Stockpiling…what is it and why should we do it?

Stockpiling is getting goods at low sale prices and stocking up on them to last a specific time. The reason behind it is fairly simple…it saves money. If you can combine a sale price with a coupon then all the better! You want to create a stockpile of goods that you acquired on sale...buying enough to hopefully last until the next great sale…in theory never paying full price for certain items again. Once you get a stocked pantry, you will find that your grocery bill decreases. Not because you are buying less, but because you are paying less.

Not only can a stockpile help with saving money, but going into the winter you’ll want to have extra on hand in case money runs tight or (and perhaps more importantly) a winter storm hits. We here in Western Kentucky know all too well about the havoc an ice storm can play on day to day living. Running to the store for a gallon of milk was not possible. Not only was travel a challenge but for several days the stores were not open, but since we had a fairly well stocked pantry it wasn’t too much of an issue…I had powdered milk and all the other “necessities” that my family needed.

So…get to stockpiling! First you’ll need to take inventory. What does your family use on a regular basis. We don’t drink coffee at my house, but for most folks that is high on the necessity list. Everyone’s panty is different. We like canned fruit, so I keep high levels of fruit. Tuna is a near necessity at our house; needless to say, I stock high levels of tuna. Beans (unless in a soup) are not real popular at my house, so I keep low levels of beans. Make a list and start from there. Set aside money each week. If you do not have much to spend, don’t worry, you can buy a lot of staples with little money. Rice and oatmeal are particularly inexpensive but super filling. Buy the essentials first and go from there.
Food is of course what most people think of when they think of stockpiling, but don’t forget the other necessities. Soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper etc. For our family of 6, our toiletry needs are more than some others but this is what seems to work for us. I replenish whenever the items I use are on sale, but at any given time we have:
20 bottles of shampoo & 10 bottles of conditioner
10 bottles of body wash
8 packages of razors & 6 cans of shave cream
12 tubes of toothpaste & 12 toothbrushes
6 bottles of hair product, 6 bottles of lotions & 3 bubble bath (I have girly girls…what can I say)
20 bars of soap & 10 deodorants
6 packages of Always
8 boxes of band aides and other assorted first aid items
48 rolls of toilet paper
…..and the list goes on, but you get the idea.

Stockpiling is such a benefit to living a fabulous but frugal lifestyle. It will not only help save you money but in times of crisis like a winter storm or when a month run particularly tight, you will have your stockpile to fall back on.