I was just reading the 90% off Easter target thread and was struck again by something that I always wonder - what does everyone do with their bargain shopping stockpiles? Do you re-sell? Do you give away to friends and family? Personal use only? Charity giving? Do you store it and if so, where/how?

I would prefer this not turn into a discussion of shop-a-holics as has happened in the past. Just curious where 60 Hot Wheels cars go, 10 egg coloring kits, or (in my case ) 10 lbs of Malted Milk eggs? Interested in finding out what kind of good things become of all this shopping.

cj/

I shop for my best friend with NINE kids (8 girls, 1 son!). I shop for many other families,, charities, etc... I havee my little warehouse in case someone needs something. Things have gone to Kosovo, Guatamala, Mexico, an ill child in the community, Birthright, mitten/hat tree at work for Christmas, church drive for kids to Christmas shop for free for their parents, etc.... I LOVE TO SHOP!! I love Target too! I love helping people in this way. It's my mission in life. Had a real shopping angel story too.

Speaking of Hot Wheels-once I got a ton of those at Target. Lots of them ended up going to Guatamala on a church mission as handouts for the kids after they got their health checks. Along with a lot of other stuff!! My friend who knows I shop asked if I had anything her friend ciould take on the mission. OF COURSE I DO!!! lol

I usually provide items for my own family and one of my adult DD's family. Anything extra food wise goes to the food drive we do at VBS in the summer and our church also does a food/toy drive at Christmas. I also have a soldier that I adopted in Afghanastan so he gets alot of snack type things. Other extras like clothing that type thing might get put on Ebay.

My shopping got a little carried away there for awhile, not financially but stuff just took over the house, the basement, the attic. I have a small family and we don't need tons of stuff for ourselves. Now, I primarily shop for a few programs that are run through my employer or the kids' schools (holiday gift drive, back-to-school, mitten tree, etc) and for soldier care packages. The soldier work also includes sending small toys and clothing items for distribution to children in the Middle East. Bought a couple of Mongoose bikes a few years back that went into silent auction at our local grade school and brought in several hundred dollars. That was a gratifying experience.

Wow, kathytheshopper, you support the whole darned world. Way to go!

cj/

I use some of the stuff. Some I buy specifically for the family we adopt at Christmas. A few things get given to friends, family, school. And the rest gets sold off at my garage sale.

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I've never lied to you. I've always told you some version the of truth.

Do you make money that way? I haven't been able to get enough for things to make it worth my while.

cj/

I love to make gift baskets for birthdays, holidays, anniversarys, graduations, new homes, etc...

Candy makes a nice place to nest things in (from Christmas, I bought tons of candy 75-90% off and just took the green out for my family to eat at V-day) people didn't know the difference and it was only two months on the shelf!

If I find something super cheap on clearance and it's an oddball thing, I will put it in my "store" for a present. You never know who's party you will be invited to and I can always throw something together in two minutes!

The "store" gets pretty bare around Christmas time as I love for everyone to have a gift to open whether I know them or not (family get togethers...mom has 9 brothers and sisters and now all the cousins have bf/gf they bring!). It's a shock to the new comers and they are grateful and suprised when they see a tag with their name on it (I always bring gifts that have the from filled out and the to to be filled out after I know how many extras are at the parties!). All it cost me was pennies on the dollar...literally!

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Ido the dame as Kathytheshopper, I get things for Love in Action, a group that helps foster children, and also for Operation Christmas Child(then I get the biggest shoebox to put my things in!) and then I just pick up things for my brother who has only 6 children. It's real easy to give away because the cost you next to nothing and the people who get it are so grateful.

OK I admit it I am a shopaholic. There I've said it so let's move on. I buy for several reasons at Target, Dillards, etc.
1. I have 3 adult children working and living at home that I am filling their hope chests. Yes, I know I am also lost in the 50's with that idea, but I like to buy good quality things on sale so when calphalon pans are 75% off I buy three - one for each. That also goes for other things as well.
2. I have 3 young nieces - their paternal grandmother died before any were born and their grandfather lives 18 hr. drive away He does not get to see them often. Their maternal grandfather died also before they were born, and their grandmother has alsheimers. I am their "grandma" and I shower them with love and trinkets. I visit about every 2 months - they are 4 hours away and call every couple days.
3. I am president of a service organization that does all volunteer work for the community, adopts families, ets. The great majority goes for halloween parties , holiday gifts, and egg hunts for the community and the families.
4. I buy for family and friends gifts.

I can usually give what I find to my own kids like I got tees for $1 & skorts for $1.50 having 3 girls so different in ages usually one can use or fit what I find. And then like Saturday night oldest dd had a bdday party to go to I gave her one of the $1 tees & some bath & body works stuff to give. Then sunday was my nieces party besides what toys I had bought I also gave her some of the Easter stuff like a dancing bunny I paid $2.50 for & bath washes I got free & diaper rash cream I also got for free.

