I love having a nice stockpile of food and toiletries that I picked up at amazing prices. I shop the sales and combine coupons and fill my pantry with very little out of pocket. It’s fun for me … most of the time.
When summer rolls around, all five kids are home and we are busy enjoying the sun and spending some quality time together. Cutting coupons and shopping amazing sales always ends up at the bottom of my list. I kind of take a break from couponing during the summer. We are stocked up on many items, that I don’t have to worry about getting in on some sales, I can just let them go. So, during the summer my nice big stockpile kind of get depleted. Want proof?
This is all that is left from my cereal stash. Just random boxes that nobody wants to eat.
See those two empty rows in my Shelf Reliance rack? Those used to be filled with soups, now I am totally out. It’s a good thing fall is coming, that’s usually when we find great deals on soups.
This is all that is left of the shampoo’s. Pretty pathetic, huh? Here is a confession for you: I think I only set foot in a Walgreen’s or Rite Aid once this summer – only once!!
For further proof that I am a coupon slacker over the summer, I am going to show you my coupons.
Here is a photo of just one of my stacks of uncut coupons. I started going through them, and lots of them have already expired. Oh, well!
I weeded out all of the expired coupons in one of my organizers, and this is all that is left. Not much in there, huh?
My whole point of this post is to prove that there are times and seasons for couponing. Summer is definitely not my coupon season! The good news is I have 3 other seasons to stock up, which allows me to take the summer off. It’s all good!
I wasn’t totally undproductive this summer, I did get lots of jam made to use during the fall and winter. YUM!
Plus, more importantly, I spent some quality time with the kids and my husband. That is something coupons can’t buy!
With the kids starting school (all 5 of my kids will be in school this year) I am ready to start stocking up again. I am in need of some serious coupons, so I have decided to buy multiple copies of the Tacoma News Tribune for only $1 each. This will give me some help in getting my stockpile back in order.
I would love to hear if you take some time off from couponing? Please, share your thoughts!
 |
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I completely take the summers off!! Life is too crazy and I just don’t have the time I do during the rest of the year. So my stock pile makes yours look AMAZING! =) I didn’t even go to Walgreens….mostly because my husband teaches near one during the school year and then he doesn’t drive that way working his summer job. He usually is the one that actually SHOPS after I get a detailed list and my coupons in order. Anyway, all that to say…..we are moving the beginning of Oct. (just a few miles away) and I hope to start up sometime after that. But I seriously identify with your entire post!
i love that kashi cereal
lol- my stockpile looks just about the opposite- I think my pantry is on the verge of bursting. BUT I’ve been kind of actively stockpiling so that I can take most of the fall off (I’m due with baby #3 in about a week).
OMG I need a can organizer like that!!! Where did you get it!? I have never seen one… must.have.one.now!
I do the same thing except I got to like Aldi’s once or twice a season and stock up on super cheap things like butter or canned goods and stick them in the freezer or pantry. Its funny because when I run out of something that I usually have a stock of, I get so mad. Last night I was making tacos only to discover that the 9000 packets of taco seasoning I bought have already been used and I had to go to the store during cooking.
Shely, the racks are sold by a company called Shelf Reliance, you can see their products here:
http://www.shelfreliance.com/food-rotation-systems
They are kind of pricey, but they do have sales once an awhile. My husband surprised me with one last year!
I hear you – that’s me, too! Definitely time to get stocked up. Unfortunately I didn’t stock up enough on cereal as we have finally gone thru our stash from the Albertsons deal.
Time to look for more cereal deals.
And yes, I love your organized cans & the special shelf – love to hear more about that!
I am glad to know I am not a slacker. I am a busy mom during the summer. Thankfully there are lots of fall sales to help with the depeleted cereal choices. My kids have been complaining for weeks now that “there is no good cereal—let alone anything else to eat.”
That Shelf Reliance stand is great.. Now I need something to help organize my lotions, toothpaste and shampoo. The first in, first out strategy doesn’t always work for those.. Can you post more pics of how you organize your stockpile??
I love your Shelf Reliance rack. I went to their website…they have some nice things. And, I discovered that Costco sells some of their products. I added some of their things to my Christmas wish list! We are remodeling our kitchen and I would love to have a nice, organized pantry!
I’ve recently taken a break from couponing also. I was feeling kind of bad about it (esp when I had to pay full price for mayo last week!) But I was at my breaking point with everything else on my plate right now…I look forward to getting back in the swing of things when life calms down a bit!
{ 1 trackback }