When I first started using The Grocery Game, I bought everything in sight. The sales that I was able to make on my list were overwhelmingly good and the thought of saving 75-80% on my grocery bill made me giddy with happiness. What I soon discovered was that much of my savings was going to waste. I didn’t use the items before the expiration date and things sat on the shelf for so long that it was ridiculous.

If you aren’t using the items you save on and you’re throwing them away, you aren’t really saving money!

There is a secret to effective stockpiling. I’ve been hard at this for about 18 months and I’ve noticed that although my pantry shelves are a little thinner … my wallet is a little fatter!

I written before about sales cycles. They come around about every 12 weeks … or in more simple terms, you can find a common item on sale at least once every 3 months. Using that piece of information, you can begin to control your stockpile.

I started by writing a date on my everyday items. If I would open a toothpaste container, I’d write a date on the tube; when I started a new container of laundry detergent, I wrote the date on the jug; as I cracked the seal on apple juice, on went the date. From there, I just made a simple handwritten list noting the date that I began using the item …. and then, the date the item needed to be replaced.

From there, I figured up how much I used in a 3 month cycle. When the items came on sale, I only bought what I needed for 3 months. (If it’s a super great deal …. like free or above 90% off, consider buying and donating the items to a shelter!)

Things that I stockpile regardless of the three month limit are only things that won’t expire: toilet paper, napkins, paper plates, soap, etc.

I hope this method can assist you in saving even more money. Having a pantry that’s overflowing is nice, but throwing 80% of it away is defeating the purpose.

Happy Stockpiling and Remember “there’s no cents in paying full price! €

* This post is part of a weekly segment on KSBJ Christian Radio. For more on segments featuring Stephanie Click, the Texas Money Mom, click here.