Did you notice the $1.00/1 Ken’s Salad Dressing Coupon in the 8/14 Smart Source last week?

Did you know that, with that coupon, the chances of you getting FREE Salad Dressing are pretty good?  If you missed that coupon, or need a few more, may I suggest turning to eBay or Coupon Clipper services for some of these great coupons…. sooner than later (it expires next month!).

Now, with that said…

You don’t need 30, 40, or even 50 bottles of Salad Dressing!


I have a family of 9.  When I can get it for free, I will only buy about 8 bottles of salad dressing. 

WHY!?

  • We aren’t huge salad people in my house.
  • We like ranch for dipping veggies
  • We like Italian dressing for marinade
  • We like Ranch dressing for baking (see one of my favorites here - sorry to distract you)
  • We occasionally eat salad
  • We take salad to family dinners sometimes
  • I’ll double check the “best if used by” date… keep in mind that if the bottle was never opened, the life of your salad dressing will extend for months after this date.

Things to Keep in Mind When Building Your Stockpile

  • EXPIRATION DATES.  In our coupon class, Monica brings her expired bottle of salad dressing to show her mistake…  she thought it would be fun to try several different varieties.  What she learned though was that her little family of 4 didn’t use salad dressing as much as she thought they did.  Some of it went bad.  :(
  • HOW OFTEN DOES THIS ITEM GO ON SALE?  You’ll find the best deals on salad dressing (for example) during the summer.  So you may want to get a 9 months supply.  Although, keep in mind, January tends to have “health food” items on sale, and you’ll see a coupon and some decent sales then.  If I was stocking up on cereal, I know I could get by with just a 1 month supply… because there is ALWAYS a cereal sale!
  • FAMILY SIZE:  Think about portion size and family size when you plan your shopping list.
  • HOW OFTEN  will we consume this?  In the case of salad dressing, I’d guess people don’t use it quite as much in the fall/winter as they do in the summer.  When fresh veggies abound in our gardens, we’re using the salad dressing more.  When it’s freezing cold outside, usually a salad isn’t calling my name.
  • SUPPLY vs DEMAND:  If the store is running low on stock, then don’t be “THAT PERSON” that gives couponers a bad reputation.  Pace yourself.  Maybe just buy two and hit another store and just buy 2.
  • SHARE the COUPONS:  If you are getting coupons on eBay or a Coupon Clipper, consider splitting a lot of 20 with a friend.
  • SPACE:  Do you really have room for 60 bottles of salad dressing you probably won’t use?

What am I missing?  What other things do you factor in when deciding how much to buy?

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