constanz22
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Post by constanz22 on Jun 29, 2011 6:19:26 GMT -5
I, too, keep a pretty healthy stockpile, probably bigger than most/many single people. I spend little or no money on what I buy, other than tax, so, especially if it's non-perishable, I will stock up. My stockpile of HBA is pretty large, not so huge with food. I don't get a lot of the same deals or have many of the same stores that others seem to really be able to stockpile at, so, I do what I can. I do have a "stockpile room" sort of, a couple shelves along the wall in my spare bedroom. As some others have stated, I consider my stockpile part of my emergency fund. If I were to lose my job, I wouldn't have to buy ANYTHING, other than milk and bread for MONTHS. I give extra items to family, my low-income clients, and donate to charity. I also sell some of my stockpile at a summer yard sale, making far more than I have spent for those items (I have no use for men's bodywash, deoderant, etc, which has been free a lot lately, and have more toothpaste that the stores have paid ME to take, that I wouldn't use it in a lifetime). I sell them for $1-2 each, so, it's a win-win for everyone. I am NOWHERE near the "extreme" couponer freaks on the show. I don't think I've ever bought more than a few of the same item in a store in one transaction. I don't buy coupons. I get ONE newspaper and will sometimes buy a second if the coupons are really good. I sometimes get one or two sets from coworkers. That's all I need to keep a really healthy stockpile. I do not have a lot of waste and I do not use more of something just because I have it on hand. I hate wasting ANYTHING. I agree that this JIT principle does not apply, at all, to what we do. We don't have actual "money" tied up in the stockpile. If someone wants to let me invest my ECB's, RR's and UP's, then maybe we can talk
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2011 11:07:57 GMT -5
I buy things when they are free, like toothpaste or when the price hits rock bottom, like soda. For the soda I buy the amount I need until the sale comes again. Why would I pay $4-$5 depending on the store every other week when I can buy it once every three months for $2.50 each?
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 29, 2011 11:32:44 GMT -5
I guess the crux here is that I have never, one single time been able to get "free" products, unless you count buy-on-get-one, but that isn't really free, it is really two for half price. I would have to dedicate at least some amount of time to finding these deals.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 29, 2011 11:41:35 GMT -5
My best example of JIT is soda. If you buy a 2-liter bottle of soda for 99 cents, you will get not quite 3 x 12 oz glasses. What a deal! Let's say a can of pop is 75 cents and you get 1 x 12 oz serving. So, right off the bat, you are saving $1.07. However, let's say you crack open that 2 liter bottle and pour yourself a glass full. Uh-oh, your glass is actually 16 oz, so you just consumed more calories than you had originally planned, and eaten up a bit of your savings, just by not accurately measuring. The next day you open the fridge to get an apple, but the pop is there, staring you in the face, so you decide to pour yourself a cup. If the 2-liter wasn't open, you wouldn't have had soda at all, but an apple and a glass of water - so you just consumed another bit of your profit. Then, you go off and go about your life, and whatever happens and 2 weeks later, you dig to the back of your fridge and you find a half-drunk, 2-liter bottle of completely flat and disgusting soda, so you toss it out. Did you really save $1.07, or did you actually waste 24 cents?
I agree with Dancinmama that JIT examples work best with food. I also go with the chips example. If I buy a bag of chips at the grocery store, we eat them all and then go another 3 months without buying chips. If I buy a bag of chips at Costco for the exact same price, but I get twice as much, we eat them all and then go another 3 months without buying chips. Did I really save money, or did I just get fat for the same price.
I also agree with Dancinmama that if you are couponing, etc. and getting free product JIT might not be for you. But for normal people that are busy and don't spend several hours a week horking every coupon and driving all over town to get this bargin at that store, etc. JIT has some validity.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 29, 2011 11:49:25 GMT -5
JIT inventory example...
You get an awesome coupon for toothpaste, so you go to the store and pay 50 cents for 10 tubes. $5 total. Then you discover that the whitening ingredient makes your teeth sensitive and your dentist tells you to use something else. You have now wasted $5.
