In this case, I’m not referring to Shop At Home (to get cash back on your purchases.) I mean: shop your pantry, shop your linen closet, shop your stockpile. Just to be clear, stockpiling does not equal hoarding. There should only be two objectives when stockpiling: to avoid EVER paying full retail price and to collect more to donate!
Today’s Frugal Living Tip is: SHOP AT HOME
Shop Your Pantry:
If you’re grocery shopping with a strategy similiar to mine, you’re buying multiples of staple ingredients. (Read the first two paragraphs of any Meijer weekly deals for my strategy. Example HERE.) Make an effort to plan menus #1 using the items already in your pantry/freezer and #2 from items in the weekly sale ads. This was the idea behind NO SHOP January – I’ll humor myself and imagine you all participated in your own way ;-)
Shop Your Linen Closet:
(Or where ever it is you keep your personal care and household items.) Because I make the effort to gather more coupons, I have 6 months worth of FREE toothpaste in my closet. When I run out, I don’t have to throw a full-priced tube in my grocery cart. I can spend that $3.00 on perishables.
Shop Your Stockpile:
This one is my favorite. My goal is to keep about 6 months worth of necessities on hand in case ________.
a. I run out
b. I have an unexpected change in my employment situation.
c. Disaster strikes. (No, I don’t have a bomb shelter.)
d. Someone I know needs something.
e. Someone I don’t know needs something.
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