Stockpiling Saturday - Household Product Expiration Dates

An important thing to consider when starting and maintaining a stockpile is expiration dates.  If you buy stuff that you can't use before it goes bad, well, then that's not a good deal right?

There are some items that might surprise you on how long they can keep if unopened and stored properly.

Here's a list of Household Products (you can view the Food list here):

Air freshener, aerosol
2 years

Antifreeze, premixed
1 to 5 years

Antifreeze, concentrate
Indefinite


Batteries, alkaline
7 years

Batteries, lithium
10 years

Bleach
3 to 6 months

Stockpiling Saturday - Food Expiration Dates

An important thing to consider when starting and maintaining a stockpile is expiration dates.  If you buy stuff that you can't use before it goes bad, well, then that's not a good deal right?

There are some items that might surprise you on how long they can keep if unopened and stored properly.

Here's a list:

Brown sugar
Indefinite shelf life, stored in a moistureproof container in a cool, dry place.

Coffee, canned ground
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 1 month refrigerated


Coffee, gourmet
Beans: 3 weeks in paper bag, longer in vacuum-seal bag (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)
Ground: 1 week in sealed container

Coffee, instant
Unopened: Up to 2 years
Opened: Up to 1 month

Diet soda (and soft drinks in plastic bottles)
Unopened: 3 months from “best by” date.
Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected.

Dried pasta
12 months

Frozen dinners
Unopened: 12 to 18 months

Frozen vegetables
Unopened: 18 to 24 months
Opened: 1 month

Honey
Indefinite shelf life

Juice, bottled (apple or cranberry)
Unopened: 8 months from production date
Opened: 7 to 10 days

Ketchup
Unopened: 1 year (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)
Opened or used: 4 to 6 months (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)


Maple syrup, real or imitation
1 year
 
Maraschino cherries
Unopened: 3 to 4 years
Opened: 2 weeks at room temperature; 6 months refrigerated

Marshmallows
Unopened: 40 weeks
Opened: 3 months

Mayonnaise
Unopened: Indefinitely
Opened: 2 to 3 months from “purchase by” date (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)

Mustard
2 years (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)

Olives, jarred (green with pimento)
Unopened: 3 years
Opened: 3 months

Olive oil
2 years from manufacture date (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)

Peanuts
Unopened: 1 to 2 years unless frozen or refrigerated
Opened: 1 to 2 weeks in airtight container

Peanut butter, natural
9 months

Peanut butter, processed (Jif)
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 6 months; refrigerate after 3 months

Pickles
Unopened: 18 months
Opened: No conclusive data. Discard if slippery or excessively soft.

Protein bars (PowerBars)
Unopened: 10 to 12 months. Check “best by” date on the package.

Rice, white
2 years from date on box or date of purchase

Salad dressing, bottled
Unopened: 12 months after “best by” date
Opened: 9 months refrigerated

Soda, regular
Unopened: In cans or glass bottles, 9 months from “best by” date
Opened: Doesn’t spoil, but taste is affected

Steak sauce
33 months (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)

Tabasco
5 years, stored in a cool, dry place

Tea bags (Lipton)
Use within 2 years of opening the package

Tuna, canned
Unopened: 1 year from purchase date
Opened: 3 to 4 days, not stored in can

Soy sauce, bottled
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 3 months (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)

Vinegar
42 months

Worcestershire sauce
Unopened: 5 to 10 years (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)
Opened: 2 years

This would be a handy list to print and keep near your stockpile storage area for reference!

Read more about expiration dates here. 

This information was collected from internet sources, including an article at RealSimple.com

Stockpiling Saturday - Understanding Expiration Dates

So, last September, I bought some bags of Golden Flake chips at Food Giant for 50c.  I stocked up because we had a birthday party and other events coming up that called for snack food.  We still had a couple bags left on the snack shelf in the stockpile.  Hubs got into them the other night.  He came upstairs munching on one of the bags of chips. 

He said, "Hey, these chips aren't that bad even though the expired in December..."

I was quick to point out that that was just a freshness date that the manufacturer wouldn't guarantee that they would be fresh past.  But they were completely unopened and properly stored so there was no reason that they wouldn't be fresh a couple months past that date.

"It's not like they ROT after that date," I said.

"I know," said Hubs.  "But they're still pretty good..."

