We stockpile only necessities that are continuously being consumed, foodstuffs, toothpaste, paper products, etc., but only when they are on sale. Rarely buy at regular price, try not to run out. Frank
Do not think I stock pile, but do try and buy enough of certain things to last a month : tissue, paper towels, nose strips for the hubby. Also like to make sure I have extra canister of coffee during the cold months.Oh and Aleve !
I will stock up on things that will keep indefinitely, like paper towels, when they are on sale. I go through a LOT of paper towels. How did we ever live without them? And toilet paper. Never let that give out. I also stock up on canned goods when there is a good sale. I have a closet that I use to store bottled and canned goods. When I open a bottle of catsup, jar of mayonnaise, canola oil, I put it on the grocery list. So I guess I do stockpile. And coffee! I almost forgot coffee. I keep an unopened can of that at all times.
@Shirley Martin ".....And coffee! I almost forgot coffee. I keep an unopened can of that at all times. " Sometime back, it was widely predicted that coffee prices would soon skyrocket due to some kind of natural occurrence where the beans are grown. My wife searched out the lowest prices, we bought plenty, and sure enough, in a few months, prices doubled! Then, they eased a bit, but we had no need to buy at the highest prices. Better yet would have been to quit drinking the stuff! Frank
I stockpile ahead for the winter months. I just started this after I adjusted to being home after being layed off 3 years ago. Mostly the necessities like everyone else and especially when on sale. At one point I quit buying regular batteries because I fell in love with the rechargeable ones but then it dawned on me I should have some on hand as well 'cause you just never know. My thought is to be prepared for the unexpected as best you can.
For me, it's a matter of economics and security. Often, it's cheaper to buy in bulk so when I'm buying something that will keep for a while it makes sense to buy it in bulk. Plus, there is a bit of security in knowing that if the you-know-what hits the fan, I'll have a little time to write my memoirs before starving to death.
I know the OP is about HOME stockpiling but a few years ago Ekuk, Alaska was my home for 3 1/2 months out of the year. About April 15, I would go to Ekuk with 5 other people and start getting the town ready for fish processing. I was the executive chef but also ran the laundry and bunk houses and all I would have to do at first is to feed my 5 employees plus 2 security people who stayed there the whole winter. Then, a couple of days later the main crew would come in consisting of about 35 and then a couple of weeks later the population rose to about 1,500. The main point of interest is I had to feed everyone from what was left over from the year before until the barge came in to replenish the supplies that were also ordered the year before. 1 barge of food and materials had to feed 1,500 people, 3 to 4 meals a day (4 full buffet setups) for 3 to 4 months plus part of the next year. The main freezer was so big that during the winter, when food supplies were low, they parked a half dozen fishing boats in there for security purposes. Even my dry goods storage shed was over 2,500 square feet of space and everything, freezers, coolers, and dry storage were packed full after the barge left. Other than some produce which came in by helicopter or fixed wing once a week, everything else was fully stocked because there would be no more deliveries until the next year. Talk about some heavy duty stockpiling...............................
Great story @Bobby Cole , I can't even begin to imagine a 'Main freezer'' being so Big!! How long were you in that job... ?
One season only. Think about this. I made $9.97 per hour. I saw no money for 3 1/2 months but ran up a considerable bill at the company store. My union dues were $450.00 for the year (taken out in one chunk) and my health insurance was a mere $87.00 for a full year coverage. I worked so many hours and had so much overtime that after everything was taken out ( including a huge chunk in taxes) of my pay, I came back to the lower 48 with nearly $30,000.00. On the days when I had to serve 4 full meals to 1,500 people I only got in a couple of cat naps and maybe an extra 2 hours between the midnight and breakfast feedings. I was asked to go back next year and all I had to do was pick up my plane ticket but decided not to. One cannot accuse me of being greedy or perhaps one can accuse me of being lazy but either way, I didn't feel the wear and tear on an aging body was worth it.
I don't. I shop weekly. I will stock up on things I prefer from Trader Joe's like rice milk. That way if I shop at another grocery store that week, I have the things I specifically like from Trader Joe's. Though I do usually shop there. I'm more worried about supplies for the cats than anything else.
I'm with you on that, @Kitty Carmel . I might go hungry but Miki will never go hungry "As God is my witness!"
My cats eat only the premium foods, organic whenever possible, and I think I pay more per ounce for their food than for my own.
I get that! my cats don't eat organic per say but their food comes from the vet (fish free) and their daily can treat they split (fancy feast size) is Wilderness chicken and expensive. I did order from Chew.com and was happy with everything and I think I'll keep ordering their Wilderness cans from there. I get the shipment in two days. It comes from Nevada and I'm in California.
I understand. When I was broke, before I graduated from nursing school and money was getting low before payday, I always made sure Daphne had food, litter etc, before I spent my last money on what I needed. It's not as dire as it sounds, because I always had my parents if I needed a few dollars before payday. But that's what I did.