This is a hot button issue in the coupon world and everyone has an opinion on it. On TV, I’ve heard you should stock up for 6-8 months. In a few of my workshops, I’ve heard you should stock up for 1-2 years.
In my opinion, well, it just depends. Food wise, the bulk of the groceries you purchase will likely go on sale every 6-8 weeks at most (see picture below). Which is about as long as you need to stock up if you’re trying to follow a sales cycle (purchase items when they are on sale and stock up until the next sale).
When it comes to shampoo, razors, shaving cream or other personal care items, you can stock up as long as you’d like. I seem to have about 6 months to a year’s worth of these items on hand. Quite honestly, that’s simply because they are easy to store and I won’t eat them.
To get started, track the price of your items for 6-8 weeks every single time you go into the store. When the price drops, use your coupons and stock up. If you track the items well, you’ll know when the next sale is coming.
It’s really simple, the point of stocking up is so that you buy your items at the best price and still have them until they go on sale again.
No reason to store bacon under your bed or piles of diapers when you have no kids. Stockpiling is all about saving money and providing for your family. There will always be sales and coupons, no reason to add on another room to your house for it. 🙂
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