Lately, I have been exploring the ideas of small-scale extreme couponing and stockpiling. I have had some luck, but I seem to quickly run out of room in my small (1350 sq foot) home. I have an extra bedroom that is never used by guests (maybe once a year?) and I contemplated the idea of buying some shelving units at Lowe's to house my stockpile. The problem? Those shelving units are almost $100. Kinda of defeats the idea of "saving money" if I'm out over $100 before I even get started.
Also, because of my school and work schedules, I rarely cook. In fact, the people of Domino's in the town where I work, know my voice by now. They say, "Delivering to the Maternity Center? 2 medium pizzas...one hand-tossed pepperoni and one thin curst cheese?" Do you want to know how much the total for that order is? $14.65, plus the extra $1.35 I give as a tip. Total: $16.00. I split the food with my coworker so I'm only out $8. But, I could easily cook a meal for Frank, my coworker, and I for less than $8...with leftovers.
Clearly, eating out all the time isn't doing any favors for my waist line...not to mention my checkbook. So, I have been researching freezer recipes and slow-cooker recipes in an effort to eat healthier (physically and financially). I have made an overt effort to curb my grocery bill to reflect my healthier eating regimen. I just don't know what to do with all the extra stuff I buy in the spirit of stockpiling! How do I know when I have enough toothpaste? And, how many bars of soap does a girl actually need?!? Furthermore, wouldn't the whole point of stockpiling be in vain if I was throwing out food that was past its expiration date?
So, the question is: How do I maintain a current stockpile? How do I organize this stockpile so I can easily see what I have that needs to be used soon? How do I store this stockpile in an attractive and functional way?
Ideas, anyone?
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