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How to Build a Grocery Stockpile on a Tight Budget

I recently received the following question from one of the Families.com readers about building a stockpile. “I know that buying things when they are on sale and building a stockpile saves money, but how can I do this when the normal groceries cost so much?” Sophia. Sophia has a really good point (hi Sophia!). It can be tough to build up a good stockpile when there isn’t any extra money to do it, but it can be done. You can start out small. Even an extra $5 a week toward a stockpile item will help. With $5, you can buy … Continue reading →

Organize Your Stockpile by Becoming a Shelf Life Expert

I’m always on the look out for good stock up opportunities. When something goes on sale, can be “purchased” for free with coupons, or is on a deep clearance, I instantly calculate how much of that item should come home with me. It is important to know how much, logically, you should stockpile of a particular item or category of items. For example: how many jars of peanut butter should be in your pantry  right now until the next great low price? How many boxes of pasta, packages of toilet paper or bottles of shampoo? it all depends on the … Continue reading →

Grocery Stock Up Sales

Need to replenish your stockpile? Now is the time. Many stores are offering grocery stock up sales and promotions on pantry foods. Grab your grocery store flyers, make your list and get shopping. Step 1: Clean Out Your Pantry Before you head out to one of the many grocery stock up sales out there, first take the time to see what you already have. You can discard anything that is expired or hasn’t been used in a year. Donate anything that is still good and toss the rest. I like to take everything out and dust the shelves, too, but … Continue reading →

I Lost Some of My Stockpile

When you improperly store your stockpile, you can wind up losing money. That is what happened to me. Don’t let it happen to you. The other day, I was packing up some sandwiches to take with us on one of our frugal summer adventures when I got to the last of the roll of plastic wrap. Since I try to buy ahead when things are on sale, and I have a small stockpile, I’m never worried when I run out of certain things. I just headed downstairs to the basement to pick up a new roll. It used to be … Continue reading →

10 Mistakes I Made As a First-Time Mom-Part II

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The truth is, I don’t like thinking I made any mistakes at all because I feel like I did the best I could and my first-born is beautiful, smart, and kind. So, I guess I did some things right too. But, a few days ago, I shared the first four in this series. Go here to see that article. What other “mistakes” did I learn from? Here’s a few more to share: 5. Don’t confide in people that you don’t want advice from. I have to say that I am still working on this one too. But, I’m getting so … Continue reading →

Take a Joyride to Radiator Springs at Cars Land

Radiator Springs is officially open for visitation on June 15. That’s the date that Disneyland’s newest park, Cars Land, is open to the public. The official Disney Parks blog has been posting a lot of pictures from Cars Land lately, but what I’ve actually found most informative about the forthcoming park is its own website. I want to refer to Cars Land as Radiator Springs because that’s basically what it is: guests walk right down Route 66 into the small town and they can visit all the shops and residences of the cars that live there. Swing by Fillmore’s Taste-In … Continue reading →

Whole Foods Market Take on Sustainability Part 1

It’s not often that you find a grocery store as dedicated to sustainability as Whole Foods Market. The company actually has a policy on their web page about how they have a vision of how their policy on sustainability can help future generations and how companies, governments, and institutions have a moral imperative to stop doing things to harm individuals and the ecosystem. The policy mentions the following topics: Holistic Thinking in a Conventional World Whole Foods Market mentions how it is dedicated to offering products that are high quality, but have little processing, that are favorable and natural, sold … Continue reading →

Warehouse Store Stock Up Tips

Do you find that using a warehouse store means that your grocery bill is going up not down? It could be the way you are handling your bulk purchase buys, how you are stocking up on them and how you are using them. Here are some tips to help you get everything under control and use warehouse shopping to your advantage to save money. Freeze, Freeze, Freeze If you find yourself with a lot of waste in your food, you’ll need to take action to make sure that items don’t good bad before you can get to them. One way … Continue reading →

The Dog Park: Take Two

When Chihiro was a puppy I took her to the dog park to socialize her. But my experiences there were disheartening; my little puppy was rushed by several much larger dogs upon her entrance each time, and their owners did nothing to hold their dogs back until she adjusted. Add this on top of the fact that my hound dog would rather wander and sniff than bound and play in the fenced-in dog park, and the trip just didn’t seem worth the effort. Two years later things are different. Over the summer Chihiro learned some negative behaviors from a friend’s … Continue reading →

Using the Holidays To Stock Clothing

There are two times of the year when my family tends to get new (or new to us) clothing. The first is during the late spring to early summer, when yard sales and outgrown clothing sales are plentiful. The second is right now, during the holiday season. Here is why. Right now, the holiday sales are almost too good to be true. They will get even better after Christmas, but the selection will dwindle. To determine whether you should shop now or later, consider how desperate you are for certain types of clothing. Can you get by if you don’t … Continue reading →