One of the lessons my dh took from the Spending Freeze portion of the FTJ project was that he is a serious food stockpiler. In one of the future steps of FTJ I will be talking about stockpiling as a strategy for saving money, but I also realize there has to be a balance between buying enough to save yet not enough to be detrimental. I found this study interesting:

Does Stockpiling Accelerate Consumption?
The Wholesale Club Store Curse: buying in bulk causes you to eat these visible foods more frequently. In a study of 219 adults, researchers found that stockpiled products are more frequently used when they are visible and seen as versatile. Products are frequently purchased and forgotten - out of sight out of mind.
SOURCE:
Cornell University Food and Brand Lab

I also think that stockpiling is, in some ways, a more moderate manageable form of hoarding. What do you all think? I'm interested in the psychology of stockpiling.

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You have to keep track of what is in your stockpiles. Due to our kitchen space, or lack of it, I have a lot of stuff downstairs in a back closet, especially the stuff that I can. It helps me to get down there and dig around a bit to remember what exactly we have or don't have ... only 2 jars of green beans left.

I like to stock up on sales but I realize you can get carried away, its a balance for sure! I literaly used up the majority of my stock before the spending freeze and need to somewhat rebuild but on a smaller scale like when there is a sale on Betty Crocker potatoes (augruten) its usually 10 for $10.00 but hello do I need to buy 10 even if I have coupons that make it .30 cents a box NO. I started getting serious about making menus and I think it will in the long run help me control what it is I am stocking!

Stockpiling is always a touchy subject with me (for my own purposes- no one else)- I came to the realization when I was packing my toiletries- I have enough that I truly don't need to buy anything for the next year!

But seriously when I started to stockpile the 1st income tax return after my youngest was born. We did not have a whole lot of money to buy groceries (seriously it was about $20 a week- if we were lucky!). I went to Aldi's and spent about $200 to fill up my pantries (I have 2) and my freezer and fridge and at the time spending $200 at Aldis was a lot of food! Anyways- I knew what it was like to really have nothing in the cupboards trying to figure out how to feed my family and I don't ever want to feel that way again! I don't go overboard stockpiling the way I did that day (but that helped us out into better times!) but I still enjoy having a stockpile.

I seriously think that if you stockpile wisely- it is worth the time and money (of course if the item is on sale and you have coupons- that is the best!). I don't buy 5 boxes of cereal at once- maybe 3 (enough to fill those Tupperware cereal containers )- of different kinds we enjoy. When I think of stockpile hoarding I think of those news blurbs about those coupon ladies- who have 30 coupons and take out the whole shelving display of the items on sale and only spend $5.00 on their grocery bill (I admit it- I am jealous of those ladies !).

Stockpiling can be a great benefit but it can also become a disaster. Our main focus with our stockpiling is for emergencies. Things like job loss, natural disaster, etc. We need to have enough on hand that if we can't get out for a while we can still survive.

Stockpiling food is where you really have to be careful. It is easy to stockpile too much and then you just end up having food go bad and that isn't saving you any money at all. A lot of people also stockpile things for emergencies that they wouldn't normally keep on hand. If you don't like vienna sausages then why do you have 15 cans in your stockpile? You need to stock things that you actually want to eat so as you get close to expiration dates you can rotate your stock. That way your food isn't expiring on you.

I try to keep at least one extra of everything in our pantry. For instance dh has his salad dressing in the fridge but I have another bottle in the pantry for when he runs out. Then when I take that one out of the pantry salad dressing goes on my list. Or if I'm at the store and buy taco shells because I know I'm going to make them that week I buy an extra box so I'll have one for the next time too.

This is the way I try to handle all of our stockpiling. The easiest way is to buy an extra of something everytime you do your shopping. That way the cost is spread out over time and you don't have such a hit to your budget like you would if you did it all at once.

While we do stockpile food when I find a good deal we focus our efforts more on non perishable items. Things I can store away and not have to inventory as often. Toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo, bottled water. Those things I can put away in the closet and not have to worry about them.

You just have to know your family and your situation to make stockpiling a success and know how much is enough.

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Proud mommy to adorable Kinsley

For me, "stockpiling" is "food storage". Partly, I do it so I always have ingredients on hand in the pantry. Also, I do it for emergency food storage. We don't have a lot (we don't have enough!), but if you rotate it and carefully use it, it's very beneficial.
I can see how easy it is to overstock on toiletries. We don't use them as fast as I think we do, and there are always such good coupons to use.

Dh is totally against stockpiling - if it's expensive when I need it, we wait till a sale is on and then buy. I am not a fan of stockpiling meat - I cannot eaten frozen meat, canned vegetable or fruits - the taste is different. This is the reason why we are not members of Costco or Sam's Club.

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And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Phil:4:7

I really don't stockpile that much unless it is something we use a lot.

Like when Ragu was on sale for $1 which is nearly half off I bought 11 jars or if cereal is on Sale I might buy 2 extra boxes. I do sort of stockpile on frozen meats once a month when I get my order from Angel Foods. The week before I get my order I try to eat most of the things in the freezer except for staples like chicken patties and frozen veggies.

I stockpile mainly for convenience. I just like the fact that I don't have to go running around for a can of corn. I used a lot of my stockpile during the spending freeze, and now am slowly bringing it back up again. But I have modified how much I do keep. For instance, I don't Need 10 cans of tomato soup, 4 will do us fine for awhile. So instead of buying 10 at once now I buy maybe four. I am trying to figure out how much we use on a monthly basis and then buy that amount. For instance, I was at Aldi today and we needed black olives. We probably won't go through more than 3 cans in a month, so I just bought three rather than my customary 6 or so. I figure I'm going to be back in a month, and if I need more I'll buy it then. Same with mozzarella cheese, I figure why buy more than two, I'm going to be back in a month and if I need to I'll buy more.

I also like to have a full pantry at all times.

There are a couple Reasons -

1) I Have been there with No money for Groceries - And Had I plannned Better We wouldn't have Needed to Grocery shop on those tough $ Weeks.

So I Never want to go there again -

I want to have enough to Make it For a couple weeks. cause we all know Lots of stuff could happen and I don't want there to Be a Bad situation AND no food.
That is No Fun.

2) I Don't like to have to Run out to the store-
I do the same thing as another Poster Does , one in use, 1 in Storage and Then it goes on the List.
I Don't Need 5 on the shelf - 1 or 2 is good! I will get to the store again.

I Don't Like my closets or shelves or Pantry too overflowing. To me that is Clutter, and I Cannot stand to stock up that much! I don't Care what the price is or how much I Save- i can't stand to Look at that much Food and Stuff sitting
around. Also having Space is priceless to Me- so Taking up every inch of Our House with stockpiles isen't my cup of tea.

Also the fact that its Great if you have a Freezer full of Food - Not so great if you lose power for a Few days!
I think there is Defintaly a Happy Medium!