So what exactly do all those dates, codes and phrases mean?  Best by?  Sell by?  And is 11March09 the ninth of March 2011  or the eleventh of March 2009?

Let's decode some of this madness!

Stockpiling Saturday - Stockpiling 101 from We Use Coupons

Here is a great article on Stockpiling from We Use Coupons:

Stockpiling 101

Why Stockpile?
Why stockpile is a great question that I get all the time in coupon classes. Why in the world would you buy 20 of something?? Well it’s simple, when I buy a years supply of something that is FREE, I take it off my grocery list for a year!! As my stockpile grows I am able to remove stockpiled items from my weekly grocery list. This in turn saves me hundreds of dollars every week!!


What is a stockpile?
A stockpile is a reserve of items you use on a weekly or monthly basis. Generally, stockpiles are built over time, they just don’t magically appear! They are built by buying free items or items that are deeply discounted with coupons. I started my stockpile with 3 bottles of shampoo and oatmeal! Each week I added to my stockpile and now, many of my friends think I have a store!!

So how do you get started?
First I would say, make sure to read some of the basic couponing articles found on WeUseCoupons. If you master basic couponing techniques, you're on your way to have a garage full of stuff!!


If I buy more, won’t my grocery bill go UP not down?
The entire stockpiling concept is built on saving money! Almost every week I spend around the same amount of money on groceries, and my stockpile grows! Some weeks I spend a little more, some a little less. BUT building a stockpile should NOT negatively affect your budget. If soup is on sale for $.25 per can, I check the expiration date, estimate how many I will use and buy appropriately. I don’t go out and say, “I want 500 cans because it’s cheap!” Be practical!! Don’t spend your entire grocery budget on stockpiling two items that you won’t use all that often.
Another important stockpiling tip, buy the free stuff in mass!! If it’s free, stockup until your heart's content! If soup is free, buy as many as you can! If you don’t use it all, give it away to friends, neighbors or the food bank!!


It takes time
Hardcore stockpilers will tell you flat out, it takes at least 6 months or longer of dedication to build a good size stockpile. Each week the sales change, which means that something new is free or extremely cheap. After stockpiling for months on end, your stockpile will be diverse, but not perfect! You may also run out of something. Give it time, and learn your own habits!


My family is destroying my stockpile!!
I hear this a lot. Imagine eating generic captain crunch for years on end and then one day, mommy brings home the real stuff! Kids just love the shine of the new box, and because mommy bought not just one box but TEN, the kids and husband tear into 6 boxes in the first week! This is a common problem, but know that it will pass! After a while that new novelty will wear off to just another cereal.


How much should I stockpile?
When you find an item that is free or extremely cheap when using a coupon, the inevitable question arises, how much should I buy? To begin, you need to figure out how large of a supply you need! We recommend having at least a minimum of 3 months on hand, but 6 months is preferable. This will allow you to take that item off your grocery list for six months. Sales are cyclical, which means that eventually that item that you are purchasing today, will eventually go on sale down the road again. How much of a particular item you need depends on your family and their usage. A family with 4 teenagers is going to use a lot more deodorant than a family with a newborn and a toddler. Determine how much your family needs by estimating how much they use in a given week or month.


Stockpiling is Ongoing
Just because you got 10 boxes of cereal for free doesn't mean you will pass up the next cereal sale. You are never "finished" with a stockpile. Sales and cycles are happening constantly. If cereal is free again don’t hesitate to buy more! As soon as you get a full supply of one item, you will run low on another. Each week is different and after 4 months of not buying cereal ,you may be running low!


Stockpiling is stupid, I just go to Costco or Sams.
Well go right ahead and spend hundreds of dollars! Buying in bulk isn’t stockpiling, it's wasting money. Sams is expensive! Let me say that again, Sams is very expensive! 90% of the time, purchasing in bulk at a warehouse store is not cheap! I have friends that brag about their warehouse purchases and I just smile on the inside. That item they were bragging about was FREE three weeks ago and I have hundreds of them in my basement! I discourage stockpiling items that you actually have to pay for UNLESS you can’t get a good deal on a regular basis. Even then, don't buy at stockpile levels, simply buy enough to last until you DO find the super deal elsewhere.

Remember, at warehouse stores, items may be cheaper in bulk, but most are never stockpile-worthy.


