Stockpiling Saves More Than Money

As you may remember, I am a big fan of stockpiling when I get great deals.  I find that this is a better method for our family because then I can just create meals from the stockpile, rounding out with fresh produce and dairy (rather than going through the circulars, figuring out what is on sale and then trying to base a weekly menu on that weeks sales).

I realized something else today....

Stockpiling can also save your sanity as well as your reputation! (although since many members of my MOMS Club also read this site, I guess I can kiss my reputation for being organized bye-bye with this post!)

Ever have one of those weekends where you are running around like an idiot with 4,563 things to do, and you can't remember what 4,560 of them are because you stopped using your Palm Pilot and your new Franklin Planner hasn't yet been delivered?  And then when the weekend is over you think "Finally I can relax!".  Then you put your daughter down for her nap at 2:30pm and at 2:45pm you realize that you had promised last week to deliver a meal to someone at 5:30pm today and you have NO idea what you are going to make and you can't go out to the supermarket because your daughter is sleeping and you would rather jab an icepick in your ear than deal with her when she wakes up too early from her nap?

Yeah - me neither!

And so when this happens (hypothetically speaking, of course) what does a stockpiler like me do?  Whip up a fantabulous Mexican Chicken Cheesy Casserole....a Weight Watchers Recipe no less....along with a salad and brownies.  And all with only 8 minutes of panic (once again - purely hypothetically). 

Thanks to stockpiling boneless chicken breasts (thank you Purdue sale at Acme), Old El Paso shelf-stable corn tortillas and chiles (thank you Old El Paso coupons and sale at Acme) and hitting a great sale on canned black beans and brownie mixes...I was able to pull together what is one of my favorite meals for very little money and "on the fly"

But assuming you aren't a complete idiot like me (hypothetically speaking), creating a stockpile would enable you to do the same thing for a last-minute party, a neighbor in need or even just coming home late from work and wondering what in the world you are going to feed your family!

Just another example of the freedom that creating a stockpile can give you!

As for the recipe?  Look for it tomorrow night.  I only had enough chicken thawed to make the recipe for my friend (and I delivered it to her in a disposable pan...not very picture-friendly), but now I'm craving it so I'll be making it for our dinner tomorrow night!