When do you stop stockpiling?

[Jellybeanz]

I've always stockpiled, even when we were dirt poor..

Till the last few years when my health went south I just put up and and froze peas, beans, basically any kind of veggie we ate a lot of, but time they do change, and even though our grown boys still live with us ( for free, yes, my husband 's idea, not worth years or arguing over, I have already tried)they all, from hubby to boys work out of town for periods of time throughout the year so I don't have reason to cook so much,.

Now a couple years ago I felt we were really facing tough times I bought cases of veggies and things that do perish over time. Big mistakes. A lot of it is either pasd date or within 6 months or less of it.

I HAVE to do something with it now. I will NEVER stockpile food to such a degree agin or listen to chicken littles screeching on the internet about how food is gonna disappea from te stores.

If it does, so be it.

I have changed my priorities since finding out Ihave a terminal kind of illness. I want simplicity. I want to declutter and get rid of junk.

I will still keep extra toilet paper, paper tow, and laundry detergent, toothpaste etc, but those are things that actually LAST.

Good post. I learned.. I honestly think I crossed over to greediness. Now I'm not religious, I will be honest and say I believe in something but I don't presume to know what it is , but IT is telling me or giving me a feeling thats what I've been.

So I'm going with that feeling and when it cools down and I hopefully have a bit of energy some days I will tackle this job.

Good post btw!!!! Thanks :-)

Sorry for the many spelling errors, I'm already fuzzy and tired this a.m. lol

[shoiji]

When I first started stockpiling I was in frenzied panic. And it really did become an addiction. Then I realized that 1) I was running out of room to stockpile 1 walk-in closet and one regular closet for one person 2) I have enough personal care products to last me two years. Sooooooo, I haven't bought personal care products unless I had no more left or it is on sale and I have room to store it.

Right now I have my walk-in closet is starting to get a little sparse. I will be stock piling more now that the fall is here. Mostly on canned items and baking products. I tend to eat more canned items in the winter just for more variety.

[ladykemma2]

I stopped stockpiling for two reasons a few years ago:

1) My kids are grown. One moved out and the other is rarely home. And eats at home even less than that. So I don't 'need' a ton of food around, and what I do have sits around even longer than it used to. So my pantry is stocked and I replenish when I need to. Even grocery shopping has whittled down to not often. Since I don't need much I don't worry about the cost difference any more. I will still watch and shop for sales, but I don't stock up for months down the road.

2) Last year we redecorated our bedroom. New furniture, carpet, paint, the whole deal. What was left when we were finished was a beautiful, simple, clean bedroom. And I LOVE it. And I figured out that 'stuff' makes me nuts! So I'm going through my house and simplifying...and that includes my kitchen and the pantry.

And you know what I have found since I no longer stockpile? My grocery budget has not changed, we always have plenty to eat, and we don't run out of anything.

Someone here posted once that they were going to the stores to get their stockpile up...and she did. She went and bought just what she needed in the amounts she needed. I asked her about best prices etc., and she said she was stockpiling for need (LDS Maybe? I don't remember) which was separate from being frugal. Whoa! Lightbulb moment for me! In fact, that may have been when I stopped working on stockpiling. If the need arrives one day when I need to stockpile groceries, I will do that. I have the money so that isn't an issue. Most frugal way? No, but if it comes down to a need to stock up, frugality is out the window. At that point best prices would be the least of my worries.

And I must say - I am MUCH happier now. Something very freeing about letting go....

that was me, i think.
i refilll my stockpile every june. actually it is not a stockpile but an entire room of an active, used pantry, LDS style. a year's worth of food.

couponing drives me nuts.

[MarianneR]

Thanks to all for your responses. Based on your feedback, I've decided to make a few changes. We do eat from our stockpile, although clearly not enough. I will be making more of an effort in that area. This means that, at least for a while, I will only be buying perishables and whatever odds and ends we have run out of. I've decided stockpiling has become a source of stress for me, and we'll probably save more money over the next year eating more from our stockpile than we would be looking for yet more deals. As some of you have pointed out, deals come around all the time, and some are a lot better than others. I think it may also be time to redefine my idea of what constitutes a deal!

Thanks again, everyone!

[khaski]

Funny you posted this...I just stopped stockpiling my toiletries. Much like you, I could not pass up the 'deals'...which is fine, to a point....but just ;listen to yourself, if you're out of room and it's headed from a blessing to a curse, you can stop now!

I realized recently I have an easy year's worth of feminine products, toothpaste, body wash, contact solution, shampoos and over the counter pain meds...time to take a break!

[dcompton]

I am another one who only has myself to feed myself now. I built up a very large stockpile -- when was it, a year and a half, two years ago? -- when food prices suddenly started spiraling way up and container sizes way down. I don't regret that. I little of it was wasted, but not much, and considering I bought it while prices were lower over all, I think I still came out considerably ahead.

Now though, I don't keep as much. It works best for me to try to do it seasonally, stocking up over the winter and living off the bounty through the summer when it is just too miserably hot to get out and shop. I didn't stock up as well last winter, and I have paid for it this summer. Lesson learned, and I will definitely do better this year!

