If you've watched TLC's Extreme Couponing, you've seen and heard what a stockpile is, with one exception; what you see on Extreme Couponing I'd like to call 'organized hoarding'. The whole reason for a stockpile is so that you can purchase items you use regularily when they go on sale and use your coupons to get you the most bang for you buck. Not to have a mini supermarket full of things because they look pretty and make you happy. That sounds like an addiction to me, right? Of course, there are exceptions. For instance if they help support their family or donate to the community then that's great.
Granted, my stockpile has been growing. I now don't need anymore toothpaste for a long time, nor do I need to buy any more laundry detergent. My husband keeps tabs on my stockpiling. He likes to joke a lot and he always jokes how I'm a 'hoarder' but when he asks if we have more shampoo or bodywash or dental floss, my so-called 'hoarding' is more than welcome to him. ;)
So how many items should you have in your stockpile? Atleast 3-6 months worth of an item is adequate. Products usually go on sale at their cheapest every couple of months. So when they do, that's when you use your coupons and stock up so that you'll be saving money in the long run. If you keep buying items when you don't need them ( if you already have 10 of a certain product for instance) and just keep them in your stockpile, you're really not getting any further ahead. The whole point of couponing is to save you money, not to collect.
The more comfortable you get with couponing, the less money you'll realize you'll need to spend for items. It's nice now because I know I have a lot of one product like say toothpaste. So the only way I'll get toothpaste again for the next little while is if it is free and I know the expiration date is further away so it won't go bad before I use it.
Keep your stockpile organized. I never realized how much toothpaste I had acquired until I organized my stockpile. Keep a record of what you have. Then you know what you'll need to get. It's even a good idea to keep a record of what you have and how much the sale price was and what coupon amount you used. Then you'll know what the lowest sale prices are so when that sale comes around again, you can stock up once more.
Couponing is not a collection. It is a way to save money. If you find yourself acquiring items just because they are cheap, then you might want to take a step back and ask yourself 'Is this really something I need?'. I sometimes get things because they're cheap and ask my family if they use them and if not then I donate them to the food bank. But if you're watching your budget, make sure you're not just buying things because you have a coupon for them. It's one thing to be a couponer, it's another to be a budget couponer.
Have fun! Couponing is a great hobby. I still surprise myself on what I can get for less than a dollar! Never again will I buy toothpaste, dishsoap, or room spray for more than a dollar. And I'll never buy bodywash, lady's deodorant or cleaning supplies for more than two dollars.
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