Why stock pile

[Frozen Canuck]

There are lots of good reasons for stockpiling listed already, but another reason I have is because it just makes good financial sense. It is (sort of) like playing the stock market, where you want to buy low (but not necessarily sell high). If I see a sale on Barilla pasta at the store, where it is 10 for $10, I'm likely going to stock up on a variety of pasta shapes that we use most often. Am I planning on using ten boxes of pasta in the next week? No, but I will use them all during the course of the next five to eight weeks, since we generally eat pasta a couple of times a week. By purchasing our favourite brand on sale today, it means that when I put spaghetti and meatballs on the menu three weeks from now, I'm not stuck paying the store's regular price of $1.69 a box. That is savings in my pocket, plus I know I have enough to carry us through until the next sale comes along when I can replenish my supply. Many sales are cyclical, so you can track both the best price and predict when you are likely to find that item on sale again. For the items I buy often, I have come to know when the prices have dipped to my "buy now" amount. I also have a pretty good idea of how much of a sale item to buy, so I know it will get used in a reasonable amount of time and not go to waste.

 

[barkley]

There are lots of good reasons for stockpiling listed already, but another reason I have is because it just makes good financial sense. It is (sort of) like playing the stock market, where you want to buy low (but not necessarily sell high). If I see a sale on Barilla pasta at the store, where it is 10 for $10, I'm likely going to stock up on a variety of pasta shapes that we use most often. Am I planning on using ten boxes of pasta in the next week? No, but I will use them all during the course of the next five to eight weeks, since we generally eat pasta a couple of times a week. By purchasing our favourite brand on sale today, it means that when I put spaghetti and meatballs on the menu three weeks from now, I'm not stuck paying the store's regular price of $1.69 a box. That is savings in my pocket, plus I know I have enough to carry us through until the next sale comes along when I can replenish my supply. Many sales are cyclical, so you can track both the best price and predict when you are likely to find that item on sale again. For the items I buy often, I have come to know when the prices have dipped to my "buy now" amount. I also have a pretty good idea of how much of a sale item to buy, so I know it will get used in a reasonable amount of time and not go to waste.

agree, and while i can't speak for other regions-the cyclical nature of sale prices on my most frequently used extended shelf life food staples have evaporated since last mid winter. even when items returned to normal availability the sale prices i used to rely on taking advantage of every couple/few months have never returned. we've had a couple of local independent grocery chains that did excellent 'stock up' sales on canned veggies/beans/fruit and a variety of pastas last month, but beyond that-prices have gone up considerably and the sales are just not happening esp. at the major chain stores.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

agree, and while i can't speak for other regions-the cyclical nature of sale prices on my most frequently used extended shelf life food staples have evaporated since last mid winter. even when items returned to normal availability the sale prices i used to rely on taking advantage of every couple/few months have never returned. we've had a couple of local independent grocery chains that did excellent 'stock up' sales on canned veggies/beans/fruit and a variety of pastas last month, but beyond that-prices have gone up considerably and the sales are just not happening esp. at the major chain stores.

I agree. I have noticed the same trends of "non-sale" sales. I have had to adjust my "buy now" prices upwards for many items. Those same boxes of pasta, that were 10 for $10, I am now buying if I can find them (rarely) for $1.25/box. It is still less than $2.39+/box, which is what pasta soared to during the shortages.

The other point of note, is that stockpiling allowed us to keep enjoying many of our favourite brands/products well into the pandemic, that had become non-existent in stores. I'm not talking about the flour, yeast, and toilet paper shortages, though those could definitely apply. Going back to my pasta example, our stores used to carry about 20 different shapes of Barilla pasta; however, when the pandemic hit, they stopped shipping many of the unique shapes like campanelle or casarecce. Stores were only carrying about five basic types of pasta on their shelves--spaghetti (but no linguine, fettucine, or angel hair), macaroni (but no wheels or bow ties), penne (but no rigatoni), etc. While the argument can be made to be adaptable and just substitute, we could still go on enjoying our preferences for months after the pandemic began and items were in short supply. Spaghetti makes a poor substitute when you are hoping for delicate strands of angel hair in a dish.

