I am a stockpiler. I buy things when they are on sale and only when they are on sale. I make sure I have enough on hand to last me until they go on sale again. And if I run out, I wait. Cause I'm just cheap like that. Ideally, I would like to have a pantry that is stocked with a year's worth of food. That is just me. It certainly isn't for everyone, and that is fine. It, for me, is like insurance. If something happens, I can feed myself and my family. And that "something" could be job loss, illness, natural disaster or other unforeseen circumstance. If it is not your thing, fine. We are all different.
Couponing is a stockpiling aid. If something goes on sale for $1.00, that is great. But if I also have a coupon, then I can save even more, thus making it possible for me to buy more than I would have been able to even at the sale price. Does it add up? You bet your bottom dollar it does.
Let's do some math, shall we? Recently, canned vegetables went on sale for $.50 a can. This is not a bad price since the price of vegetables has gone up recently. The regular price of these vegetables are $1.25 a can. However, by using a coupon clipping service, I was able to find coupons for $.50 off of two cans. My store doubles coupons making it $1.00 off of two cans. Well, as you can see, that made them FREE. After I paid for the clipping service, I paid approximately $.10 a can for these vegetables. Now, the selection was limited. We are talking green beans, corn, and sweet peas only. I happen to use all of those, so it was a fantastic deal for me.
Let's do a little more math, k? Let's say that I use five cans a week. That is a reasonable estimate. I paid a total of $.50 for those five cans. Over the length of a year that is $26. If I had paid $.50 for each can that would be $2.50 per week and $130 for the year. On vegetables alone, that is a savings of $104. Is that "make you or break you" money? No, of course not. But if you save that much on only ten items you are talking over a grand a year. I don't know about you, but that is quite a bit of money to me. We won't even look at the regular price of $1.25 a can because I simply would never pay that. I can get most store brands for close to $.50.
Even though I don't have coupons for meat, lets look at how stockpiling in general can save you money. I like to have steak. I try for twice a month. That is one ribeye and one t-bone. I usually buy one pound of each. For this example I am going to use round numbers for ease of reading. At the grocery store, they are $10-14 per pound for each cut, depending on the sale. There is a store not very far from me that sells both of these cuts everyday for $7 a pound. The quality is amazing and I prefer their meat to the grocery store any day. Conservatively, that is a savings of $6 for that meal. Again, if that in a twice monthly thing, the yearly difference is $156.
Another meat that I use a lot of is boneless chicken breasts. I typically use two pounds at the time and cook it approximately three times per week. Again, using round numbers, if I pay $2 per pound on sale as opposed to $3.50 at full price, I will save $9 for that week and $468 for the year.
Just by stockpiling those three items, that is a yearly savings of $754. So is couponing worth it? For me it is, as a tool in my stockpiling. It is right for everyone? Not necessarily. There are always things to consider. Do you have the space for it? Do you want to invest the money in a freezer for meat and other perishables? Is your family picky about brands? And are there any dietary limitations that might affect the choice of food for your family?
I believe couponing and stockpiling go hand-in-hand. It is a matter of personal preference and personal comfort as to how far you take it. If you choose to coupon, you can certainly rack up some serious savings. It all comes down to whether you consider the extra time and effort to be worth it for you.
