when stocking up ends up costing you more money

[babr]

as dh and i stock up during sales at the grocery store; part of me wonders if we are really saving money as we spend money to stock up

should we let our stock up decline first for a bit; i mean we don't have that much but i want to stock up to save; not spend more money

whats your opinion?

[treehugger]

This entirely depends on what you buy, how you use it, and how you are stocking up.

If you are stocking up on things when they are on sale that you would buy anyway, even at full price, as needed, and you will use the items up before they go bad, then you are definitely saving money by stocking up.

Otherwise, maybe not. And more careful thought is needed before stocking up.

Kara

[loosechickens]

I agree with treehugger....the key to saving money by stocking up is to only stock up when items are on sale, buy only such products that you would ordinarily buy even at full price, and continually rotate your stock of stocked up items, so that nothing goes out of date or goes bad.

It's like anything else, if you need it, want it, will use it, AND get it at as reduced price, there's really no downside. However, many people DO lose money stocking up because they buy things just because they are on sale, ignoring the fact that they don't really like the food item, are careless about storage and rotation, so things expire, go bad, and end up being thrown away.

And stocking up, UNLESS the product is on sale, unless you have good reason to believe the price is going to increase, i.e., read that the peanut harvest is way down this year, and there is a shortage of peanuts, then go to the store, and stock up on peanut butter, even at regular price because experience has shown you that such occurrences cause a rise in price........ is probably not all that worthwhile, other than keeping a few duplicates ahead of need, as opposed to stocking up what you might use in six months or a year.

Even though we live in an RV, with very limited space compared to fixed based housing, we do stock up regularly, but follow the "only if the price is reduced", "only if we would use the product normally", and "paying careful attention to storage and rotation".

The one BIG sin in our lives is for food to be wasted, and we are really careful in our stocking up for that not to happen.

[Mrs-M]

Excellent advice thus far. One recent example I have to share pertains to bathroom tissue. I most recently purchased two packs of (30 Double Roll) Purex Bathroom Tissue (WalMart), saving a little over $7 on each pack. $15 and change (total savings), and I know it will be used. (Wise purchase/money spent, absolutely).

On the other-hand, just because the Wholesale Club is having a case-lot sale, doesn't mean I'm going to race-out and buy-up case-lots of goods, even though the savings are there, we don't eat much in the way of packaged/canned goods in our home, so not much in the way of true savings when one analyzes stocking purchases related to such. Particularly, if after a 6-12 month period (after date of purchase) one finds themselves organizing around, cleaning around, and planning meals around, unpopular canned-goods.

The rollover rate/cycle in our house (the rate at which pantry goods and things are used up) is roughly one month, aside from the necessary staples I always keep on-hand, such as oats, sugars (brown, white, icing), flax-seed, flour, etc, so taking stock of, and knowing exactly what one has on-hand, and in turn, what exactly is needed in the way of numbers according to replenishing spent items, and/or, items that register as being on the list as being low, is IMO key to ensuring a fresh turnover/cycle rate.

Incorporating such a system will curtail the scale and level of spending required to sustain a well-supplied/stocked pantry (or alternative bulk-food/household goods storage area), while at the same time ensuring a balanced and checked system.

[Tiam]

Ahhh, the stocking up quandry. I'm in on this one. I stock. some. But not massive amounts. And not the traditional shtf style of stocking/prepparations. If Sounthern Oregon is hit by the big one, I might not be in such great shape!

[babr]

thanks for your opinions; we don't have a large stock of items; dh does love to have his canned goods; but its a small shelf; and he is using the items;

i think i will look at our inventory always before there is a sale; just to make sure its truly something that is going to be used

[redfox]

I recently found a small stash of the sugary stuff our kids loved as treats, that I kept hidden. Most of it had pull dates of 2005 and prior. THAT was a waste of $$!

[catherine]

I'm not a stocker, unless, as others have said, there's something I use a LOT and it's a great deal. Last month it was butter--on sale for $1.99, so we bought probably 8 lbs. and are freezing some.

I joined BJ's back in the heyday of bulk purchase, and I found I spent more than I normally did.

