Nicole

Non-Food Items To Freeze To Save Money!

Hello again, savvy savers! If your anything like me, you are always on the lookout for new ways to save! Today finds us with a new list of things I am currently freezing, all non-food items, to save money in 2015:

Pantyhose: Frozen pantyhose are less likely to develop runs as you are putting them on. The fibers are constricted by the cold and more resistant to handling, which is how many runs occur. Store your hose in the freezer until right before you need to wear a pair, and save $3-$10 a pair, by prolonging the life of your hose!

Batteries: All batteries can be helped by being placed in the freezer, especially rechargeable batteries, as their nickel-metal hydroxide can expect to see a life expectancy extension of 90% or greater! So be sure to store your batteries in the freezer until you need to use them.

Seeds: Seeds stay fresher in a frozen state and often will germinate more effectively after being frozen; please click here to see my seed store post!

Candles: Candles actually burn better, and for longer, if they are lit after being frozen, especially soy and beeswax candles. Store your candles in the freezer until you want to use them. If you will not use them for some time after a special occasion, place them back in the freezer until the next use. The thicker the candle width, the more freezing will extend burning life.

Moisturizers: Keep eye, face, and neck creams and moisturizers in the freezer. Remove them to get what you need, then place them back inside. Your creams and moisturizers last longer and work more effectively, for up to five years.

Dust Mites: If you or someone in your family has a dust mite allergy, put pillows, curtains, small rugs, pillowslips, stuffed animals, linens and other small mite-infested items into sealed plastic bags and then into the freezer for at least 24 hours, will kill those pesky little buggers. If your child has lice, you can put no-wash items in the freezer to kill the lice.

Denim: Don’t wash your raw, dark rinse denim pants, and instead freeze them for twenty-four hours to kill any bacteria or mites just as well as washing them can.

Hard Drives: If you experience a hard drive crash, place the hard drive into a sealed plastic bag, then place it in the freezer for 5 hours. Remove, replace, restart your computer and quickly back up your data; the low freezer temperatures allow heat damaged files to be accessed, only until the drives come to room temperature.

Sealed Envelopes: If you need to re-open sealed envelopes, place the sealed envelope in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Then gently insert your finger beneath a corner of the seal and open it. This method also allows stamps to be removed from mail, too!

Here’s to saving,

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No Spend Month Challenge Day 18: How to Sell on eBay!

Hello again, savvy savers! A new day, a new daily challenge, as part of our No-Spend Month Challenge!

So as this week we will be focusing on selling the items we cleared out of our home last week, today I want to focus on eBay sales!

So why eBay?

eBay is a popular shopping website where individuals and businesses can buy and sell new and second-hand items.

You’ll need:

a computer with an internet connection
a credit or debit card.

Here’s how to start selling on eBay:

Go to the eBay website.
You can only buy or sell on eBay if you’re registered, so if you don’t have an account, now is the time to create one. If you’re new to eBay, click register above the eBay logo.
If you’re already registered, click Sign in, enter your user ID, then your password, and you will be logged in; you can then skip to Step 5.
To register, you’ll need to fill out details such as your name, email address and chosen password.
Click the blue Submit button at the bottom of the screen.
A confirmation email will be mailed to you.
Check for this email.
Click Continue if you are happy to proceed, within the email prompts.
You will be taken back to the eBay homepage, and your seller account is completed!

How To List An Item For Sale:

Click on Sell at the top of the screen, and a ‘Update your information’ page will open.
Complete your address information and click Continue.
You will now be taken to a new page where you can start to list your item for sale.
Type the name of the item you want to sell in the box provided and click Get started.
A new page will open with step-by-step instructions on how to create your listing, including how to give your item a clear, specific title and how to upload a photo.
It will also show you how much money it will cost to list your item; these fees will be added to your sellers account, payable monthly.
Once you’ve filled in all the details for your listing, click List with displayed fees at the bottom of the screen.
A new page will open. Here you’ll see how your listing will look before it’s posted on eBay.
Click Continue if you’re happy with the way it looks.