Issues that arise
Some stockpilers HATE paying for anything! Sometimes that leads to small problems down the road. For example, I hate paying for mac and cheese. I rarely have a supply of it because I can’t ever seem to get it entirely free. Luckily we don’t eat it much, but when I want it, sometimes I have to run and pay full price for one box at the convenient store (A horrible thing).

Brand loyalty is another issue when stockpiling. Most couponers have thrown brand loyality out the door, but some people only use Dawn. If you find that item on sale and you have a coupon, it may be worth overbuying by normal standards if you know it's the only brand that you will use and it doesn't often go on sale.

Coupon shortages are a common problem with stockpiliers! If you want to buy 30 of something you are going to need the coupons to do it. Ebay and clipping services are your friend! Buying multiple papers will also help. Get the coupons any way you can. You will even find people like me who will even dumpster dive for them!!


Controlling your Ever Growing Stockpile
Organization & Space
“Ummm honey, where should I put the 200 canisters of oatmeal you bought at Wal-mart? There isn’t any more room in the closet!!” Space is a constant struggle as your stockpile grows. My stockpile started on a shelf in the garage and has literally taken over then ENTIRE garage. I built shelves because my stockpile took over! Being organized is really important.

Expiration Dates
A deal isn't a deal unless you are actually going to use the item before it spoils. ALWAYS check items before stocking up! Even water has an expiration date. Determine realistically how much your family will use and then buy the appropriate amount.


We hope that you understand the basics of why to stockpile with this article. Stockpiling is a great way to reduce your grocery list every week. By stocking up on an item for a year, you no longer have to buy it every week. If you can get that item for FREE, imagine how much money you will save EVERY WEEK. Stockpiling affects your bottom line and I believe it is the key to literally saving THOUSANDS every year on your grocery bill!

Read more great articles at We Use Coupons!

Stockpiling Saturday - Reader Question

I had a reader e-mail me a couple weeks ago to ask me, "How?"  Just how exactly did I get started stockpiling?  With money already tight (long-time readers know this blog was born during a financially difficult time we were having a few years ago) how did I find the funds to "buy extra?"


Here is my response to her:

The very first thing I did when I decided to start couponing was to "clean out".  I took inventory of everything I had in my pantry, fridge and freezer and planned meals around what I had.  For two weeks I only bought milk, fresh fruits and vegetables and spent about $25 on meat.  That money I save in those two weeks helped give a little "cushion" in my grocery budget - a little extra to get me started on the deals.

I was spending between $600-$700 a month on groceries (this included diapers and formula at the time).  In the first three months, I whittled it down to $450 a month.  Then eventually $400.  And now, I'm between $300 and $350 each month - but it's been an 18 month journey.  It doesn't happen overnight.

When you tell people to "stockpile" they immediately think it costs a lot of extra money to do that.  For example, to stockpile cereal at $4-$5 a box is crazy!  So you wouldn't walk into a store tomorrow and buy 4 boxes - that would be $20!  But say that next week, Winn-Dixie had it on sale and after discounts and coupons it was $1.50 a box - you WOULD buy 4 boxes and it would cost you $6.  Which isn't much more than what ONE costs at regular price.  Guess what?  You just stockpiled!  :)

Stockpiling with coupons is buying the MOST you can get at the LOWEST price possible.  You'll find that you can go in a store and spend as much as you used to but leave with MORE stuff!  Now, this means you will have to plan your meals around what's on sale. My husband has adapted very well.  He knows that he'll get a steak when I can get NY Strips for $5.99/lb.  If we haven't had steak in a while he knows it's because it hasn't been on sale and I won't pay $9.99/lb for it.  Same goes for snacks - when I can get a good deal on Pringles, he can eat all the Pringles he wants.  But if the most recent deal was on Doritos, well, he'll eat those too, until I can get cheap Pringles again.  I never pay full price for anything.  Sales are cyclical - they always come back around.  So when something is at it's lowest price buy enough to last you until the next sale comes around (this is why it's important to get multiple copies of the Sunday paper - so you have enough coupons to get several of an item when it goes on sale.)

Stockpiling is hard a first.  And you may find there are just some things you must get to get you by until you build up your stockpile.  But if you take inventory of what you have and then start watching the sales and utilizing your coupons you begin to see a difference.

I'm always here to answer questions, so ask away!  (If you ever leave me a question in the comments section, be sure to leave your e-mail so I can e-mail you my answer!)