My minimum is never to let it get below about 6 weeks worth - I once had unexpected surgery and was non-driving for 6 weeks and had to impose on friends to help with shopping. This was before I stockpiled at all, and was another lesson learned.

For me, stockpiles are works in progress and their size and composition will, or should change, to mirror our circumstances and reflect our experience. It takes time to get it right.

[Judi Dial]

I date all the foodstuffs as they come in the door. I put stickers on top of the canned goods or write with a sharpie the month/year it came in the house.

About twice a year I go though my stores...anything at/over 2 years (my date) is automatically purged. My goal is 3 month supply of food (we have VERY limited storage) and 6 mo - 1 year of nonfood. I just purged my freezer last week, because literally, I couldn't put a single thing in it. We're eating out of it now (and have been for a bit). When it's 1/2 full again, then I'll let myelf look for meat, froz. veggies on sale, etc. in the meantime, we're eating what we've got!

IHTH --

Judi

[crafty73]

When you're done stockpiling "stuff" and "things", then stockpile your money

[khaski]

When you're done stockpiling "stuff" and "things", then stockpile your money

Hehe, a good point indeed- but I for one was grateful for my stockpile when we had the ice storm here in NH in '08...no electricity for 10 days, impassible roads- most in our little town were cleared by neighbors helping neighbors with their chainsaws.

I have a few friends left in a panic, trying to get out FAST as they only had a few days worth of food in the house that was non perishable. We were FINE, cooked on our propane grill outside until we were able to get a generator.

Not everyone needs 6 moths-1 year of food, but you should have at least a few weeks/months for emergencies...you never know what might happen!

[Judi Dial]

but I for one was grateful for my stockpile when we had the ice storm here in NH in '08...no electricity for 10 days, impassible roads- most in our little town were cleared by neighbors helping neighbors with their chainsaws.

Yep. We were out 14 days...I ABSOLUTELY understand. Of course, it was the same ice storm. We cooked on our propane stove top and heated the house with the woodstove.

I was really glad I'd stockpiled drinking water along with all the foodstuffs. After the last ice storm (last year?) I set aside a box as the "emergency" box...with batteries, paperplates, plasticware, papernapkins, and fatwood kindling sticks in it. The storm in 08 it seemed like I was always heating water, for dishes to to wash us!

That reminds me, I need to get the woodstove's chimney swept...

But if you've never been stranded, like we were here in '08. you can't know how grateful you can be for the cans of stuff (and the frozen food too) that you have set aside.

DH did an ingenious thing last time, took a big plastic tote, packed snow around the edges then put a smaller tote inside. With the two lids on, we had a "fridge" that we put our eggs, milk, etc. in. Prying open two plastic lids wasn't all that easy with the ice, but it was nice being able to not just throw out the fresh milk...etc.

Of course, I had canned (and dry) milk in the stockpile, and that's what we used after we used up the fresh!

Judi

[bumplett]

well, I'll admit, I still get it if it's FREE - how can you not? It can always be given to a friend, or family, or food bank!!

but for the most part I've stopped with the beauty products, such as shampoo, body wash, razors, etc. I'll never have to buy razors again!

oh, and cereal - I'm grounded from buying anymore cereal til what we have is gone!

I cook around what's stockpiled. So if frozen chicken nuggets were a steal, we eat frozen chicken nuggets in whatever way I can think up to use them until they are gone. (you can make chicken salads, chicken buscuits, etc)

My weak point: toaster strudels! I love those things!!

so basically, I guess I only stock around what's on sale, usually buy 5 to 10 of each item (depends on the coupons) eat on it til the next weeks sale ad, and so on.

but I'm sure we'd survive for 6-9 months with food if I didn't step foot out the door.

[Jeanna]

You have gotten great advice. I think that when we start questioning if it is getting out of hand it usually is. My advice to anyone is to listen to there enter voice, if you truly listen it usually won't go wrong. I know most of the bad decisions I have made in my life is when I do what I want instead of listening to that voice.

[crafty73]

i love to stockpile. we had to live off of my stockpile, which is pretty much depleted now lol but i am rebuilding it. i'm also getting all my finances in order with regards to gic's, rrsps, savings etc. i read a book called 'smart women finish rich, canadian edition' and at first found it to be a bit boring but then i really got into it and its a simple read too with alot of good advice for investing ur money wisely. (the originally version was american). its a cheesy title but i think well worth the read. so now i not only stockpile food and supplies, i stockpile my money lol I discovered i had over $10,000 sitting dorment in an old pension acct from 8 yrs ago from when i worked for provinicial gov't, since i cant withdraw it (its locked in until i turn 50 yrs old - which is a good thing), i also cant contribute to it either since i no longer work for that dept BUT i can transfer it to my current employment pension fund and while that 10,000 will still be locked in til i reach 50 yrs, at least i can make it grow in the meantime instead of it just sitting there doing nothing. anyways i've gotten offtrack lol
i dont think u can ever stockpile too much esp if u rotate it and use it. i see a big difference between hoarding and stockpiling. thats just my opinion anyway lol
take care folks