How To Edit A Sale Listing:

Click Edit listing if you want to make any changes.
A new page will open asking you for extra information. Click Continue.
Review your account information, check the box and click Continue if it is correct.
eBay will then verify your information.
You will then be asked to verify your phone number. Click the Call me now button and an automated service will call to give you your PIN. Once you have this, enter it into the PIN field and click Continue.
You will then need to log back in.
When you sell items on eBay, the website charges a small fee. You now need to choose how you will pay any fees. Select the payment type you wish to use; credit card or paypal, and continue.
If you chose to pay via PayPal, you will now need to agree to the PayPal user agreement. When you have read it, click I agree.
A new page will open giving you the chance to review your listing again.
Your item is now posted!

A few tips:

Start with no more than 10 items; this will lessen your chance of any listings being reviewed by bots.
Click Track your listing in My eBay to see if anyone is bidding for or buying your item.
You can also click My eBay at the top of the screen at any time to look at these details.
Potential buyers may ask you questions about your item via email, so answer them promptly to ensure you get good feedback later.
You may receive haggle offers, but you are not forced to accept any offer.

When an item sells:

When your item is sold, you’ll receive an email from eBay.
Go back to ‘My eBay’ and click Sold.
There you’ll see the name of your item as well as the price it sold for.
Click Send payment details to send your buyer an invoice, which PayPal prepares automatically if you’re using that method of payment.
Once the payment has been received, you’ll receive an email from PayPal.
Go to the PayPal website and enter your email address and password to log in to your PayPal account.
Always promptly mail parcels, as soon as possible.
Always mail items with SIGNATURE CONFIRMATION delivery options; this avoid people charging back offers for non-receipt of items, once you’ve mailed a parcel.
Always offer a “no-refund” policy, except if an item is grossly misrepresented, and list items as no-shipping refunds, no return refunds, too; this prevents mailing scam issues.
Always list shipping tracking numbers on both eBay and Paypay.

So, that’s it. That’s how to successfully sell on eBay! So, naturally… today I challenge you to:

Crate an eBay/Paypal account.
List 10 items.
Have fun selling!

So, be sure to check back tonight for a recap of today’s challenge!

Here’s to saving,

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Battle of the Bulge: Budget-Style: DIY Home Gym!

Hello again, savvy savers! It’s time again for another Battle Of The Bulge, Budget-Style post!

As always, this series will focusing on ways to live a healthier, more active lifestyle while be able to afford clean, organic, obtainable foods! I believe this series can be worthwhile for many, who like myself, wish to get more in shape, not through crash-dieting but by small attainable lifestyle changes! With that said, here is where I am currently: I have a family history of high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. I am looking to lose 60lbs., find affordable non-gym membership options for working out, and change the way I consume food; this includes meals, snacks, and splurges!

Here’s where I am today:

I am 32 years young
5’6”,
Weight 191 lbs; I am down two pounds since last week.

Ways I’ve used to workout this past week:

I walk my dogs.
Continued yoga and meditation.
Using a pedometer
Portioning my meals
Measure myself monthly using seamstress tape

So for those who may know know, I used to be in shape. I played tennis, took jazz, ballet lessons, and would walk for miles on end at the beach. That, of course, was then. That was before life piled up. A decade of graduations, working, saving, relocating, marrying, and general laziness began to take its toll, on my health and life.

As the years wore on into my twenties, exercise became less important, less frequent. Injuries began to take their toll, starting with my ankle, then a diabetes diagnosis, and further limiting my activity, working from a home office upwards of twelve hours a day. The predictable result is that today I am but a shadow—a soft, blurry-edged, crusty shadow—of my 120-lb tones, svelte frame of yore.

While I’ve made my peace with my life-work-toil life at home, the overall dénouement of hitting the big 3-0 and beyond, occasionally when Facebook posts photos of “this was your life, many moons ago” wall posts, I can’t help wondering: What went wrong?

So, just this last month, during DH and myself’s weekly to-do chat, we decided to set up a home gym, in what was formerly my home office.

