I am about to start stockpiling and need some help! I have 3 kids under 4 and 2 of them are special needs. (4 year old boy and 21 mo old b/g twins) My husbands job has just had to cut his salary and we are swamped!! Any suggestions/tips would be great!!!

Read all the threads on the stores you shop. Even if you dont want it, if its a $ maker buy it anyway to get the overage.

Not only read the threads from the stores you shop at but use your local ads or online ads to stack sales and coupons. i have been getting a lot of cheap stuff this way and this is how I have stockpiled. I dont go to the drug stores very often, but if they are having a BOGO sale and you have a BOGO coupon you get everything FREE FREE FREE. It is easiest to stockpile on condiments I think and side dishes like instant potatoes, Lipton sides. They are on sale a lot of times 10/10.00 and with coupons are less than 1.00 for 2 in the end usually. Hope this helps
Clarissa

Start slowly I support a family of 4 Dh Me DD and DS on 1 income I set aside 20.00 every 2 weeks just for stockpiling .My pantry is now overflowing and have moved into the laundry room.

You will need multiple coupons so that when something goes really cheap you can take advantage of it. You can get extra inserts, and or trade for ones you want or join a train or two.

Try to plan your meals around what is on sale that week so you can get more for your money. If Chicken is really cheap buy as much as you can, even if it means you have chicken a few times that week. Try to get a couple more than you will go through in a week so the next week if the good deal is on ground beef you will have both chicken and ground beef to choose from.

Get anything you need that week but isn't on sale at a cheaper store. I use Aldi for this. I save about 50% off the price I would pay at Shaws for things that arn't on sale.

I know that reading threads is a start but when you go to the store you need the coupons to do the saving. If you do not already, start getting the paper. My local paper has coupons in it on Sundays. It differs from place to place. After this I get my coupons from trading here on AFC. So, Make a wishlist so people know what you use. Start with the kitchen go to the bathroom, then the laundry. Everything that is national brand you can probably get coupons for. This may take a little time. Then you need to link it so it shows up under your user name. There are threads on how to do this or just start another thread of your own and some one will tell you how. I have also gotten coupons out of magazines at my local library. You may want to be sure this is OK before you pull them out. My library sells there mags after a certain time but they do not mind because the Q's are usually out of date by then. There are also internet printables. You can start by checking the pull down menu at the top here at AFC. There are many other places on the net to print this will just be a good place to start. Friends and family help out a lot in this area also. Just tell them up front after they get the Q's they want to pass to there inserts on to you. Letting them know how much money your saving will help them remember to continue to do so. When you take your children to the Dr. or even when you go to the Dr ask about coupons. Do the same at the Vets office if you have animals. You will be surprised what you will get. My Vet just loaded me up. Even after I told them that I was intending on trading them. One last thing. Unless you planing on selling what you are not going to use, stock pile items that you use. When you buy items you do not use you still pay tax and then there is all the time that goes into getting the item. You have to weigh it out to see if you want to spend the money now on that item you may not use and may not be able to sell. I am a stay at home mom of 2 under 6 and my family up until this year brought home less than 35,000. You can live well on a little if you know how to shop for things you need then get the things you want with all that money you save. Good luck.

Since it sounds like you are tight on your money, I suggest doing it the slow and steady way. Stockpiles take time, especially when you have 3 kids.

Set a budget, figure how much you can spend and NEVER go over your budget. Even if it's a great deal, you really can live without it if it requires diverting money from another part of your budget.

Did you read this article that's on the front page of our site?

http://www.afullcup.com/forums/cmps_...page=stockpile

You might find some helpful tips there~~~

I have collected quite a pile of items that I got for free or got overage on. In fact, there are so many that I have finally gotten over running around chasing all the free things! Even if your family doesn't need the item, you can have a few things on hand for gifts (think bath and beauty baskets for christmas). Or a you can keep them to put in your next rummage sale. If an item produces overage, you may want to pick it up just to take your total down. If you don't need it you can always donate it.

I read on another thread, if you can't afford to get a paper or multiple papers, sometimes you can find them free at places like Starbucks & restaurants - where other patrons have discarded them or left them for the next guest. Some stores just recycle them on Mon. so ask around.

I agree -read all threads for the stores you mostly shop at. Your friends here will tell you what's on sale this week and what coupons to use, etc. The printable coupons can help you stock up - some can be printed more than once if you try. Try trading or Trains to swap coupons you don't need with other people who need yours and have what you need.

Good luck!

It is nice to have several copies of the weekly inserts on hand. I know that papers here are $1.75, but Walmart, Dollar Tree and a couple other places sell them for $1. If you would rather not pay for your papers, you could try to find the abandonded coupons. Coupons really don't get much love. Many don't even get a second look. Check with your family, friends, and neighbors to see if they could pass there coupons on to you. Often you will see abandoned inserts at restaunts and coffee shops - just lying there neglected at the bottom of the bin. You don't want to run around town wasting your gas just to find a few lonely inserts, but if you happen to live across the street from a Starbuck's or a Perkins, you might want to ask if you can give there poor, lonely inserts a good home!