28 Ways to Save on Anything - OTC Medicine

Join me everyday in February as I share ways to save money on just about anything you need, want, use!

Medicine is expensive.  But, with proper shopping and planning, you can save on it just like you can save on just about anything else!

OTC (over-the-counter) medications come with a pretty long shelf life.  So just because you don't have a cold right now, doesn't mean you can buy cold medicines now - because you know, eventually you'll catch a cold!

28 Ways to Save on Anything - GIFTS! Part one - Christmas gifts

Join me everyday in February as I share ways to save money on just about anything you need, want, use!

So how many gifts do you give in a year?  Christmas, birthdays, baby showers, wedding showers, Valentine's Day, Grandparent's Day, Easter, anniversaries...it adds up!

How do you save money on all that?

I'm going to break this post down into a few parts simply because there are maaaaaaaaany gift giving occasions!

First, I'm going to talk about Christmas!  Yes, in February, I am going to talk about Christmas presents.

If you want to reduce your Christmas expenses in 10 months, here's what you do.  Sign up for Swagbucks.  Start searching and earning Swagbucks.  Every time you get 450SBs, cash out for a $5 Amazon.com giftcard.  When you get your code, bank it (all you have to do is enter it in your Amazon.com account.  It's stored there until you are ready to use it - it never expires!)

New Year's Resolution - Starting A Stockpile (Stockpiling Saturday post!)

Do you want to resolve to start a stockpile to save money on groceries this year?  Here's some help getting started!
* What? A stockpile is a pile or storage location for bulk materials. In this case meaning groceries, personal care or household products.

* Why Stockpile? To save money! If you stockpile your groceries by strategically using coupons, you will never pay full price or retail for your groceries. If you stockpile successfully you will save hundreds every month = thousands a year!

* When do I stockpile? Stockpiling is a strategic game. The objective is to "match" grocery sale prices to your coupons to take advantage of when your groceries are at the very lowest price or what we call "rock bottom". This is when you stockpile.

* How do I stockpile? You compare the coupon policies at the stores you have available to you as well as any incentives they offer you to shop there. Finally "match" your coupons to the sales ads and purchase when you find a deal that is at rock bottom. I stockpile when the price is free or close to free (70% off). You purchase in a quantity to last your family until the item can be purchased again at rock bottom. This is tricky because some products like cereal cycle every six weeks however some products like baking goods or BBQ sauce only cycles at rock bottom once a year.

In order to successfully stockpile you are going to need to purchase or obtain multiple papers or purchase your coupons/inserts from a clipping service. Because you need to stockpile the quantity necessary to last your family until the next cycle. Once you are shopping from your stockpile weekly instead of from the grocery store, this is when you are going to see the savings! It takes on average 3 months to build a stockpile. Normally the first month you will see an increase in spending and by the end 2nd and 3rd you will begin to see a savings. By your 4th month you should be saving hundreds of dollars a month!

I hope this helps you understand what a stockpile is and how you can start to stockpile.



Thanks to Melissa and Stockpiling Moms for this information!!  Be sure to look the pictures of her stockpile here.

Stockpiling Saturday - Medicine!

 Wow, is it ever important to have a stockpile of medicine!  Especially when you go to bed feeling a little icky one night and wake up the next morning with the FLU!  Other than getting the antibiotic that the doctor prescribed me, I didn't have to buy ANY medicine this week.  I had it all, decongestants, cough syrup, cough drops, vapor rub, nasal sprays... I was set!

I pulled all the cough/cold/flu medicines to the front for the purpse of the pictures, but I also have a good supply of medicines for heartburn, diarrhea, headache, back pain, allergies, ear aches, sore throat, gas, constipation, indigestion, pretty much whatever ails you!

This is a little organized I keep in one of the bathroom cabinets.  I had a box of Dayquil too but I was using it at the time.  :)))

The drawer under it contains about 3 bags of cough drops.

Medication is expensive!  I can't imagine how much I would've spent at the pharmacy if I had to buy cough syrup, decongestant, some cough drops and vapor rub because I was sick and didn't have anything at home that I needed!

You can carry your stockpiling habits over into stockpiling medicines for common ailments.  When you see a great deal on medicine, jump on it!  Then when your sick, you won't be combing the aisles, trying to find what you need and spending $10-$20 on it!  (For example, the Nyquil in the first picture and the Dayquil that's not pictured because I was using it, both cost me less than $5 from Walgreens a couple months ago.  That's not bad for BOTH medications.  And those are what I used the most while I was sick this week.  If I had to buy those this week, I would've most likely spent $15.  So, by purchasing it on sale and having it when I needed it, I saved myself $10+!!

