How Long Will it Take Me to Use 1,000 Rolls of TP?
Some of the blogs I read, like The Frugal Farmer, Student Debt Survivor and Budget Blonde, have touched on prepping/emergency preparedness in the past. This got me thinking about how much TP, paper towels and other non-perishable items I have "in stock" in my home.I have what I lovingly call my "paper towel tower" which you can kind of see in the corner of the old photo on the right. I also have a fairly large supply of TP, facial tissue, hair spray (I like helmet-head hair ok!?), dog food, cat food, cat litter and a few longer shelf life food items.
These items were all bought in bulk and then put away in this closet for storage until they're needed. Now, this may seem like a TON of TP, paper towels, etc and you're right, it is a lot. But the difference between me and "extreme" couponers is that I stop buying this product after I get a stash of it here. I then just use out of this supply until it is nearly gone and then I plan on replenishing it again. This is partially because I buy my coupons!
"What you BUY coupons?" Yes, I buy coupons and they come in lots of 20 for around $2. They usually end up netting me about $18, sometimes more. I don't usually buy coupons if they don't save me more than $10-12 or if it's for something that has a short shelf life. I also usually split the coupons with my mom or one of my friends and we take turns buying the coupons. This means I end up with 10 of the item rather than 20, which is a little more reasonable.
Because I buy these items in bulk and I'm on a strict budget these days, I'm going to have to save up for them. I allocate $15-20 each month for household supplies. I take this amount in cash and I am trying to spend less than this each month so after a few months, I should have enough saved to bulk buy some of my supplies.Now, when I talk about bulk buying, I don't mean I buy 400 oz of mayonnaise at Sam's Club or Costco, because that just doesn't make sense. I limit my bulk buying to products that won't spoil and are something I use regularly. In my opinion, it isn't really a money savings if you end of wasting most of what you buy because it goes bad.
What do you think about bulk buying? Does it save time or money? Does it make sense for you to bulk buy any of the products your household uses?
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posted by shoeaholicnomore @ 8:02 AM
10 Comments
10 Comments:
Hi Shoe!
There is a book I bought as a joke read, but actually found it quite informative and helpful "Adulting: How to become a grown up in 468 easy(ish) steps) by Kelly Brown, and she says "everyone uses TP, so why not stock up?". For me, as long as you have the sufficient storage and it doesn't spill over into your kitchen cupboards or fridge, then why not have 1,000 or so of TP. Also, dog and cat stuff as well. I have a cat and I have at least two tubs of litter. If you use a product religiously, then I would stock up :)
Cheers,
Jen
I like buying in bulk when it makes sense to do so. I did a Costco run with my mom over the weekend and we split a pack of paper towels, and she gave me some toilet paper and boxes of tissues she had already purchased. I was comparing prices and Costco was coming out ahead on most household items. If it's not going to go bad, I think it usually does save time and money. I'd rather make one stop for two or three months' worth than run out every month.
I'll have to check that book out. Thanks for the suggestion! I agree that storage is where I generally draw the line. I don't want to turn my garage or entire basement into a "grocery store" like some of the couponers you see on the TLC show. That's just crazy!
You are absolutely correct! I only shop in bulk if it makes sense and sharing bulk purchases with another person really helps you both to take advantage of the deal without going completely overboard on your supply of each item.
I'm eying down your boxes of Special K. I get the Great Value brand to save money. Maybe I need to look into couponing again. I think buying in bulk is smart. It saves money and can save your butt if you run into a situation where you really don't have money for X,Y,Z. At least you already have it and don't need to spend money on it. Heck, you also have the option to eat Special K for a few months and save a few dollars on breakfast food.
Dijah,
Thanks for stopping by! Since this pic was taken (it's a couple months old) I've been eating my cereal stash down and it's quite a bit smaller now. I did get these boxes for about $0.50 each, making them a better deal than the store brand cereal in my local grocery store. Thanks for weighing in!
I need to get myself a grocery stock like this. I buy in bulk but only really a month ahead. This post has definitely inspired me to get going on stock piling like this when products are on offer!
Thanks Hayley! I'm glad you could be inspired. I built mine one product at a time, ie one month I stocked up on TP, the next on paper towels, etc as they went on sale and good coupons were available. Don't stock up if it something you don't use regularly or if it's not a good deal.
Buying coupons... I've never heard of that before but it's a good idea. I wonder if we can do that in Canada? I stock pile things that I use often when they are on sale. I need to get better organized to scour the flyers each week to ensure I don't miss any great deals! Right now I do it only adhoc, but I want to try to cut down my grocery budget so this will be a good habit I need to start!
Check ebay? I get some of my coupons from there.
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