[Gibs]

Are your stockpile items separate from the items that you use regularly or your regular groceries that you buy each pay day?

Do you have a pantry and then a stockpile area? Or do you eat out of your stockpile and replenish and add more in each time you get groceries?

What sorts of things do you stockpile besides food?

Right now we rotate our stock and eat what we stock up adding back into the stockpile/pantry each pay day when I do a grocery trip.

I add things that I get on sale that we use.

I am not quite at that point where I can say I have a 6 month supply of something or anything like that. But at the same time in some areas I do have a 6 month supply or even more. I would say I have at least a year supply of dryer sheets that I got on sale for a great deal.

We have a well stocked pantry, and we also have shelves in our basement that we put extra items on.

One of the things that I want to do when I go to work is to purchase some more shelving. What I am using right now is not cutting it. I found some at Walmart for around 39 dollars with 5 shelves that hold around 1500 lbs. So I think those are the ones I will be going with, and will probably purchase 2 to start off, only when and if the money is right at that time.

Right now we need to figure out what it is that we use, how much we use in a month and try to get some adequate things stocked up.

I also want to play with meal planning which will make it easier to figure out what we do need in the period of two weeks or a month.

I also think that using an envelope system may work better for us, knowing that food money will be used only for food, pet money for pets, cleaning money for cleaners, etc, and then a separate stockpile total.

As for storage is there anything that i need to know. I have been storing some things in my basement, but we have a wood stove down there, a 12 hour burner that we have going this time of year because it is cold where we live. Is there anything that I should not store? Our basement is finished as well, flooring and pine walls.

Some other things that I have stocked up are soap, shampoo, shaving gel, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, pads, tampons, pencils, paper and other school supplies. Most of which I got really really cheap by combining a sale and coupon or got on clearance. So I am doing really well in those categories.

 

[frugalfranny]

I 'think' I have a pretty simplified method......keep a 'mental track' of what I am running low on - that won't spoil, and stock up a lot when I find a good sale......shampoo, cream rinse, TP, toothpaste, paper towels, deod., soap, etc. Especially TP.....as that will go down faster.

The other, I just put in a 'general area' (cabinet in basement) if extra, and use it to replenish my cupboard.

With just one person it is much easier to keep track of things without making a list. Also; don't have to buy for anyone else.

The only thing I am OUT of right now is tomato soup ---keep a half dozen of those on hand for when I don't feel like cooking. Still holding out for a decent sale.......

 

[NewLeaf]

GK, I have the exact same system as you down to the shelving you mentioned. I only have 2 of those shelves, but they are holding up well. I put my stockpile in the basement and bring up what I need for cooking. Then I replinish as I shop. I do have some things upstairs in the kitchen pantry that I don't have in the basement.
My basement is not finished. It is an old cinderblock walls and concrete floor basement. One room even has rock walls....
I keep the canned goods directly on the shelves. Anything like sugar, flour, oatmeal or the like is kept in its original container and put into 5 gallon bakery buckets to keep fresh and keep pests away.
My cereals, cake mixes, instant potatoes, crackers are in the big see through containers w/lids. Again, to keep fresh and keep pests away.
My household items are on the shelves.
My system has worked for a year so far with no problems.
I am hoping to keep expanding. Maybe I'll get to the long term dry goods eventually. Right now my aim is to help our regular grocery bill.
** I did follow Grainlady's advice on the 7 survival foods, also I have items for short term emergency use (72 hour kit) and some MRE's for extreme emergency.***

 

[cab54]

Mine right now could best be described as 'dwindling'. LOL!

But that's how I planned it. :hubba: We are leaving our cabin and going back to Ohio in 1 month, so it is right on schedule.

 

[Contrary Housewife]

<quote>Do you have a pantry and then a stockpile area? Or do you eat out of your stockpile and replenish and add more in each time you get groceries?</quote>

Yes. I have an extra freezer for food and I buy 2x or 3x of sale items and markdowns for the stockpile. Then we eat off that.

<quote>What sorts of things do you stockpile besides food?</quote>

Some paper goods, like paper towels. I have some "extra" bath items, but am trying to use it up because we really don't have room for it. Most of it is half bottles of shampoo or tylenol that got lost in the back of the cupboard when new stuff got bought. I don't go out of my way to store a lot of H&B items, we use so little of it.

 

[NikoSan999]

Are your stockpile items separate from the items that you use regularly or your regular groceries that you buy each pay day?

They are separate right now because I have room. They are set up...one unit canned..one unit boxed. I can see or count at any given time.

