Stockpiling and Debt(finding a balance)

**NikoSan999** · 08-06-2011, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by brenda67

With the way everything that's happening in our country I would stockup on anything you will eat/ non-food items add in all the natural disasters,drought,fires I believe we could be looking @ problems with not enough food to feed our country as well as other countries this is more important than anything right now..I'm totally focused in every area of prepping for my family..I'm in overdrive and will not stop until I feel I've covered everything! I would rather have enough then not enough while paying the mininuim on my bill's @ least until you see how the economy look's..JMHO..

I would have to second brenda. If anything maybe cut the stockpile budget down by no more than half. This 513 drop on Wall Street is scary as he(). And I don't think its over.
Maybe continue to build it up and if TS dosen't HTF and you're comfortable with it..use the stockpile for a couple months and cut total grocery/stockpile spending..using both monies toward debt in a larger sum.

**Palooka** · 08-06-2011, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by brenda67

With the way everything that's happening in our country I would stockup on anything you will eat/ non-food items add in all the natural disasters,drought,fires I believe we could be looking @ problems with not enough food to feed our country as well as other countries this is more important than anything right now..I'm totally focused in every area of prepping for my family..I'm in overdrive and will not stop until I feel I've covered everything! I would rather have enough then not enough while paying the mininuim on my bill's @ least until you see how the economy look's..JMHO..

Originally Posted by NikoSan999

I would have to second brenda. If anything maybe cut the stockpile budget down by no more than half. This 513 drop on Wall Street is scary as he(). And I don't think its over.
Maybe continue to build it up and if TS dosen't HTF and you're comfortable with it..use the stockpile for a couple months and cut total grocery/stockpile spending..using both monies toward debt in a larger sum.

I appreciate your thoughts. I just could never pay the minimums unless I was financially forced too. I want to get out of debt really really bad!! More so than having 50 cans of green beans.(you know what I mean) I love to buy extra when it's a really good deal and it saves us money. We can all agree there.

Just need to find a balance where I see my savings grow, my debt payed down, and my family fed.

I'm getting there but it's been a lot of tweaking with my families changing needs.

I'm going to slash it more than half and see how that works. Sometimes the more I have, the more the kids eat/use.

And some things I'm doing just wrong! And I think I'm a much happier camper when I buy in bulk than chase coupons and stores. Saves on gas and over compulsive spending and I still have that feeling of everything I need. Plus I'm so entertained a home.

I know it's so different for all!

I've got my August budget down to the last penny almost! I think.

**pollypurebred39** · 08-07-2011, 12:18 AM

I've not put any extra money into stocking, I've developed a deep pantry system that seems to be working out rather well. My pantry continues to grow, and we eat healthier all the time. HappyMama was the one who suggested it to me and I'm very grateful for her advice.

The basic premise is to purchase as much of the best deal as possible with your food dollars at one time. Clearly that gives you more than you could eat/use in a week of any one thing. So if I find say mozzarella cheese for 99 cents a brick, I might spend half of my food money on mozzarella. Now, I need to use the other things in my pantry to balance that week, but as time goes on my pantry grows, meals become more varied. I'm not only feeding my family healthier, but I'm making the money I do have work for me. I only buy what we eat, and what is the very best price.

We also have a garden and I dehydrate and freeze garden produce. I also dehydrate and freeze super low priced items at the grocery too.

**sinopa27** · 08-07-2011, 12:42 AM

great topic! I am just starting to learn to stockpile. I have been having the same thoughts as you Palooka. Mostly everyone here has a lot more experience with stockpiling than I do and already I was questioning about paying on debt vs stockpiling. Thanks for the suggestions. I will set aside stockpile $$ so I don't feel like I am missing out!

**Palooka** · 08-07-2011, 12:48 AM

Originally Posted by pollypurebred39

I've not put any extra money into stocking, I've developed a deep pantry system that seems to be working out rather well. My pantry continues to grow, and we eat healthier all the time. HappyMama was the one who suggested it to me and I'm very grateful for her advice.

The basic premise is to purchase as much of the best deal as possible with your food dollars at one time. Clearly that gives you more than you could eat/use in a week of any one thing. So if I find say mozzarella cheese for 99 cents a brick, I might spend half of my food money on mozzarella. Now, I need to use the other things in my pantry to balance that week, but as time goes on my pantry grows, meals become more varied. I'm not only feeding my family healthier, but I'm making the money I do have work for me. I only buy what we eat, and what is the very best price.

We also have a garden and I dehydrate and freeze garden produce. I also dehydrate and freeze super low priced items at the grocery too.

Yeah, I totally get that concept. I miss HappyMamma.

Hope she is doing okay. I enjoyed her post.

**pollypurebred39** · 08-07-2011, 12:56 AM

Yeah, me too!

**khaski** · 08-07-2011, 09:07 AM

I've run into this issue recently with health and beauty products....we're at the point where we really don't need to stockpile anymore shampoo, feminine products, soaps etc! We have a medium stockpile of foods, which I'd like to grow, so I've recently decided to cut back on the drugstore trips, beef up the non-perishables. Ideally I'd like to have 6 months of food on hand for emergencies. My drigstore budget just shrunk, my grocery budget just increased a little...we all have to do what works for us, and stockpile to the level we feel comfortable with.