So, the idea of a home gym intrigued me. I know myself, I loath working out in front of others. So if I could in some small way both turn back the clock just a bit on my health, it would be worth it. But what would it take? How much would it cost? And where would I even start?

As a savvy saver I know that it’s universally know that the best time of year to buy workout equipment is in the quarter post-Christmas, when stores are trying to cash in on consumer self-inflicted New Year’s weight lose resolutions, but I needed a home gym today, post-haste! I also didn’t want to re-create my grandmothers, 1990’s fossilized, cliché home gym equipped with a dusty elliptical trainer, sit up machine, and every as-seen-on-tv unit money could afford! So, one thing was for sure, this would be a gym-on-a-dime operation.

So, here are the steps I’ve used to help implement my new home gym:

1) A Room with a View: It’s hard to get a workout in when you’re beset by screaming kids or overflowing laundry hampers. You want a dedicated room with a door that you can close off from the rest of your home, so your workout isn’t interrupted.

2) Accessories: To make my room more inviting I’ve planned to add a full length mirror to a door, to self-monitor my progress, and have wifi speakers put in to focus on my workouts and not the rest of my home.

3) Think small: All you truly need is a smaller room, with adequate lighting, and cleared space. In my workout room, I have nearly floor length windows for lighting, foam gym mat packs ($20.98 from Sam’s Club, which covers 24 square feet, per pack) for flooring, neutral colored walls, mini blinds,and that’s it for space customization’s.

4) Time: Consider the realistic amount of time you will actually use your gym. Are you going to work out for an hour a day, occasional training, or a set regime every few days. I plan to immolate a core training circuit; a 30-Minute daily, morning (between 6-7 am) Research-Based Workout Exercise system.

5) What Are You Training For? Okay, you’ve got your space, with or without mirrors, stereo, and floor mat. What about the actual exercise equipment? What you buy should depends on your objectives—weight loss, cardio fitness, strength training, or some combination thereof—but it’s not quite as simple as that. You will also need pieces to help with weight lose plateaus, such as Pilates, jump ropes, etc. as after three weeks or so your body adjusts and you stop losing weight. A general rule of thumbs is a combination of cardio and resistance training is best for weight loss and overall fitness—even though that message itself is sometimes resisted. Especially for women, the above mentioned extras will help with what we need most, toning.

6) Dumb and Dumber: As my husband, a former US Army Sargent advised me early on, every home gym must be equipped with a full set of dumbbells and kettle-bells. Shop for the three weights you think you’ll use most often, 5, 10 and 15 lb bells for women. What’s nice, is that each piece can be purchased for under $7.00 each at mass retailers. Also, dumbbells store easily, on a small table or bench, and with the right glute and leg exercises, you will not need to purchase expensive rowing or leg machines for your home gym.

7) Second hand first: So, first thing is first, you need a home gym budget. After my husband and I settled on having a $500.00 home gym budget, we planned to purchase mostly, second hand equipment for our home gym. Thus far we have found an elliptical on a local Facebook group for $20.00, a stationary bike for $10.00, and free jump ropes, resistance bands, yoga ball, and dumbbell bench. We still plan to buy a treadmill, weight bench, and finish outfitting out dumbbell and kettle bells. Also consider looking at Freecycle, Craigslist, and Penny Savers for additional sources of gym equipment.

8) Think outside the gym: In order to help me with one of my more pressing issues, poor posture, I plan to invest in a stability ball as a replacement for my home office chair. What’s nice about this option, is that for under $30.00 online, this call will allow you to do abdominal crunches, squats, hamstring curls, body bridges, as well as preform basic office functions, too!

So, there are my plans and tips for starting a home gym at home. If any of my readers have a gym at home already, and have some tips for revamping my above mentioned plans, I’d love to hear about them.

Here’s to your health,

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Meal Plan Monday (8/17-8/23/15)

Happy Monday, savvy savers! This week is starting off to a sunny, and not-so humid start here in Dixie. This weeks menu is going to be a little different, as it will consist of consist of not only Cupboard Clearing ideas, but we will be “rolling one meat,” smoked chicken breast, from one meal to the next! Please note, the chicken being “rolled” in this weeks menu is Tyson frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breast 6 lb. packs, purchased at Sam’s Club last month for $3.50 each; this was part of a Plus Members monthly savings program deal. The cost of this weekly menu is only $19.56, and it feeds a family of four.