When you are stockpiling medication, make sure it has a looooooooooooooong expiration date.  I have some children Triaminic that has a 2013 date - so it's possible to find dates that are way out there.  I always look through all the medicine on the shelf to see if the dates differ.  Sometimes by looking at the box or bottle 3 or 4 deep in the shelf, I'll find that the expiration dates vary by a few months!  The first couple may have a 2/2012 expiration but if I look a little further back, I might find one with a 9/2012 expiration date.  When you are stockpiling medicine, this is important!

Stockpiling Saturday - What I don't need...

Today's Stockpiling topic is a discussion so feel free to chime in!

Last weekend, I was taking a thorough inventory of my stockpile and I've made a list of things I have resolved NOT to buy for the rest of the year (unless I happen to stumble across any of these things for completely free - then it would be silly NOT to get them!)

So, here's my list:
Canned Corn
Canned Tuna
Ketchup
Tampons
Laundry Detergent
Multipurpose cleaners
Men's body wash
Shampoo
Toothpaste
Toilet Paper
Spaghetti Sauce
Dry Pasta of any kind

Stockpiling....bargain hunting...sometimes I feel I'm one step away from being on Hoarders.  But knowing when enough is enough (for now) is an important part of it.  And knowing when a good deal isn't good for you (yeah, the Old Spice body wash is only $1 but if you have 17 bottles at home....)  I know, it's hard to do because you wonder when those deals will stop.  A couple weeks ago, I was watching out toilet paper supply get smaller and smaller because there hadn't been a good deal on toilet paper in a long while.  But I (nervously) waited it out, and before I had to open my last pack, Winn-Dixie did their What-A-Deal promotion with Charmin and the week after that Food Giant had a good deal on Angel Soft with a double coupon.  So now, I can report that we all well stocked on toilet paper again!  So, the deals will come around again.  Know when enough is enough for now.

So, I ask you...what do you have enough of for now.  What can you pass on buying for the next month or so?

Saturday's Saving Tips - Frugal Gift Giving

It seems like every other week or so I'm getting an invitation to a shower or tea.  Someone is getting married or having a baby.  When money's tight, all this adds up. 

Your stockpile can help with this!  This is gift I recently took to a wedding shower for a young couple.  I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and bought the basket and pack of clothes hangers.  I used a 20% off coupon from BBB's direct mail.  I paid less than $7 for those items. 

I came home and filled that basket with laundry detergent, dish soap, Lysol wipes, Kleenex and dryer sheets.  Probably $10-$12 worth of items, but it was stuff I got for free or nearly free using sales and coupons!  So for less than $10 I was able to give a couple a goody basket of things they needed for their new home!

When you are deal hunting and building your stockpile think of items you can use for gift giving.

• Glade candles, body washes and lotions can always be found for free/cheap and are great things for gift baskets you can give to friends, neighbors and teachers for birthday's and Christmas.  
• Free coffee can be paired with some inexpensive mugs from the Dollar Tree for "coffee baskets".  You can also be on the watch for deals at Vistaprint and Snapfish and get a coffee mug personalized with a picture.
• Free razors, shaving cream and body wash can be gifted to the hard-to-buy for guy you know.
• Cheap or free snacks are good filler items for gift baskets.  
• Store gift cards that you receive for purchasing selected items can be gifted!
• Free 8x10 collages (that you can get very often from Walgreens) make nice gifts too!
• Stores like Michael's have deep discounts on their last season's stuff.  Buy Christmas items at deep clearance to save for next year.

Stockpiling Saturday - Guest Post from living well, spending less

Thanks to Ruth at living well, spending less for sharing her stockpile with us!

There is no element more key to successful grocery savings than a good stockpile.  I'll say it again:  a stockpile is absolutely essential for maximizing coupon savings.  The idea is to replenish items in your stockpile only when they are at their rock-bottom prices, thereby avoiding ever having to pay full-price for an item.  In essence, it is like having a little mini store right in your house that you can "shop" from when you need something.

It is a wonderfully simple idea.  In theory.

