Bargain Shopping Thoughts

I was thinking today, can bargain shopping get out of hand? I love stocking up on deals, but when I got home today (braving the winter storm) and had to unload 9 bottles of Dr. Pepper, I began to wonder.

I love having a pantry downstairs, but I sometimes wonder if I'm ever going to use all the stuff I get for cheap or free. How I've solved it is donating to our church food pantry and giving away boxes and boxes of food to family members.

I'm glad to be able to help out people and get my "bargain shopping fix"! But I do follow some rules when stocking up. First, I don't stock up on bags of flour, cereal or grain-type food. This can attract bugs and completely ruin your stockpile. Second, I love to get anything for free, but if it's a product we or anyone we know can't use, I pass on it. Third, I don't chase every deal. There are certain stores I shop at each week and can't make it to all of them. And anyone with a toddler knows, it's too hard to go to 3 stores in a row! My son has a meltdown if we make too many stops. Finally, I focus on stocking up on items I know we use.