How large is your stockpile?

[Lyn5]

I have been doing coupons and stockpiling for a while and recently found a favorable price on canned goods and stocked up. For us, hurricane season has started already, so this was really great. Then I looked at my stockpile of food and other supplies and thought I must have 2-3 months worth of stuff. Since most people I know here don't stockpile, I was wondering if that is excessive or not So I am curious, for those of you that stockpile too, how long would it last you (or your family)? Thanks

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

as long as it is stuff you will use and you got a great deal on - I say that's great!!!! We don't have to prepare for hurricanes, but I like the idea of having backup and am preparing for the bird flu - just in case. It sure does not hurt to be prepared or to take advantage of great deals!!!!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yes, do tell...I would love to hear the choices you make when you are considering stockpiling!!!!
Might give us folks doing nothing a little jump start!

 

[SC Minnie]

I don't know where I would keep 3 months worth of food and other stuff.

 

[Lyn5]

Yes, they are all (for the most part) stuff we use anyway...the only exception would be some of our supplies that are more to do with a hurricane, but we also go camping so even those are useful...I do try and rotate the things that need to be rotated. As an example, I have canned goods, pasta, meat/chicken, paper products, toiletries, some water (but not 3 months worth), dry milk, batteries, rope, garbage bags and things of that nature. I usually stock up on sales, so for the amount of food we have on hand, I have actually been spending less on my grocery bill than I used to before I did the stockpiling.

My kids are young and don't have a lot of bathroom stuff yet, so I keep the toiletries (which includes things like shampoo, soap, medicine, toilet paper...) in our bathroom closets and most the food fits in our pantry (although you may need to dig to find something ). I also keep the emergency stuff in containers. When I was reading some information on stockpiling, it seems that some people will put stuff in their garage, under beds...I guess just anywhere you can.

 

[disney1990]

We usually keep about 6 months of food in the house. My kids (28 & 21) like to come over and "shop" at Mom and Dad's house.

 

[MsDisney23]

DH and I stock pile every Fall for the Winter Months. We have our own little grocery store in the basement! We have enough of everything to last all winter, about 6 months worth! We also have a freezer that we fill.

It was a blessing this past winter as I was not able to get out of the house that much. Gary only would have to stop and pick up milk and bread.

 

[Micca]

If your power goes out does all the food in the freezer get ruined? Or do you have a generator too?

 

[azgal81]

I don't have a stockpile.

 

[Lyn5]

If your power goes out does all the food in the freezer get ruined? Or do you have a generator too?

I am not sure about others, but we have a small generator. My plan would be to freeze water ahead of time (if we had a few days to prepare...the frozen water would keep things cooler longer and could be drunk once melted) and to eat the food as they defrosted (before canned stuff)...so eventually we wouldn't need to keep the freezer cool...if things lasted that long. I don't stockpile gas for the generator normally.