[onencgirl]

Last night I was thinking (gets me in trouble everytime, lol) about stockpiling groceries.

When you stockpile do you find yourself being somewhat indulgent or a bit wasteful? It seems to me the 'mindset' would automatically think there is extra so if I use or eat just a bit more it won't really matter. Or... do you go the other way and become almost miserly with your 'stash'?

Being single I don't have a huge stockpile but if I did I know I would find it hard not to be a bit wasteful.

Told ya thinking gets me into trouble. LOL

 

[Cricketlegs]

I am cautious with mine because I am working so hard to get it to a year.

I also know about how much money I have invested in it so far and that stops waste cold.

There really isn't any junk either--it all has to be cooked into meals so unless it is ravioli or chili it takes effort to eat off my stash. Even the pudding has to be cooked.

 

[NewLeaf]

We use our little stockpile just like any other groceries in the house. I try to NEVER waste food. Its just the way I am. If you have ever gone hungry or had a hard time w/enough money to buy food then it seems to stick w/you. The college years and beyond, before I had kids were pretty rough..... Maybe at times I take it too far. I actually keep a gallon freezer bag in the freezer and any left over vegies or soup material goes in there. When its full we have soup!!! Another example: we had leftover chix and dumplings so the next day we had chicken pot pie for dinner. No one complains- I guess they are used to it.

Also, like Cricketlegs, most of my stockpile are ingrediants that have to be cooked into things. I have a few soups and raviolis for convenience.

 

[thefrug]

I don't waste food to begin with, so I have no problems in that department. NOTHING is thrown in the trash. If the rabbit doesn't get it, the dogs and cats do. Nothing is wasted here.

 

[mombottoo]

I have always bought ahead and had a stockpile, although my stockpile is larger today then it was when all of our kids lived at home. I don't find myself me over-indulgent or wasteful, but wasting food has never been something I have done.

 

[Gibs]

Deffinately have not been wasteful here with the stockpile. We only have a small stockpile right now, but we havent been too wasteful.

 

[forHISglory]

No waste here. Like others, I know how much time and money went into the stockpile.

 

[Thevail]

No waste...but I only really stockpile the stuff I'd buy anyway (with a few exceptions like powdered milk).

So we use it as we go and replenish in order to "rotate" the stock.

I read a lot of stockpile lists and while they're cool and all, if there's an emergency I don't want to suddenly switch my family's diet too. Talk about stress.

 

[MommyBliss]

Back in my early days before getting frugal I would, but rarely nowadays. I use everything and we eat leftovers up, sometimes stretch things out with rice or pasta.

 

[frugal.lass]

I actually know what you mean because I find that with non-food items I DO sometimes use things a bit indulgently because of my stash. It's pretty much limited to my HBA items and only happens when I've recently been through my stash. I think it's because I get excited about silly things like which soap or shampoo I'll use after I've finished the ones in my bathroom (my stash consists of bath &body works, lush, body shop items...all gifts since that's all I ever ask for). When I "remember" how much stuff I have hidden away, I find that I stop paying close attention to how much shampoo/conditioner/shower gel I pour out of the container. Usually, after two or three less-than-frugal showers I'll catch what I'm doing and rein myself in.

It doesn't happen with food items though.

 

[familyof3]

I actually know what you mean because I find that with non-food items I DO sometimes use things a bit indulgently because of my stash. It's pretty much limited to my HBA items and only happens when I've recently been through my stash. I think it's because I get excited about silly things like which soap or shampoo I'll use after I've finished the ones in my bathroom (my stash consists of bath &body works, lush, body shop items...all gifts since that's all I ever ask for). When I "remember" how much stuff I have hidden away, I find that I stop paying close attention to how much shampoo/conditioner/shower gel I pour out of the container. Usually, after two or three less-than-frugal showers I'll catch what I'm doing and rein myself in.

It doesn't happen with food items though.

:yeah:
you beat me to it! (And saved me a lot of typing!) This is EXACTLY what I was going to type.

 

[onencgirl]

Thanks for everyones input. I don't waste anything if I can help it but let the kids come over and I'm a nervous wreck watching the waste. They think I am 'over the top' at times when they see me putting lil dabs of food in a bag for soup or washing plastic spoons to reuse, etc. My ds always tells me they are plastic for a reason. And, don't get me started on what they say because I make my own laundry soap or cleaning products.
:soapbox: OK, I'll step down now.

 

[WV_mom_of2]

No waste...but I only really stockpile the stuff I'd buy anyway (with a few exceptions like powdered milk).