Here’s what we purchased this week:

Winn-Dixie:

4 Jumex Juices, $0.49 each
Candied Orange & Lemon Peel Tubs, $0.25 each
Ripe Banana Bags, 2/lb for $0.39
2 Marshmallow Fluff Cups, $0.39 each
(2) 1-Liter Coke Bottles, $0.99 each; Submitted for a $1.00 iBotta App, and only paid $0.50 after rebates
2 Zapp’s Chips, 2/$2.00
2 lb bag of Cabbage, $0.49/lb
3 bags of Yaki Nori, $1.00 each
Tomato, $0.89 each; submitted for $0.25 Checkout51 Credit
2 cloves garlic, 2/$1.00
2 Tubs Move Over Butter, $1.19 each
1 Quart Fat Free Land-O-Lakes Hal and Half, $1.39
1 cucumber $0.50; submitted for SavingStar 20% back credit
1 Box of Jiffy Corn Bread Mix, $1.19; submitted for full rebate back on SavingStar
3 pound bag of Bolthouse Carrots, $1.29
EarthBound Farms Salad Tub, $3.99; used $1.00 Earthbound Farms Coupon

This weeks shopping total was: $20.76 for $81.23 worth of groceries; I paid with a gifted American Express gift card, to stay within the No-Spend Month guidelines.

Monday
Breakfast: Strawberry, blueberry, and Almond Milk Smoothies.
Lunch: Almonds, celery, carrot sticks, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Almonds, and Gala Apple Slices.
Dinner: Smoked chicken breast wraps, with Roma mottoes, spinach, feta, and Greek dressing; served with with Diet Cola.
Dessert: Sugar-Free Dulce de Leche pudding cups, with strawberries.

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cereal, with Almond milk.
Lunch: Chicken taco roll-ups; in lieu of taco shells I use Romaine Lettuce Sheets; served with crystal light.
Snack: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Freezer Cooking Chicken and Dumplings (modified using smoked chicken); served with steamed broccoli and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Gluten-Free Brownies.

Wednesday
Breakfast: Baked Frittata Cups (chicken substituted for sausage); served with Almond Milk.
Lunch: Chicken salad, with walnuts and grapes; served with diet cola.
Snack: Grapes and string cheese.
Dinner: Crockpot Chicken Curry; steamed peas, steamed rice, and crystal light.
Dessert: Gluten-Free brownie sugar-free ice cream sandwhiches.

Thursday
Breakfast: Homemade Greek Yogurt topped with Strawberries; served with Unsweetened Almond milk.
Lunch: Chicken salad, with walnuts and grapes; served with diet cola.
Snack: Almonds, and Gala Apple Slices.
Dinner: Stuffed smoked chicken breast sandwiches (breasts split open, stuffed with sliced provolone cheese single, and grilled); served with sweet Potato Fries and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Brownie flurries with leftover brownies.

Friday
Breakfast: Baked Frittata Cups (chicken substituted for sausage); served with Almond Milk.
Lunch: Chicken taco roll-ups; in lieu of taco shells I use Romaine Lettuce Sheets; served with crystal light.
Snack: Strawberries and two pieces of Sugar Free Chocolate; candy is used as melted drizzle for berries.
Dinner: Crockpot Orange Chicken with Almonds, Steamed Peas, and crystal light.
Dessert: Diet Coca-Cola slushies.

Saturday
Breakfast: Cereal, with Almond milk.
Lunch: Crockpot Orange Chicken with Almonds, Steamed Peas, and crystal light.
Snacks: String Cheese and grapes.
Dinner: Chicken mole; served with steamed rice, corn, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Sugar-Free Dulce de Leche Cups.