In practice, of course, in order to build up a stockpile, you need to have some place to put it!  For some, myself included, that can get tricky.  But a stockpile doesn't need to be a giant warehouse.  It doesn't even need to be all in one place.  But it does need to be accessible and organized enough to access things when you need them, and it does need to work for you.  For those who are new to couponing, even just the term "stockpile" is somewhat overwhelming.  But trust me, it only takes about 6-8 weeks to build a very substantial stockpile with a nice variety of products to choose from.

If you need an example, this is what my stockpile looks like:

My stockpile takes up two pantries in my kitchen, as well as a walk-in closet in my guest bedroom.  For cold storage, I have a fridge in my kitchen, along with a second fridge in the garage.  I am a very visual person, so I need to easily be able to see what I have.  (I actually despise my new bottom drawer freezer for that very reason--I can't see where anything is!)  However, depending on how your brain works, your stockpile could be set up almost any way that works for you--perhaps bins or large boxes of like items, or an inventory list kept on your computer or on paper.

The main point is that without a stockpile, you won't get very far in this coupon game.  It may seem bizarre to buy 20 boxes of pasta and no sauce one week, but if that pasta is only $0.25 a box, then it makes sense.  Rest assured that within a week or two you will be able to score some sauce for pennies too!

And maybe it's just me, but I think that free (or close-to-free) food just tastes better.

Read more about stockpiles here. 

If you'd like to share your stockpile, e-mail me at savingtowardabetterlife @gmail.com  (just remove the space in the e-mail address)

Stockpiling Saturday - Think Ahead (and a Food Giant Bargain Brag)

This was my trip to Food Giant today.  I took part of the big 3 day truckload sale.

Pictured is 14 Pepsi product 2 liters, 6 bags of Golden Flake Potato Chips, 1 box of tea bags and a box of Honey Buns.

I paid $14.99 for it all.

2 liters - 50c/each  ($7 for all)
chips   -$1 each     ($6 for all)
tea bags - $1
honey buns 99c

Now, 14 two-liter drinks in one purchase might seem a little absurd.  But I'm stockpiling.  And this time, instead of just stockpiling because it's a good price, I'm stockpiling for a reason because it's a good price. 

What you see here are all the drinks I will need for Bug's birthday party in October and lunch on Christmas Day when we have everyone over.  All that for $7.  The chips are for both parties too.  I've stockpiled these at rock bottom prices to save me money later.  Which is what stockpiling is, only this time, I know exactly when I'm going to use the products.  If I weren't having these parties coming up, I probably would've only bought half as much of this stuff.  But because I was thinking ahead I've saved me some $$$!  I mean, how often do you find 2 liter drinks for 50c?  I never have.  They go on sale for a $1 sometimes.  So if I had waited until closer to the party to buy drinks, even if I found them on sale for $1 - I still would've paid twice as much!  Now, today I could've just bought enough drinks for the October party.  But that wouldn't have made much sense when I know I will need drinks for the Christmas party too!  (Most of the drinks I bought today have January 2011 dates on them!)

So I spent a little out of this months grocery budget to save on next months budget and even December's budget!  The month is almost half over and we are still waaaaaaaaaaay under budget, so spending $13 on stuff for parties in the upcoming months makes sense, since it saved me $10 on the long run!

So watch your sales and think ahead!   Now is a good time to be thinking about candy for Halloween, fixings for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and snacks and drinks for those New Years Eve parties!!

Monday's Money Saving Recipe - Taco Salad

I know, Taco Salad doesn't sound like a money-saving recipe.  But at Secrets of Mom, she has a Taco Salad recipe that is a "stockpile recipe", which means she uses items from her stockpile to make it.  And anytime we can cook something using stockpiled items, that's saving us money!!!  Plus, this recipe sound absolutely delicious!!

The recipe includes stockpiled ingredients as well as fresh ingredients.  But she also shares how to forgo the fresh ingredients if necessary.

Check out the whole recipe here:  http://secretsofmom.blogspot.com/2010/09/food-storage-friday-taco-salad.html

Stockpiling Saturday - Fridge and Freezer items

Oh, how I WISH we had a deep freeze!  It would be sooooo nice!  When we first bought our house, someone had given us an old side-by-side.  We kept it in the basement.  The extra space was wonderful!  And this was before I was a couponer/stockpilier!  But it died a looooooong time ago.  One day, a deep freeze will be in our budget.  For the time being, I have to make do with the freezer space over the fridge.  I have the world's smallest freezer and the world's smallest pantry!

