Understanding stockpiling....

[freyadog]

We have stockpiled for years. We buy very little white flour but we do have it on hand. We grind our own wheat berries.

the purpose for us to stockpile is 1. we live very rural so dh does alot of the shopping on the way home from work with me on the phone with him as he cruises the store. 2. we know that forever is a myth when it comes to jobs so we make sure that that would be one problem taken care of if the need should arise if he had no job.

we always rotate our canned and jarred food stuffs. the 5 and 6 gal. buckets that are still sealed can last up to 25 years depending on temperature kept in. so we have about 3 years along those lines.

potatoes, apples etc. go under the house.
onions in the lean-to with homecanned food stuffs.

we have a double walk-in closet. so one side has clothes in it and the other has most of our stockpile.

we are going to build a root cellar this winter as temps. permit to move most of this stuff out of the house. one wall of my kitchen from floor to ceiling is shelving that dh built and I would like all of that to be moved out.

OK stockpiling- Eat what you buy and buy what you eat. Emergencies can happen at any time. Not just weather related. A good homemaker always has enough on-hand to make sure that her or his family is comfortable in the worst of times. And then some to share.

When stockpiling make sure that you also have comfort foods. A bowl of beans and a pone of cornbread is delicious but there will be something missing if comfort food is not added and people tend to stop eating because there is no variety or comfort in what they are offered, including yourself.


Best wishes in your stockpiling and the knowledge to know how.

[Libby]

When I try to stockpile canned goods someone upstairs tries to use them all which causes me to buy more and the viscious circle continues I can only stockpile a few items and the rest is a no go b/c my dad just doesnt want it in the house.

TP/tissues and paper towels, if they're on sale we will stock up. If they go on sale again before we can use them up we won't over stockpile but replenish whats missing - up to what we can house comfortably.

I am the one that usually stocks up on HBA and the past 3 times my dad has gone to buy something at the grocery story I stop him and tell him I have tons and its a brand he can use LOL he's laughed at me and has asked where I have this all hidden. HBA is my dept! LOL But I am slowly cleaning out my stockpile b/c it was getting out of hand. Excess amounts of toothpaste and soap, bodywashes and shampoo. Now its buy if you really need it and well 9 times out of 10 I don't.

[Little Birdie]

Eat what you buy and buy what you eat.

Ah, that's another good catchy phase to remember!

[my4littlebuffaloes]

I have no pantry, so I set one up in my basement. I organized the shelves by type of item and put the soonest expirations in the front. It totally depends on the item how much I stockpile. I was able to get Progresson soup for $.50 a can earlier this month - I bought 40 cans. Other things might be a great sale, however I see that same sale every couple of months. Then maybe I will just buy a few. It depends on how much we eat, how it needs to be stored and the expiration date. Also how much money I have in the grocery budget at the time. Good luck!

[Jessesbride]

When it comes to stockpiling... I'm just getting started! Around here even milk goes on sale these days... for example.. Yesterday I went to homeland to get the "last of the goods" before the sale went off.. and I got milk for 1/2 gal on sale for $1.58 x 2 = $3.16 for 1 gal of milk. considering that milk is usually for 1 gal. almost $4.00 or over, I got 3 of them and called it a day! We have just moved to a HOUSE from a trailer and we already had a big freezer that we kept in kitchen and then had our own fridge. When we moved to this house there was a fridge here already (and ours doesn't fit in the space anyway) and so BOTH our xtra freezer and OUR fridge are in the garage! we have space to freeze! lol... Since we usually use powdered milk unless we get a good bargain on regular milk, I poured a little milk out of 2 of the jugs (for me to drink) & stuck the rest of the 2 in the freezer!

We also have tons of cabinets and the garage on hand if we need to... I also use the space under my bed for things like tp , etc. I'm getting better at using coupons w/sales so that is definitely helping! I just make out a list of things on sale & coupons that we have (all being what we use anyway) and figure out what we are making for dinner for the month. Sometimes, if there is a really good deal in the month (b/c I'll have $$ left over) I'll get other things as well, and either use it for the next month menu or change something from this month's menu for next and use the other instead. It helps soooo much that my hubby also LOVES to cook and he can come up w/stuff as well from what we have.

Plus, I also have a "list" of things to choose from (yes, on paper, on pc, etc) that helps me jog my memory when I am having a brainfart! that way if something I haven't remembered about... I know that if I have that I can always make it as well too... make sense?

Right now we are in the middle of boxing up bathroom extras to go in the garage and leave more room for each of us having our own shelf (there are 3 of us... doable, but ...

We don't save for "emergencies" but we do stockpile for getting the best deal plus if we have something else that comes up during the month (for whatever reason) we can use money that we've set aside for groceries (if needed) and not "feel the pinch"... this has saved us many times! Plus, whatever $$ we have left over (if not used the next month) we put into savings... so far that is usually where it goes!

I think each family just does what suits them best b/c every family has diff needs etc.

Hope this helps!

Kim

[rachelj]

Just an FYI....

My FIL works for an egg company... eggs will last much longer than the "best if used by" date

I get things cheap. I don't live in Hurricane area so that isn't an issue for us. I like knowing that I have gotten a good deal. My problem is that it is hard for me to pass up the good deal. Dh hasn't gotten to the point that he really appreciates my stockpiling. He does like a good deal!! Like when Target had their coupons of Kraft MacNCHeese and I got like 10 boxes for less than a $1!