Do you have a pantry and then a stockpile area? Or do you eat out of your stockpile and replenish and add more in each time you get groceries?

In the kitchen besides cupboards there are 2 pantrys. In another room are 2 of the shelving units I think you are talking about. The shelving units are for the extras. I use out of the kitchen area first then refill from the other room units. Like I may have 2 jars of pickles in the kitchen but 4 more on the units. After the kitchen ones are gone I'll pull from the units and take to the kitchen. Then replenish the units new. Unless the units are holding all of one thing period. Then I pull from there.

What sorts of things do you stockpile besides food?

HBA, tons of toilet paper, paper towels, washing powder, softener, dryer sheets, ziplocks, glad wraps, alum foil, cheap paper plates ( emergency ), Aleve, Ben Gay, over the counter meds ( 1 bottle ahead )

Right now we rotate our stock and eat what we stock up adding back into the stockpile/pantry each pay day when I do a grocery trip.

I add things that I get on sale that we use.

Especially BOGO

I am not quite at that point where I can say I have a 6 month supply of something or anything like that. But at the same time in some areas I do have a 6 month supply or even more. I would say I have at least a year supply of dryer sheets that I got on sale for a great deal.

We have a well stocked pantry, and we also have shelves in our basement that we put extra items on.

One of the things that I want to do when I go to work is to purchase some more shelving. What I am using right now is not cutting it. I found some at Walmart for around 39 dollars with 5 shelves that hold around 1500 lbs. So I think those are the ones I will be going with, and will probably purchase 2 to start off, only when and if the money is right at that time.

Right now we need to figure out what it is that we use, how much we use in a month and try to get some adequate things stocked up.

I also want to play with meal planning which will make it easier to figure out what we do need in the period of two weeks or a month.

I also think that using an envelope system may work better for us, knowing that food money will be used only for food, pet money for pets, cleaning money for cleaners, etc, and then a separate stockpile total.

As for storage is there anything that i need to know. I have been storing some things in my basement, but we have a wood stove down there, a 12 hour burner that we have going this time of year because it is cold where we live. Is there anything that I should not store? Our basement is finished as well, flooring and pine walls.

Some other things that I have stocked up are soap, shampoo, shaving gel, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, pads, tampons, pencils, paper and other school supplies. Most of which I got really really cheap by combining a sale and coupon or got on clearance. So I am doing really well in those categories.

It was so much fun looking for deals when I was building it up. It was almost a letdown when I reached the point that I really shouldn't buy any more of this or that.

I think I have pretty much a 6 month pile. Somethings are needing to be replenished as they were used way more than ever dreamed, such as coffee, creamer and of course toilet paper.

One tip on here somewhere was a good one. If you want to know about how long it takes you to use something take a marker and mark say, the coffee can, with the date opened. When you use the last note how long it took to finish it. It will give you a good idea of how many you need for a certain period of time. I could have swore the big cannister of coffee lasted 4 to 5 weeks. It lasted 3. Same with creamer. 1/2 the amount of time I thought. Really under estimated how many to stock for 6 months. Note when you put out a new roll of TP how many days it lasts, times rolls in pkg give an idea of how many needed. On that one tho, add another pkg. I have no clue where it goes.

 

[TheRootedNomad]

Currently my stockpile is scattered about my house. Extra soda, tissues, and cleaning products are on shelves up over my washer and dryer. TP and hygiene products are stored in bathroom cabinets and closets. Lightbulbs are in the bathroom closet as well so they don't get jostled. Food is stored in cabinets and in totes at the moment since our kitchen is half done. The newer stuff is in the totes with a sheet of paper taped on the top with how much of what is inside. When I add or remove I just alter the paper on top. Finally the candy stash is in my bedroom storage closet along with the jams and jellies I canned. I can't wait to get it all back in the kitchen when we put in the new cabinets this fall.

My stockpile ebbs and flows depending on deals and when i've made my last Aldi's run. I only go to Aldi's a few times a year and buy a few things in bulk there such as oil, ketchup, tuna, syrup, and so forth. There are some things I have at least a year's supply on such as toothbrushes and coffee filters and other things I only have a month or two's worth of. It all depends on the sales and shelf life of an item.

 

[Grainlady]

I have 3 layers of home food storage. The focus is INGREDIENTS, rather than convenience foods. I make my own convenience foods and mixes from the ingredients in storage.

No free-standing freezer. Freezers are a wonderful convenience, but the cost of running them is just one more place I can save. I can make other food choices that don't require freezing. When I find frozen veggies on sale, I'll dehydrate them as another form of food preservation.

