How to Build a Stockpile – Zero to Stockpile –
Have you been following all of the Zero to Stockpile Challenges we’ve been sharing?I love hearing about all of your success with stockpiles growing and grocery budgets decreasing. However, I still see some of you struggling. Struggling to find direction, not really grasping the idea yet on how and where to focus. And then, I still see some of you chasing those freebie deals over and over with growing stockpiles of shampoos, deodorants and toothpaste. However, I’m willing to bet, those still chasing freebies, are still not seeing anything great as far as savings on your regular grocery shopping.
Well, my friends, if you fall into either of those categories, this challenge is for you.
Building a Stockpile is Like Spring Cleaning
Let me give you an analogy that you may be able to relate to. Take spring cleaning your house. It’s something we don’t have to do, but when we do it, and do it right, our homes look even better. And, once it’s done, we can spend the year just maintaining it making it super easy to keep it clean all year long.
Building your stockpile is sort of like the challenge of spring cleaning. We don’t have to do it but when we do it, and do it right, we just need to maintain our stockpile all year long and it makes it super easy to keep our savings down.
Which One Are You?
Now, how do YOU approach spring cleaning? Let me give you two scenarios.
Person A is someone that starts their spring cleaning with awesome intentions to get entire house cleaned from top to bottom. You go into it full speed ahead but you have no plan. You take a day and just start cleaning a little bit in every room. You vacuum the rugs, dust the furniture, mop the floors, clean the bathrooms. You work hard but you just feel like you aren’t getting anywhere, at least not more than you would normally do each week. So, you throw in the towel and say, it’s not worth it, I’m just going to continue cleaning each week like I normally do. The heck with this spring cleaning stuff…it’s not really worth it. This is similar to those of you having trouble focusing on where to start in your stockpile building.
Person B is someone that spends so much time in one room, say the kitchen, that you get nowhere fast. You tear apart each and every cabinet, wash each and every kitchen utensil, tear apart every appliance and week after week, you are still cleaning your kitchen. Yes the kitchen looks awesome and you can share how sparkly clean it is on your Facebook and Instagram account but the rest of your house is in dire need of a cleaning. This is similar to those of you that are just focusing on the same type of freebie deals each week. Chasing freebie deals on shampoo, make up, deodorant, etc. And, while other deals may not be as sparkling, they are just as important to get your grocery savings down.
So, if you fall into either of these categories, the unable to focus on areas to stock up or the one that focuses too much on certain deals, let me show you how to fix that.
Have a Plan
Going back to the spring cleaning analogy, in order to truly get your house deep cleaned, you need to make a list for yourself and have a plan. Take it slow and focus on one or two rooms each week to truly deep clean. Over the next few week, you will have easily and slowly tackled each and every room in your home and at the end of just a few short weeks, you will have a beautifully clean home, that you an enjoy all year and all you have to do is simply maintain it every week.
This is how you are going to approach your stockpile!
How to Build a Stockpile:
1. Make a List
I want you, right now, to get out a piece of paper or notebook. On this paper or notebook, I want you to write down all the things you use most often in your house. Everything from toilet paper, to meats you use often, to vegetables you cook a lot with or your family loves to snack on, to bread, pasta, sauces, canned goods, milk, nuts, peanut butters, oils, spices. Think through everything you use on a daily and/or weekly basis.
2.Star The Items That Are Most Important
Now look at that list. What are you stocked up on? Maybe you have some of those items already stocked up. If you do, cross those off the list.
Now, make a star next to about six items on that list, that you do not have in your stockpile, and are the most important items for your family. When I started week number one of the Zero to Stockpile challenge, first on my list was chicken, pork, coffee (don’t judge!) frozen vegetables, canned tomatoes and toilet paper.
3.Focus Each Week on a Few Items to Stock Up On
Out of those six items, try to find at least three of them that you can stock up on right now or next week. They may not be the lowest price but if they are a decent price, get your stockpile going and buy a few of them to start building. For me, the coffee wasn’t the best price but I wanted and needed it so I bought four. The same was true for the frozen vegetables that very first week. I bought a few so I would have some at a decent price in my stockpile.
4. Getting the Best Prices on the Items on Your List
Some of you are asking yourself, okay, I have my list, I starred my 3 most important items, but how do I go about finding the best prices. That, my friends, is actually the easy part. Here are some tips to find the best prices:
- Look for the stores we cover here on Living Rich With Coupons. Scan through the match ups and find deals on items you would like to stock up on.
- Use our Grocery Price Comparison Tool to search for deals on specific items at tons of different stores.
- Look at your weekly ad(s) at your local stores. That front cover of the ad is going to be filled with some of the best prices on products for the week.
- Look beyond the regular stores you shop at in your area. Maybe you have a Costco or a BJ’s you have never been to (look into getting free passes for the day to try it out), do you have an Aldi? They have great prices there even without coupons (fyi, they don’t accept coupons there). Maybe you have a smaller market in your area. It may normally be a little on the pricey side but don’t overlook their weekly sales. Sometimes they may surprise you.
- Use coupons of course, when you can, but know that not everything you need to stock up on will have a coupon. Super low sales prices are sometimes better than anything with a coupon.
While you are stocking up on those items, you are still going to have to continue with your regular grocery shopping. Buying milk, fresh produce and whatever else you need during the week. Just like when you are focusing on deep cleaning that one room in your home for spring cleaning. It doesn’t mean, that while you are doing the deep cleaning, you are not going to mop the floor in the kitchen or wipe down the bathroom.
5.Repeat Each Week
Next week, make a list again. The list will probably include three of the items that you didn’t find great deals on from the previous week and add in a new set of three items. Work off that list on your second week, just like you did on your first week.
Each week do the same until you have such an awesome stockpile of all the things that you want and need for your family, similar to having your entire home completely deep cleaned!
6. Maintain Your Stockpile
Once you get to the point that your stockpile is filled with all the most important things you and your family use often, all you have to do is maintain your stockpile, just like you only have to maintain your house cleaning. As you would see your weekly cleaning be much easier when you are starting with a deep cleaned home, you will also see your grocery shopping be easier (and less money) because you have a full stocked stockpile.
Now go on, get that list going, check out your local stores that you never thought to check, look at our store match ups right here on the site and get that stockpile built. Stay focused and be patient. In the end, just like your fully cleaned house will save you time over the year, your fully stocked stockpile will save money.
Even More Ways to Save
Tips to Follow My Journey
- Follow me on my Instagram account where I post, via my IG Stories, all my day to day!
- Join our Zero to Stockpile Facebook Group.
- Follow Our Zero to Stockpile Page where you can find all my shopping trips, stockpile pictures, stockpile list, budget tracker and more.
Challenges You May Have Missed
- Challenge #1 – Finding Space for Your Stockpile
- Challenge #2 – Getting Ready For Your Coupons {or not?!}
- Challenge #3 – Preparing Your Grocery Budget & Goals
- Challenge #4 – Prepare Your Shopping List Early
- Challenge #5 – Meal Planning Made Simple
