How much of a stockpile would you like to have?

[DawnM]

Yes, that show does seem to have the "just for the wow factor" theme going.

I don't want to have have a lot I won't use either. I wouldn't mind 1 year's worth of things like toiletries, cleaning supplies, or even canned goods and sauces, but I see no reason to have 60 bottles of shampoo, etc....

Last year I did score on hair color. In January of 2010 I found the L'oreal Excellence with the highlighting kit (normally $14) on clearance at my local grocery store for $5. I had $3 off coupons and stocked up with 12 boxes (all they had, but I went over 3 days and noone else bought them so I know I didn't clear the shelf and take away from someone else).

I am down to my last box right now and since I KNOW I use them, I would stock up again for 18 months if I had the chance.

Dawn

The problem with those huge stockpiles is the money going out(even if free to buy the coupons- unless you're dumpster diving ) for stuff you may never use. I have an $80/wk grocery budget and I buy 2 newspapers per week. This week I went over, but we were on vacation last week and I didn't shop the week before we left. Spent $108, saved $118. Added about 6 items to my stockpile, the rest we will use soon. I don't see the point in having a bunch of stuff stockpiled just for kicks.

 

[winniedapooh]

We are a family of 7 plus we are now fostering 2 toddlers on the weekends to provide respite plus we have several girlfriends, boyfriends, and family members that are over daily.

For the purposes of this reply though I will say there are 7 of us living here. I am an adjunct professor and for the past 3 years I take my teaching money and stock up so to speak! I have made out a general (inventory) list of toiletries, laundry products, cleaning supplies, and other non-perishable items such as paper products we use for 6 months--as I do not teach during the summer. I get paid 7 times during the semester and stock up on everything then.

I shop sales using coupons. I don't do extreme couponing, but on a really good week can save 42-48 % of what I am purchasing. It really shaves money off of our weekly bill doing it this way. BTW the most toothpaste I have ever had was 15 tubes, lol!

 

[MrsPete]

The problem with those huge stockpiles is the money going out(even if free to buy the coupons- unless you're dumpster diving ) for stuff you may never use. I have an $80/wk grocery budget and I buy 2 newspapers per week. This week I went over, but we were on vacation last week and I didn't shop the week before we left. Spent $108, saved $118. Added about 6 items to my stockpile, the rest we will use soon. I don't see the point in having a bunch of stuff stockpiled just for kicks.

In theory, stockpiling should be cheaper. You buy only when something is on sale, and then you don't have to buy later when the item is full-priced. So you'd buy a bunch of, maybe, dishwashing detergent that you find marked way down today, which would raise this week's grocery bill . . . but then you won't have buy it later, so you'd spend less in the long run.

Of course, if you buy things that you never use -- or that go bad before you can use them -- that's wasted money. A smart buyer won't buy more than can be used in a reasonable amount of time, and a smart buyer will learn to gauge the sales. For example, canned vegetables are going to be at their lowest around Thanksgiving (in fact, LOTS of foods are at excellent prices around that time of year). Sometimes you see case sales at that time of year. If you know your family loves a green beans, it'd be smart to buy plenty at that time of year. But the sale's going to come along again next year, so there's no need to buy multiple years' worth of that product.

And you don't save stuff "just for kicks". You save only items that you know your family will use. So if your family hates stuffing, you'd be foolish to buy Stove Top at any price -- the most expensive thing you'll ever buy is the item that just sits taking up space and is never used. But if you serve boxed mashed potatoes twice a week, it's a sure thing that they'll save well on the shelf and it's a bargain to stock up when they're at their lowest price.

My parents never stockpiled.

On the other hand, I grew up on the farm, and my mother canned extensively. We always worked hard in the summer growing tomatoes, beans, etc., and she had a huge pantry filled with home-canned items. It wasn't all that long ago that essentially everyone lived that way because grocery stores weren't what they are today.

Yes, that show does seem to have the "just for the wow factor" theme going . . .

Last year I did score on hair color. In January of 2010 I found the L'oreal Excellence with the highlighting kit (normally $14) on clearance at my local grocery store for $5. I had $3 off coupons and stocked up with 12 boxes (all they had, but I went over 3 days and noone else bought them so I know I didn't clear the shelf and take away from someone else).