I've found that if I'm concerned about having to buy full-price by missing out on an opportunity to stock up, I find that there's always another good sale right behind the first one. So unless there's a particular BRAND that I really, really like, I don't worry about stocking up.

[Simplemind]

My husband and I are opposites in this matter. He is a stocker and I am not. The store is around the corner and things are on sale all the time. I hate large sizes and BOGO deals. DH on the other hand worked in a grocery store in his youth and I swear he still likes to play it at home. We are moving away from most processed food so it doesn't give him much to play with anymore.

[babr]

thanks for all your replies; I know the feeling redfox as i made several purchases in the past that are still sitting there because we ended up not using them; i am going to start a price book too to keep track of sales prices

most of the time its things like paper towel and tp; though its tp for me; dh doesn't like the cheap stuff so his is a seperate purchase but he doesn't go out of tp like i do; lol thats why i stock up on mine

it would be interesting catherine to see if we are spending more money

and good for you simple mind; i can't eat the processed foods much due to my salicylate allergy; so my grocery list in terms of food is short; dh tends to overspend and overstock in canned good IMO; he would disagree; he would probably say that about my paper goods stock up

[Mighty Frugal]

I'm usually great with stocking up. We always have plenty of TP:~)

I only buy what we would normally buy and for perishables I just buy what we will reasonably use (to avoid food spoilage)

We stock up on butter and cheese when it's on sale (and freeze it) As well as candy/choco after holidays (and freeze it..or...err..eat it:~) )

I had a big stocking FAIL late last year. I did exactly what others here have said not to do. I bought something just because it was a great price. I bought a huge supply of those cheese dippers. It's a small plastic container that holds about 10 tiny bread sticks on one side and the other side has a 'cheez whiz-esque' cheese. We never eat these but it was SUCH A GREAT DEAL:|(

So I bought a case of them (had ohh maybe 60 packets) and we consumed maybe 5 of those...threw them in the garbage just last week (exp. date was end of Nov)

Live and learn!

[treehugger]

i am going to start a price book too to keep track of sales prices

This is a great idea. Making and using a pricebook has probably done the most to bring down my grocery bill *and* give me confidence to stock up when I see something on sale. With my pricebook, I know it's a good deal instead of guessing.

Kara

[Mrs-M]

Originally posted by Babr.
i am going to start a price book too to keep track of sales pricesWhile I would never attempt to deter anyone from incorporating a useful/helpful self-help system into their routine, I would on the other-hand lend my take on complicating things, so my best advice to you, Babr, is to keep it simple. If there's one thing I've learned regarding complicating matters, it (more often than not) leads one to return back to their old, due to the PITA actions of always having to detail, document, and apply entries into a ledger or journal. (Unless of course, you're into that sort of thing)! :)

[jennipurrr]

I have a small kitchen/pantry so I stock up where it makes the most bang for the buck. I try to buy meat only when it is a good price, then I freeze it to use later. I also stock up on nonperishable stuff like toothpaste and razors that I can get for nearly free at drugs stores using methods like CVS extra bucks. I learned a while ago I do really bad with perishable stuff and saying, well I will just use a lot of it because it is such a good price. Instead I just adjust my buying to whats in season and the sale at the store.

Also, if you lose power for awhile all the stuff in your fridge goes kaput. Our power was out for over a week last year and I was able to get some of the stuff in my freezer to my Moms (who had power) but we lost a lot of stuff.

[cattledog]

I stock up- it might save some money. I only stock up if it's discounted. I dunno- I like the food security I guess. I can during the summer too, so I have tons of stuff ready for the winter.

I should use up a few things though. We always seem to have at least five jars of peanut butter and a lot of pasta in the pantry. We buy our rice in big bags from the Asian market too and I have a lot of bulk beans.

I don't throw too much out though, but there is always a steady supply.

[heydude]

BABR !!!!

STOCKING UP DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!!! I GARANTEE YOU IT DOES NOT!

I used to stock up on everything!!!!!

I finally stopped. I mean, I'd see that granola bars were 50 cents less per box and I'd buy 50 boxes and have a 100 dollar bill and be like, this can't be right!