You get an awesome deal for really expensive, high quality shampooo. You buy 10 bottles for $2 each. $20 total. Then you get cancer and your hair falls out. Or, you are my Dad and get male pattern baldness and your hair falls out. You now have 10 bottles of shampoo just sitting around, reminding you how hairless you are.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2011 11:56:06 GMT -5
thyme, what about I get "paid" to get the toothpaste. I needed paper towels, checked iheartcvs.com and there were cheap towels there and a toothpaste that was pay 2.75 get $2 in EB. I had a $1 off coupon so I paid 1.75 plus tax and got the $2 coupon. Turned around a bought the towels. Why would I not get the toothpaste?
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 29, 2011 12:01:13 GMT -5
I've already conceeded that if you are spending your time finding all sorts of crazy deals where you get stuff for free that JIT doesn't make sense on those items. I've stated this is for normal people who don't spend several hours a week finding coupons, deals, and making multiple trips to multiple stores to plan out and get these deals.
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Clever Username
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Post by Clever Username on Jun 29, 2011 12:11:36 GMT -5
Phil, can you apply it toward a household "operation", please? Sure. If you keep a continuous $2500 'rolling' inventory of frozen meat, 100 cans of canned goods, TP, paper towels, sugar, flour, cases of bottled water, tooth paste, etc - you lose the 5% or 10%/yr return on the $2500 that you get from your favorite money storage place. That 10% inventory cost offsets the 10% discount that you got by buying in bulk, ie, a minimal gain if any. Plus the other things that thyme4change mentioned - waste due to abundant supplies, obsolescence (someone may grow to hate Crest or A&W Rootbeer halfway thru the year), etc. phil: Your example does not hold water. Most people who stockpile would not do so for a mere 10% discount. Most people who stockpile in the way that has been addressed in the OP, usually do so at 100% savings or very close to it. For those people, using a JIT strategy would result in a huge fiscal loss. Wouldn't you agree? Dancin, you seem hell bent on your conclusion, that's not a good mindset for analysis. But if you need numbers, back calculate you cost of acquisition of this stockpile. The same way the business example would include costs for the purchasing agent to buy the stuff, put a dollar on your own head. You seem quite skilled at this, what would you charge hourly if TLC decided to contract you our as a coupon consultant? I'd guestimate $10 to $20 per hour. Now, how long does it take to buy the way you buy? I put little effort towards coupon culture and I yield little returns. You don't get things free by magic. I also get all my groceries all at once, all at one store pretty much. Some of the resources I've seen hinted at seem pretty automated, so your costs might be pretty low, but you can't argue that there are no costs. Just for fun, be sure to add in the "lifestyle costs" involved. This thread amusingly shows that you're willing to spend your time and effort to fight like a honey badger to promote the lifestyle you've chosen.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on Jun 29, 2011 12:29:50 GMT -5
I guess the crux here is that I have never, one single time been able to get "free" products, unless you count buy-on-get-one, but that isn't really free, it is really two for half price. I would have to dedicate at least some amount of time to finding these deals. thyme: Yes, some time is required; however, one you have gotten past the learning curve, it really doesn't take very much time at all especially since there are so many internet resources that do most of the work for you.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on Jun 29, 2011 13:27:50 GMT -5
phil: Your example does not hold water. Most people who stockpile would not do so for a mere 10% discount. Most people who stockpile in the way that has been addressed in the OP, usually do so at 100% savings or very close to it. For those people, using a JIT strategy would result in a huge fiscal loss. Wouldn't you agree? Dancin, you seem hell bent on your conclusion, that's not a good mindset for analysis. On the contrary. phil brought up the investment costs of couponing vs JIT. From an investment prospective, getting products for free and taking the savings and applying them to increasing debt payoff or to increasing contributions to a 401k etc. definitely has a benefit way beyond what most people would even give consideration.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 29, 2011 13:35:34 GMT -5
No, he did not. He brought up the investment cost of stockpiling vs. JIT. You are the only one who thinks that every single item in every single stockpile in every household was free. Many people stockpile with fairly insignificant discounts. Those people are the ones that are losing the most money.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on Jun 29, 2011 13:42:21 GMT -5