No, the "wow factor" is more of a turn-off than an incentive to me.

But the hair-color thing is exactly the type of thing I love to find. You're going to buy this product at $14 on a regular basis . . . so when the unusual chance to buy it for $2 presents itself, of course it makes sense to stock up! Twelve boxes x $12 each, that small amount of effort saved you $144. I wouldn't understand NOT making that purchase!

 

[fakereadhed]

Some good points MrsPete. Never thought of it as saving money in the long run because I'm too focused on sticking to my budget. Like the canning comparison too. Definitely will be thinking of stockpiling a little differently.

 

[Marionnette]

The problem with those huge stockpiles is the money going out(even if free to buy the coupons- unless you're dumpster diving ) for stuff you may never use. I have an $80/wk grocery budget and I buy 2 newspapers per week. This week I went over, but we were on vacation last week and I didn't shop the week before we left. Spent $108, saved $118. Added about 6 items to my stockpile, the rest we will use soon. I don't see the point in having a bunch of stuff stockpiled just for kicks.

You're making an assumption that doesn't apply to everyone with a large stockpile. Once you have one established, it's just a matter of replacing and rotating items.

Plus, it's not about doing it for kicks. Unlike that one extreme couponer who got a thrill of all the "pretty labels facing forward", most people who have a stockpile do it as a hedge against tougher times. I like knowing that if I fell on hard times and had to make drastic cutbacks, I should be able to cut the grocery budget down to almost nothing for several weeks...enough time to liquidate some assets and get my act together.

 

[brinneydee]

Anything more than 6 months worth of anything is hoarding, in my eyes. This show seems like a glorified version of Hoarders, because these people are filling their houses with stuff, except instead of junk and trash, it's useless things.

 

[DawnM]

Well, that would assume that anyone with more than 6 months' worth of items buys useless items. Now, on the show, I would agree.....stockpiling thousands of dollars worth of diapers when you aren't even married or intending to have children any time soon is WAY over the top IMHO, however stockpiling 12-24 months' worth of shelf safe items can be beneficial.

Dawn

Anything more than 6 months worth of anything is hoarding, in my eyes. This show seems like a glorified version of Hoarders, because these people are filling their houses with stuff, except instead of junk and trash, it's useless things.

 

[fakereadhed]

You're making an assumption that doesn't apply to everyone with a large stockpile. Once you have one established, it's just a matter of replacing and rotating items.

Plus, it's not about doing it for kicks. Unlike that one extreme couponer who got a thrill of all the "pretty labels facing forward", most people who have a stockpile do it as a hedge against tougher times. I like knowing that if I fell on hard times and had to make drastic cutbacks, I should be able to cut the grocery budget down to almost nothing for several weeks...enough time to liquidate some assets and get my act together.

You are making an assumption that I was referring to "everyone". When I said huge stockpiles I was referring to huge ones like those on extreme couponing. Not a large stockpile that you will actually use. And I never said everone stockpiles just for kicks. I said I don't understand those that do, like the lady who ran the couponing class I attended or those on extreme couponers. For me it's about saving money, not the thrill of the hunt.

 

[Colleen27]

Anything more than 6 months worth of anything is hoarding, in my eyes. This show seems like a glorified version of Hoarders, because these people are filling their houses with stuff, except instead of junk and trash, it's useless things.

I haven't watched the show, but I think the line between "hording" and being prepared is whether the items being accumulated will be used. Certainly piling up toothpaste you're never going to use is just as much hording as piling up junk, but as another poster said some of us do it as a hedge against hard times. I started because we have a sharp seasonal income drop each and every year, and stockpiling cash rests on two assumptions that I don't make - that prices will remain flat and that the good sales will come along at convenient times. There is nothing in my storage areas that we don't use regularly.

 

[Marionnette]

You are making an assumption that I was referring to "everyone". When I said huge stockpiles I was referring to huge ones like those on extreme couponing. Not a large stockpile that you will actually use. And I never said everone stockpiles just for kicks. I said I don't understand those that do, like the lady who ran the couponing class I attended or those on extreme couponers. For me it's about saving money, not the thrill of the hunt.

Okay. I misunderstood the point you were trying to make.