Layer #1: 72-hour Emergency Foods (foods that don't require heating or refrigerating)

Layer #2: Pantry foods (3-6 months worth of foods needed for daily food preparation)

Layer #3: Long-term food storage (stored in a room in the basement and includes large amounts of grains/seeds/beans, home dehydrated foods, and foods stored in #10 cans). I have 1-3-years worth of the "Seven Survival Foods" (grains, legumes, fat, sweetener, seeds for sprouting, salt and powdered milk).

ALL food is rotated. It moves from the storage room in the basement to the pantry/cabinets in the kitchen. Food is purchased at the lowest possible price and stockpiled. I "shop" for meal planning out of what is stored in the house. When prices of food go up, we are eating tomorrow at yesterday's prices. It's not unusual for your food in storage to earn more "interest" than money in your savings account since food prices are going up more than the percentage of the interest at the bank.

What I've found now that I've started rotating freeze-dried foods into the pantry, I will be purchasing less canned goods from the grocery store. I wish I would have started using freeze-dried vegetables much sooner than I did. They rehydrate in hot water in a few minutes. It's easy to make the number of servings you need so you don't have leftovers. I no longer toss half the contents of the can (the water) down the drain.

Just switching to tomato powder eliminated cans/jars of tomato paste, tomato sauce, pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, and I can use it for homemade ketchup and bbq sauce. The homegrown tomatoes in the freezer and the ones I dehydrated and vacuum-sealed make up the tomato products in the house. I try to do the most with the least... Yet one more money savings method I incorporate in home food storage.

 

[One Frugal Mom]

Right now my stockpile is getting rather anemic, but I will be fixing that within the next month. LOL

I work towards a combo of canned goods that can last awhile and what I get for free or practically free with sales and coupons.

I also have a nice stockpile of bath items. My cleaning supplies are dwindling because I am trying to make the transfer to more natural homemade cleaners.

 

[frugalwarrior2]

Ichanged it up this winter. I used to stock in fall and let it dwindle until spring. W/ the current economy and my new found coupon craziness I have really kicked it into high gear.

We eat from our constantly. I have a room for the food w/ several huge shelving units I bought this fall at K-Mart on sale.
I store the dogs/cat food,litter,cleaning supplies,laundry,dishwash soap,toilet paper and paper towels. in the bsmt. We have a freezer and cube freezer down there.

Currently,hygiene items are stored in the bathrooms and under the kitchen sink.
I have printer paper and school supplies stored in an extra closet.
Dihes and kitchenware in the MIL apt. kitchen. So all over but organized??

When I bring a big load in it goes on a long table I have in a presort kind of thing. About 2x a week I clear that if I can. Definately, a thought for today.

We don't store too much xtra clothing as the kids are basically adults. Don't really keep books in the way we used too.
Wish I could get xtra presc. meds sometimes.
Hope this was even slightly helpful?

 

[Trishagirl]

Are your stockpile items separate from the items that you use regularly or your regular groceries that you buy each pay day?No they are included in my reg groceries.

Do you have a pantry and then a stockpile area?Yes I have a pantry and keep my stockpile there, yes I do eat out of my stockpile and replenish it when I find what I need on sale.

What sorts of things do you stockpile besides food? napkins, soap,detergent, toilet paper.

 

[mama2James]

I am really just starting out on my stockpile. My method is to buy extra of things we use consistently when they go on a great sale, and/or with coupons. I only buy what we can reasonably use before the expiration date. I stockpile to take advantage of the best prices, and to have a backup in case of an illness, job loss etc. I don't have a specific goal to have 6 months or a year of everything we use.
I have shelving and floor space available in the basement for when we get to that point. I have a feeling that we will soon be running into the need to set up an extra freezer, the one over the fridge is getting pretty full.
I have a decent sized pantry cupboard in the kitchen, and that's where the extra nonperishables are at this point. It will be too full soon enough, so I will start using the basement shelving, and rotating things upstairs as we use them. I have extra toiletries in my hall linen closet and TP in my bedroom closet. I'm not scrambling for space....yet

 

[dcompton]

Odd man out here. The only part of the stockpile stored in the kitchen is toilet paper! I have a tiny apartment kitchen. The pantry closet in it has a large open area at the floor before the shelves begin, perfect for big bulky packages like TP. Oh, and I have a couple of pgks of paper towels there. I allot one shelf to the things I use for cooking - herbs, oil, powdered milk, stuff like that. I need the rest of the space for containers and such.

