Taking Stock: Part 1

This is a new series on MoolaSavingMom.com all about stockpiles!  For strategic couponers, a stockpile is the evidence of our hard work. 

Taking Stock: Part I: Determining your need (Personal Care)

There is very little as bad as working hard to build a stockpile only to find out you have 20 tubes of toothpaste that have expired!  So to avoid this, it’s important to determine your family’s needs.

Sadly this will take a little math. For my family of 5, we can easily go through one tube of toothpaste per month (minimum).  Looking at my stockpile, the ones I have now expire in about 21 months.  So I need a stockpile of no more than 21 toothpastes.  Once my stockpile gets that large I need to (a) stop buying toothpaste even if it is “free and/or (b) donate a bunch or give it away before buying any more.

I try to keep a 6 month stockpile of any heath & beauty items (toothpaste, mouthwash, lotion, etc) at all times.  This avoids the dreaded call from the bathroom “Mom, we’re out of shampoo!”

The first step in Taking Stock is to calculate how much your family uses.  This may take a while- how many bars of soap a month does your family use?  Body Wash?  Shampoo?

Determine your family’s need for 6 months and 12 months.  I recommend aiming for a stockpile that will fall in between the two amounts.  Too much and you run the risk of having items expire.  Remember that deals come around pretty often on most items so you won’t be buying 12 months worth of toothpaste in one day, but rather 2 a week and then none for a few weeks and then pick up a few more, and so on.

I used this printable form to determine my family’s needs: Taking Stock Part I: Determine Your Need (Personal Care)

If you find that you have overstock- DONATE!  Most food banks take hygiene items and if not most shelters will!  If you find that you’ve maxed out the number of toothpaste you should have but you find a deal for free toothpaste- get it and donate an older one from your stockpile and rotate the new one in!

Here is what is currently in my Personal Care pantry (keep in mind that I have 3 women (girls) and 2 men in my family so this is not excessive for us= plus I donate a lot)

Shampoo: 40
Conditioner: 40
Body Lotion: 10
Face Wash: 12
Body Wash: 8
Bar Soap: 110 total Bars
Hair Spray: 5
Deodorant (men/women): 16
Floss: 20
Mouthwash: 10
Toothpaste: 19 (I had 26 so I put 7 in my donation bin)
Contact Lens Solution: 4
Nivea Lip products: 50 (ok this is excessive but I LOVE these things and so does my husband and Kids…I got about 40 last year and we used them ALL)
Kids Toothpaste: 9
“fancy” razors: 6
Disposable Razors: 70 (I already pulled out 10 pks and donated them earlier)
15 boxes Feminine Products
24 pks Feminine Products (considering I am expecting a baby PLUS have a pre-teen….yeah we’ll use these!)
Toothbrushes: (WOW I am low…need to find a deal!) 5

Remember that a stockpile is what works for YOUR family.   I shared a lot with family & friends and whenever our local food bank or shelter puts out a call for help I raid my stockpile and donate a bunch.  Clearly a single person won’t need 20 toothpastes but a family of 10 may need 40!  Find that magic number that works for you!

Next Up: Determine Your Need (Edible)