Sunday
Breakfast: Homemade Greek Yogurt topped with Strawberries; served with Unsweetened Almond milk.
Lunch: Stuffed smoked chicken breast sandwiches; served with sweet Potato Fries and Crystal Light.
Snack: Almonds, and Gala Apple Slices.
Dinner: Chicken mole; served with steamed rice, corn, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Diet Coca-Cola slushies.

This weeks Sunday prep:

This week I wanted to make room in my deep freeze for a cyclical end-of-summer sale on corn, squash, and bell peppers (which will go on sale at the end of August). So, I set out to make several new crockpot-ready freezer meals, made from stockpiled veggies, pork roast, and chicken breasts already on hand.
I prepped three meals; Chicken Curry, BBQ Chicken, and Cranberry Pork Roast.
Also, prepping a weeks worth of breakfasts and lunches on Sunday’s, can be another way save a half hour of time each day time during the week for yourselves; I also find that this helps with my diet as having prepped snacks, ready and on hand, deters me from reaching for not-so-healthy options.
I checked out this weeks sales ads, and made a shopping list accordingly; this also includes adding, sorting, and organizing coupons too!

So, that’s what we will be having this week. I’d love to hear what’s on your menu as well!

Here’s to Monday meals,

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Gardening on a Budget: How to Buy & Care For Mums!

Hello again, savvy savers! this weekend is a very, very slow weekend in my garden, as the last of my summer plants are now being weeded and tilled under. The humidity of late summer is long since past, and how the time turns to focus on winter preparation.

Beyond this score, my husband and I are spending time this weekend raking leaves, mowing our lawn, and the final weeding session of the year for out Chrysanthemum beds.

However, one area of garden happiness for me this week is that my discounted chrysanthemums, purchased from Walmart last Autumn for $0.50 a plant, have doubled in size and are starting to bloom for the fall, and within the next month will be gorgeous; I planted the bed in rotating patterns of orange, yellow, and white to mimic candy corn!

Here are a few tips for those looking to get started caring for their mums this year:

1) As well, generally speaking, its best to buy mums as soon as night temps drop into the fifties, by mid-September. This is, of course, the rule unless you live below the Mason-Dixon line, in which case Back-to-School sales also signal the time to buy mums!

2) So, you may be thinking, which plants to buy? The answer is simple. Buy the colors and varieties best zoned for your area, with the only overall area of caution is to buy plants only as they start to break bud. You’ll maximize bloom time. Another trick, to make sure you are buying the right color and variety, be sure to match the blooms-to-tags, to find the color and type of flower you’re after. Always check plant tags with their handy cross-referenced blooms to avoid stock and shock error; garden centers usually group like selections together, but errors can happen.

3) You will stretch your saving-saving dollar by choosing darker shades, such as bronze and burgundy as spent, wilted flowers are less noticeable. The same is true for mums with double, as opposed to single, daisy-like blooms, especially for yellow and white varieties.

4) Like hair, lattes, and mums, bigger IS better! Inevitably, what you see in-store, is what you will get for the rest of the growing season. So, to ensure your displays are top notch, buy the bigger plant.

5) Once buds start to open on mums, you’re pretty much-guaranteed flowers―no matter where you display them.

6) Your mum’s soil must stay be moist, but never sopping wet. Check daily while the weather is warm, especially in the deep south, and then every other day when it’s cooler. If plants dry out, submerge in a bucket of water, or jab a sharp pencil into the soil several times and then water.

7) Fertilizing is not necessary for mums; though compost can be applied post-growing season, every other year.

8) Always remove faded mum blooms to encourage even more buds to open, and you’ll have color through October.

9) For those with mums planted in-ground, early August is the time to stop plucking blooms off of plants, start concentrated feedings, add new mulch, and let the growing season commence for your mums.

10) Chrysanthemums grow best and produce the most vibrant array of flowers if they are planted in full sunshine. They respond to plenty of food and moisture.

Be sure to recap:

There are hundreds of varieties of Chrysanthemums, giving you a multitude of options for height, color, flower size and time of bloom.
If you live above the Mason-Dixon line, purchase the earlier bloomers.
Mums can be started as seeds, from cuttings and dividing, or can be purchased at a nursery in sizes from bedding plants up to gallon size and larger plants.
They should be planted into well prepared, fertile, sandy soil.
By Thanksgiving, pluck all of your mum blossoms off of your plants, so that they can start their natural dormancy stage this winter.
Water mums weekly, fertilize monthly with liquid plant food.
At the end of the season, generally, post-Thanksgiving, cut back plants to four inches, and re-mulch your beds a second time, to prevent winter frost.

So, those are my tips for growing mums. If you have any mum care tips, pictures, or advice, shoot me an email or leave me a message and I’d love to feature you next week on my weekly gardening post. If you have tips for caring for your mums at home, please share with me below!

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August No-Spend Month Challenge Day 16: Selling on Facebook Local Groups

Hello again, savvy savers! I hope you are all well rested, and ready for a new No-spend Challenge! So, for today we will tackle selling on Facebook.

So, why Facebook? Well, it’s super simple to sell your unwanted stuff on Facebook local Buy, Sell, or Trade groups. So, today I am challenging you to look for Facebook sale groups in your area to post, sell, and profit from your household items, clothing, sporting goods, and baby items.

You might consider the following great benefits to selling locally on Facebook:

On Facebook, you set your price and there’s no one taking a cut of your sale price or charging you to host your listing.
You can set your own preferred method of payment.
You also have the opportunity to become part of a community where people are looking for bargains as much as others are looking to declutter their homes.

So, if you decide to start selling, here are a few tips to get you started:

Search for your state or region and the word “sell” or “buy” to find local buy/sell/trade groups.
If there are none, you can always start one and get the word out in your community!
You may find that many of the groups are closed, so you’ll have to ask permission to join, and others only accept certain types of listings.
Many have strict listing requirements and limits on how many items you can try to sell per day in order to stave off spammers and scam artists.
Be sure to check out each group/administration rules prior to joining.
Once you are a local group member, list your own items for sale, and set your own prices.

Once you have items listed for sale, here are some pointers to keep in mind when negotiating locally:

Be sure to note whether you’re willing to ship something, or—in the case of furniture or large electronics or appliances—whether you’d rather the buyer come pick it up.
Be specific in your pricing and listings; do not use vague terminology, such as “make me an offer.”
Be prompt in answering questions, commenting on posts, as well as taking down notices for sold items.
Always check your “other” folder in Facebook messenger; those whom you are not friends with, will have messages posted to this folder, so be sure to check it often to not miss out on any awesome offers of sale!
Every 24 hours you can “bump” a listing, an action which will automatically move a listing to the top of the groups wall by typing “bump” in the comment section under your listing; this can be done once per item, per group, per 24-hour period.
Be courteous. Allow users to ask questions, and then try and sell to the first inquiry before continuing down your list.
Don’t be afraid of offers or hagglers. Know your items worth, not it’s sentimental value. In order to make a sale, you must be willing to negotiate on price; this doesn’t mean accepting insulting, low-ball offers, but reasonable offers.
When scheduling a pick-up time, schedule your drop offs in a well lit, public place, and bring a friend or family member with you. Also, if selling multiple items, have your buyers come in 15 minute increments to avoid wasting gas and time waiting on buyers who may be no-shows!
Have fun! This goes without saying you should have fun, even when selling goods!

So today, I challenge you to start selling your items on Facebook using these steps:

Set a small goal, say $100.00 in value, or ten items to sell.
Find a local Facebook Group.
Join your group.
Prep your items for sale; make sure items are clean, ready for pick-up, sorted, and photographed.
Be patient! Sales take time.

So, for today’s challenge I did the following:

Overall, I set a goal to sell $100.00 on Facebook.
I listed ten clothing items, several new with tags (NWT).
I have also already made arrangement for pick-up, and so my items are now listed as pending pick-up (PPU).
I made sure to set my Facebook setting to notify me of all new messages, so that I can quickly check messages on my pc, laptop, iPad, and iPhone quickly. I am a third done selling, and have thus far potentially earned $78.00!
I feel that I am quickly going to make my selling goal!
I also cross listed items into several other local groups, and a local vintage group, too!

