For some, it may be financially difficult to begin the stockpiling process as there may seem to be no room in the budget to go towards it. Here are some suggestions as to how to overcome that obstacle and to free up some cash allowing you to start maximizing a sale.
1. Eat out of your pantry – for as long as your creativity allows. I did this when i first started meal planning and was amazed that I could almost create a whole meal without going to the store. So dig through those high cupboard shelves and start meal planning around them. For some great recipes check out Stephanie’s blog on crockpotting. She often just weeds through her cupboards and freezer and creates delicious meals.
2. Meatless dinners – Some of your husbands, or you, may balk at the idea of having a vegetarian meal, but remember that it is for a purpose and won’t last forever. Plus, meatless dinners can be delicious and are more common than some think. Try using beans more which are high in protien and extremely inexpensive.
3. Do without a luxury for a month – like skip the Starbucks, eating out, trip to Target, new shoes, etc…. those “little luxuries” add up quickly and could have been money better spent on stockpiling. Maybe you don’t have any “little luxuries”, you might have to do something else like cancel cable or DVR, drive less for the month to save gas money. We can all sacrifice somewhere, this is America after all, we have way too many things we think are “needs”.
4. Sell something – craigslist is an invaluable tool these days for selling things. There is no fee to use their site and it is local only so no shipping cost involved. Hunt around your house for anything you don’t use or need. I just recently sold an exercauser and a wipes warmer so I could have some cash to buy a high chair.
5. Allocate your next bonus – perhaps someone will be receiving a Thanksgiving bonus, or Christmas. Plan now to use some of that money to begin stockpiling. You don’t need that much to start, $30 – $60, depending on how into it you want to get. Just be sure to put a name to every dollar of that bonus so you don’t end up spending more than what you get. In other words, spouses must talk to each other and agree to a plan.
6. Ask for a gift – if extended family ask you for ideas of what you would like for birthdays or Christmas, ask for a Walgreens gift card. It may sound kind of strange to some, but then you won’t have any out of pocket to start the stockpiling at Walgreens.
7. Start small – instead of buying that next tube of toothpaste at Safeway or even Costco, buy it at Walgreens, with a coupon and then get it free after rebate. They most likely will have something you typically buy such as shampoo, toothbrushes, makeup, medicine. Even if you start small each months card will get bigger as you will make a profit by using coupons and getting the 10% back when they put it on a gift card.
8. Pray - I hope that doesn’t sound corny. Seriously, if you are serious about becoming a better steward of God’s money, then He WILL be faithful. You might just be amazed at where the extra money comes from.