All the food is stored on shelving in a big walk in closet.

I consider it just a very extended pantry. The only thing I buy specifically for an emergency in mind is water. I keep one case of bottled water, and after it's hung around for a long time, I'll use it and buy another.

I use the stock, try to remember to rotate it when I bring in more. It is gradually changing its makeup somewhat. When I seriously began it maybe a year and a half ago, I made the usual misjudgements like Nikosan said -- too much of some things, not enough of others. Little by little, it's becoming better balanced, as I use up the overstock and replace the understocked items more frequently.

Like the others, what goes into it depends mostly on what sales I find. I also agree with frugalfranny - it's probably easier for one.

It is mostly food, the common paper items, and some H&B. I working through this, and plan to keep much less, except for a few items. As someone else said, I really don't use much.

Some OTC meds I will be really stocking up on, keeping an eye on expiration dates. I planned to be paying for an expensive medication when I set up my FSA last year, and now the insurance is covering a chunk of it (for which I'm very grateful), but it means I have to figure out ways to use up several hundred dollars of FSA money by the end of June. I refuse to lose it! I hate this money management by crystal ball it forces on you. So I may have a mini-Walgreens in the hall closet by then.

 

[Gibs]

Thank you everyone for all the answers. I really enjoyed reading them.

It is very interesting to see how everone stores their stockpile, what they stock up on, and why.

I think I will get my stockpile organized within the next week or so and post some updated pictures of it.

Grainlady I am extremely interested in the tomato powder, as we make our own spaghetti sauce and in it we have to put a can of tomato soup and a can of tomato paste.

 

[Grainlady]

Page 2....

Optimum Food Storage:

All food stores best in air-tight or air-free containers, in dark, dry (low humidity), cool (70°F or colder) conditions (optimum temperatures are 40°-60°F). The shelf-life of foods diminishes the warmer the storage temperatures are above 70°F. Canned goods stored in warm temperatures are subject to deterioration under warm temperatures, with the texture changing and the nutrients quickly lost. Studies show that cans stored at 46°F for a year have insignificant nutrient loss while those stored at 85°F have 30% or greater nutrient loss.

Also keep in mind you need to keep pantry pests and possibly rodents out of your stored foods. If you stockpile dry pet food, pet treats, or bird seed, these need to be contained in air-tight containers. They are often carriers of pantry pests that will find their way into the kitchen food storage. These are items that will attract rodents if improperly stored in the garage or shed.

Cans stored in areas with high humidity may also need special treatment, such as waxing the cans before placing them in storage, to prevent them from rusting.

Approximately 2% to 5% of food value is lost each year in storage, so rotation is essential. Keep checking those use-by dates. ALL food in storage is meant to be used, not hoarded. Even more food value (nutrients) is lost in home-canned foods after one year.

Vacuum-sealing, or using mylar bags and oxygen absorbers, will also extend storage time and prevent pantry pest from invading. Pests can't set-up housekeeping where there is NO oxygen. Plastic bags (like those dried beans come in), boxes or cellophane covered boxes are not ideal for home food storage for long periods of time, and are an invitation to pantry pests.

Dry Goods:
I keep dry goods like beans, pasta, tea bags, home dehydrated foods, etc. in canning jars and vacuum-seal the canning lids on them with a FoodSaver and a jar sealer. I vacuum seal bags of sugar in FoodSaver bags (bag and all) and store them in food-grade storage pails, with lids. These are kept in long-term storage until they are rotated to the kitchen.

You have to take some extra precautions if you vacuum-seal fine powders, and you should never place flour in a FoodSaver bag and vacuum it shut. Flour needs to remain free-flowing. When it's compacted in a FoodSaver bag, there is enough moisture in the flour to cause mold, or a musty odor in the flour, which can be dangerous if consumed. Flour has a very short shelf-life, so don't store any more than what you can use in 6-12-months. I suggest the 6-month rule. Stock-up when prices are low in Nov. and Dec. If you don't normally do a lot of baking, make sure you use up the bulk of your stock by March or April. Store flour in the freezer to extend the storage time to two years. This is the reason for storing and using wheat, instead of commercial flour. When properly stored, wheat will store for 3 decades. Wheat is more versatile than flour when it comes to use.

Avoid placing dry goods in recycled plastic milk jugs for storage. The fat in milk bonds to the plastic and it's impossible to completely remove the fat from the plastic. The fat will oxidize and go rancid. Plastic milk jugs are also porous. Odors can actually pass through the plastic to taint the foods inside.