This is what my freezer looked like when Aunt Jemima waffles went on BOGO sale at Winn-Dixie and I had a ton of coupons: 

I had 6 boxes of waffles in there!  Obviously, I can't store 6 boxes of waffles for very long (no room for other stuff!)

So what do I do when I have 6 boxes of waffles?  We have waffles for breakfast a lot!  LOL!  This was several weeks ago.  We only have two boxes left.  So, clearly, I can't stockpile freezer stuff.  As a general rule, whatever I buy, we have to use in a timely manner to make room for next week's groceries.  But that doesn't stop me from buying up when things are a good deal.  I just have to plan meals around what's in the freezer.

Like today, I went to Winn-Dixie and bought 2 packs of B/S chicken breasts, BOGO and 2 pork tenderloins, BOGO and 3 lbs of hamburger meat at $1.99/lb.  I wrapped and froze the hamburger meat right away, as well as one pack of chicken and one tenderloin.  I have a new chicken recipe I want to try this week and the tenderloin is a great thing to throw in the oven and sit down on the couch after a looooong day at work.  So, there is the beginning of my meal plan for the week based on what I couldn't fit in the freezer after my trip to the store today!  Some of the hamburger meat will come in handy later in the week and the other meat will be good for next week.

Now, I have a little more space for fridge items but fridge items are the things that spoil quickly.  Kinda hard to stockpile things with short expiration dates.  But there are some exceptions!

POP QUIZ - How many refrigerated items can you name that have long shelf lives?  I based this list on the expiration dates of things in my refrigerator.  Check out StillTasty.com for a comprehensive list on how long things can be stored.

• Cheese (4-6+ months!)
• Almond Milk (2+ months)
• Cream Cheese (unopened) (4+ months)
• Refrigerated biscuits, bread dough and sweet rolls (2+ months)

When you see these things on sale think about how much of it you can use in a span of a few months!  For example, at Winn-Dixie today, I bought 4 packs of individually wrapped sliced cheese (with 03/2011 expiration dates!), 4 bags of shredded cheese and 2 bricks of cream cheese (all with 01/2011 expiration dates).  I have NO DOUBT that we can use all that cheese before it expires.  We love cheese! Thanks to great sales and coupons, I got about $20 worth of cheese for less than $9!!  See how stockpiling can save you money???

The picture shows my "cheese drawer" in the fridge.  When I buy more cheese,  I just make sure to put the new cheese under/behind what's already in there.

The refrigerated bread doughs are another thing I will stock up on if they are cheap.  We love the crescent rolls.  So if I can get them for cheap, I know we can eat a lot of them before they expire in 2 months (my husband would be fine with having them with dinner every night!)

Got a stockpile of something?  Show us!  Link up your stockpiles!

Stockpiling Saturday - Using your Stockpile: Hamburger Helper

Okay, so were stockpiling! We're buying things in bulk at super low prices.  But...what do you do when you have more body wash that your shelf will hold, enough light bulbs to last you a lifetime and so much Hamburger Helper that just looking at it makes you sick of it?  LOL!  We'll I'm going to try to bring you some tips on using up things it a creative manner.

This week, I'll start with Hamburger Helper because I have a lot.  LOL!   It's easy to get this cheap.  I just recently got them at 48c a box!

I know, that's a lot of Hamburger Helper!  I've found ways to use it other than cooking it by the directions on the box.  A lot of times, I don't even put hamburger meat in it!

The Cheesy Enchilada and the Double Cheese Quesadilla are basically mexican rice and cheese sauce.   I don't add hamburger meat when I cook them.  I make refried beans and we use that and the hamburger helper to fill tortillas and make rice and bean burritos!

Cheeseburger macaroni can be made without hamburger meat and just used as a side dish.

Cheesy Hashbrowns can be made with out the meat too.  Sometimes I will use shredded cheese instead of the cheese sauce in the box.  I love to add onions, bell peppers and tomatoes to the hashbrowns.

The Tuna Helper brand has several flavors like Creamy Parmesan that make nice side dishes like you would buy the Lipton/Knorr sides for.

So when it comes to Hamburger Helper, you have to think outside the box!!


Now you can snatch up those Hamburger Helper deals when they come along!

Stockpiling Saturday - Show us your stockpiles!

