Make Do Month

[matrix82]

I do like this paragraph "While you’re being frugal and using up all your stuff so you don’t have to spend money in January, why not inventory the things you seem to have a lot of: screws, magazines, nail polish, face creams, shampoo, books, yarn, scrapbooking supplies. Measuring your abundance and committing to buying nothing more until you’ve used up what you have is a great way to take Make Do Month and make it a year-long way to save money."

[MamasitaDonna]

Thanks; I like alot of the things she has to say and when put into practice many of the things actually work.

[DeeThomas]

I love Gail, too!

I think maybe she doesn't talk about couponing much because if you can't manage a budget, coupons and stockpiles probably won't help you save...maybe she'll do a 'next steps' program for people who have their budgets under control and want to learn how to be frugal?

[Joolz834]

I do like this paragraph "While you’re being frugal and using up all your stuff so you don’t have to spend money in January, why not inventory the things you seem to have a lot of: screws, magazines, nail polish, face creams, shampoo, books, yarn, scrapbooking supplies. Measuring your abundance and committing to buying nothing more until you’ve used up what you have is a great way to take Make Do Month and make it a year-long way to save money."

I especially liked this too!

My DH and I are working on determining 'limits' for our stockpile... i.e. when is enough - enough??? and when do you cross the line from stockpiling to being a star on that hoarding show!

By setting these limits up as we add to our stockpile it has made it easier for us to say no to a good deal (by this I mean buying just for the sake of buying) if we already have our 'limit' in the stockpile...

hmmm... hope that made sense

[frugalmom]

I especially liked this too!

My DH and I are working on determining 'limits' for our stockpile... i.e. when is enough - enough??? and when do you cross the line from stockpiling to being a star on that hoarding show!

By setting these limits up as we add to our stockpile it has made it easier for us to say no to a good deal (by this I mean buying just for the sake of buying) if we already have our 'limit' in the stockpile...

hmmm... hope that made sense

Perfect sense!

[avrose]

me too, I have stopped buying certain things, going through my stockpile to figure out which items I can still buy. I plan to do very little couponing in the summer, it will be work all week and camping on weekends. So I can just mainly live off the stockpile for a couple months.

[Leigh-Anne]

Thanks I will check this out.

[coupon girl]

how true make due month is this month for me-my daughter's wedding is the end of this month -so i am only buying on sale and with a coupon and not much am i buying either-the money for my hair and makeup -yes i am doing it for the experience with my daughter-i got the money in the summer from selling items on kijiji-then saved it til now -knowing when to slow down on my stockpile and it is this month-mind you i bought some new winter clothing for myself at 50% off cause i needed it -plus spent less this xmas than last year -due to sales and being an awesome smart canucker

[coupondiva]

I like the show too, but hate to watch it--depressing having to admit to all of my student loan and credit card debts.

I decided a long time ago not to stockpile anything anymore unless it was totally free or I was getting paid to take it home. It still feels good to know I've got these things and don't have to go out and buy them, but there will always be a fantastic deal so you don't need to go nuts stocking everything all the time. Plus food items always seemed to hit their Best Before date way too early for my family to use them.

denise

[lizamarie]

I too need to come up with a limit

[$avvy$hopper]

I do like this paragraph "While you’re being frugal and using up all your stuff so you don’t have to spend money in January, why not inventory the things you seem to have a lot of: screws, magazines, nail polish, face creams, shampoo, books, yarn, scrapbooking supplies. Measuring your abundance and committing to buying nothing more until you’ve used up what you have is a great way to take Make Do Month and make it a year-long way to save money."

great read, thanks OP for pointing us to it! I agree with matrix, i too loved Gail's tip to inventory as you go, and I'm already following the last tip...use up what you've got before buying more of it. Has helped us save for sure...just found some more bulbs in our storage room i'd forgotten about...good thing I saw them since I was going to buy a bunch more this week. Good reminders at the start of the year!

[tarynottawa]

Thanks for the idea!!!

[hana.z]

Thanks.

[minouchefreedom]

I too have been looking at our stockpile......and wondering when will we use it all up, if I keep replacing it every time I go out.

My coupon shopping has been cut back a lot, mainly because I have reached a well stocked amount.........
and yes, have also been caught with things expiring ...AK!!
so our next stock project is to pull everything out, see what we have not used, donate what we will not use, toss what has expired....ak....and make a list of what we still have to use.
The plan to cook meals with that stock pile in mind.........have not done that before really.....

I am a bit nervous as my partner is now my ex partner, and he is moving out at the end of the month, and part of the stock is going with him, seeing that he helped get it in the first place..lol!! This is one reason and good time to sort it all out.

This time last year we did our first stacking trip to a LD on the Sunshine Coast. I have given away so many 800ml bottles of Jergens moisturiser lotion that we got a year ago, have myself only used one bottle in a year, while also using many tubes of hand creams as well. Still have another 12 Jergens bottles on the shelf......thats 12 year supply for me.....lol...not!!

There is only so much stuff one can use in a year!!

[coley3]

I agree.There is only so much one person can use. I did 4 donations just before Christmas and gave away alot of the overage stuff that there would be no way we could use in a good time period. I still however need to start using my food stockpile better. I ended up with a few sidekicks and Rice Krispie cereal that expired on me.But since they are dry good we are still going to eat them up. I don't want to go through that feeling again. I am keeping an eye on my soup and pasta sauce stockpile. Not going to let that expire!!!!