So we use it as we go and replenish in order to "rotate" the stock.

This is me too! I stockpile things my family eats/uses on a regular basis. And I use my stockpile on a daily basis. I watch for sales and re-stock what we've used up. There is no waste because we eat leftovers!

 

[cheles2kids]

I find myself kinda in the 'middle of the road', I cook as usual so I don't overindulge (if you will) nor do I try to "hoard" my foodstuffs and not utilize them.

Although I do have to remind the kids that just because we have 20 bottles of juice, does not allow them a 'free for all' to drink juice non-stop for the next 2 weeks.

They are slowly understanding the stockpile are considered "extras" to be used as *needed*, not as wanted.
I will say that my kids are teenagers, so they do have a bit more understanding about why we are storing food and how much easier it makes our lives to continue with our stockpile.

I have heard people with the same arguement though, that they don't want to stockpile because they are afraid that they might just sit down and eat those 15 bags of chips that they just brought home.
I say if you can find those chips on sale for a $1.00 a bag, as opposed to having to stop in to pick them up this afternoon for $2.69 per bag, I think I can control myself to have saved the $1.69 (x 15).

I also think the longer that you participate in stockpiling, the more it just becomes the normal everyday way of grocery shopping.
When my teens go shopping with me, they don't blink an eye when I pick up 12 bags of beans, or 6 jars of molasses.
I send them off to pick the item up and they ask how many, so stockpiling does take some adjustments, just like anything else that you would change about the way you've always done things.

 

[Judi Dial]

I don't stockpile to save it for a rainy day exclusively. Nor do I stockpile simply to save money. I do it for both reasons.

Because of this, I use my stockpile and add to it regularly. This also means that I rarely manage to keep a huge stockpile.

My stockpile becomes my "back stock." I'm used to having back stock, as I'm a retailer. I store food in three rooms and rotate them as I use them from one room to the other.

Judi

 

[Cricketlegs]

I tell my family--check the PANTRY first for waht you want. IF it isn't there THEN you can get it out of the stockpile.

Don't go to the stockpile first--in the back bedroom.

Also, I mark my dates BIG so even a HUSBAND can read it.......

 

[Grainlady]

I have a series of things that keeps me from being indulgent....

1. We have a general rule - use everything like it's your last one.

Have you ever put water in a nearly empty shampoo bottle to get a couple more applications out of it? I've taken that even farther and will regularly add water to our shampoo to make it go farther, not just the last bit in the bottle.

So instead of dumping unmeasured laundry detergent into the washer tub, I measure it with a 1-tablespoon scoop (the recommended amount for the brand I use).

The commercial for toothpaste will ALWAYS show a completely covered toothbrush with a lovely swirl of the stuff - when the recommended amount is closer to the size of a small pea.

2. Meal planning. Meal planning is somewhat based on use-by dates of food in storage. I normally don't make peanut butter cookies until I have a jar of peanut butter that needs to be rotated out of storage because of a use-by date and needs to be used quickly. Cookies aren't "free" food, they are portioned out and count as a portion of the Bread/Cereal group in our diet as all foods are.

3. Meal planning is based on the old Basic-4 so that controls much of the food in our diet, as well as being a stickler for serving sizes. Over-eating anything is never good for the food budget.

4-servings Bread & Cereal
4-servings Fruits & Veg.
2-servings Meat/Alternative
2-servings Dairy

So a serving of spaghetti or pasta is 1/2-cup, orange juice is 6-oz., a slice of bread is 1-ounce, an English Muffin is 2-servings, as is a hamburger bun, etc... If we have ice cream and cake, it's not in addition to our daily requirements, it's included IN the daily total of food and counts as a bread/cereal (grain product) and dairy serving.

4. Limited funds, as opposed to UNlimited funds. I have a self-imposed food budget ($50/week for 2 adults). We stock all food with this amount of money and this amount only. We have more than enough money to buy all we want of anything we want, we just choose not to. Perhaps that early story about the grasshopper and the ant made a lasting impact on us.

So I guess those are some of the stop-gap measures I incorporate, but I'd never thought about it until the question was posed, so thanks for bringing the subject up....

 

[rainbowgc]

We stockpile and eat almost everything.

 

[dcompton]

I'm good with not overusing the stockpile unless I weaken and put ANYTHING chocolate in it. That will eat a hole in my brain until it's gone. Otherwise, I think I'm pretty sensible with it.

 

[tamiky]

I noticed just this same thing with some shampoo the other day. I was in a hurry to get to some bottles I really liked so I caught myself squirting out way too much. Just being aware I think helps you control your usage.