As well today I was also able to accomplish:

As part of my #Choose30 Daily Challenge, I woke up at 7:25, walked my fur babies, showered, & dressed to my shoes. (Thanks, Flylady!)
Worked on my daily Motivated Moms Planner.
I finished a day’s worth of clerking assignments ahead of schedule!
I cooked from my pantry for each meal.
Read my daily devotional.
I waked two miles.

Yesterday I saved:

I eat at home this evening for dinner, saving our family $6.95.
I recycled, upcycled, and composted one bins of deluge, and saved $0.25, the cost of 1 trash bag.
I cooked three meals from my home pantry, saving $6.81 in the process.
My family drank water today, and saved $0.69, the cost of a 2-liter of soda.
I also did not watch cable tv, and saved $3.68 by doing so.
I lost a half day’s worth of electricity costs, and saved $3.00!
I earned a $200.00 tax receipt from donating goods to local charities.

Total amount I saved my family: $21.38

This months savings goal remaining: +$21.38

Here’s to saving,

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August No-Spend Challenge Day 15: Save Money By Organizing Your Stockpile!

Good morning, savvy savers! Can you believe we are almost half-way finished with this No-Spend Month! WooHoo! So, today will be the final day of this months No-Spend Challenge Cleaning projects!

Today I want to focus on one of the most neglected areas in my home, and perhaps yours, my couponed stockpile. Yes, the cave of Frugal Wonders! My stockpile, housed in my homes basement, though it’s well lit, houses many built-in shelving features, the area still seems to always be in need of rearranging, sorting, and cleaning! The one saving grace of this area, the exhilarating feeling I get each time I am able to gaze over my shelves, from the shampoo to the paper products, and then proceed to “shop from my home!”

My stockpile, though hard earned, is an immense blessing to my home. And as they say, to whom much is given, much is asked, and this rule equally applies to my stockpile! My stockpile saves my family thousands of dollars a year, but I must honestly admit is the most neglected area in my home. But no more! So today, I challenge you all to clean up your stockpile!

Here are a few tips to get you started:

Rotate your stockpile. “Rotating your stockpile” means rotating your stockpile per season. You will need to place goods in order of expiration date, my seasonal usage, as well as keeping climate into consideration; you may need to start storing it in one location for summer and another location for winter, in terms of baking tools, cans, chemicals, etc..
Long Term Storage: If you plan to store any item for longer than a week or two, you need to know its long-term storage requirements. Some items will only last months or longer if stored in a cool, dry place. Some items must be stored in a refrigerated or frozen environment in order to last longer. Make lists, and create sub-areas in your stockpile; examples are canned goods, cosmetics, paper products, etc.
Take Note of Patterns: Start a list of your product usage, this will allow you to see what you need, will use in a years time, and what should be donated accordingly. Unused goods are cash wasted.
Last Forever Items: Nothing lasts forever. Even goods such as bottled water, start to have an altered taste after a decade, so keep this in mind.
Canned and Preserved Goods: Keep inventory and note the dates of home-preserved items; a rule of thumbs is to keep items no longer than eighteen month.
Pests: Pests love your stockpile, almost as much as you do! Be sure to check goods monthly, especially in Summer, and any goods that look altered, chuck immediately!
Dehumidifier: Humidity can alter and mold many goods, so consider running a dehumidifier twice weekly. When able purchase an energy saving dehumidifier with accumulated survey gift cards for free, then deduct part of the cost off your tax return; the deductible amount will pay for the power used to dehumidify your stockpile space!

So, all-in-all, not bad for a mornings work! Keep in mind, this project took me a little less than three hours, during which time I was able to clean out three shelves of goods, and the best part… I assembled sixteen boxes worth of goods which are being donated today to a local women’s shelter and homeless pantry! This project took three hours, I was able to clean out three shelves of goods, and the best part… I assembled sixteen boxes worth of goods which are being donated today to a local women’s shelter and homeless pantry! Also, if you chose to donate goods to a registered non-for-profit with a 501 (c3) tax status, you can claim your goods at half the current market pricing value (so be sure to price goods, save receipts, and use price point guides as you prep items for donation), and the tax receipt you receive can ultimately reimburse you for all of the good, gas, ink, and paper expenses for your coupons thus far this year! Woohoo!

