4 Steps to Becoming the Master of Your Stockpile

So what is the whole point of this coupon thing anyway?
Is it just for kicks and giggles?

NO WAY! We are here to teach you how to save money...

by using coupons, waiting for the super fab sale, and stocking up! WHY?

So you can SHOP FROM YOUR PANTRY! You know, your pantry, that place chock full of food you've been purchasing? Hopefully you've been stocking up (aka: NOT hoarding) when you find an item at a rock bottom price!

Are you using all of those food items you buy???

I have to admit sometimes I forget about some of the food I buy and it sits in the pantry until expiration (guess what, I did this before I started couponing too).

So, let's answer that question:

"Exactly how DO you menu plan from your pantry?"

STEP 1 - MAKE A LIST
What are the top 20 items you use most frequently from your pantry? Look through your cupboards and closets. What do you have in there? What are you always running out of? Maybe look at your recipes to see what you need the most of.


STEP 2 - DECIDE ON YOUR PERSONAL PRICE POINT
Since these are the items you are using the most, these are the things you want to pay rock bottom prices on. Now, of course, some items you just won't be able to get on coupon. That's OK - because you're saving $ on a whole lot of other items! Feel free to use our personal price point list. We also always try to let you know when we're stocking up on something. Keep in mind, when it's SUPER exciting for us, we always place a special order with our stores manager.


STEP 3 - ACQUIRE COUPONS
You can't stock up at rock bottom prices if you don't have a coupon for every single item you purchase. That is why I am personally getting 6 copies of the Sunday paper. When there is something I REALLY want a lot of, I'll go purchase coupons on eBay.


STEP 4 - STOCK UP!
When the item is on sale (a GOOD sale), that is when it's time to stock up! PLEASE, don't feel that this means you can go in and clear the shelves at every store near you. When it's something we use all the time (like Prego), we place an order with the manager. This way they order EXTRA for us and we don't have to worry about taking product off the shelves. I like to get a 3-12 month supply. Keep in mind EXPIRATION DATES! Don't get it if you can't use it before it expires!

Here are a few items on my top 20 list:

Cream of Chicken Soup

Spaghetti Sauce

Pasta

Butter (you can freeze this you know!)

Cheese (look at the expiration dates... they last a long time as long as they are sealed. You can also shred and freeze.)

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (we stock up when they are $1.79/lb or less - see this post for ideas of what we do with a lot of cheap chicken!)

Veggies (frozen or canned)
Salad Dressing
BBQ Sauce
Brownie Mix (a staple in my husbands diet)
Mayonnaise
Chocolate Chips (again, a staple in my husbands diet)


Now you've got the stuff, what do you do???

Da-da-Daaah!

The Fab FruGAL's are here to help!

Each week we'll post recipes that will use many ingredients from recent sales and your stockpile! You will find each weeks list under "Shop From Your Pantry".

What is your #1 can't live with out gotta have it always running out of pantry item?!

WELCOME TIP JUNKIE READERS!!
Are you new to this couponing thing? We've got all the basics laid out for you in our Couponing 101 post! We'll show you where to collect coupons, how to organize them, and how to use them effectively! Join in on all our fun and you can be a fab fruGAL too! You can subscribe to our FREE newsletter and join us on Facebook!

Every week we're talking about how to save loads of money at


Live in the Northwest? Be sure to see all the hot deals at our favorite grocery stores!