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

**khaski** · 07-31-2009, 07:59 PM

I stockpile in part to save money, in part to guard against lean times, and in part to be prepared for emergencies that might make the store inaccesible for a bit....imagine my shock to learn some folks pick it down to 0 and start over! I guess, after living through the NH ice storm with no power for 10 days last year, I'm even bigger on the 'just in case' angle....do those of you who take it down to 0 once in a while not worry about emergencies? Do you stockpile solely to save $?

**MaryCarney** · 07-31-2009, 08:58 PM

I am planning to deplete mine BECAUSE we're moving and I do not want to move it all!!!

**Contrary Housewife** · 07-31-2009, 09:11 PM

I'm working mine down because stuff is getting old and needs to be eaten. It doesn't last forever. I haven't seen a lot of good deals recently, so there are spaces on the shelves in my freezer and pantry, but I'm not too concerned right now. It will fill up again soon.

**Karen1** · 07-31-2009, 09:13 PM

I deplete meats in the freezer....not to the bone, but mostly cause I hate meat and anything frozen for a long time.

I deplete alot of items, but never to the bone. I wait for sales. Until I hit good ones, I don't spend money on items, so sometimes it does mean using up a stocked item in my pantry.

BUT honestly I never use it all that is in the house. If an emergency did arise, my family and others would eat. Might be boring meals, but I sure could stay alive...LOL

But money is mostly my reason for stocking.

**monkeywrangler71** · 08-01-2009, 01:17 AM

I'm stockpile for convenience primarily. No, I don't really worry about emergencies. There's always going to be something to eat, even if the stockpile is 'empty'. It would be impossible to run out of absolutely everything at the same time. I'm within walking distance to the store; if there is no electricity for an extended period in the winter I would have to move to a hotel anyway as we'd have no heat.

As far as lean times are concerned, if I'm not stockpiling food, then I'm stockpiling money. Usually just as, if not more handy in hard times.

**mauimagic** · 08-01-2009, 01:23 AM

I stockpile to cover times we may not have the money needed to buy staples and to cover for emergencies (dockstrike, hurricane, etc). Only stockpile things that I can get on sale. Prices seem to be going up pretty fast so I need to be on top of this more.

**frugalfranny** · 08-01-2009, 01:44 AM

I stockpile to save money and for emergencies, but the food items need to be 'recylced' sometimes and my time is up. I don't take it down to empty, just try to draw down on the meat, bread, and produce in the freezer so it won't get old. Canned goods can last longer, depending on what they are, so I don't concentrate so much on getting those turned around. They usually get used up in time anyway.

I had two weeks last winter where I was house-bound due to snow and I was fine. I think at any given time I could go three months, at least, and not starve. Might not like what I had to eat but would make it.

**Pemberleyan** · 08-01-2009, 09:32 AM

I feel sure I don't have a year's supply of food, but I don't plan to ever deplete it completely. I don't want anything to get so old that it becomes unusable. I need to get my dehydrator going again and build it up.

**Grainlady** · 08-01-2009, 10:02 AM

My large amount of food in storage is now a hedge on inflation, as well as emergency use, AND a great way to save money. I can focus on purchasing sale items and "shop at home" for food preparation. I see prices going up, but possibly more-so in the near future with the government printing so much money. That could cause inflation.

I remember inflation during the Jimmy Carter years (early 1980's), and that's when I first learned to stockpile. The food I have in storage is earning more than the money in the savings account right now. Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all food is projected to increase 2.5 to 3.5 percent for 2009. Food prices began to climb the last half of 2007 - the wheat I purchase doubled in price from 2007 to 2008 and has remained at that all-time high price in 2009.

**savvy_sniper** · 08-01-2009, 10:06 AM

Different people stockpile for different reasons and in different ways. What works for one person won't work for another.

I stockpile what we use and rotate my stock so it never gets old. I do stock up on cheap cases of bottled water at the beginning of hurricane season and then use it up after hurricane season is over. Other than bottled water my stockpile is an ever growing, changing, evolving food store.

I used to use up the food in my freezer as much as possible and not buy much at the beginning of hurricane season because I didn't want to lose it all if and when we lost power. NOW I have a generator so I can keep my freezer stocked.

**jas** · 08-01-2009, 10:06 AM

The only things I really deplete down and not all the way is the meat in the freezer and that is usually in the summer. Here in Florida that is hurricane season and if we were to loose power too much money in meat would be lost. You would have to have one heck of a bbq not to waste it all. And like others have said to really rotate it and get it used before it isn't any good.

The rest of my stockpile is more stable not electric sensitive. Just have to be sure to have enough water to rehydrate my dehydrated items. Those things get rotated and I don't want them down to zero.

I stockpile for all the reasons everyone has mentioned and you just never know in this unstable world situation when shtf. I don't want to be down to nothing then what was the point in the first place.

**vickilynn** · 08-01-2009, 11:37 AM

I guess I now have a new use for the stockpile...... when it's time to go camping I can shop from the stockpile and restock as needed. Didn't go completely bare but I've got some shopping to do.

**imagine** · 08-01-2009, 11:38 AM

My stockpile is my pantry (pantry principle) so it is always moving and changing. It is never down to empty. But I have probably used terms like "there was nothing in the house" or "down to the bone" Meaning that it was at an uncomfortable to me level or that we were out of basics like fresh milk, bread, fresh fruit.

I'm currently trying to empty out the downstairs freezer as the veggies in there are getting old and there are some of are least favorite meats in there so I need to motivate myself to cook those up. The freezer also needs an extensive defrosting.

A bonus of emptying out the freezer is you find things at the bottom like Halloween chocolate. That was a wonderfully sweet surprise.

**latierra84** · 08-01-2009, 11:06 PM

I wait for sales, lately I haven't been able to find the prices that I'm used to paying for rock bottom prices so some things I've run out while I wait for a better sale. Say brown rice for instance, I can always make some other starch for dinner instead of the rice and no one at home notices the difference. I never seem to run out of more than one thing at a time though. I keep a mental list of things that are low and when I see it at a good price, I snag it.

**dcompton** · 08-01-2009, 11:44 PM

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.