I have to admit, donating goods is an awesome feeling, but cleaning out my stockpile did take a good bit of work… because I’m a definite a stockpiler with clutter tendencies! The problem is for me, that I never seem to realize I have an issue with stockpile clutter, until the stockpile is well established and taking over multiple places in our home.

Keep in mind, three years ago I started off with a small shelf about three and a half feet long, but now I have a pantry, a set of five shelves, designated basement space, two build in cabinets, two refrigerators, and a deep freezer! This is in addition to the personal hygiene items are hiding in the bathroom cabinets.

You may think that stockpiling is 100% beneficial because of the money you’ve saved, but this is only until you find yourself drowning in groceries and perishable items! So, with this in mind… here are a few additional tips to help keep the clutter out of your stockpile going forward.

Not Having A Stockpile Limit: Your stockpile is out of control when it exceeds your storage space, period. If your stockpile is getting out of control, simply redesign your storage space. I looked at my available storage space and made a vow not to exceed my limits again. If you have a small space to work with for your stockpile, limit your goods by checking expiration dates, and anything that is set to expire in the next season, donate to a local charity, food pantry, or women’s shelter in your area.
Don’t Keep Items Past Their Expiration Date: Keeping your stockpile clear of expired foods will save space, money, and prevent you from eating stale, not so tasty foods. To prevent this, simply create a spread sheet or clipboard chart, and whenever you purchase a vast quantity of goods, write down their dates, and check over your sheet seasonally. Also, be sure to rotate goods quarterly so you are consuming or utilizing set-to-expire goods sooner than later—this will also allow you to evaluate what you have, and how much you’re actually using, before you go out and buy more in-store.
Don’t Stockpile Goods You Won’t Use/Donate: Items thrown away, is always equivalent to throwing cash down the drain. To prevent this, simply remember that all sales are cyclical and are guaranteed to rear their heads again within 3-4 months time. Also, when you are able to score freebies with deals, rebates, and coupons in-store, consider only purchasing goods you will be able to use with 12 months, or will donate within 6 months.
Weatherize Your Stockpile: One of the pitfalls of stockpiling is the location of your storage. Certain foods have to be stored in specific temperatures or not exposed to excessive heat. Not storing items at the proper temperature can cause food to expire more quickly and go to waste. A rule of thumbs, foods that are susceptible to insects or heat, such as most baked supplies can be bagged and frozen. Also, please click here to read my post on which goods from you stockpile can be winterized this season, too!
Give Your Stockpile A Safety Inspection: The most important thing to remember, stockpiles serve families, and should be safely stored for all members of your family, human and fur-babies alike. If the stockpile is stacked so high that items could fall and hit you on the head—it’s not safe. If your stockpile blocks a path you would need to exit in case of a fire—it’s a fire hazard. If you have flammable products near a fireplace or gas stove—you guessed it, a hazard! Organize goods in a safe, usable, functional manner.

I hope these tips will help you keep your stockpile organized, usable, safe, and secure! And if you have any stockpile tips, I’d love to hear about them in a comment below!

As well today I was also able to accomplish:

As part of my #Choose30 Daily Challenge, I woke up at 7:25, walked my fur babies, showered, & dressed to my shoes. (Thanks, Flylady!)
Worked on my daily Motivated Moms Planner, before heading out this morning.
Read my daily devotional.

Yesterday I saved:

I received a $200.00 tax receipt for donating goods to charity.
I also did not watch cable tv, and saved $3.68 by doing so.
Ate from my weekly menu, three times, and saved $8.91.

Total amount I saved my family: $212.59

This months savings goal remaining: $0.00! ($1,079.75 saved thus far)

So, how is your week looking? What are you saving this week, I’d love to hear about it!

Here’s to saving,

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