Couponing and Stockpiling

A topic that has come to my attention recently is couponing and stockpiling. I think this is sort of something that’s always been ingrained in me since my mom did this on a subtle level.

To make sure it doesn’t get out of control and become a more-is-more situation you need to limit yourself to things you actually need and will use and limit the quantity to the amount you can use before the next opportunity to buy at reduced price comes along.

Couponing is the art of matching up manufacturer’s coupons with store coupons and sales. In the past I’ve always thought of coupons as a benefit to the manufacturer more so than a benefit to the consumer because the point of them is to get you to buy something you wouldn’t normally buy. However, if you select and use only the coupons for items you would otherwise be purchasing you’re in a good situation.

Stockpiling is the art of buying enough of something at the sale price that you don’t need to buy it at the regular price. The trick here is to buy only the number you need to make it to the next sale (typically a 12 week cycle).

Here are a few links to sites I’ve been following that I find particularly useful:
Frugal Living Online
Chief Family Officer