phil: Your example does not hold water. Most people who stockpile would not do so for a mere 10% discount. Most people who stockpile in the way that has been addressed in the OP, usually do so at 100% savings or very close to it. For those people, using a JIT strategy would result in a huge fiscal loss. Wouldn't you agree? But if you need numbers, back calculate you cost of acquisition of this stockpile. The same way the business example would include costs for the purchasing agent to buy the stuff, put a dollar on your own head. You seem quite skilled at this, what would you charge hourly if TLC decided to contract you our as a coupon consultant? I'd guestimate $10 to $20 per hour. Now, how long does it take to buy the way you buy? I put little effort towards coupon culture and I yield little returns. You don't get things free by magic. I also get all my groceries all at once, all at one store pretty much. Some of the resources I've seen hinted at seem pretty automated, so your costs might be pretty low, but you can't argue that there are no costs. Just for fun, be sure to add in the "lifestyle costs" involved. This thread amusingly shows that you're willing to spend your time and effort to fight like a honey badger to promote the lifestyle you've chosen. Couponing is something that I started as a SAHM over 24 years ago as a way to make a financial contribution to the household. You are watching too much TV too. How many people actually calculate the lifestyle cost related to the everyday chores that they do to maintain a household? What is the lifestyle cost of doing the laundry or mowing the lawn? Most people do not give it much thought. Incorporating the use of coupons on weekly basis is a mere extension of the task of grocery shopping, which someone in every family must do. Yes, it does take some extra time. How much varies from one individual to another and how proficient they are at the task. Like any task, a person gets better and more efficient at it the longer that they do it. And not everyone carries five-inch thick coupon binder (or two) with them to the grocery store. Personally, I don't even carry a coupon box or "wallet". My list is made on the back of an envelope and the coupons I plan to use are inside of it. That's it. The problem is that a lot of people are basing their opinions about the value of using coupons on a "reality" TV show.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 29, 2011 13:52:15 GMT -5
I evaluate the time I spend on each task - including laundry and grocery shopping. I take into consideration the value it brings to the family and the cost of the alternatives to me doing, or the way I do it. I would do the same if my grocery shopping went from a one-hour task to a three-hour task, or a five-hour task. I would consider that a great deal of time out of my calendar.
However, as a working Mom I feel I bring more to the table by spending my days earning a paycheck than finding deals for free shampoo. We just don't spend that much on shampoo, but my paycheck is quite significant.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on Jun 29, 2011 14:07:13 GMT -5
No, he did not. He brought up the investment cost of stockpiling vs. JIT. You are the only one who thinks that every single item in every single stockpile in every household was free. Many people stockpile with fairly insignificant discounts. Those people are the ones that are losing the most money. thyme: I might be wrong, but I believe the OP was about stockpiling and all the talk about the show Extreme Couponing on the internet. I guess I assumed that we were talking about the use of coupons to build a stockpile. With a little time and patience, ANYONE who wants to build a stockpile of free products can do it. That is what I have done and that is all that I can speak to - my personal experience. I would not advise or advocate building a stockpile any other way and cannot see any financial benefit in doing so.
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Clever Username
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Post by Clever Username on Jun 29, 2011 14:10:29 GMT -5
Couponing is something that I started as a SAHM over 24 years ago as a way to make a financial contribution to the household
I think this is well stated. Let it be the alpha and omega in your mind.
Simply put, you've wisely chosen not to analyze the time and effort spent on coupons. The risk is not worth the reward. And I agree, the possibility of feeling 24 years worth of regret is a lot of risk.
Go ahead and browse over to the "Free truck" thread to see how high costs can get acquiring "free" items.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 29, 2011 14:13:59 GMT -5
Maybe the WIR carefully considers the OP in each thread before proceeding, but on the other boards, I have generally found that the conversation dips and curves and moves. I thought we were talking about stockpiling in general and comparing our stockpiles to those seen on TV, not comparing the net purchase price of each item.
