta each month ($2.00/box) I can get it for $.50/box so I am going to buy 12 boxes for a 4 month supply.
I haven't spent any more out of pocket this month than I normally would have.

month 2--
I don't have to buy cereal this month so I have $8.00 extra.
I don't have to buy pasta this month so I have $6.00 extra.
total extra couponing dollars: 14

If I usually buy 2 jars of peanut butter a month I am probably spending around $6.00. This month I find it on sale for $1.00 so I am going to buy 6 jars for a 3 month supply.
If I usually spend $5.99 per 2 lb. brick of cheese and I buy 2 of these each month I am spending $12.00/month on cheese. This month I find it on sale for $3.99/2 lbs. so I buy two extra bricks (with my leftover money from last month)--to store extra cheese, shred it and put it in the freezer, or slice it and vacuum seal!! Now I don't have to buy cheese next month.
If I normally buy 6 loafs of bread a week, lets say $2.00/loaf, I find it on sale for $1.00/loaf I am going to buy 12 loafs this month (store it in your freezer!!). now I don't have to buy it next month!
I haven't spent any more money this month. I am still on budget, and still have 10 couponing dollars leftover. There are so many options to use this extra $10!! I can look at my top ten purchases list and add to my stockpile from this list. I can buy fresh produce for my family. I can save it for next month and have extra money to buy for my stockpile next month!!

month 3--
I don't have to buy cereal this month $8.00 extra
I don't have to buy pasta this month $6.00 extra
I don't have to buy peanut butter this month $6.00 extra
I don't have to buy cheese this month $12.00 extra
I don't have to buy bread this month $12.00 extra
total extra couponing dollars: 44

I usually buy 10 pounds of chicken a month at $4.99/lb. I find it on sale for $1.99/lb so I buy 25 pounds and put the extra in the freezer for next two and a half months! (this is something I personally would use my extra dollars this month to buy more than just two extra months worth!! I personally have a six-eight month supply of chicken in my freezer!)
If I usually buy 6 cans of condensed soups to make my meals with I am probably spending around $10.00 each month. If I can get them for $.25 with a sale and a sweet coupon :) I could buy 40 cans!! this is a six month supply--score!
I still haven't gone over my monthly budget and depending on how much chicken I decided to buy, I could still have extra couponing dollars!

month 4--
I don't have to buy cereal this month $8.00 extra
I don't have to buy pasta this month $6.00 extra
I don't have to buy peanut butter this month $6.00 extra
I don't have to buy chicken this month $50.00 extra
I don't have to buy soup this month $10.00 extra
total extra couponing dollars: 80

I do have to buy more cheese and bread this month, but since I have $80.00 dollars extra to work with this shouldn't be a problem. This month I am going to look for other items that I can stockpile: beef, crackers, fruit snacks, granola bars, boxed potatoes, canned items, etc.

So if my monthly budget is $300, in 4 months time I was able to save my family 27%....doesn't sound like a whole lot, but think of how awesome it is to be able to have $80.00 extra by month 4!! With this $80 I can probably double my stockpile by month 5--with a goal of having at least a 6 month supply.

The best part about this, is it doesn't matter what store you are shopping at. As long as you are price savvy, buy what is on sale and use your coupons, you can start your stockpile! Remember, if you are on a very tight monthly budget, start slow. Gradually build your stockpile and plan your meals around what you have in your home. Eventually you will get to the point where you can "shop" your own pantry and save more than 50% on your monthly expenses!

I lost my couponing mojo. Ill admit it.

I started out strong! Free deodorant and toothpaste! Stockpiles of pasta and cereal! On. A. ROLL!! Then, one week, I skipped my Sunday morning Rite Aid run. Then I let a doublers weekend at Albertsons came and went, and I didn't go. Pretty soon, I was even (GASP!!) leaving my binder at home when I went to Walmart!!

What happened?

I got lazy, thetas what. We were living off of the stock pile, but now, the stock pile is starting to get low! Time to snap back into it!!

Best motivation I've found? The advice from Shannan on reorganizing my coupon binder using the no clip method!! (This article is a MUST read!)

Now, time to start stocking up again...I started with pasta. What item did you start your stockpile with?

My diaper stash....by request ;)

I had a request to show off my diaper stash and to share my savings. So here are a few pictures (I really need to get my camera back. my phone just sucks!):

I know this looks a little crazy....what is probably even more crazy is I am wondering if I can insure my diaper stockpile, lol :) If there were ever a fire in my house you will find me throwing packs of diapers out the window!

Keep in mind I have one in diapers and another one on the way--hopefully this next week! So with two in diapers this really isn't going to last very long.
I currently have 31 jumbo packs, 1 small box, and 2 large boxes of diapers. I go through about 1 1/2 - 2 jumbo packs a week right now. So multiply that by 2 and this is really about 3 months worth of diapers.

I read somewhere that cloth diapers were cheaper and so I looked into it. Anything to save some money! The article I read that was in favor of cloth diapers said it would only cost about $400/year. That seems pretty reasonable. It included buying all of the diapers, the water cost, and the special detergent costs.

I figured out about what I spent in diapers this last year (just on one kid....not counting my current stockpile) and I realized that I saved more money by using disposable than I did cloth. Plus it meant less laundry for me and for those of you that know me, you know laundry is my worst enemy.

This last year I bought diapers when I could get them for less than $3.50/pack. So if I use that as my price for each, and went through 1.5 packs per week, I spent roughly $5.25/week or $252 for the year. That is a savings of almost $150.00!! And I didn't have to do any extra laundry :)

I can see why people go cloth though. If I would have paid full price for each pack of diapers, lets say that is $9.99/jumbo pack, I would have spent around $15.00/week or $720 for the year. ouch.

Another reason I put the effort into couponing for diapers, is I am able to get name brand diapers for less than I would pay for store brand. I know these work and I don't have to switch from brand to brand to find something that doesn't leak and doesn't give my kid a rash.

Saving on diapers is what started my coupon adventures and it is part of the reason that I can be a stay at home mommy to one, soon to be two, beautiful little girls. So if any of you need help saving or want to get started, let us know! We would love to help you save money!!!!

~Shannan