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hi my name is Michelle and I am 6 months new to couponing-I have acquired quite the stash :) of coupons and have gotten some really fantastic deals!!! My new obsession. I come here often and would like some help :shrug: on getting a stock pile of deals eg the dove pics that I see everywhere here!!! Hahaha I am in Collingwood, Ontario and we cannot stack coupons here. I did get my first FREEBIE of resolve last week...Now I want more of those deals---Some advice from my PROFESSIONAL friends....
IMO you have to set boundaries for youself and a pricepoint. For example I will not pay more than $4.99(before coupon of course)for Royale 24pk bathroom tissue. Stockpiling can begin this way getting a small quantity at a time. The free with coupon deals are a "being at the right place-right time" kind of thing I feel. Seems like everyone wants the same deals. After awhile your stock pile will grow before your eyes and it will be "your precious baby!" Just depends on your needs and budget.
sometimes there are close to free stuff deals on clearance racks especially when manufacturers decide to change packaging.
I think it's best to have a close look at the flyers every week.Then you can follow the prices ups and downs so you can figure out the best time to buy what you need and want.
And a very good piece of advise is to never purchase anything that you won't use, unless you are purchasing it to donate or for someone else. Even if you only pay .25 for a $4 item, and you get 20 of them. If you don't use them that money has been wasted. I have seen this happen so many times over my many years of couponing. People get so hooked on savings, that in the end it costs them even more in spoiled products, or things that never get used. HAPPY COUPONING!
Also just because you have a coupon doesn't mean you have to use it. Check size of products and cost vs. price and coupon $
When creating a stockpile, consider what you would normally spend on the product before sales and coupons. That is a safe amount to spend. Ie. If I can get 4 of whatever product when taking advantage of coupons & sales for the same price I would pay normally, then that is a justifiable price to pay for 4. This analogy really only works on products you know you're going to use or that you know they will get used somewhere. And yes, some things do go bad so watch your food items. That being said, there was recently a deal on resolve - I got it for 26 cents a bottle so now have enough to last me 2 years (3 kids & a messy dog) and also some for family & friends. When I first started couponing/deal shopping I bought oodles of pasta for CHEAP! I had just left my husband 3 yrs ago and was in panic mode for how was I going to feed my kids - We are on our last bag now, lol.
Freebies are fun and tempting for sure, but unless you have an FPC or if it's a non taxable item, you are still paying "something" for it.
My best advice is to make a price book and take inventory of what you already have. If, for example, you have 20 bottles of shampoo stockpiled then you may not want to buy any more even if you can get it for 25c or less. If you have 2 bottles of shampoo, then perhaps you'd be willing to pay up to $1-2 for it. I have a spreadsheet that lists basic household stuff (non perishable foods, cleaners, beauty etc) and my "buy" price and my "stockpile" price. Buy means I consider the price good enough to be a deal and will buy it if I don't already have a sufficient number in my stockpile. Stockpile means I will only get any if the price is so low I can't afford to pass up the deal. Many items are now ranked as stockpile and the price has to be free in order to justify getting any.