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Post by salserabarby on Jun 29, 2011 14:19:14 GMT -5
I have to agree with phil's and thyme4change. The time and energy wasted on tryin to save a buck on 77mustard is just not worth it to ME. It's a personal thing. I've watched Extreme Couponing a few times, and noticed that most of the stuff they buy is mostly junk that I wouldn't want even if it was free. 100 packets of Ramen, 77 mustard, 50 lipsticks, come on, it's ridiculous.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on Jun 29, 2011 14:22:53 GMT -5
I evaluate the time I spend on each task - including laundry and grocery shopping. I take into consideration the value it brings to the family and the cost of the alternatives to me doing, or the way I do it. I would do the same if my grocery shopping went from a one-hour task to a three-hour task, or a five-hour task. I would consider that a great deal of time out of my calendar. However, as a working Mom I feel I bring more to the table by spending my days earning a paycheck than finding deals for free shampoo. We just don't spend that much on shampoo, but my paycheck is quite significant. thyme: And that is the big difference. I was a SAHM looking for ways to make a financial contribution to my family without being away from our son. You chose a different path. Neither is right or wrong; they're both a choice. I have never really spent too much time or brain power evaluating the time I spend on the tasks that I do/have done. Over time, if you are smart, you learn to do them with the greatest efficiency and move on so that you can spend the majority of the time you have doing "the fun stuff" in life. That's my preference.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on Jun 29, 2011 14:49:32 GMT -5
Couponing is something that I started as a SAHM over 24 years ago as a way to make a financial contribution to the household I think this is well stated. Let it be the alpha and omega in your mind. Simply put, you've wisely chosen not to analyze the time and effort spent on coupons. The risk is not worth the reward. And I agree, the possibility of feeling 24 years worth of regret is a lot of risk. Go ahead and browse over to the "Free truck" thread to see how high costs can get acquiring "free" items. Why do you assume that I have regrets? Why don't you analyze your own life? You are 38 years old. Are you financially independent? How long will you be a slave to what you do? Do you have a loving marriage and a great family? Do you live in a home where you wake up and look at the hilltops off in the distance? Have you done any traveling? Have you cruised the canals of Venice or seen the Acropolis in Greece? What makes you think that your life is so superior that you can address what you think are MY regrets? It suggests to me that you have your own regrets that you need to deal with.
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Post by illinicheme on Jun 29, 2011 15:00:38 GMT -5
I have to agree with phil's and thyme4change. The time and energy wasted on tryin to save a buck on 77mustard is just not worth it to ME. It's a personal thing. I've watched Extreme Couponing a few times, and noticed that most of the stuff they buy is mostly junk that I wouldn't want even if it was free. 100 packets of Ramen, 77 mustard, 50 lipsticks, come on, it's ridiculous. Not a single episode of that show goes by without Yakisoba noodles making an appearance!
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on Jun 29, 2011 15:02:19 GMT -5
I have to agree with phil's and thyme4change. The time and energy wasted on tryin to save a buck on 77mustard is just not worth it to ME. It's a personal thing. I've watched Extreme Couponing a few times, and noticed that most of the stuff they buy is mostly junk that I wouldn't want even if it was free. 100 packets of Ramen, 77 mustard, 50 lipsticks, come on, it's ridiculous. I totally agree that trying to save a buck on 77 bottles of mustard, 100 packets of ramen, and 50 lipsticks is a waste of time and energy. Those items have no real value. What you don't know is that the people on Extreme Couponing are only buying what they buy to get their totals as high as they can get them so that they can bring them down to as low as possible for the sake of the show. The ONLY REASON any of those products were purchased was that they added to the "sales total drama". Under ordinary circumstances, none of those people would have bothered buying those products in those quantities for their personal consumption. Extreme Couponing is a TV show. It is not what is REALLY going on for the majority of those who use coupons any more than the show the Bachelor is a guidebook to how singles really meet and fall in love. I find it amazing how naive people are.
