How did I start stockpiling?

Well it all started in March. I was about to run out of unemployment and planned to stay home with the kids. I was not aware at that time how our little world would be turned upside down.

I started looking into using coupons. Before this, I was a almost strictly generic shopper. You know, buying generic brand of almost everything. I thought I was doing pretty good, watching sales, buying groceries once a month at Aldis and Walmart. A bit more often at my local stores, but for sales items , milk, bread and fresh produce only. I started using coupons, then I stumbled upon hotcouponworld.com. WOW! I wanted to be like those people. The giant stockpiles of everyday items...namebrand even, that they got for very cheap or free. I read a lot on that site, learned a lot from the members. And now I am one of thos people.

In May, my unemployment ran out. We were doing pretty well. I had a pretty alright stockpile of food going. Then hubby got laid off for a couple weeks, I panicked a bit, but not too much because I already knew about couponing and had a decent enough stockpile to get us by. He went back to work. My seasonal employer called and asked me to come back for a couple months. Shortly after they called, the unemployment extension was passed. I went back to work after collecting one week of the extension. At the end of my first week back, hubby got laid off again. My 2 month job turned into a year round employment offer at the end of July, Hubby was still laid off so I accepted. I continued to coupon and grow our stockpile bit by bit.

Fast forward to now. Hubby has been laid off for 10 weeks. It is slow at my job so I have not been getting a lot of hours. Times are tough all around. Hubby is getting unemployment. I get partial benefits because my employer cut my hours. We make enough money to get by and luckily we have our stockpile to eat from and live off. Our bills are paid, we have a bit left over for extras and I can continue to add to my stockpile as needed. Originally I never intended to make a stockpile a part of my everyday life. I did not intended to have enough food in the house for a year. I did not intend to do any of this but I am so thankful I did with the way our lives have changed since July.