One of the main ideas behind couponing seriously and seeing a reduction in your family household budget for groceries and other consumble items is stockpiling. The sales "lows" on items usually run at approximately 12 week cycles. When you see an item that your family uses at it's lowest price (with a sale AND coupons), you want to stock up on enough at that price to last your family 12 weeks. This is why I stress to accumulate as many coupons as possible by getting more than one insert per week - you will need multiple coupons when these items go low. This way, you can shop out of your pantry/linen closet when you need more, rather than purchasing items at higher prices when the need arrises.
You will want to keep your stockpile very organized so that you can see what you have easily to take an inventory for the next sale, and so that you use them in order of expiration date. Some people get very creative in finding ways to store their stockpiles, and it makes sense to do so when you are saving so much money.
You will quickly learn what the best prices are on items that you use regularly so that you know what the lowest price is when it comes around. When you just start out, you will be elated to get certain things cheap, but then you may realize later, that even that "cheap" price is too high and if you have a good stockpile to draw from, you will be able to wait to get it at even greater savings or FREE!
It will take you a good 6-9 months to build up a stockpile of items that you use regularly because you are using your stockpile as you are building it. Don't get discouraged if you use items faster than you anticipated, there's always the next time around to stock up with more.
I have always been a "stock-up" shopper and I loved shopping at Sam's Club. When I first got started couponing like this I had my doubts that Sam's Club would be more expensive than shopping with coupons. I thought for sure there would be no better way to shop than at Sam's Club - boy was I wrong!! I went through the store and compiled a list of the most common things I was buying at Sam's Club and broke it down by price per ounce, pound, package, etc. I put it all on a list and started to compare it when I was out couponing. Couponing is much cheaper than Sam's Club shopping. If you would like to see my list of items and the price break down, send me an e-mail and I would be happy to share it with you!
If you find that your estimates are too high and you purchased more than your family can use before it's expiration, please consider helping out family and friends, or donating to a needy family. There are so many ways to donate, and there are so many people in need right now.
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