Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Personal Stockpiling

Not my pantry-I can do a little better.

Finally, Friday evening was spent in the grocery store (we're exciting that way), doing a proper big shop for the month. I added up,starting with DH's run last Sunday, to all my little stops last and this week  and the February grocery tally is at $168, leaving a targeted balance of $132. For household/personal, I've bought nothing but necessities as I was fairly well supplied going into the month. I anticipate needing dog food, dishwasher detergent, toothpaste,and toilet paper, before months end. I said I was doing well, but then DH went to the store on my behalf, and $40 later, I'm now within $2 of my target, without the things we need purchased yet. Well, make that $11, as $9.00 of his was spent on a massive bag of Hershey's treasure chocolates. DH is a candy fiend some weeks and his wild chocolate spending isn't going to be counted.To be fair, I had forgotten we needed glass stove top cleaner and the specific Dove soap he uses, which also is his shaving cream, and he picked up toothpaste. I could nickle and dime the household and grocery lines, but that would be more expensive in the long run. I don't have a stock pile of items. I'm neither a savvy enough shopper nor have the storage space-yet, but I hate running out of essentials and paying more than I should if I had just bought a larger quality to begin with.

I ran into Walgreen's for a prescription and passed the small section of outer wear and hosiery. On sale were leggings at $3.99 a pair, over half off. I can't buy cheapo tights for that so thought I would give them a try, bought two pairs. I was actually quite impressed. I worried they wouldn't be long enough and stretchy enough in the waste, but fit perfectly. We have a lot of winter cold left, plus are good for keeping in my lake bag when it gets colder at night to switch into to with a sweat shirt. I'm constantly misplacing leggings, then they turn up, so having a few extras is helpful, I wear with very long sweaters and under dresses with boots or flats. In a rare twist, all they had left was my size, not smaller sizes for my daughters or I would go back and grab some for them. I might still for me, and just tuck away for future use. 

This is my version of stockpiling, keeping enough on hand so I don't have to do an overly expensive dash to the store for an essential. I don't always plan so well, but most of the time I do. I like to have no less than a weeks extra supply of t.p. beyond the spare roll in the bathrooms, an extra shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, spare tooth brushes and toothpaste, but I don't have shelves of these things. In my underclothes drawer, I almost always have a few new items, just in case, but for the most part, I replace clothing as it is needed. While I'd like to do better at scoring items at ridiculously low prices, I need a storage system that can better accommodate, so for now, my little bit extra plan works well for us. Perhaps this spring when I take a week off, just to work around the house, I'll complete my projects, including the office, turning the closet into my gift and stockpile storage. How do you stock up ahead for your family or personal use? Do you have any unconventional storage tips to help those of us that would like to do better, but don't have the space. How do you manage your use? 

Ahh, this would be bliss.

16 comments:

  1. You need a visit from the Sluggy fairy to come build you a stockpile in the spaces you have. 8-)

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    1. I may take you up on that offer. When are you heading north and west?

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  2. I buy Dove shampoo and conditioner in huge 1 litre containers at costco, have one set for main bathroom and one for guest bathroom. If I run out in our main bathroom we steal from the guest until I can buy it again (like this week of terrible weather). Other toiletries I try and have at least 1 or 2 on hand extra and we store them in one of the bathroom closets in one of those rubbermaid shelving units. I have one shelf in my laundry room where I store extra supplies but other than that I don't really stockpile. I have large quantities of rice, flour and rolled oats on hand in large 10 gallon glass jars I found at the thrift store which in some cases is a year supply. Everything else goes on sale so I just buy a couple at a time and we don't have great couponing like the USA so I don't get that much free like Sluggy

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    1. I've not re-upped a warehouse membership since my older kids have been out of the house. I might use a visitor pass and see if it might be worth it. I'd love a sealed large jar, but I have narrow pantry shelves so it has to be very specifically sized, but that would help with the oats, rice, noodles when they are in huge quantities.

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  3. I buy in large quantities of toilet paper, paper towels and dog food. People upstairs or downstairs can just grab what they need. As for food... dang. Everyone buys what they want and we see if everything will fit. If I could shake a few picky ones loose, life would be bliss!

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    1. DD2 has gotten pickier. She has a few things she wouldn't mind eating all the time-pasta, and more pasta, curry with rice. She is starting to complain more that we never have food in the house, despite the spilling cupboards, fridge, ad freezer.

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  4. I like to have one item in use and one in stock so I don't have to rush out for an expensive alternative in an emergency.

    Things like toilet paper go without saying but yes, tights and things like that are great to have in stock.

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    1. I am really happy with the buy. I admit though,, I didn't check where they were made, and that has become important to me, but it was really cold yesterday and I was wooed by the price.

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  5. I am a middle of he road stocker. We have a garden tub in our master bath that we never use, in fact I use the vacuum cleaner to clean it. It has become our toilet paper storage unit. I am brand loyal (because it is the only brand that flushes completely with our low flow toilets) so every time it is on sale I stock up. Right now I have 6 12 roll packs in the tub. TheHub and I are the only ones who use that bathroom and it does not offend us. We always have at one toiletry item opened at at the very least one spare, not matter what item you are talking about. I do not like to run out of anything. The same applies to groceries. I buy things when they are on sale and store everything (some in very unlikely laces) I never really run out of anything unless I am making a concerted effort to use whatever it is.
    I do think you need Sluggy to figure out where you can store things

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    1. In the Tightwad Gazette, she put a dollar figure to spaces under beds etc. for encouragement to thinking outside the box of where to store things when you get really good prices. It isn't like I have a tiny house-just need some better use of the spaces I have. But then, I'd have to figure out the wheeling and dealing.

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  6. So are you saying that chocolate isn't a grocery item? :( My one constant worry is running out of TP therefore I keep so much on hand that it is always tumbling out of the 2 bathroom vanities! I just don't want anyone to ever use kleenex which clogs the toilet!

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    1. As much as I would love to eat it for meals, I've given up trying to rein in his impulse spends on treats, so taking the guide from others, just not counting it, and putting it in the entertainment, or general "mad money" category. More peaceful tht way and less frustrating for me.

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  7. Replies
    1. The bottom one is really a store shelf form a quaint little place in a tiny little river town, but I could go for that in my kitchen.

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  8. I have well stocked kitchen cupboards but tend not to stockpile these days as I have managed to break the fear I had of not having enough food in the house.It was a hangover from some very tough times many years ago. These days I prefer to have the money in the bank rather than sitting on the shelves. It seems to be working for me as I haven't run out of anything using this way of shopping.

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    1. I'd like to shop wiser on the items I know we will use a lot of but don't go on special often, but I tend to waste more if I have too much on hand-more food stuff than household. Again, I go back though if I was better organized I'd have less waste.

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