So, guess what? I stopped stocking up and I saved a boat load of money! I have it all written down. My budget amounts for all consumable categories went wayyyyy down!

Stop stocking up will allow you:

#1 to actually use up all that you have

#2 you will use less when you have less (when you have 10 tubes of toothpaste in the cabinet, you tend to use more of it. when you are on your last tube, and your not going to the store for a week, you conserve it better).

#3 things change. you have 20 boxes of frosted falkes but after 10, your sick of it. stocking up does not account for changes. i have thrown out many a thing due to stocking up.

#4 you really will use less, i garantee it.

the best thing to do is set a dollar amount. for instance, 50 a month on groceries. as long as you don't go over that amount on your trip (even if something is not on sale, buy it) and you will save a lot. i always make it work, you find a way when you have that goal. ten things on sale is not a deal if you normally would have only bought one of them at full price.

one last thing: proof that stocking up does not save money can be found from retailers themselves. ever see those "buy 2 and save" signs???? or "buy 1 get 1 half off" signs??? why would they give you the second one at a discount??? why wouldn't they want you to just come back later and pay full price? WHY?? because you normally would not have even bought that second one! they know this!

[rosarugosa]

Heydude: Your last point is an excellent one; I never thought of that before! We do very minimal stocking up, and it has to fit within the overall grocery budget. For example, last week we bought 10 cans of Pastene tomatoes for $.99 a can, which is a really good price. There is no way that we won't use these up before the "use by" date. But only 10 cans. I've found that large quantity stock-ups don't really save us money, because we go outside our budgeted amount and never seem to actually "save" the "savings" if that makes any sense.

[Chickadee]

We stock up here. I couldn't imagine life without doing it. I shop the sales and when the prices hit my rock bottom level, we stock up. But we also have a large family to feed and I do a lot of extra cooking for church and people, so it gets used. We also live outside of town and those little trips in really add up. I can pretty much always cook from my pantry. It is a lifesaver for me. Between stocking up and freezing/dehydrating/canning from our garden, we always have a nice variety of food available. Makes my life a lot easier, too.

[rosarugosa]

Chickadee: Proximity to stores is definitely a relevant factor. We live within 5 -10 miles of at least ten grocery stores, with the closest being only 1/2 mile away. If we really had to travel, we would probaby be more inclined to stockpile.

[AnneM]

I stock up on non-perishables and items that I can freeze. When they're a great deal, I buy a lot. For example, when butter was on sale a month ago for $1.99/lb, I bought 30 lbs and stuck it in the freezer. There's a certain brand of frozen sausage that my kids love that is usually $2.49/box. When it goes on sale for $1.00/box, I buy 25-30 boxes, which lasts us 6 months. Stocking up on things I always use when they are at rock bottom prices ensures that I never have to pay full price.

[rosarugosa]

To those of you who stock up successfully: what is your strategy for ensuring that you actually save money on food, rather than, for example, spending your grocery budget for the month PLUS spending an extra $60 on butter?
I've found that I can stock up on a small scale successfully by allowing about $10 of my weekly budget to go towards stocking up on a good buy, such as the 10 cans of Pastene tomatoes. We also buy some items in larger quantities at Costco such as toilet paper, papertowels, and kitty litter.

[babr]

wow looks like i started a big debate; i go back and forth; i think things like paper products such as tp; you will use

and i bought lotion in the summer for dh who dries his skin out in the sauna during the winter; when he mentioned he was running out of lotion i told him to go to our "store" and voila there was the lotion he needed

now he stocked up on salad dressing which was on sale; but to me seemed to be alot; hopefully he won't get sick of it

anyway good points both ways

and the price book for me keeps it simple if i add just a bit at a time; that way i am not having to figure out what was the price previously when it was on sale

[chanterelle]

For me, knowing my consumption rate is as important as knowing the prices.
When I was first working towards FI, I was trying to figure out what my absolute base budget would be, so I dated everything that I bought and noted how long things lasted. Then I used less and less to see what my most basic consumption was, not starvation or poverty rate, just what I could use without waste and still live and eat well.
This info helps me to decide what and how much I stock.
I only stock things that I use all the time, they need to be at least 30% off [50% is better] and I never stock paper and soap for more than 10- 12 months and perishables for 6 or under. I only stock what I can sanely store and view.
I only stock basic items, rice,flour,beans, oil, butter etc I freeze great deals at the farmers market and my or gifted garden surplus .... things that I use all the time....I know exactly how much I use and what their shelf life is. I also buy with the seasons... I will pass up great deals in organic beans,flour and grains toward the hot, humid summer if there is no room in the fridge or freezer to store them.