If you have a preference for a certain item, it is advantageous to keep a supply on hand, or you could find yourself with a product you don't enjoy as well. It was not uncommon for me to go looking for a certain product and finding that the store carried it, but that they only carried ONE BRAND/TYPE. You could have store brand relish or no relish at all. Or you could have diced tomatoes, but not the petite diced that my child prefers because the chunks of tomato are smaller. Those were your only options. Stockpiling means we can be picky, because we are able to shop from our own "store" for much longer than most people. For the items we don't go through that quickly, it usually means one open and an extra on the shelf, which should tide us over until we can get it again. The products we use often, we retain a larger back stock on. For example, I currently have about 20 packages of pasta, a 25-pound bag of basmati rice, and 24 cans of Swanson chicken broth on the shelf . (Costco gets the Swanson cans of broth in only during the holiday season, so I purchase two cases, which is enough for one year for our family...enough to get me through until the next holiday season.)

 

[RUDisney]

Idk about stockpiling, but I tend to buy items in bulk because I can store more than the average person (we built a second pantry in our basement). More than to stockpile or hoard for a situation, I find it very convenient to be able to go to the freezer or pantry and find items I need for dinner that I may have forgotten to purchase, or because a meal didn't stretch as far as I thought or changed my mind to make something else as well as to save money. Case in point: last week my grocery had an unadvertised special on pork loins, BOGO, so I bought two, one for last week and one for the freezer. In a few weeks when we want bbq or pork medallions, I'm covered at 1/2 the price.

Yes, this is what I do.

Funny thing is that at the beginning of Covid, my DH asked me if we have enough to get us through for a while in the house so we didn't have to shop. I told him that I married into his family 26 years ago and I know how to keep things on hand. We have plenty in stock so we don't run out and be left in a jam.

 

[aggiedog]

So what's the actual amount difference between hoarding and stockpiling? At one point we had 6 people in the house and we went thru toilet paper at an amazing rate. I tried to keep 3-4 weeks worth just so I wasn't filling my shopping cart every time I went to the store. Three daughters, so the same with feminine products. My cart looked like a ran a women's shelter.

So, 3-4 weeks is stockpiling but what is hoarding? Over 4 weeks worth?

 

[disneychrista]

So, 3-4 weeks is stockpiling but what is hoarding? Over 4 weeks worth?

Hoarding to me is buying something in quantities that you can not use before it goes bad. Thinking oh that’s a good deal and buying 10 when you realistically will only use 3 in the next year. Buying a lot of a product just so you can say you have it not because you need it.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

So, 3-4 weeks is stockpiling but what is hoarding? Over 4 weeks worth?

That's a good question. I think it maybe depends upon your situation and your intent to use up the items you have???

I mentioned previously on the "Why Stockpile?" thread that Costco brings out their canned Swanson chicken broth only for the holiday season. As soon as I see it arrive in October, I grab two cases (24 cans) of it. That is a year's supply for my family; however, every year I stock up and every year we go through it by the time it is back in the store again. Is that hoarding or stockpiling? I never take more than we will use before it expires and there is always plenty left for everyone else.

On the other hand, I read a lot about people who are stocking up on wipes, sanitizer, bleach, etc. My concern there is that the active ingredients in all of those items will lose efficacy over time. Some sites say after a year or so, depending upon the product. For this reason, I don't understand the whole, "We have enough hand sanitizer/bleach/wipes to last us the rest of our lives," because the answer to that is, "No. You have enough to last you maybe two years before it stops working the way you would like it to--disinfecting surfaces or whatever. After that, the product goes to waste or you are relying on a product that isn't performing the way you are trusting it to."

 

[bookgirl]

I was raised to always have a pantry/freezer supply. Usually very short term but my father was in construction so during winter months we often ate pantry staple meals. My mom always bought extra cans/boxes/freezer items during summer and fall knowing we might need it in winter. It stuck with me and I have a well stocked kitchen that could hold my household over for a bit (if needed I could probably even stretch it to a month).