Do you have a really great (or out of control) stockpile?  Show us by linking up below!

This was my diaper stockpile 3 months ago.

This is my diaper stockpile now:

When I took this picture the other day, I guesstimated how many diapers it was.  I forgot what I figured.  It's at least 600+.  That's at least 3 months worth of diapers.  I have diapers until November.  I think I will stop buying diapers....for a little while at least.  ;)

Do you have something you need to STOP stockpiling?  Body wash tops my list too.  I have tons!!!!!  So much that I'm going to be giving some as part of gift baskets for birthday's and Christmas!

Stockpiling Saturday - The What, When, Why and How of Stockpiling

This is a repost of a guest article done for us by Stockpiling Moms.

I often get asked What is a Stockpile?
* What? A stockpile is a pile or storage location for bulk materials. In this case meaning groceries, personal care or household products.

* Why Stockpile? To save money! If you stockpile your groceries by strategically using coupons, you will never pay full price or retail for your groceries. If you stockpile successfully you will save hundreds every month = thousands a year!

* When do I stockpile? Stockpiling is a strategic game. The objective is to "match" grocery sale prices to your coupons to take advantage of when your groceries are at the very lowest price or what we call "rock bottom". This is when you stockpile.

* How do I stockpile? You compare the coupon policies at the stores you have available to you as well as any incentives they offer you to shop there. Finally "match" your coupons to the sales ads and purchase when you find a deal that is at rock bottom. I stockpile when the price is free or close to free (70% off). You purchase in a quantity to last your family until the item can be purchased again at rock bottom. This is tricky because some products like cereal cycle every six weeks however some products like baking goods or BBQ sauce only cycles at rock bottom once a year.

In order to successfully stockpile you are going to need to purchase or obtain multiple papers or purchase your coupons/inserts from a clipping service. Because you need to stockpile the quantity necessary to last your family until the next cycle. Once you are shopping from your stockpile weekly instead of from the grocery store, this is when you are going to see the savings! It takes on average 3 months to build a stockpile. Normally the first month you will see an increase in spending and by the end 2nd and 3rd you will begin to see a savings. By your 4th month you should be saving hundreds of dollars a month!

I hope this helps you understand what a stockpile is and how you can start to stockpile.

Stockpiling Saturday - Look at my new organized stockpile!

This used to be my stockpile shelves in the basement:

Pretty bad, huh? Well, now, thanks to my yard sale and getting rid of LOTS of stuff, THIS is what I have now:

WOW!  The amazing thing is, the bigger shelf I already had.  It was just in another part of the basement with junk piled on it!  The blue bin in the middle is where I'm keeping stockpiled gifts.

Here's a closeup of my new...well, re-purposed...shelf:

Take THAT, World's Smallest Pantry! 

You can find similar shelving units on Amazon.com


Don't forget, we want to see your stockpiles!  Link up below!

Stockpiling Saturday - Let's talk storage

I won't lie to you, stockpiling takes storage.  If you have a small space, it takes creative storage.

I've told you before that I have the world's smallest pantry.  So I have to resort to using the hall closet and a shelf in the basement for more storage.

Here are some things you can look into to see what works for your space.

Underbed boxes are great!  I don't use them for grocery stockpile storage (though I know people who do!!)  I use them for storing off season clothing.

I have these two great over the door organizers.  The blue one came from Babies R Us.  It's part of a mix and match closet organizing system for your nursery.  I ended up putting it in the bathroom next to the nursery.  We only have one under the sink cabinet in there so there was no room for baby stuff.  Washcloths are in the bottom, bath toys second, soaps, shampoos and baby washes in the third and diaper creams and medicine at the top.
I also use a shoe organizer in my son's closet.  It's a little empty now.  When he was little, it had bibs and burb cloths, shoes, socks, all kinds of things in it.  Now I still keep his socks in it.  I like how I can sort them by colors and easily see what I want.  There are some things up top that I don't want him getting in to.  But the bottom I use for toys because he can reach those pockets.

Search Amazon.com for over the door organizers

I have a few of these in the basement.  I'm hoping after the yard sale and we've cleaned out all our JUNK, I'll have better access to them and can use them for more stockpile storage.  Right now, only one is being used for that purpose.

These are great for basements an garages for paper goods, cleaning products and canned good storage.








How do you organize your stockpiles?   Let us know!  Link up below!