My friend buys cases of salsa and salad dressing because she uses them with everything and feeds masses of people. I would never use even a few jars, but she could never go through sacks of brown rice or beans like I do, so you need to know what you really use and how quickly you go through things before they expire. This takes a little work up front, but pays off later on.

By knowing what your consumption is, you will not tends to use gobs of something just because you bought extra...you use just what you have already deemed that you require.
My income is small and can vary month to month. I budget a little extra in case there are specials, and my monthly menus are based on what is at hand so within my alloted funds there can be room to pick up a really good deal.

The initial work and calculations takes less time and effort than you think and are not as whacky and controlling as they sound! In the end they are second nature and are very freeing.

[babr]

i started my price book; i had jotted down some prices on things in the past; noticed that the paper towel that i bought which was on sale is not a deal so i am returning it

i will keep adding things; it will make it much easier when the flier comes out for our store

[heydude]

i do not care how often or how essential something (toilet paper even). stocking up costs you more money than buying only the smallest necessary amount for the time and then doing your damndest to stretch it out as far as you can.

if you have to pay full price for something, you'll be less likely to actually buy it again or as frequently.

sometimes, high prices are the best way to get yourself to actually USE less or find alternatives.

[Float On]

I think that when I was into stocking up I was more wasteful and I know I threw a lot more food out because of expiration dates. It came to a point where I was almost afraid to use my 'stash'. I'm finally down to 2 cabinet shelves of pantry items and it feels good. I'm also finding that the less pantry items I have the more 'fresh' I'm buying or the more 'from scratch' I'm making. The other day we wanted pancakes - easily made from scratch (and much better) and I was so glad that I didn't have 10 boxes of pancake mix in the pantry. I needed to make brownies for something and made them from scratch (and much better) and I realized I hadn't made them in a long time and we enjoyed them more as a treat than when I had 25 pouches of brownie mix in the pantry.
My pantry is down to the basics of baking needs, pasta, canned tomatos, canned beans, and canned pineapple tidbits.

The best part of being an ex-stasher is I can see what I have in the pantry (its very small anyway) and things aren't falling out on me. I'm not always moving things to get them out of the way.

Laundry room now simply has the one bottle of laundry detergent I'm using instead of 12 that I'm tripping over. When I'm about out I pick up one more bottle. Same for papertowels (I can't get my DH off papertowels yet) I do buy a big package of that but it easily fits on a shelf instead of trying to stash 3 big packages on the one shelf.

etc....etc....

[Mrs-M]

Originally posted by Heydude.
i do not care how often or how essential something (toilet paper even). stocking up costs you more money than buying only the smallest necessary amountI follow what you are saying, and I definitely see a strong point in relation to non-frugal purchases related to stocking-up, but let's talk TP for a moment. Earlier this month, Walmart had a sale on TP, savings that equated to $7 (and change) on the purchase of a 30 Double Roll pack. Had I not bought up two packs, I would have been revisiting Walmart again (in short-order), because Walmart is the cheapest place to buy hygiene products, but instead of paying $11 (and change) for a pack, I'd be looking at paying $19 (and change) for a pack, so stocking certain things/items (like TP) IMO, is smart shopping, especially when one figures in the sales in which one misses, can't catch, or end with the sale items sold out, and no rain-checks given. Applied balance combined with thrifty strategy, reins supreme regarding this one.

[iris lily]

I tend to use to much if I've got stacks of the product.

We don't stock up very much. DH's trips to Sam's are really the only stocking up that we do. Those large quantities are enough to store. I won't buy more than 20 rolls of toilet paper because we've not got room in one bathroom to put more than, say, ten rolls.