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Post by dancinmama on Jun 29, 2011 15:17:59 GMT -5
I have to agree with phil's and thyme4change. The time and energy wasted on tryin to save a buck on 77mustard is just not worth it to ME. It's a personal thing. I've watched Extreme Couponing a few times, and noticed that most of the stuff they buy is mostly junk that I wouldn't want even if it was free. 100 packets of Ramen, 77 mustard, 50 lipsticks, come on, it's ridiculous. Not a single episode of that show goes by without Yakisoba noodles making an appearance! That's right because Yakisoba was putting out $.50/1 coupons on a regular basis that when doubled made that item free (by the way I don't have a stores that offers doubled coupons). So here's how the show works: The week of taping the show, Yakisoba is normally priced at $1.49 (I have absolutely no idea what the actual price is), but is on sale for $1. The couponer gets their hands on 100 $.50/1 Yakisoba coupons and buys 100 packages. The before coupon/loyalty card total is $149.00. Scan your loyalty card and the total is $100 for the noodles. Scan your coupons which are doubled and your total is now zero. Rinse and repeat for any other items that are free after coupon/double coupon that week based on the sales ad. Run your total up as high as you can for the dramatic effect of how high the receipt total can get and the fact that there is no way that the couponer actually has that much money to pay for their "haul" (which is what the show wants); then use your loyalty card and coupons to bring it back down to nothing. That is the entire premise of the show and NOT what the average, everyday couponer does in real life. Do you think that those people actually WANT 100 packages of Yakisoba? No. They are only buying them for the sake of the show and will immediately donate most, if not all, of them to the nearest food pantry.
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Post by illinicheme on Jun 29, 2011 15:23:38 GMT -5
Yeah, I know how it works.
I just think it's funny that those damn noodles show up EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. (There's plenty of other products that people buy obscene quantities of for the sake of the total, but nothing else shows up in every single episode.)
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Clever Username
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Post by Clever Username on Jun 29, 2011 15:32:27 GMT -5
What makes you think that your life is so superior that you can address what you think are MY regrets? I'm sorry, but please read closer. I pointed out that you were given a simple formula to calculate if it is worth it to stockpile. Time x effort (expressed as an hourly wage) </> Benefit. You clearly chose not to perform the calculation. You abstained with a general sense of winning I agreed with that decision on your part. Schrodinger's cat is alive until you open the box. And for my place? I'm just happy to have somehow referenced Schroedinger's cat and the honey badger in the same thread.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on Jun 29, 2011 15:45:26 GMT -5
Yeah, I know how it works. I just think it's funny that those damn noodles show up EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. (There's plenty of other products that people buy obscene quantities of for the sake of the total, but nothing else shows up in every single episode.) I think you'll stop seeing the noodles because there is no coupons available for them right now (I took a quick look-see of the online coupon database ;D ). The boxes of cat food have been very popular recently as there was a coupon for a free box that came out several weeks ago (now expired). Some of the gals on the Grocery Challenge sent me a bunch of those coupons cuz I have a cat. Do you think that I could find the product ANYWHERE? Nope. But that's the way the coupon crumbles, so to speak. I guess the 100 lbs. of free Hills Science Diet dog food that I was able to get (normally $11+ for 5 lbs), makes up for it.
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Post by dancinmama on Jun 29, 2011 16:03:57 GMT -5
What makes you think that your life is so superior that you can address what you think are MY regrets? I'm sorry, but please read closer. I pointed out that you were given a simple formula to calculate if it is worth it to stockpile. Time x effort (expressed as an hourly wage) </> Benefit. Maybe you should read closer. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to "analyze" that the hourly wage for being a SAHM is $0. Even if I spent 10 hours a week searching the internet, clipping coupons, and running to the stores (which I don't/didn't) to save $50, my time x effort expressed as an hourly wage would be more than what I would have been earning had I been just sitting around watching soap operas and eating bonbons. Now, if you want to compare that to what I was earning the last year of my career before I CHOSE to give up my career to stay home and raise our son ($30K in 1986), that's a totally different story.
