Great general stockpiling article

**Thevail** · 06-25-2009, 06:52 PM

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...od-pantry.aspx

Ok, hoping link goes through .

**Pemberleyan** · 06-26-2009, 07:15 AM

Thanks for posting that. I wish I was able to get some of those bargains. I do have access to two small bent and dent stores.

I've never heard of getting coffee, tea and for ink cartridges. I wonder which stores do that.

**Grainlady** · 06-26-2009, 07:42 AM

Some really great ideas in the article. I will have to disagree with the 10 items for $10 always being a bargain. Frozen veggies where 10/$10 this week at the store. Right next to them were another brand of frozen veggies that were 89-cents per bag for the same amount.... I often find discounted bags of frozen veggies for even less. If I already have a stockpile in the freezer, I'll dehydrate frozen veggies. I also make Parched Corn with frozen corn... http://www.ehow.com/how_2100129_make-parched-corn.html

**Contrary Housewife** · 06-26-2009, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by Pemberleyan

I've never heard of getting coffee, tea and for ink cartridges. I wonder which stores do that.

Some of the office supply chains (like office max or staples) will give you a store credit when you turn in an empty cartridge. These same stores sell little gift baskets of candy and snacks -- the kinds of things you might give a secretary or coworker -- and they often sell coffee, sugar, and dry creamer for the breakroom, too. So you could use the store credit on coffee and other supplies.

I have shopped the dollar aisle at our local grocery, there are some good deals but in my experience the "off brands" are not always as good quality-wise as what we are used to. I get my favorite corn muffin mix there, it's a regional brand that doesn't often make it this far north. But I've tried the chocolate bars and they were lousy, and just last night I was looking at other snacks and noticing that the packages were very small and even at a dollar they were more expensive than "regular" brands (priced per ounce).

We have the 10/10 sales here, and I'm stocking up on brownie mixes. I know there are mixes that cost less than $1, but when I buy Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker I know what I am getting, where with another brand or a generic we might not like the flavor or texture and then I've wasted money. A friend of mine buys the cheapest store brand frozen veg when we have potlucks, and frankly, they're nasty. Tough, chewy, discolored, and more stem than edible parts. I'd much rather spend the extra 50 cents and not have to pick bits out.

I agree with the author of that article, though, at $1 most folks can afford to experiment with new foods, and stock up on the ones they like. It will take some careful shopping and price comparisons, as always, to get the best deals.

**lmbaker520** · 06-26-2009, 01:48 PM

Great article! Thanks for posting!

**JanieD** · 06-26-2009, 03:51 PM

Interesting article, but I don't find those kinds of deals. Stockpiling is a wonderful thing & I think anyone could benefit from stocking up when items are on "sale". My thought is if an item I use is on sale, then at least I can stock up & save by not paying full price next week. It doesn't have to be $1 or less to help your grocery budget, right? Maybe I miss the point since I can't get those deals.

**khaski** · 06-26-2009, 07:15 PM

Great article, I just yesterday spent $26 on dented items at my groecry store, from the .50 dented canned peaches to 6 boxes of store brand packet oatmeal for $1 to Fruit Roll ups for $1 a box- bought 8 of those. Really made out with more canned and boxed items for 50% off or more, trying to stockpile 1 month of food for emergency, either natural, man made, or financial! Thanks for sharing!

**i.m.cheap** · 06-27-2009, 11:28 AM

That was an interesting article. My stockpile is almost entirely comprised of things I bought for less than $1. One exception right now, yesterday I purchased three 18 oz. HUGE boxes of cereal, two Cheerios, and on Reese's Puffs (dd's favorite) for $1.36 each after sale and coupons. I normally do not pay over $1 even for name brand cereal, but these were larger than normal boxes.

Many items in my stockpile are even FREE after coupons. I have 10 free boxes of Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta, 20 cans of FREE Hormel Chili, 3 FREE French's mustards, 4 FREE cans of Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup, several FREE pouches of Star-Kist tuna, and a dozen bottles of name brand mayo and salad dressing all purchased for under a dollar (some were as little as 8 cents for a 16 oz. bottle). I always stock-up on name brand peanut butter for under $1 for a 15-18 oz. jar, buy combining coupons and sales. My freezer has at least 10 bags of Bird's-Eye Steamfresh vegetables, all FREE after coupons, pints of Starbuck's ice cream, and 1.5 qt. cartons of Breyer's ice cream purchased for 50 cents each. Kashi waffles for 29 cents a box, and 93% lean ground turkey that I bought for 65 cents for the 19.2 oz. package (reg. price $3.29).

In my upstairs HBA pantry, I have 20 packages of free toilet paper, Dial and Softsoap hand soap purchased for 30 cents each, and a bunch of free toothpaste, toothbrushes, and deodorant.

I use a coupon binder just like the one in the video on the right side of the page from the article in the above post.