[Mrs-M]

Originally posted by Iris Lily.
I tend to use to much if I've got stacks of the product. Well, now, that's just careless, Iris. :~)

[early morning]

I detest going to the store and want to do it as little as possible. So, I stock up. It is really nice to actually NOT have to add a grocery or dollar store (where we buy most non-edible supplies) stop to my commute home, which already includes stopping to fix dinner for -and visit with- my mother, most evenings. It saves some money - I buy more of things on sale - but mostly it saves my sanity. Worth it? Heck yeah!

[HumboldtGurl]

I used to stock up a lot but now that we live in our RV most of the year, it's physically impossible to do so. When I did stock up, I found that I often went way over budget and could only pay for it using my American Express. Now that I'm only using my debit card to pay for groceries, stocking up just doesn't work with the cash I keep in the bank, so I rarely do it. Surprisingly, we still survive and haven't once run out of food! We are blessed, for sure.

[heydude]

i think the 7 bucks you save from the TP would easily be made up by not stocking up period. not stocking up period saves me hundreds of dollars a year. i am not kidding. stocking up is a dangerous game.

things that i never thought i'd ever do without, well, one day i end up not using it anymore and have 10 in the closet. hehe.

[Tiam]

thanks for all your replies; I know the feeling redfox as i made several purchases in the past that are still sitting there because we ended up not using them; i am going to start a price book too to keep track of sales prices

most of the time its things like paper towel and tp; though its tp for me; dh doesn't like the cheap stuff so his is a seperate purchase but he doesn't go out of tp like i do; lol thats why i stock up on mine

it would be interesting catherine to see if we are spending more money

and good for you simple mind; i can't eat the processed foods much due to my salicylate allergy; so my grocery list in terms of food is short; dh tends to overspend and overstock in canned good IMO; he would disagree; he would probably say that about my paper goods stock up


Well, my experimentation with stocking did teach me about what works best for my own life style. Big packages and massive amounts don't work well for me. But, big stocks on paper towels, laundry soap, toothpaste, hand soap, toliet paper, cat food, condiments. (its nice to just have those around when needed) as well as tuna fish, pasta, rice. I was buying and stocking canned broths, but really, with the better than buillion pastes, it's a bigger space saver I think. Along with Knorr broth powders. I like to make my own stock too. I like to have spaghetti sauce and canned tomatoes around as well as some flour and sugar and oil. But again, not in mass quantities. Just enough to last for a few months is good.

[Mrs-M]

Originally posted by Tiam.
Well, my experimentation with stocking did teach me about what works best for my own life style.Ah-ha, the quintessential point of contention, that being, what works best for each person related to their own lifestyle needs.

[babr]

thank you mrs. M; its a good point; there were a few times that we purchased a few too many; but there are many more times that when we thought we were running out of something we went to our supply holder and lo and behold there was an item; i remember we saved quite a bit of money when i stocked up on dh's razor refills; probably for 8 months we didn't have to purchase any refills; they are expensive

i tend to not stock up on food items; but dh has this fear of running out of beans for example; why i am not sure; but he isn't into micro managing; more macro so we balance each other out

anyway i agree mrs. M but its been a good debate and it started me keeping a price list

[Mrs-M]

Yes, it has been enjoyable hasn't it, Babr. I'm a fuddy-duddy when it comes to stats and things, particularly when it pertains to the practice of simple living. The variables and variations, always interesting.

[heydude]

hehe i like you Mrs-M !!!!!!

i am currently writing with a pen that is dried up. i have a whole package of them, from 2 years ago when they were 19cents a pack.

grrrrrrrrr.

[Mrs-M]

Awww... thanks, HD! :) Re: the pens you bought. Are they the ones with the hollow plastic body, where the ink-insert tube can be pulled out? If so, try running the ink-insert tube under hot water for a few seconds. Quite often (at least in my experience) it's just the very end of the insert that dries out, and after heating the ink up inside, the dried ink is released and ta-da, a working and usable pen.