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Post by 973beachbum on Jun 29, 2011 16:17:28 GMT -5
I guess the crux here is that I have never, one single time been able to get "free" products, unless you count buy-on-get-one, but that isn't really free, it is really two for half price. I would have to dedicate at least some amount of time to finding these deals. thyme: Yes, some time is required; however, one you have gotten past the learning curve, it really doesn't take very much time at all especially since there are so many Internet resources that do most of the work for you. I should preface this by repeating I don't have what almost anyone could call a stock pile. ;D I also have used JIT type planning for our business. It really does save money as it eliminates all the waste from getting stuff that never gets used because the job fell threw. And it eliminates me needing extra Maalox because I am staring at the stuff getting more and more pissed off. But for my at home shopping I treat it differently. I don't get paid to do anything at home. What ever I do I just fit in. Even if I wasn't doing whatever at home I wouldn't get paid because I just don't make extra money outside of work. It doesn't matter if I would make $5 or $500 an hour at work because I am not making that when I am not working. I use coupons when I can. I have gotten very few items for free but I have gotten a bunch super dirt cheap. All I did was instead of sitting down watching reality TV I looked at a website for the next weeks deal at my favorite store. I probably spend an hour on the WIR grocery game but truthfully most of that is just chatting not actual attempts at saving on groceries. So really I maybe spend 30 minutes a week deciding what I want from where. I only have a choice of 3 places to shop and 2 I have to pass at least twice a day so there is really not much effort getting there. And I can be in and out of my CVS in 5 minutes, unless I talk to my neighbor who works there. ;D The local grocery store would take twice that just to park. I don't think I have ever gotten out of there in less than an hour. The only thing I have ever bought for free was last week I bought 2 Schick razors that were $3.99 and I had 2 $4.00 coupons. Although I have gotten a lot of stuff dirt cheap and that is my kind of fun shopping.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on Jun 29, 2011 16:52:27 GMT -5
thyme: Yes, some time is required; however, one you have gotten past the learning curve, it really doesn't take very much time at all especially since there are so many Internet resources that do most of the work for you. I probably spend an hour on the WIR grocery game but truthfully most of that is just chatting not actual attempts at saving on groceries. The only thing I have ever bought for free was last week I bought 2 Schick razors that were $3.99 and I had 2 $4.00 coupons. Although I have gotten a lot of stuff dirt cheap and that is my kind of fun shopping. beachbum: Yes, there is definitely a lot of chit chat these days on the Grocery Challenge, but buried in that are questions regarding coupon policy, how a particular scenario might or might not work out, etc. We used to spend a lot of time helping newbies, but due to the fact that we don't have MSN as a feeder anymore, we don't get as many newbies as we used to - which was one of my main reasons for spending a lot of time posting there - to help people learn how to get the products that their families needed for free. I usually spent more time answering questions on the Grocery Challenge than I did actually buying stuff for my stockpile. Great job on the razors!! If you shop at CVS, there are tons of freebies all the time if you are not brand picky. Three weeks ago it was Zyrtec ($5.99 minus a $5 coupon and get a $5.99EB). Last week it was bags of Hershey Bliss (a MM with an IP), Powerplus Protein bites, Colgate toothpaste (another MM with MCs), and the Hawaiian Tropic lip balm was $5.98 for two (no coupons out to lower your cost) and you'd get a $10 EB, so a profit of $4 in EBs and no coupon needed to get it. This week it's tampons (a $1 MM with IP) and as far as I can tell there is nothing next week. A lot of local newspapers are running a $5/$20 coupon on Thursdays that can be a huge help if you have other things that you need to buy at CVS anyway. I only use them if I have $20 in EB items to buy or a bunch of freebie coupons that will help me get to the $20, otherwise I just let 'em go.
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Deleted
Joined: Apr 26, 2024 17:59:49 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2011 17:07:17 GMT -5
I've already conceeded that if you are spending your time finding all sorts of crazy deals where you get stuff for free that JIT doesn't make sense on those items. I've stated this is for normal people who don't spend several hours a week finding coupons, deals, and making multiple trips to multiple stores to plan out and get these deals. I don't spend hours a week, I work and go to school, I don't have that time. I spend about 20 minutes a week planning meals and deals. I can get free items for 5 minutes worth of work, just buy checking one website. Also, I did not need to go shopping for bathroom stuff all this semester because of my stockpile.
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973beachbum
Senior Associate
Politics Admin
Joined: Dec 17, 2010 16:12:13 GMT -5
Posts: 10,501
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Post by 973beachbum on Jun 29, 2011 17:07:33 GMT -5
Next week I actually am going to CVS. I haven't in a couple of weeks. the Oral B pulsars and manual, , which I need, are $5.99 and $3 and I have a couple of $3 and B1G1F coupons and they are giving out $3 $1 ECB's repectively. I have ECB's in my wallet to pay for everything but the tax so that is as close to free as it gets for me. ;D Truthfully I really don't buy a lot of anything. It does make it easier to just wait till something is at a price I like. I do like having a few extra manual Toothbrushes around for when my kid's friends sleep over. It is nice to have a couple of new ones to give them to use.
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