**BigPolishJimmy** · 08-08-2011, 11:57 AM

We stockpile staples only. By staples I mean things we commonly use and would buy even if there wasn't a sale. Things like laundry detergent and shampoo(my wife rocks the coupon/sale combo and is awesome).

Recently I've gotten into cooking partially in an effort to save money, and partially because I'm hungry. I've been stockpiling food staples and learning more about cooking from scratch. I read somewhere on the web that many companies run on a 3-month cycle of sales. I have no idea if this is true, but it seemed like a nice starting point.

I'll see if the chicken I bought comes up on sale for that price in the next couple of months. If not I'll pay more after that point, but i'll still have saved over that time I had my stock pile, so nothing to be sad about there. Also if I loose power, It's not so much that I'll be heartbroken about the loss. (eventually I hope to get a deep freeze that can weather a couple days of power loss better than the side-by-side does.)

I now make home-made pizza once-a-week instead of picking up one on the way home from work. The kids say it's better, and it's less expensive than buying it from the well-known-Italian chain store. Flour is cheap at aldi(or elsewhere on sale), and I saved further bought the yeast in bulk which brought price to 46-cents per ounce vs. 1.33 per ounce in the little store bought packets. Just Saturday I scored some Mozzarella at 1/2 the price I bought it a couple days before. I had to grate it, bag it, and freeze it. But that was short work thanks to my 5-dollar garage sale cuisinart. Once in a while you find an awesome garage sale. Just got a 2-dollar hand-crank pasta machine that looks new, but I'm off topic.

er, yes... we stockpile staples only We don't sweat it if we can't buy a years supply, we get what's comfortable and enjoy the savings on what we do get. There will be more opportunities later.

**shoiji** · 08-08-2011, 05:59 PM

When I first started stockpiling I was really proud at the extensive amount that I had stockpiled in two closets. The thing is they are in closets, so I never really used anything because they were tucked away and it was more of a living museum. This year has been tight with extra money and many times I have had to rely on my stockpile. Even lowered the amount I was spending on groceries. When shoprite had their can can sale I was able to stockup on vegetables and beans for really cheap.

As long as you purchase only products your family will use you will probably find it useful. My stockpile gives me comfort to know should something happen tomorrow I have enough food to last about two months. There have been more natural disasters in this area so I would rather be prepared.

I would think if you just set aside x-amount to be put towards stockpiling each month you should be set. Most of the meat I purchase are manager's specials. So when I find a manager's special on meat I would normally eat I stock up as much as I can since they do not occur all the time.

Since I already have a good stockpile going I can wait for the really good sales with coupon thus spending less money.

**NicJean** · 08-17-2011, 10:36 AM

Stockpiling food is an investment. Food prices have risen well over 6% THE LAST YEAR. My savings account - 3% interest earned. (so much for savings!) So, this year my food cost me less, I already had purchased it, I had no stress as to figuring out what to buy (menu/recipe book that I used to make purchases) or cook, and I didn't have to waste gas running to the store to pick up something I ran out of (10 miles to nearest store). For me, the savings add up.

However, getting debt-free is also extremely important. I'd plan on having three month food supply (covers being out sick for a while, laid off, family emergency) as well as a savings account then all other discretionary income towards bills.

I've got one full payment on my truck, and maybe a partial payment, and I'm done with debt. It's taken a long time to get to this place.

I do have a year's worth of "pantry" to use, although at times it's been quite lean. Having a garden helps, learning how to dehydrate (with pilot light and in overheated car), learning how to preserve everything you grow and buy (stems for broccoli soup, for example). It's about learning how to use it up, make do, or cut losses and do without. I'm not deprived, I feel blessed. I have been given much, and my responsibility for it, I don't take lightly.

**shoiji** · 08-25-2011, 03:24 PM

It does depend on what your family uses and how much you use the stockpile.

When I first started stockpiling I went nuts buying items up. Now I have slowed down a bit since the few times I had to throw an item out because it was expired. Also, I do not eat a lot of processed foods so even the canned items get used less frequently but I do use them. My stockpile is a little smaller now, but what I have learned from stockpiling as far as planning for the future is priceless.

When school supplies go on sale I usually pick up the two packs of pens/pencils for $1 each year. Throughout the year I never have to worry about finding a pen/pencil. Same goes for computer paper. I stocked up about two years ago on computer paper and am still using the paper I stocked up on. Obviously the printer does not get a workout!

Right now there are hurricane advisories going out. They are telling everyone to be prepared and make sure to have supplies and water. Well, I am ready. All I need to do is fill up some pots with fresh water in case of flooding and the water treatment plant goes out.

Since I do have a good stockpile going I can actually save more on groceries because I can wait for a good sale and use a coupon especially on personal care items.

Should add that my stockpiling seems to go in spurts. Fall for me is the best time to stockup on canned goods. Fall/Winter is best time for me to stockup on baking items. January is best time for me to stockup on personal care items.

Apparently I felt the need to post twice. lol