[ljevtich]

thanks for all your replies; I know the feeling redfox as i made several purchases in the past that are still sitting there because we ended up not using them; i am going to start a price book too to keep track of sales prices

I would definitely suggest a price book. And once you have figured out the prices of the stuff you buy, you can ultimately go to a price list. I made one up for us. It has on it the actual price of said item, and then I split it down to per oz and per lb./gallon. Because often they show what it is per oz or pint or gallon, that way I know if it is a good deal.

But I have also done this for toothpaste, tp, rolls of paper towels, vitamins, tea bags, etc. There is only certain foods that we get and eat, like salsa or oranges. No name brands for anything if we can help it. Mostly fresh food.

When I started being frugal, I had the price list and I would date it, using paper and pen. When I put it on the computer, I had the file saved each year to see the differences. As a matter of fact, I will probably have to do a new one again, as there are foods I can not eat anymore, and might as well take them off.

Even if all you do is every thing you go to the grocery store, buy things and get a receipt, save the receipt, and when you write down your expenses for the month, put each line item of the grocery receipt. This way you know how much soda, or meat or TP you are spending for, and you can decide if you want to take it out.

This is what happened for us. We found that we were drinking WAY too much soda, so I ran a tally on how much we spent each month. DH was surprised, and we took it off. We did that for quite a while. Now soda is a treat, and is used sparingly. But if I did not have the expenses written down, I would never have known this.


While I would never attempt to deter anyone ... so my best advice to you, Babr, is to keep it simple. If there's one thing I've learned regarding complicating matters, it (more often than not) leads one to return back to their old, due to the PITA actions of always having to detail, document, and apply entries into a ledger or journal. ...

Well, my method is not simple. Definitely not. But at the same time, it has become a habit, writing or putting into the computer, every expense, whether it is food or internet charge. And that is really what it comes down to, making yourself form a habit a good habit on expenses.


BABR !!!!
STOCKING UP DOES NOT SAVE MONEY!!!!! I GARANTEE YOU IT DOES NOT!

Well, I am not going to shout and guarantee anything, but I can assure you that it does save money if you do it wisely. I would not suggest stocking up until you figure out what you like to eat, how often you would eat such item, and how long does said item would last in your stockpile.


I used to stock up on everything!!!!!

I finally stopped. I mean, I'd see that granola bars were 50 cents less per box and I'd buy 50 boxes and have a 100 dollar bill and be like, this can't be right!

So, guess what? I stopped stocking up and I saved a boat load of money! I have it all written down. My budget amounts for all consumable categories went wayyyyy down!


Well, first off, it is overdoing only if you don't eat all of those granola bars. It is also overdoing if you bought the most expensive brand and then only saved 50 cents off of them. Wasteful spending for sure. And horribly wasteful if you don't eat or give away.

So what are your dollar figures for food, gas/diesel, and time? Because you have to include all of that too, when you are figuring your "food budget".


Stop stocking up will allow you:

#1 to actually use up all that you have
#2 you will use less when you have less (when you have 10 tubes of toothpaste in the cabinet, you tend to use more of it. when you are on your last tube, and your not going to the store for a week, you conserve it better).
#3 things change. you have 20 boxes of frosted falkes but after 10, your sick of it. stocking up does not account for changes. i have thrown out many a thing due to stocking up.
#4 you really will use less, i garantee it.

Guarantee what - That you have to go to the store more often? You run out of TP or toothpaste or oatmeal or olive oil, right when you are - just about to need it. If you do not stock up, then you can not reach for that tissue, or baking soda, or granola, or butter because you haven't stocked up.

#2 & #4 are the same thing - and quite honestly, for myself & DH, we use the same amounts of whatever, whether we have a little or a bunch of said item.

However, when you are tracking the numbers, you will have a better idea of how much you use over the course of a month. That will help you figure out how much you would need for two months or three.

