I was surprised to hear some use their stockpile down to the bone

[bumplett]

I have been using a lot of mine for a couple of reasons -- first, I just want it downsized. I really don't need as much as I had.

Second is weather, which plays a role in many people's decisions about stockpiling. I have almost emptied the freezer but it was not deliberate. Summer is our horrid season in Louisiana, not the winter, and I just haven't been going to the grocery store unless it was absolutely unavoidable. I even look at great sales, look out the window, and think, "nah, it's just too dang hot. There will be more sales." In the fall and winter I will replenish and rebalance it. It's much smaller than it was, but I could still eat a long time on what I have, though my favorite things might be in short supply.

ohhhhh, I agree with Donna!!!


Not only do I feel that food DOES have a shelf life, and should be used before it turns to stone, I found that I had stockpiled far more than neccessary.

and summer is the perfect time to use it up, I'll build again during winter/fall.

I have plenty in the event of an emergency -

[Dancing Lotus]

In the past I have used it to the bone because we couldn't afford NOT to. But that's what it was for.

[ladytoysdream]

RIght now, I am trying to get the stuff in the main freezer down. Mainly the meat. Then I can restock part of the meat, later this fall. I also need the space for garden produce. My second freezer. the old one, I have a lot of bread. Also some recent fruit and veggies.
We have chickens now so I try to keep some extra bread, for them in the freezers.

Canned goods, I just keep adding to them. I should do a serious inventory. I do rotate them around. Oldest gets used first.
I won't let that pile get low.

Plan is to do more canning this summer so hopefully I can shut the second freezer down at some point again.
I do have a old dehrydrater that I need to dig out of storage and try using again. Maybe this time it will click for me.

[Jakk]

Just as the OP said, I was surprised to see just how many people deplete their storage. For me, I have different levels of storage. (I prefer the word storage rather than stockpile). I have my long term storage which is put up and not touched unless needed. These are items that have a long shelf life like sugar, pasta and rice etc.

Then I have my pantry which is actually several pantries. I have about 9 months worth of items in my storage, and they are rotated daily. I use my storage from right to left. When I need a can of corn, I take the one from the right. When I buy more, it goes on the shelf to the left. I never have to worry about anything going bad past its expiration date. I only buy what we use, and I use what I buy.

[Cricketlegs]

I keep my pile moving on both ends. I take it out and I put it back. I slowed down over the summer but I am ready to get busy again once school starts back up.

[baxjul]

I'm using mine right now, because I have no money for groceries. But, in a week or two, I'll start stocking it back up.

[Shelli_wnj]

We have been using ours extensively. It's there for 2 reasons. Weather (ice storms in winter) and economic problems. We have been suffering the latter recently, so I went down recently and noticed we are out of quite a bit. I try to cook around what we don't have, but it's time to start restocking some of it based on our budget. I would never use it down to zero without good reason!

[Judi Dial]

I stockpile for emergencies, to save money, and to help others on occasion.

I try and keep 2 weeks worth of food in the house. Not a lot, but not nothing either. We don't eat a lot of processed foods, we eat a lot of fresh foods. If I had the room, I'd store more drygoods like Grainlady, but I really have very little room. We are planning a dedicated, larger pantry, and perhaps then I can start storing more, but right now I just don't have the space.

As it is I have my pantry stuffed, my shelves stuffed, wooden boxes in the kitchen stuffed, under things stuffed, and the shelves over the washer & dryer have food on them too. I could put stuff under the bed, etc. but those spaces are mostly full of books right now!

Less books, more beans! (A goal I aspire to.)

I make sure that everything in my pantry gets renewed in 2 years or less with one or two exceptions. I don't use it down to zero, but I DO try and deplete our stored goods so I can get canned goods in the summer when they're cheaper and frozen goods in the early spring when they are, etc.

Judi

[Tai]

We've never used up "ALL" the food in the house. I'm wayyyy too nervous to do that with 2 babies since the thought of shopping alone with them for that nights' dinner terrifies me!

We do turnover the food pretty well though. I'm a snot and won't pay for certain things anymore, and I also have set prices when I'll stock up (let's put it this way- I buy laundry detergent about once a year when I can get it for almost free- and that's the only time I'll buy it). So it goes without saying that certain items will dwindle down to almost bare before a deal that's good enough for my standards comes along!

[udwe]

I'm using up my stockpile because I don't have any extra money right now. I'm trying to pay off medical bills and a loan, so I will have money to stockpile again. I do have a garden and boy, are we using it.