6 Stockpile Myths You’ve Actually Believed
If you are trying to pay off debt, gain financial freedom, or save money for the future, having a stockpile is extremely beneficial. Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths about stockpiles that prevent people from starting one. I have experience building stockpiles for over 10 years and have made many mistakes. Please learn from my mistakes and don’t fall for these myths!
Myth 1 : You Have Be a Crazy Couponer
I tried to be an avid couponer for 2 years. Every week I would sort through several newspapers and cut coupons until my fingers bled (I am really clumsy). I had a binder that was sorted into categories, and would spend hours trying to find the “best” deals. After a while I learned that I could get really good deals just by shopping sales and looking for clearance items. I was able to save a ton of money from couponing, but it took a lot of precious time and energy. After comparing the costs to the benefits I felt like it was no longer worth it.
Finally When it was time to renew my newspaper subscription… I didn’t…
At the time I was “couponing” I subscribed to the daily newspaper, with 2 Sunday papers. When I finally cancelled my subscription I felt relieved. Honestly, I will probably never subscribe to a newspaper again. I threw away a majority of newspapers without even reading them. I hated being so wasteful.
I gave up crazy couponing, but was still able to build and maintain a nice stockpile
I learned that shopping sales and clearance items are nearly as effective as couponing. Unless you want to spend the time and energy sorting through 7 or 8 Sunday paper inserts, only saving $0.50 on 2 items is hardly worth the time. I also learned how to use mobile coupons, store specific coupons, and in store apps that also contain coupons.
I still do use coupons
Coupons do help cut down on grocery costs, but you don’t NEED them to stockpile items. If I find coupons, or get them in the mail I will use them. I no longer rely on couponing to build my stockpile.
Myth 2: You Need A Lot of Money to Start a Stockpile
When living paycheck to paycheck it may seem impossible to buy extra items to build a stockpile. In reality, being broke is the best time to stockpile items. It may be difficult to start but you will gain momentum and save a ton of money. It will also enable you to gain financial freedom and work towards your goals.
Imagine you have only $200 a month to feed your family, which equals $50 a week. Pretend you usually buy ketchup once a month, and it’s on sale for $1 (normally $3). If you purchase 3 bottles of ketchup, it doesn’t greatly impact your grocery budget. Next month (when ketchup is not on sale) you will have an extra $3 to put towards something else. By starting small, and keeping your stockpile purchases within a budget, you will eventually be able to save a ton of money.
Myth 3: You Have to Have Huge Stockpile Right Away
I used to have dreams of immaculate stockpiles like the ones showcased on television. When I started working towards building my first stockpile I quickly became discouraged. Only a few of the items I wanted were on sale, and I could only afford a couple of those items. I learned that it takes time to build an effective stockpile.
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Building a stockpile slowly is more effective than trying to quickly collect all the items you will ever use. Taking time to seek out great prices, and find the best deals is extremely important if you want a great stockpile. By simply buying a few extra items when things are on sale or clearance, every week, you will beef up your stockpile in no time!
Myth 4: You Need A Lot of Space to Start a Stockpile
When I started my first stockpile many years ago, I was living with my husband in a cramped 1 bedroom apartment (585 Sq Ft). We did not have a lot of room to build a stockpile, so we got creative! We utilized furniture, space underneath furniture, and even built shelves in random corners. I learned that although more space is ideal, you can have a stockpile even in small spaces.
For more ideas on how to build a stockpile when space is limited check out the post I wrote for ThriftyMrsB.com!
Myth 5: Some Things Just Don’t Expire
One day my husband started complaining about sores on his head. I examined his shampoo and could clearly see (and smell) that the shampoo needed to be thrown away immediately! It had never crossed my mind that shampoo could expire.
After some research I discovered pretty much all cleaning and hygiene products do expire. Pay attention to the dates on the bottles when you purchase these items. Sometimes these products sit on the shelves in a store for years.
As a Good Practice Check ALL the Dates of the Items You Buy
I have accidently purchased expired products many times. I now consistently check expiration dates for almost everything. If you plan on stockpiling items, check the expiration dates and make sure you will use it within that time frame.
The purpose of a stockpile is to save money, not to throw it away!
Myth 6: If You Have It, You Will Eat It
My husband and I were in the grocery store and noticed boxed pasta meals were on sale. Not only were they on sale, but we had coupons making them only $0.25 a box! That was such a great deal and my husband insisted that we purchase 50 boxes. I told him that I am not a big fan of boxed meals, and that I most likely will not eat them. He promised me that he would bring them to work, or make them on the weekends. I agreed, and told him I would give them a chance.
I mean a whole meal for $0.25 that’s a deal!
We spent the next few weeks avoiding making this boxed pasta meal. When we finally did I only took a few bites, because I really don’t like boxed pasta meals. He promised me he would eat them, since I clearly wouldn’t.
Months went by, then years, only 12 boxes total had been consumed.
I had to throw them away 38 boxes total. They were significantly expired and it was clear that we were never going to eat them.
As I put them in our large trash can, I felt terrible. I was being so wasteful, and there are people in this world that are starving.
Being Wasteful Defeats the Purpose
I learned a significant lesson that day. If I am not sure I will use the item, I shouldn’t buy it. Even if it’s only $0.25!
Please be careful to tailor your stockpile around things you will actually consume. It may be tempting to buy things because they are cheap, but in the long run you will end up wasting more money.
I am not saying you shouldn’t try new things, but just don’t buy unfamiliar items in large quantities if you are uncertain if you will eat it.
Anyone Can Have a Stockpile
If you are limited on space, money, or both you have the ability to stockpile items! Having a stockpile is the best way to save money on groceries because you are able to utilize sales the most efficiently. Plus you will find yourself actually going to the grocery store less (since you don’t run out of items so frequently).
What Myths Have You Believed About Stockpiles?
This is great. I used to be a semi-crazy couponer years ago, but I stopped for the same reasons you did. I feel so bad for having wasted all that paper, too.
Now I mostly shop at Costco, which is kind of a cheater method of stockpiling. I don’t have to pay too close attention to pricing because Costco doesn’t play crazy games like the grocery stores do. But I admit that there are times that I have to supplement Costco shopping with a trip to the regular grocery store, usually to get things that expire fairly quickly.
That’s Awesome! Did you notice much of a difference in your budget when you stopped couponing?
I wasn’t tracking it super closely, but I don’t think my grocery budget increased at all. What I found was that in the couponing phase I would buy a lot of things that I didn’t really need, that didn’t replace substantial grocery items. For example, I might have bought Cool Whip if it was on sale. Did I need Cool Whip? No. And it’s not like I could use Cool Whip for a regular meal, like as a breakfast substitute. So I felt like even the 50 cents I spent on Cool Whip was just basically a waste. I ended up buying crap that I shouldn’t have been buying.
With Costco, I’m pretty well deterred from buying “crap” or “filler” food. It’s easy at the grocery store to say “oh, those gummy worms look good, maybe I’ll try a box” as an impulse purchase. But when you’re at Costco and you see those same things, you think to yourself “I’d like to try that, but I don’t want to buy a pallet of gummy worms, so I’ll pass.”
Good Point! It is much easier to impulse spend if you are only spending $1! If it’s $10 for gummy worms, much easier to say no! Thank you so much for your input! I had never thought of avoiding grocery stores altogether and going to bulk stores to help with impulse spending!
Oh my word. I can totally relate to this. I used to have a coupons binder and would spend hours organizing it, collecting coupons and driving to the store. I finally went digital.
No longer use the coupons binder. I now add digital coupons to my store cards. They come off at checkout time.
Also one time I ended up with an excess of toothpaste and had to give them away to people I knew. It wasn’t even toothpaste I liked.
I know people that really enjoy couponing and using manufacturers coupons. For me, not so much! Digital is the way to go! That is funny about the toothpaste! Really how much toothpaste does one need lol! I have also been stuck with hygiene products I hate because they were so cheap! Do you download the store apps and use their digital coupons, or do you have specific coupon apps you love?
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