Frugal Friday--Stock Up

The last two week's posts have been about staying out of the store; staying away from buying opportunities if you will.

This week I want to talk about stocking up when you do go to the store.
I've already mentioned that I tend to pick up extra items when I go to the store, so it would make sense that the fewer times I go into a store the less I would spend.

The best thing to stock up on are what I'll call the less glamorous items; things like toothpaste, toilet paper, shampoo, shaving cream, razor blades, toothbrushes, plastic wrap, aluminum foil, cleaning supplies.  You are less likely to consume more of these items because you have 'extras' sitting around.

My goal is to shop for these items only 2-3 times a year.  Certainly I use so few cleaning supplies as it is, I don't really need to stock up at any point, it is just a matter of having something on hand.  For everything else I do need to have extra storage space for a six month supply of soap, but our cabinets have enough space that it isn't typically a problem.

Things I'm less likely to stock up on are things that we will consume faster because we think we have an abundance of them; items like Oreos and chips.  For us, if they are in the house, they will be inhaled at break neck speed.

I may have hidden some Oreos once or twice just to have them around when I wanted them.

My motto is: Stock up so you can Stay out.