When one of your favorite organic food items is at an irresistible price at the supermarket, do you ever wonder how much you should stock up on? When something like organic pasta sauce, cereal or other shelf-stable pantry items are on sale, go for about 12 weeks’ worth as your maximum supply when you want to stock up. Twelve weeks is about the length of the average sales cycle for most items at the store. So if you use about one box of cereal per week, go with 12 boxes of cereal when it’s discounted at the lowest price.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Wednesday may be your best time to stock up on the least expensive organic fruits and veggies. Supermarkets traditionally release circulars and sale prices on Tuesday nights for sales that start the following day. When store managers check inventory on Tuesdays and mark down prices on sale items, they also note which perishables need to sell. Overstocked items -- like organic produce -- are often marked down to diminish their overstock. If you combine manufacturer coupons with these sale prices, you’ll save even more on Wednesday.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

When moving to a new home, one of the more delicate items that needs to be wrapped up securely is a television. Purchasing the cardboard box, wrapping and other packing materials needed can not only be expensive, it’s also wasteful, since you will end up discarding them. Since there is a good chance someone in your neighborhood is purchasing a new TV, ask around for their old box and packing materials. It may securely hold your TV, and it’ll be absolutely free to obtain; plus, you’re reusing packaging that was likely destined for the landfill.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION