All About Creating A Stockpile

Why Create a stockpile: Very frequently, I get the question, “Why create a stockpile?”. My answer is always that I want to purchase a product at the price I want to pay, not what the retailer wants me to pay. For example, if I know that every month I need to purchase a bottle of bodywash, this is an item that I know I need to stockpile. Let's say that the bodywash cost $3.00 retail, but I know that occasionally the bodywash goes on sale for $2.00, I would want to wait for the sale and buy enough at the sale price so that I don't pay regular retail on the bodywash. Let's also say that in addition to the bodywash being on sale, there is a coupon available for $.50 off of the bodywash, which would make the final cost $1.50. The sale and the coupon would be the optimum time to stock-up on the bodywash so that you begin to create a stockpile until the next sale. Here's an example of what the math would look like purchasing 5 bottles in all three examples:

Regular Retail Item On Sale Item On Sale w/coupon
$15 $10 $7.50

In addition to purchasing the item on sale, you are also paying less sales tax on the sale item than if you had paid regular retail for it. At first glance the math doesn't seem to make a huge difference, but in the long-run if other needed items are purchased using the savings from the item that was on sale, this will eventually help reduce expenses in the future. Stockpiling allows you to reduce the amount you spend on one item and spend that money on another needed item.

Everyone's stockpile will be different and will depend on what your family's needs are. When I attempted to start stockpiling I felt like I would never reach a point where I could see a difference in my budget or an increase in my stockpile inventory. It did take approximately six months to stockpile certain items, and I really could see the difference in my budget as I continued my stockpile. Stockpiling sometimes starts out slow in the beginning because you have to wait on sales, and the right coupon. Over time, you will begin to notice a cycle at the store regarding items going on sale. Since the sale prices are cyclical, you will need to determine or have an idea of how much stockpile you need before the next sale.

At times I've really had the opportunity to stockpile something because it was being clearanced out, and I also had a coupon for the item which made it a really great deal. Think about the good things to stockpile and things that you should have only a small inventory of until the next sale to avoid spoilage of items, particularly food. Perishables are obviously something that you should have a small inventory of, and while most things can be frozen for later use, you won't want to have so much inventory that it goes bad in the freezer, refrigerator, or pantry before you are able to use it.