So most I either use or can give as gifts & then at xmas every year I give mainly stuff I got free & we also give stuff to the angel tree that I got free or close to it. And when I do get to much I either give to the shelters or garage sale it just depends on my finances or if its the dead of winter & I just want some stuff gone I will of course donate it then.

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mom of 3 greats girls

I don`t work so I shop for all freinds and family that do. Especiaaly toys after christmas. People give me a list and I see what I can do. I wish I could get paid for it cause I`M GOOD AT IT BUT i ENJOY SEEING PEOPLES FACES WHEN i TELL THEM HOW MUCH i PAID FOR SOMETHING.

I stock up all year long for the Christmas Shoebox project. After each holiday and season, I haunt Target, Walgreens, Rite Aid , Kroger's and CVS for the trinkets and toys and candies to go in them. I also use that stuff to send to areas that have a need. Right now I'm readying two flat rate boxes to go to a friend in Alaska who will be going to the villages this summer. The children in these villages rarely get these treats so she will be bringing joy to them. Brings a lot of joy to me too.

Yes I do. I price them to sell like $1 for deodorant, toothbrushes, hand soap, small baby wash.

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I've never lied to you. I've always told you some version the of truth.

I stock up at the kohls big sales last time I bought $1,220 worth of stuff for $120 most of it goes to me and my 2 adult daughters and my collage grand daughter! they all know care packages are on they way when kohls prices get really low

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Always be a first rate version of your self instead of a second rate version of someone else.[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
What the country needs is dirtier fingernails and cleaner minds.

My family probably uses 50% of what I buy. Most of the rest goes to family members - nearly everyone leaves with a goody bag (or two) when they come visit (my MIL just left with three bags filled with frozen french fries, tater tots, 3 dozen eggs, ready-to-bake cinnamon rols, crescent rolls, and cookie dough, a head of cabbage, 5 packages of cream cheese and marinade for meat). I also bring totes of stuff to family get togethers for people to pick through. Some stuff gets donated to food drives (boy scouts, etc) and some is used to pay library fines (my library has a food for fines exchange twice a year - you can pay $1 in fines by donating a food item) - LOL. I also "barter" for things with my extras - my mother cleans my house whenever she comes and then she shops my stockpile. I also trade stuff with other relatives that get free stuff from their jobs (non-prescription medicines, lightbulbs). I also bring lots of snacks and drinks for kids functions (cub scouts, school parties, T-ball, etc.).

This is one of the sweetest things!

Several of you do such kind things with your stockpiles, I was a bit teary-eyed when I got to the bottom of the thread. Y'all make people feel like someone cares about them, and that's a very important feeling to have. <sniiiffffff>

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I have quit stockpiling so much as I found I wasn't using everything-I still have Valentine's from four years ago-those will get used eventually, but I definitely don't need anymore. When I do find toys that are 75% off, I do usually grab a few of those-but only if I know that one of my boys can give it as a gift, or if I have someone specific in mind to give it too. I usually have a few nice things to give to Toys for Tots, or drives that the kids might have at school. As far as our food stockpile, I do donate when the schools have a drive, but truth be told, with 4kids, we do eat most of it. I also send all of my free bottles of Texas Pete and Frank's hot sauce across the street to my neighbors-they eat it on everything! I have stopped couponing so much because I need to clean out my pantry, but not much goes to waste and if someone needs something, I am always happy to give.

My friends are always happy to take my bargains from me, and I also donate to the food pantry, shelters, Toys for Tots, etc.

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Don't dream it. Be it.

Per my husbands request, I have cut back on stock piling a ton since we are hoping to sell our house sometime this year and move. It makes the house look neater and we will have less to move. Some things I just can't resist buying that we use a lot of. I have always made a lot of donations to our local food pantry but have been really giving them a lot of stuff since I have been cleaning out and organizing and with any purchases I do make when I can't resist a good deal. I do also give things to my mom and dad and to both of my sisters and there families if I run across deals on things that they use. The one thing that I don't have a stock pile of at all right now is gifts. They just seem to take up to much room. The majority of my stock pile right now is food and health and beauty stuff.

I only buy what my little family will use. Right now that is my son, my pets, & my boyfriend. I do need to start stocking his cupboards for this summer when his 12 year old son visits. Sam was here for spring break and effectively cleaned out Greg's cupboards.

I do get some rather large amounts of toothpaste and shampoo which in turn gets donated 2 times a year to food banks. I recently adopted a US soldier in Iraq so I will be sending things to him and other soldiers that need some help over there.

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Laura
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