Now, I always try to have a week or two of extra items. Sometimes if it's a good price I might buy a flat of something that I know we eat weekly (veg/fruit, soup, tomatoes). Not random items but items that I know that we will eat and use. I briefly in the 90/00s bought into the couponing stockpile but I literally threw out stuff I bought for 'pennies' because it wasn't something we ate often enough to warrent stockpiling it. Now it's only items that I know we use consistantly.

 

[Arielle22]

Growing up, I had 7 siblings plus our parents and grandmother. So what looked like stockpiling or hoarding was enough for a week. After I married, various people lived with us along with our daughters and I would stockpile brands we liked when a good sale came along.

Now we are empty nesters and I buy less but still stock up when there is a good sale. This time of year I buy a certain baking chocolate because it goes on sale and a lot of times it pairs with a gas deal at the supermarket. I will go through the chocolate within 6 months. I also buy items for family members who can't find it in a store near them.

I also buy supplies for my office through WB Mason. On this week's order, I was told paper towels were backordered along with large envelopes and paper clips! I know PT has been in short supply but why paper clips? Was there really a run on them? I am sure it is a supply chain issue but it seemed funny to me.

 

[Wendy1985]

Update so dh went to the store and he said it was pretty well stocked I dont know what my mom was talking about

 

[DisneyHardin]

I am a big bargain shopper, so I stock up when the price is right on things. Then, each week I make my menu based off what we have. Back in late March/Early April, when things were getting sparse at the grocery and I wasn't sure when things would be stocked back to a "normal" rate, I did buy a little bit more canned goods than I normally keep on hand, but not a ton.

 

[2China2009]

3 in our family. Once a year I go to Sam’s and stock up on garbage bags, TP and Puffs plus With lotion, paper towels and other household supplies. Food wise I go to the store every 2 weeks. I do freeze our milk and I will buy 4 at a time. So nice to not have to run and pick it up if we are out.

 

[Pumbaa_]

We are stocking up. Hi creased virus cases will lead to a shut down again in my state. Waiting any day now for the schools to close again.

my freezer is full, my pantry is stocked. Whether it be blizzard, covid, or .... we are good to go

 

[superme80]

I always would stock up on a good deal, but this pandemic has thrown me for a loop. I stocked up before hand. I was prepared. Then I went through my supply. The stores were still out. Now I almost always buy a pack of my favorite TP and wipes if I find them. Pumpkin was another. Our stores finally got it in stock this week.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

In hindsight, my Father stockpiling was one of the early signs of the onset vascular dementia. I don’t know how common this is.

 

[mrodgers]

Living in north western PA into the snow belt observing everyone else in the same area, I never understood the panic for a snow storm. Pennsylvania people act like they have never seen snow before, and for the area we were in, 12 inches of snow was pretty common, but they still panicked and bought out the stores with a half inch of snow.

I just prefer to go out in crowds less (not Covid related.) If I had the room, I would stock up. I entered the market with paying off a car in March to buy a freezer, but then before payday, everyone bought up all the freezers in a panic.

I don't care much about non-food items. TP, tissues, cleaners, it's just me so those things in normal packages last a long time (I am on my 5th roll of TP since April 1st when I started a new roll to see how many days it would last, 17 days.) It's food that I care about. I love pork chops, hate chicken so pork chops are my healthy meats vs. chicken breast. I wish I could go to Sam's when they have the loins on sale so I could get it cheap and cut chops at my preferred thickness and freeze them.

When I cook, I cook in large quantities to put them in the freezer. I cook 2 jars of sauce and 1.5 lb. of spaghetti at a time (that's all the room I have or I would cook more.) I buy chops in packages of 10 or 12 and cook the whole package. I'd love to have the freezer room to cut up 4 loins at $1 less per pound and still cook them all at once. That's the stocking up I'd love to be able to do.