Coupons are now the craze in today's frugal world. And with all the information available you can get lots of things for free.This leads to consumers "stockpiling" items in their homes. This can be a good thing to have some extra on hand, But shows like "extreme couponing" take things to a whole different level.
Will I really use 300 tubes of toothpaste this year? Or even 5 years? People need to limit themselves on when there actually getting a "good deal" or just wasting money. Buying 20 newspapers a week and spending 3 cents per toothpaste for 200 of them is not a good deal. If you buy 20 newspapers to get a few free items your still spending that initial $30 dollars for those items. Same with toothpaste, even if your only spending 3¢ per tube, if your only going to use x amount before it expires your wasting that money. Follow these tips to keep your stockpiling under control.

1.Follow a 6-12 month rule:
Try to only keep enough on hand for a 6-12 month period. If its a great deal, sure stock up on an item, but your house doesn't need to be overridden with items you might have to throw away before they expire.

2. Get it if it's free, but give it away.
I simply cannot pass up free. If I see a deal that I can get for free, you bet I am going to grab it. I may not need the item, or even use that item, but someone else may. I have a small box that I toss free items in that I know I may never use. This box is then donated to my local shelter or family members who also might be strapped for cash. I can give back to my community but not spending a dime, and without cluttering my house with items i wont need.

3. Don't get more than you can handle.
This is concerning newspapers. I find it a waste to buy 20 + papers a week. 1. If you don't recycle all that extra newspaper and coupon paper is going going right to a landfill. And again do you really need 200 body washes that would be free this week? I get 3 copies of the paper. I buy one, and am giving one by each my grandparents and my 1 uncle. This is more than enough for me. If I can get something free that week, I can get 3, which builds my small stockpile.

4. Don't buy it just cause it is a good deal.
Sure that bottle of pickle smelling lotion only cost 3¢, but am I ever going to want to use pickle lotion? I know my name isn't snookie, and quite frankly smelling like a pickle all day isn't my idea of fun, so why did I buy it? We tend to buy things, even if we dont use it, because it was such a great deal. But it really isn't if it is just collecting dust. So when you see that deal, think realistically. "Am I ever going to use this item?" or "Do I plan to give this item to someone else?" If you answered no, save yourself that 3¢. And save yourself the space at home.




Got any opinions or comments to share on stockpiling or couponing? Would love to hear from you below.

Are you constantly cooking? Are you also throwing out leftovers? If you answered yes to either, STOP! Save yourself time, money and your sanity. By saving your leftovers, you can eat them the next day and save yourself a lot of hassle.

I always cook a little more than I know we can eat. This way I have lunch for tomorrow if I am in a hurry, or even tomorrow's dinner. If you don't want to eat the same exact meal twice in a row, check out Allrecipes.com. You can plug in all the ingredients you have on hand to make a new, fun, and exciting meal.

Your saving money by reusing the meals and ingredients you already have on hand. Plus,your saving yourself time. And we all know we don't have enough of that nowadays in our busy schedule.


Questions, comments? Lets hear them below!