You don't need a deep freezer to stock up because you don't really need to buy all that much. Sales cycles are 6-8 weeks at most grocery stores, meaning you just need 6-8 weeks worth of product. For example, ground beef went on sale for 20% off and had a near expiration coupon on the package, making it over 50% off! I bought 15 lbs of ground beef, portioned them into 1 lb bags and put them in my apartment freezer. We go through 2-3 lbs of ground beef per week, so 15 lbs while on sale makes sense for my family.
You can do this with all sorts of items. Here are a few items I stock up on when on sale:
- Canned tomatoes
- Canned veggies (especially mushrooms, we go through those a lot!)
- Peanut butter
- BBQ sauce
- Ketchup
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Gluten free pasta (rare, but it does happen!)
- Pasta sauce
- Chicken
- Pork
- Beef
- Splenda/sugar
- Coffee
- Chips
- Nuts
You can also do the same with household items, like cleaners, shampoo/conditioner, and toothpaste.
I hope this has given you a sense of how keeping a simple, sane stockpile of frequently used items in your house looks like. You can have a stockpile and keep your spare room stockpile free. Just remember....6-8 weeks worth!
xoxo Regina