Don't recycle bleach bottles for food storage. These bottles are coated with a chemical that is not food safe.

Use only food-grade plastic containers for storage. If you choose to use buckets for storage, those that are food-grade will have a goblet and fork embossed on the bottom to signify it's food-grade. Kitty litter buckets, laundry detergent buckets and paint buckets may NOT be food-grade. Recycled buckets that contained restaurant foods can be used, with the exception of buckets that stored foods that contained fat (such as frosting, olives, etc.). Once again, the fat from these foods bond with the plastic and are embedded forever in the plastic, and can go rancid effecting the food you store in the container.

Health & Beauty Aids:

-Shampoo and conditioner contain fat/essential oils as well as fragrance. Both of these can alter during storage over time, especially if they are stored in temperatures above 70°F.

-Stick antiperspirant. Some of the ingredients will rise to the top and evaporate, if stored too long, and be less effective. The fragrances can also alter if kept too long or stored in hot temperatures.

I use small baskets to control and consolidate items. I only keep as many bars of soap as I can fit into my basket - the same for toothpaste, shampoo, etc. Keep in mind many of these items also come with use-by dates. Ingredients in some things, like Neosporine, diminish over time.

I have two large shelves I use for TP and rotate it from the storage room to the bathroom.

Liquid laundry detergents and softeners can also alter from long storage, especially if they are stored where it's hotter than room temperature. I purchase a powdered laundry detergent in a 5-gallon bucket (Charlie's Soap - 1 T. per load). This amount should last us 3.5 years (I started using this bucket 11/07). I use vinegar in the rinse of the bath towels and kitchen towels instead of softener. With this particular detergent, NO softener is necessary because clothes are soft without and they suggest you NOT use softener (liquid OR sheets) with this product. So softeners are one more thing I don't have to store because I never use them.

 

[QM]

I 'think' I have a pretty simplified method......keep a 'mental track' of what I am running low on - that won't spoil, and stock up a lot when I find a good sale......shampoo, cream rinse, TP, toothpaste, paper towels, deod., soap, etc. Especially TP.....as that will go down faster.

The other, I just put in a 'general area' (cabinet in basement) if extra, and use it to replenish my cupboard.

This sounds very similar to me. I, too, try to keep mental track of what I am running low on and try to often take a look at the stockpile to remember.

You sound pretty organized, GK.

 

[cheles2kids]

My cleaning supplies are dwindling because I am trying to make the transfer to more natural homemade cleaners.

This is something that I'm working on this year as well.
Making sure that I have stockpiled items to make my own cleaning supplies instead of bottles of store bought cleaners.

Also another area that I'm working on going "more natural" this year is our H & B, I mean...have you read the back of a bottle of shampoo? Scary stuff. I'd much rather not put petroleum derived things onto my skin if it can be helped.

So for bathing needs, I am planning on stocking up on something like the Dr. Bronner's, you can buy this in a gallon jug and for my family of 4, this will be a godsend. Oo and by the way...vitacost.com has some of THE best prices on some of these products.

 

[cheles2kids]

(Charlie's Soap - 1 T. per load)

Do you have a local store you purchase this at or do you order it offline? If so, do you order directly from their website?

Thank-you for all of you're words of wisdom, as always, Grainlady. :flowers:

 

[NikoSan999]

Do you have a local store you purchase this at or do you order it offline? If so, do you order directly from their website?

Thank-you for all of you're words of wisdom, as always, Grainlady. :flowers:

Don't mean to speak for her but just in case she dosen't come back here and see this

I'm pretty sure she orders online at their website..jump in and correct me folks if I'm wrong...

 

[cheles2kids]

Are your stockpile items separate from the items that you use regularly or your regular groceries that you buy each pay day?
Nope. I include them in our grocery budget.

Do you have a pantry and then a stockpile area? Or do you eat out of your stockpile and replenish and add more in each time you get groceries? We continually eat from/use from our stockpile. This continues to help me to rotate items and make sure everything is used up and not wasted.

What sorts of things do you stockpile besides food? Ooo gosh...let's see...t.paper (of course), personal hygiene items such as: toothpaste, klennex, paper towels, feminine products, laundry soap, and I like to keep some extras on hand of pet food and kitty litter as well, heartguard and flea meds.
Candles and either matches or some type of lighter, water, and foodsaver bags as well.
I'm sure there are some things that I'm forgetting (as usual), but these are the first ones that come to mind.

Great thread too, by the way! It's given me some other things to consider and to make sure that I have covered.