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I hope you are all enjoying the mini series featuring reader stockpile photos! In case you missed them, you can go back and visit family sizes of 2,3 and family sizes of 4. Today, we’re featuring more family sizes of 4. As a reminder, the goal here is to illustrate how very different stockpiling may look from family to family, as well as some great ideas for organizing.

I also want to mention that since this series started, I’ve received a trickle in of emails with pictures. I regret to say that unless I’ve specifically given you the go-ahead to send photos, I am not accepting additional entries for this series. All emails and photos were reviewed and organized well over a week ago. That being said, I’ve created a reader stockpile photo album on Facebook. I hope you will consider uploading some of your photos there! And, if there is a strong response, I will most certainly entertain the idea of running this series again at some point.

Jan’s Stockpile

Jan’s budget is $50/week for couponing trips and $200/month for Costco, where they mostly buy meat. Jan had some great words of wisdom and I wanted to add them here along with her photos: “I personally like to keep my stock pile manageable and only buy what my family truly uses, even if it is free, I won’t get it, if we won’t use it.  I’ve been couponing for over a year now and have learned that there will always be another sale around the corner, so don’t sweat it!  Another thing I stick to is I have 3 places I will store stuff (as shown in the pictures), when those 3 shelves are full, I stop until I move some stuff out.”

Athena’s Stockpile

Athena didn’t specify her family size, so I decided to share her photos with you today. Athena writes that she has a year’s worth supply of toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, razors, and the like, which she stores in baskets and organizers. She’s also done a great job of stockpiling laundry care items.

Anastasia’s Stockpile

Anastasia just started stockpiling in May of this year. She writes that her daughters love apple juice, which is why she’s worked to stock up on that particular item.

Jill’s Stockpile

Jill is an Army wife who lives in Eugene, OR and has been stockpiling since Feb/March of this year. Jill started couponing and stockpiling to make ends meet on one-income salary. She has a great philosophy of only stockpiling items up to one year. That means, she sits the deal out if she’s reached her quota, or she donates. She was recently able to donate a bunch of items to Stamp out Hunger and she also donates to her local food bank.

Kati’s Stockpile

Kati’s family is also military. In fact, her husband is overseas right now and she is stockpiling items so he’ll come home to a well-stocked house! Her storage closet is a linen closet next to their bedrooms. One bin holds all their toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc., the other holds razors and deodorant. I love that Kati says her stockpile was accumulated mostly over three months by doing ONE trip per week! More of Kati’s wisdom: “The best tip I have for readers is to not stress about getting each and every deal. In the beginning I did just that and it wore me out!! I was definitely a victim a new-couponer-burnout. It will go on sale again, I promise.” (PS, Kati, I hope your husband returns home safely very soon!)

Victoria’s Stockpile

Victoria has been couponing and stockpiling since January. Her family of four (plus a cat) live in a 2-bedroom condo. Since her space is small, Victoria writes that her stockpile is all over the house. She estimates her husband is set on body wash and deodorant for a year and that they are pretty set on pasta. This part of her email put a huge smile on my face: “You were my inspiration for couponing, I’m a now stay at home mom and this is how I feel that I’m best useful to my family by saving money on everyday things so that we can enjoy fun activities.”

Isn’t it great how saving money shopping this way can free up money for things that matter more to us? LOVE IT, Victoria!

Thanks to the readers who opened their homes (and cupboards!) to us today! I hope you are all enjoying this series.

Up tomorrow: family size of 5.