Marsh Triple Coupons!

Total spent = $20.59

Total saved = $66.30

I would've done better, but I had to get milk. Still, not bad!

Wags trip, week of 9/27-10/3

Out of pocket = $29.49 + tax

Saved = $205.97

I shopped at three different stores, so I didn't clean any one store out - because that's just rude. So here's what we got:

18 Chapstick *

18 Halls cough drops *

9 Herbal Essence mousse *

4 Herbal Essence shampoo *

4 Herbal Essence conditioner *

2 Fusion razors **

2 packages of Emergen-C *

2 Vaseline lotions **

1 package Dentek floss picks

Fillers (to bring transactions positive - Wags doesn't give back overages):

2 combs

5 Bazooka gum

2 Kit-Kats

1 package yogurt-covered raisins

3 Halloween plastic cups

1 Mentos

3 Trident (expensive way to keep kids busy while ringing up 20+ transactions)

19 pencils

* = free after Register Rewards + coupons

** = money maker

The stockpile is replenished, not that it was really wanting. : D

Now I'm on the hunt for free deodorant. We're down to about 9 in the stockpile.

Before & After

Stockpile, before:

And after:

Tomatos, before:

And after:

The garden, before:

And after:

Bread, before:

And after: (see? They are dark!)

So even though I am on an endless gerbil wheel of laundry, dishes, housekeeping, and child-herding, I am making progress.

The stockpile, again

Here's an updated picture of the stockpile. It's still growing, mostly with freebies, of course. Most of my stockpile is toiletries: deodorant, soap, shampoo, styling products, toothpaste, toothbrushes. 

Below is a better picture of (most of) the soap and shampoo. I think I have enough to last us the year.  I hit a killer deal at Walgreens this week on Softsoap, and ended up paying only tax - that's 28 cents a bottle. So I drove around to several stores (because I didn't want to clear the shelves of any one particular store - that's just rude!) and stocked up. I have 35 bottles. I will, of course, be sharing with our parish food pantry. 

Hubby has promised to move some more shelving into the little basement room that houses my stockpile. That will give me more room, and allow me to organize a bit better. I'm excited - it's like having my own little drug store! I have to admit, too, that it's the best-smelling room in the house! 

The Stockpile is Growing!

I just have a minute, but I wanted to post this picture of my updated stockpile. (Please forgive the bad picture. It's a tight spot with bad lighting.) Yes, I have been able to add to my stockpile, even though hubby's been unemployed since July 10. By combining sales and coupons, I've gotten so much of this for free. In some cases, I actually made money! 

I've hit the back to school sales, and hopefully been able to stockpile enough supplies to see me through the year. (Most of my school supplies are stored in a box in the garage.) I got the crayons for 22 cents at Target, and the glue (all 24 bottles) was free via instant rebate at Staples. In the garage, I have three-ring binders (25 cents each), several 5 packs of mechanical pencils (25 cents per pack), free folders, and inexpensive highlighters. 

In the picture you can see my canned salsa and canned tomato juice, a bottle of Chi-Chi's salsa (44 cents), All detergent ($3 a bottle), green beans from my mom's garden, and Softsoap (33 cents.) The shampoo in the back was a money-maker - it was on clearance for 97 cents a bottle and I had several $1 off coupons. The razors (on the top shelf, behind the mouthwash) were also a money-maker. They were $1.67, and I had several $2 off coupons. The hair products and shampoo on the top shelf were similar scenarios. 

I need more space for my stockpiling. We're all set on shampoo, glue, and crayons right now. I need some adult toothbrushes, though. (I've got a lead on a Target deal. We'll see if it pans out.) 

So much for a short post! Hopefully, my next update will be about my beautifully painted bedroom and much-improved craft table! 

Stockpiling

Here is the start of my stockpile. I had just started to build a stockpile when Cory lost his job. Now I'm so glad that I started, because we're really using it! 

I got the idea from the folks over at Hot Coupon World; it was a reminder of something I had read in The Tightwad Gazette. (LOVE that book!) In The Tightwad Gazette, the author frequently shares that she & her husband wait for an item to hit the lowest possible price, and then they stock up on the item. She gives ideas for finding unused space to store bulk purchases of great deals. (She asks readers if they'd consider renting out the space under their bed for $75 a month, and then asserts that this is what she saves by storing peanut butter under her bed.) In my head, I had limited that strategy to food: we have a chest freezer where I store meat, bread, frozen veggies and cheese that I find on sale. I had also started bulk-buying canned goods when I found a good price. The folks at HCW expanded my thinking to health & beauty items. If a buyer is careful, she can find most health & beauty products for nearly free. 

It's hard to see in my picture, but I have a little box of toothbrushes (about 6 months worth) and toothpaste, contact lens solution, mouthwash, about 4 spare deodorants, two free light bulbs, hair styling products, shampoo & conditioner, 4 jars of salsa, and some canned green beans from my mom's garden. Keep in mind that I had only started stockpiling about 3 weeks before Cory's job loss, and I haven't added to it for 2 weeks. In fact, I've used some things. I'm stockpiling on a couple of small shelves in our basement. I can't store dry goods down there (like cereal or flour), because I don't want to tempt any mice or bugs (ew ew ew) to move in. So this is what I have, so far. 

When I practice stockpiling, I get to pick the price I'm willing to pay for an item. When it hits that price, I stock up. It puts me in control of my budget. I don't have to buy more than I know I'll use. An added bonus is that I can use my stockpile to help others - if I've got a lot of a certain product, and I know our parish food pantry is running low, I can help out. What a blessing that can be! (I haven't exactly gotten to that, yet. Job loss and all.) 

Again, it's about thrift. It's about thinking ahead. And thankfully, it's about saving your resources for a rainy day!