• Quick and easy changes you can make today to have more money in your pocket.
• It is NOT about depriving yourself and making depressing cut backs.
• It IS about making sure you're not wasting money, enjoying what you have, and looking for ways to have more fun!
• Be sure to check your email for the bonus surprise freebie!
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If it's your first time here, be sure to read our Introduction To Couponing article!
A “deep pantry” is an idea that’s been with us since the great depression. Once you’ve had to do without products you want or need, it seems you spend the rest of your life making sure that doesn’t happen again. A “stockpile” is a term popular with modern couponers. But they’re basically the same thing. The general idea is to have extras of all the things you depend on, and to have purchased those things at a good (or amazing!) price.
There are a lot of reasons to build stockpiles. The first is that it’s really hard to coupon “on demand”. You can never count on finding a good deal on what you need on the day you need it. And if you’re only buying one or two things at a time, you might be wasting time and gas on running all over town more often than you need to. If you’re currently someone who buys something the day they need it, you’re going to want to consider changing your mindset.

Safety and Security
Another reason is that it can be dangerous to have to go get things when you need them. My initial motivation for building up a stockpile (long before I was wise to couponing) was actually that I live in a blizzards and floods part of the country. Even though I’m in the city, it’s still a relatively long trip to a grocery store. It seems even longer in an ice storm. I can live without perishables for a few days while I wait for the city to clean up the roads, but I still need to eat *something* during that time. Having some extra stuff around the house makes me feel more secure.

Where To Stockpile
A traditional stockpile requires either a pantry (if you’re lucky enough to have one!) or some shelves set up somewhere. If you’re living somewhere tiny – like as a student or if you’re in an expensive city – you might have to be more creative. The space under your bed might be a great place for a stockpile, or maybe you can line things up at the bottom or top shelf of a closet. You may also be able to find some space by organizing your cabinets or closets more efficiently. Little partial stockpiles in a few places could be okay, too. Maybe your food finds room in the kitchen, but your personal care and health stuff lands in your bedroom closet. If you’re still short on space, prioritize your stockpile toward the most expensive things that you can coupon, that’s how you’ll get the most impact.

Make A List
To get started, make a list of the things you really, really use a lot of, and are shelf stable. Write down your favorite shampoo, deodorant, boxed and canned foods, kleenex, toilet paper, paper towels, bandaids, and supplies for baby or children if you have them. If you’re buying it regularly, it goes on the list.
Then be really honest about how often you use these things. For example, a bottle of shampoo lasts me at least 6 months, so I estimate 2 a year. I indulge in a box of macaroni and cheese about once a month. I burn a bottle of soy sauce at least once a month, probably more often. Being aware of your usage will help keep you from accidentally hoarding things you really don’t need. (Check out my article on charitable giving if you do find yourself with more than you need, or if you’re finding deals you can’t pass up!)
Organize What You Already Have
The next thing to do is round up all the extras of these things you might have around the house already. If you’re starting out disorganized like I did, this might take a while. If you don’t have a regular spot to put your extras, life gets messy. It’s okay, there’s always room to improve.
Now organize these things onto your shelves/other storage in order of expiration date (for things that have them). Dates close to now go in front, dates later go in the back. Then, when you need something, take it from the front. Too many for one row? If you’re a left-to-right English reader, put them in that order. Soonest to the left, later to the right. When you add things, place them at the back of the line because they *should* have a later expiration date. I always double check, though, because you really can’t expect a minimum wage shelf stocker to always rotate the stock.

Have more than you can use before it expires? Do a little research first. Some things should be discarded when expired, but for other things it doesn’t really matter. Consider giving it to friends or donating it. Food banks are happy to receive good unused household products. I’ve brought things into work and left them in the break room with a “FREE” sign. They usually disappear in moments.
Now that you’re organized and have a visual sense of what you need, it’s time to start couponing more stock. I will ALWAYS buy as much toilet paper as I can at a great deal. It doesn’t expire, and I don’t expect to stop using it. If I do, it would be easy to give away. I cautiously stock up on shampoo and body wash, though, because I just don’t use enough to need a lot of it.
Keep Adding To It
Couponing can be expensive upfront, so try to ease into stocking up. A lot of “moneymakers” are actually points builders, which means you pay more now, and get a really good discount next time. A deal isn’t as good if you put it on your credit card and end up paying interest. (Check out my article on debt reduction through couponing if this sounds like you!) But as you build up your stock at lower prices, you’ll find that you have a little more money left at the end of the month, and that’s a FANTASTIC feeling!

The slow build and constant maintenance of a stockpile can be financially rewarding, leave you with extra time, and help with your sense of security to know that even if times get tough, you’re set for a little while, anyway. For me it’s been a great way to steadily nudge down my monthly expenses, and have to shop less often. If you have the space and the means, I can’t recommend it enough.
It can be easy to get too excited about couponing, and rush into buying things that aren’t *that good* of a deal, just because it’s all new and shiny.
• Quick and easy changes you can make today to have more money in your pocket.
• It is NOT about depriving yourself and making depressing cut backs.
• It IS about making sure you're not wasting money, enjoying what you have, and looking for ways to have more fun!
• Be sure to check your email for the bonus surprise freebie!