Stockpile Challenge, Week 2

Quick post continuing with the Moms By Heart Stockpile Challenge.

Here's a quick recap: use your clipped coupons, store deals, and clearance items to slowly build a stockpile of good in your home, spending 10 dollars at a time.  The goal is to have enough goods that  will last until the next sale or great deal, so you end up multiplying your supplies while spending less.

Here is my photo of this weeks 10 buck grab. ( I was a little excited about this)

Before I break it down I must say this- my boys LOVE the AXE body wash, but it is usually around 6 bucks a pop, so I don't get it unless I can find a sale. Two of those alone usually break $10.  I was excited about this find!

Shopped at Fresh Market (This includes a $5.00 rebate at checkout on Unilever products)
AXE body wash $2.99 ea : Coupon, buy two get one free (scanned minused $3.49) spent $5.48
Degree deodorant $1.99 ea  ($.75 off coupon) spent $2.48 on two
Ragu Spaghetti Sauce $.89 ea - (no coupon used) spent $2.67

grand total $10.63 (remember, I had some change left over from last week)

Now because there were several really good deals in the store I bought more then what's pictured above, but I went in the mindset to see how far I could make 10 bucks go, and did a few great sets like what's pictured above. 

Keep clipping those coupons and go for the extra stash above and beyond what you are buying to get you through the week.  It adds up!

Couponing and Saving Up

Over at Moms By Heart they are always a buzz with great deals, free finds, and other tips in running a smooth, frugal household.  Right now they are doing a Stockpile Challenge - just urging you to add to your supplies one week at a time, with just $10 at a time.

Easy enough.
I thought I would challenge myself to see what I could do with $10 today.

Here is my stash-



















How it breaks down

4 Bags Halls- 18 pcs. from Dollar Tree - $1.00 off 2 bags coupon ($2.00 spent)
2 Bottles Palmolive / Dollar Tree - $.25 per bottle coupon ($1.50 spent)
3 Bottles Softsoap / Dollar Tree - - $.35 per bottle coupon ($1.95 spent)
4 Boxes Cheez-it / $1.25 ea @Stokes Assoc. Foods - $1.00 off two boxes coupon (spent $3.00)




that left me with $1.55- so I grabbed an extra candle at the dollar store that I found gave off a good amount of light and not too much scent during a recent power outage. (Some of the emergency candles we tried didn't give off very much light, so I am planning on slowly adding these to my stocks.)

(note- the MBH website doesn't buy a lot of snacky foods, but we use these snacks during football season and when my teenage boys have friends over- so I am always looking for a way to have extras on hand without breaking the bank!)

That left a grand total of $9.45 spent- (not including tax)
I look at that picture and I am amazed! Imagine every week adding a surplus like this.
What a great feeling. I love the bite size chunk this is- just enough to feel like I am doing something, but not so much I get overwhelmed.

Check out their website for more INCREDIBLE deals.

I have been couponing on and off for a few years now, but this was a nice reminder of the rewards waiting if you give it a little bit of effort. Every time I find my deals, I am glad I made the effort.

Happy clipping!

Simple Start to Food Storage Organizing

SO.....

being prepared has been on my mind a ton lately.

Whether you follow politics or prophecies, or just simply enjoy feeling like you have abundance of goods on hand, food storage makes sense to everyone.

But if you're like me, we put it off.

I grab a few extra things here and there and hope I get to it before it spoils.

It is kind of a jumbled mess

Water damage from the pipe burst isn't helping things

A friend of mine has been a long time advocate of preparedness and emergency readiness.

She has started an program to help everyone get more prepared.( You can find out more details by following this link to 3 Steps . org)

I LOVE her idea for dinners. You plan a simple meal that your family will eat.

The next time you prepare it, buy enough for 5 more meals.

(for these photos I only have 3 meals- more on that later)

All of the ingredients are labeled and stored inside the bucket, which you also label.

Then you can stack the buckets, keeping them together, using very little space.

.

Because I had these buckets already (and they were 2 for a buck!) I decided I would start where I am and just get some of the stuff I had grouped together. They only hold 3 or 4 smaller meals.

The buckets will survive a pipe burst, plus they will be very easy to grab and throw into a car,

or even to carry to a neighbors or family.

Ideally, you will use 5 or 6 gallon buckets so you can store 5 full dinners with fruit or other side items . You can also get better lids (displayed on the 3 Steps websites)

to completely seal out any other damage.

My plan is to organize what I have, then slowly start with new buckets and anything new I buy, purchasing higher quality.

The goal is to have 18 buckets with 5 meals in each, (recipes also on the website), filling a 3 month dinner supply. Once you are done you will make ONE MEAL a week out of the bucket, and buy the ingredients to replace it, so you will rotate the entire set in about 2 years.

NOW- best case scenario is you will use these as needed- maybe a night where you have 'nothing' to make, or an evening where you are out and the kids can pull out a simple meal.

I also envision these being very easy to take to a disaster sight, maybe another neighborhood even, and how easy it would be to quickly distribute meals to needy or displaced families.

Worst case scenario is disaster or chaos hits your own home.....

you will supplement with other goods (like the 20 year shelf life basics) and know you have a dinner to look forward to every night.

I am NO expert, and I get overwhelmed easily, so I am happy to feel like I can tackle this a bit at a time. I have supplies for more dinners,

and will be adding them as I get the proper sized buckets.

I feel blessed to live in a 'time of plenty' and feel that storing for a time of drought

is the right thing to do.

For more info on this and more simple steps, again here is the link to 3 Steps.org

For more survival and political awareness,

visit this Prepper blog and get in the prepper blog ring.

Finally, if you are reading this and have a great idea that has made something easier for your storage preparedness, PLEASE put a link in your comments.

~Have a blessed day~