Did you catch our Savings Segment this morning on Fox? We are honored to be a featured on Good Day Tampa Bay each Sunday to share our knowledge about coupons and how to get the most for your money! This week’s topic was all about where and how to store your stockpile!
Here is a little more information for you:
- Get Organized: One of the keys to stockpiling in a small space (and even a large space) is organization. Keep your designated storage spaces in neat order so that you know how much you have of each thing at any time. Your stockpile needs be arranged in such a way that you can look fairly quickly and know how many cans of soup, boxes of noodles or bottles of shampoo you’ve got on hand. Line things up in rows and keep them neat and orderly. Rotate perishable goods with the oldest st
ock in the front, just like they do in grocery stores. One of the best ways I gained more space was to clean out underneath the bathroom sink. I had no idea how much space was actually under there! - Buy Wisely: Don’t purchase 50 boxes of Rice-a-Roni you’ll never eat, simply because you got a deal you couldn’t pass up. Make a list of the things you always buy and figure out how much of it you use in a year. This will ensure that you don’t have to do extra clean-up and organizing later when you have to go through your stockpile and throw away or give away stuff that you never used that is now nearing or past its expiration date.
- Find “Hidden” Storage Space: The quickest? Under the bed. Just make sure it is bigger items, like packs of bath tissue or paper towels. Not only does this prevent piles of random “stuff” from accumulating under the beds, but it makes for nice storage space that others can’t see unless they’re really looking. Other options? Closet floors, unused cupboard space, and in the garage. Our laundry room had s
ome unused wall space. By installing a couple shelves above our washer/dryer, we now have a place to store light bulbs and laundry soap. I always see cheap hanging organizers in the Dollar Section at Target. Hang that on the back of a bathroom door and keep soap, shaving cream and razors close at hand. Plus, you can visually see when it is almost time to stock up again. One more “hidden” storage idea is underneath a staircase. My friend’s dad cut a small opening in the wall of the staircase, created a door, installed a light ~ instantaneous storage! - Don’t Over Stash: It’s very tempting to cash in on that free toothpaste deal every single week. However, you also need to consider where you will store it. Buy just enough to get you through until the next sale. I promise, there will be more coupons when it’s time to replenish. If you have a hard time passing up a great bargain, find a place in your garage to store a large box. Fill the box with any items you don’t need or use. Once it is full, donate it to a local shelter, and know that it is being put to good use by people who really need it.
- Pack It All In: When I began to organize my pantry I found that there was a lot of unused space. Because the shelves are deep, we tended to only use the front half of the cabinet efficiently. The back of the cabinet was littered with half empty bags of stale chips. Pull everything out, sort it, and carefully pack it back in by grouping everything into similar categories. The fronts of each shelf are reserved only for the individual items we will need for the week or those we use on a regular basis.
- Out of the Package: Items are often sold in boxes and packaging that take up more space than necessary. A small bin in your pantry can contain loose fruit snacks, oatmeal packets and granola bars more efficiently. Before a frozen item goes into our freezer, we take the items out of the boxes. (Does that worry you about heating instructions? Cut the small instructions off the box and keep in a drawer underneath your hot pads!) Even liquid cleaning products can be combined into larger containers (recycled juice bottles work well) and used as refills, instead. Just be sure to rip off that label and write on it with a permanent marker so no one mistakes it!
- Consider Alternatives: “Display” them in plain sight! Some bargains can look beautiful if displayed in a new way. A large glass jar in my bathroom shows off the bars of soap I have accumulated. Other containers in my kitchen hide bulk sugar and flour. Extra produce can make a pretty table centerpiece when you need more space in your fridge. Pretty baskets on book shelves can perfectly hide packages of razors! You will be surprised what an interesting container can do to transform (or hide) your stash.
Basically, using coupons doesn’t have to cause chaos. With a little bit of creativity, your stash will be well organized — even in the smallest spaces, and easily save you several hundred dollars a year!
~Happy Stockpile Stashing!