[zenmama]

I have them all in the kitchen for now, but I'm running out of room. Basically, I just buy on sale and loss leaders, and then plan meals from what I have. I don't ever get much more than a month stockpiled. I can't imagine a time I would need more than that. Even if a hurricane hit, things would be up and running, or we would be somewhere else within a month. In fact, for a hurricane, they tell you to stockpile for 7 days. I always try for a month, though.

You never know... We were part of a major black out in January of 98 due to compounding ice storms over a few days. We were without electricity for 21 days. Many people had to abandon their homes during that time and live in community shelters. Produce, ATM's, restaurants were not that easy to find. We managed to get by with our wood stove and combining what we had with other family members. Ever since then I've stockpiled a little more especially in winter.... Remember, Mother nature is the boss!!

[Leahmom]

Wel Gals,

For all of my vaunted age and exp. This is the hardest part for me to understand-so I now have read Tightwad Gazette sooooomanytimes that I think I have it.
In my Price book- I know that I will never pay more than 50.c a can of tuna. So when I see it for that price I spend 5/6 on the 10-15 cans and just put it away in my new pantry (pix me with hammer and shelving-woohoo) I also really like Hunts tomato sauce in the little can. You can sometimes find them for 33c or so. When I see them 4/$1- I will buy 10 or 12. When I see the 5lb can of Ketchup,l tomato sauce, peaches i will buy it. AFTER i calculate price/size ratio to compare with other specials coupons etc. I then open up my 5lb can of tomato sauce, portion into freezer bags and freeze it in Spaghetti Sauce portions (3c,) Same with the ketchup. I clean out large bottles, milk dollar store soda what have you and fill up my well washed ketchup bottle and funnel the rest into the clean bottles and put it away.

The point is that we eat ketchup. ALOT. Now If I were to pull out the spent on Ketchup- lets say 1.29 a bottle. 4 times a month. 5.16 OR 1 5lb can per month. which is 5.49 but fills up 6 bottles. So at the end of the year when I know my DF will consume 52 bottles of ketchup at 1.39 = cost of 67.08 yearly spent on ketchup . Or About 9 5#lb cans with equal- 54 bottles for a cost of 49.41. Yearly savings of 17.67 That money is my savings. Stockpiling for me is large, cheap and end of year savings. Tuna cans at 59 vs 50 If you eat 4 a week 208 cans. Would you rather pay 122.72 OR 104.00 savings of 18.72.
Pasta I only pay .50 a lb for. Again spaghetti pasta is .89 a lb at the local grocery.
We eat 156 lbs a year. I want to pay 78.00 NOT 138.84 and save that 60.84, So in one year I can save 97.23 just by never paying more that that particular price. If my stockpile runs out I wait until another sale hits. They usually rocket around each qtr. and then I try to stockpile more. These are 3 staples that I have numerous recipes for and our basically cheap and will last in the pantry. It all adds up. Considering most people buy anywhere from 62 -200 items a trip (I am grocery cashier) If you took each item and determines lowest price and then stockpiled. It adds up. So my pantry idea is only to stock the cheapest standard pantry items. My veg/fruit I buy fresh- What ever is on sale and My meat is a bit more expensive- but thats ok, we have food allergy and protein adsorption disorders. Does this take a long time? Nah..you pretty much know when you are looking at something whether it is a good price or not. And remember on expiration dates, warehouses keep things a long time.check with your local govt extension. HBA product- I don't stockpile so much. Couponing- very rarely. Dollar Store, bulk shopping- alot...
my take.
Leahmom

[PAVallygrl]

OK for those who freeze milk and eggs can someone please explain how they do this without them going yucky on them? (for example Milk to me should be white, when one freezes it doesn't it change colour? and eggs? I can't begin to think what the freezer would do to them.)

[Persimmon Lace]

Frozen eggs are just fine and to me look like scrambled eggs as for milk changing color when frozen I've never had that happen. You do need to let it defrost and then shake but it's never been anything but white!

[shoiji]

I just starteds using my closet with shelving. Bought 10 LBS of honey. For the winter. Price is good. I will be trying to stock up some more with foods I eat just in case something happens. Do know I need to buy water. Which is really difficult for me to do.

[JennaJLC]

I have a non-perishable food supply in my pantry. We have a mini fridge in the basement, so I am able to stash food down there when my big fridge is full. In my bedroom, I have a big box and a Rubbermaid tub full of HBA items.

I have stockpiled:

Deodorants
Shampoo + conditioner
Body wash
Baby wash
Soap
Shaving gel + razors
Toothpaste + toothbrushes
Toilet paper (have five 4-pks in each bathroom right now)
Band-Aids
Excedrin Migraine
Pads + tampons
Hair products

Salad dressings
Frozen bagels
Pizza Rolls
Dry cereal
Cookie mixes
Pancake mixes
Quaker Oats
Gum
Royal gelatin
Pasta
Pasta sauce
Baby food
At one time, had a big stockpile of diapers + wipes *sniff*

Glade Plug-Ins
Dawn dish soap
Various cleaners

I have been stockpiling since January of this year, and built up a big supply in no time!!