I see no point in having a house crammed full of toilet paper in the shower stall and oatmeal containers under a child's bed. I'm baffled by the woman who has a stash of disposable diapers but has no children. I admit to having bought stuff that I didn't need in order to roll my CVS bucks over or to meet a minimum purchase amount. But those items were given to family, friends or charitable organizations that could use them. Stuff that I don't use takes up valuable storage space that could be occupied by something that i *do* use.

 

[fakereadhed]

Okay. I misunderstood the point you were trying to make.

I see no point in having a house crammed full of toilet paper in the shower stall and oatmeal containers under a child's bed. I'm baffled by the woman who has a stash of disposable diapers but has no children. I admit to having bought stuff that I didn't need in order to roll my CVS bucks over or to meet a minimum purchase amount. But those items were given to family, friends or charitable organizations that could use them. Stuff that I don't use takes up valuable storage space that could be occupied by something that i *do* use.

I must admit that my local $$$ grocery store has Better Oats Good&Hearty Oatmeal 8 pack boxes on sale 2/$1 until Mon. We love the stuff and I have considered storing it under my son's loft bed behind his dresser. Worried that TLC will call me for the new show Oatmeal Horders.

 

[MrsPete]

Some good points MrsPete. Never thought of it as saving money in the long run because I'm too focused on sticking to my budget. Like the canning comparison too. Definitely will be thinking of stockpiling a little differently.

See, I don't think too much about a weekly budget -- I think longer-term. For example, we eat lots of chicken. A couple months ago I came across a great price on boneless/skinless chicken breasts in one-meal packages, and I bought ten; if memory serves, they were $2.25 a package. Yes, that day I had a big bill . . . but then I didn't buy any more chicken for the next two months. Likewise, we particularly like the boneless/skinless thighs that they sell at Target, but they're usually too expensive -- on the rare occasions that they put them on sale for $3.99, I buy a bunch. Same thing for the ham steaks at Target. Too expensive at regular price, but I'll buy a bunch when they're $2.99. Yes, I spend a lot that day, but then I don't spend in the coming weeks.

And, of course, never lose sight of the big picture: The chicken and ham I'm discussing are things my family likes and eats on a regular basis. We probably go through three bottles of mustard a year -- when I open a bottle, I like to buy a new bottle to have ready in the pantry, but I don't aim to over-collect it since it's no big favorite in my house.

 

[Gina]

I would ideally like to have a year's worth of necessities stockpiled for DS and I. I really get stressed out about *not* having a stockpile. I'm not one of those survivalists, but I do think that the world is a very uncertain place and getting more so. Civilization can fall apart very, very quickly, and the lifelong Girl Scout in me likes to be prepared. Having no power for 2 weeks is not uncommon for us after a hurricane, and you learn *real* fast that there is no run to the store when you're out of something. Even just a cold bottle of water becomes like Christmas and your birthday all rolled together.

My problem is, I know that if I stockpiled wheat and barley and dried milk and such, I wouldn't have clue one what to do with any of it. I hate cooking on a regular basis as it is -- I sure don't like or know how to do stuff from scratch. I can't stand vegetables so a garden wouldn't get me very far. So I try and keep a few week's worth of canned goods, dried pasta, dry soup mix, peanut butter, stuff I know we'd eat.

I only really have a few shelves in the garage as far as space goes, and that's the other problem. I need to stock up on a LOT more water than what I have right now, but water takes up a lot of space. At least we love camping and have lots of gear, so can always cook on the camp stove. I need more propane, though.

Ugh, it stresses me out just thinking about it again... and hurricane season starts next month, I need to build up those shelves!

 

[Colleen27]

See, I don't think too much about a weekly budget -- I think longer-term.

I'm the same way. A weekly grocery budget doesn't work in our household. We're not in suburbia where I can hit several stores' worth of sales every week, and with only one grocery in town I try not to run out of things because that so often ends with me running out and paying full price for it when it is needed. I'd much rather have a dozen tubes of 50 cent toothpaste in the pantry than end up paying $3 for one because it isn't on sale when we need it!

