STOCKPILING VS. HOARDING

I will be the first to admit, when I first started following this awesome group, and figured it all out, I started shopping like there was an apocalypse coming.

Free or nearly free things moved into my home and took over. I had more coupons than Loblaws (just in case I needed them).

Then a couple of years ago, December 31 hit, and I threw out so many coupons. Now, as I prepare to move, I’ve thrown away more than a couple of expired foods. I mention this because, it brought up another lesson I have learned on this journey.

No matter how much of a bargain something is, no matter what an amazing coupon we happen upon, wasting is never a cool thing. I do donate often to our food bank, and women’s shelter, but there has still been too much waste.

I now have my self imposed 6 month rule. With few exceptions, most things will come on sale again within 6 months. There is really no need to stock up for longer than that. Space will be at a premium in our new home, so out of necessity I have started to think things through a little more.

Like most of us, I share my finds with family and friends, and I like to have a nice stockpile of necessities, but am proud to say that despite having access to 50 Quo makeup remover pads, I only got 12 and gave 6 to my nieces. I’m pretty sure they will dry up after a while, and I feel good that someone else can also benefit from the deal.