With #1 - when you know what is in your pantry or stockpile, you use it up. It is called rotating your stock. You also do this so that you do not go down the #3 path of getting sick of an item. If you rotate what you are eating, then this will not happen.


the best thing to do is set a dollar amount. for instance, 50 a month on groceries. as long as you don't go over that amount on your trip (even if something is not on sale, buy it) and you will save a lot. i always make it work, you find a way when you have that goal. ten things on sale is not a deal if you normally would have only bought one of them at full price.

one last thing: proof that stocking up does not save money can be found from retailers themselves. ever see those "buy 2 and save" signs???? or "buy 1 get 1 half off" signs??? why would they give you the second one at a discount??? why wouldn't they want you to just come back later and pay full price? WHY?? because you normally would not have even bought that second one! they know this!

Usually they are getting rid of stock to bring in new stock and want you to buy. They also do this for the loss leaders - the stuff that is on their weekly ads. They get the people in and then they stay. BOGO and other discounts are done for this very reason. They are usually not for the items of BOGO, but the item next to it that you say, ooh I need that too. And they are usually name brand items as well.

But if you have a list and you get the items on said list only, then you have beaten their system.


i do not care how often or how essential something (toilet paper even). stocking up costs you more money than buying only the smallest necessary amount for the time and then doing your damndest to stretch it out as far as you can.

if you have to pay full price for something, you'll be less likely to actually buy it again or as frequently.

sometimes, high prices are the best way to get yourself to actually USE less or find alternatives.

More often than not, we pay full price on items such as when we go to Costco or Sam's but we KNOW because of the price list I have, that these are the best deals around. You can not beat Costco now for the dried fruit, no one comes close. And we do use a ton of dried fruit...pretty much every day when we have breakfast.

However, last year we did go a little overboard. I got way too much, we are still eating the dried fruit that I got last February/March, but then again, it means it lasted a full year! We were only expecting it to last six months. So it was stretched out to the max. I got several different kinds of dried fruit, mixed it up, and had it in a container. When the container got low (usually took about a month and a half) then I would get the bags of dried fruit and mix them up again.


I used to stock up a lot but now that we live in our RV most of the year, it's physically impossible to do so. …
I guess it depends on the RV you have. We use every available space and stocking up is a breeze. Of course, with a toy hauler, and a garage in the back, it makes it easier. We also have large hard plastic containers that we fit above the cabinets. Right now they are pretty empty, but we will be stocking up this month.

One of the things no one has mentioned is the cost of the drive to go shopping. We live half of the year in a really remote area (Grand Canyon) and half the year in a not so remote, but still a distance to get to a grocery store. We have a 450 F Ford Truck which uses diesel. It does not get great mileage, no matter what you do. It is used for pulling our RV.

When we are parked for the half year, the truck is used very rarely, for going shopping. When we are at the Grand Canyon, the closest shopping is 160 miles round trip. So if I am going to spend roughly $40 on diesel I am going to stock up.

We can usually last about 3-4 weeks for perishables but really do not have a need for the other stuff. Because we bought it when we lived closer to shopping. We bought the 6 months of non-perishables so that we would not buy in a resort type town. Because Flagstaff is a resort type town. Even when you go to the "cheaper" parts of the town.

And we buy the taxable items in Nevada rather than Arizona, as AZ has higher tax on things like bleach and laundry detergent, and tp and paper towels. You would think otherwise, but when you track your expenses, your food costs down to the penny, you know where the money is going.

I have been using this system of ours for a long time. Since at least 2005. And we have been FI since 2009. So you know it works.

If you would like to look at our expense for the year 2011, I have finished them, and they are on the website: www.laura-n-sasha.com/Expenses2011.html (http://www.laura-n-sasha.com/Expenses2011.html)

[Mrs-M]

Wow, awesome post, Ljevtich! Lots of great info...

[babr]

good idea ljetiva on noting the prices of things you buy frequently; i will keep track as i keep the sales receipt

[robl]

We stock up on closeouts and extreme deals.

A Food Lion recently went belly-up in our neck of the woods. We stocked up on wine (50 bottles for $120), organic spaghetti (90 cents each), salsa, chocolate (most will be gifts), and indian food mixes.

There was recently a 99 cents a pound deal on chicken breasts. That's about half the actual cost. We would have stocked up. But they were gone.

[rosarugosa]

robl: I would have been all over that wine deal! :)