 

[Piecey]

I said 6 is where i'm comfortable. I don't think that a stockpile is really worth it unless I could cook several meals from it on a whim, or with supplementing very little. So having 100 cans of beans or tomatoes or whatever, to me, isn't worth it unless I have something to complete the meal.

We have closer to 12 months right now, mostly just because I bought a 1/4 cow from a local farm. It was 106lbs of meat. I just took advantage of a local stores pork sale, and last week did a chicken sale. So I'd say we have 12 months worth of meat at least, though beef would be the overwhelming theme of our meals should we need to rely on what we have on hand lol. It's vaccum packed, though, so they told me 2-3 years though I don't plan on testing that out

Anyway, I think 6 is good. I told my husband as long as it fits into our cabinets/freezers I'm comfortable. If it starts overflowing into other areas or I need to buy special shelving, I consider that a problem (for us, personally, as I still have empty cabinets- that rule wouldn't apply to everyone and I get that, so please don't think I'm judging people that have special shelves for stuff!)

Though we do have a chest in our dining room full of paper towels. But it's been empty since we moved in and the paper towels were free SO I think I'm okay there and still not falling into being a hoarder.

 

[shortbun]

Food, six months.
Paper et. al. a year.
I do the canned thing now. I date the cans and put the new in the back.
I don't have space for hoarding-sorry storing-paper products, laundry and dish soap, vinegar(my cleaning solution) for more than a couple months but I'd love to buy it by the flat.

 

[BillSears]

"I wouldn't stockpile period"

That's my choice.

 

[Piecey]

Well, that would assume that anyone with more than 6 months' worth of items buys useless items. Now, on the show, I would agree.....stockpiling thousands of dollars worth of diapers when you aren't even married or intending to have children any time soon is WAY over the top IMHO, however stockpiling 12-24 months' worth of shelf safe items can be beneficial.

Dawn

Agreed. I have thousands of diapers/pull ups upstairs. At least over 2k... but I have 2 in diapers. They go through them like crazy. They all fit on the shelves in their rooms, under their cribs or in the floor of our walk-in closet.

I would never buy diapers if I didn't have kids, though. At least not to keep. That is just strange to me.

But it's been GREAT for us to have the stockpile of diapers. Owen outgrew 3's faster than I thought. NO Problem! I just reached under his crib and voila! Size 4.

I packed up the 1 pack of 3's I had left, and maybe 20 assorted loose ones, and DH is giving them to a coworker who is expecting. There is always someone to give leftovers to.

 

[PatsMom]

I said two years but that is for non-perishables. Canned goods get rotated. So does pasta, rice, etc. And even then I think I am probably closer to a year for that stuff. Freezer stuff I don't have much space for so I know that is way under the six months I would like to have.

Paper goods, cleaning products, toiletries, laundry detergent, etc. I think I do have two years. It is all neatly organized by my OCD daughter and husband in a single room in my basement. We rotate stuff to make sure the toiletries stay fresh. When we think I am starting to accumulate too much stuff, I bag up the oldest and make a donation to the local food pantry. They are always happy to get toiletries.

I pretty much buy stuff that we will use but I will take anything that I can get free or make a few cents on. If I won't use it I can find a good place to donate it. If I can't, my mother, the super volunteer and recycler, will.

My daughter who is 19 said that she has read that toilet paper is of very high value in a barter economy - her godmother confirmed that when she came home from Iraq. You could trade toilet paper for almost anything. So now the joke among the family is that I am prepared for any disaster!

Also, I used my stash to share with family. I trade with my sister-in-law who is a marvelous cook. When I am in the southern part of the state for work, which happens a few days a week, I can count on her for a great meal. Or when they come to visit for the weekend, she brings the food and cooks. In return, I keep her supplied with toothpaste and shampoo! And when my daughter needs rides back and forth to college, my nieces are easily bribed with cosmetics from my CVS stash along with body wash and shampoo. So I get my money's worth.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

If I had the space, I'd stockpile up to 6 months worth of any non-perishables. But I definitely wouldn't do that for perishables. If my fridge broke down, that would be alot of wasted food.

Since I don't have the space, I can't even keep extra cleaning stuff and only 2 weeks worth of toilet paper in the house.

I cleaned out 2 closets hoping to make room for extra items and it didn't give me much extra space. At least I won't have clutter.