Stockpiling

• Stockpiling – How Much to Stockpile

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  Stockpiling Groceries.

  

  When it comes to stockpiling, there is one question that I am constantly being asked:

  How much should I stockpile?

  
  Most people aren’t satisfied with my answer, which is “it depends”, but I am being honest. It really all depends on you, your lifestyle and your family.

  There are a 2 things you want to look at when trying to figure out how much to stockpile: how many people you are stockpiling for and how long you would like your stockpile to last. For my family, there are 4 of us, and my goal is a stockpile that will last us 1-3 years (depending on the product).

  Here is our “how much should I stockpile?” list:

  

  Food

  Cereal - 1 Year (24 Boxes)
  Condiments (BBQ Sauce, Mustard, Ketchup, etc.) – 2 Years (24 Bottles Each)
  Sugars, Honey - 3 Years (36 Each)
  Pasta – 3 Years (72 Packages)
  Canned Vegetables – 3 Years (72 Cans Each)
  Rice - 3 Years (36 Small Bags)
  Coffee – 1 Year (12 Jars)
  Crackers – 6 Months (12-24 Boxes)
  Granola Bars – 1 Year (24 Boxes)
  Tea – 1 Year (10-12 Small, 72ct Boxes)
  Juice – 1 Year (12-24 Large Bottles)
  Meat (Chicken, Beef, etc.) – 1 Year (Frozen) (LOTS! About 720 Servings)
  Oils – 2 Years (24-48 Small Bottles)

  Household Supplies

  Cleaners – 2 Years (12-36 of Each)
  Facial Tissue - Indefinitely (At Least 100 Boxes at all Times)
  Bathroom Tissue – Indefinitely (At least 300 Rolls at all Times)
  Paper Towels – Indefinitely (At Least 50 Rolls at all Times)
  Zip-top Bags - Indefinitely (At Least 50 Boxes at all Times)
  Tin Foil – Indefinitely (At Least 5 Boxes at all Times)
  Plastic Wrap - Indefinitely (At Least 5 Boxes at all Times)
  Hand Soap – 2 Years (48 Bottles)
  Dish Soap – 2 Years (48 Bottles)
  Laundry Soap – 2 Years (96 Bottles)
  Fabric Softener – 2 Years (24 Bottles or 700 Sheets)
  Dishwasher Detergent – 2 Years (1,000 Tabs)

  Health & Beauty

  Medicines & Pain Relievers - 1 Year (10 Boxes of Each)
  Bandages – 2 Years (10-20 Boxes)
  Make-up – 1 Year (4 of Each)
  Hair Products – 2 Years (48 Bottles)
  Body Wash & Bar Soap – 2 Years (48 Bottles + 48 Bars)
  Body Lotion – 2 Years (24 Bottles)
  Toothpaste – 1 Year (48 Tubes)
  Toothbrushes – 5 Years (At Least 100 at all Times)
  Deodorant – 1 Year (24 Sticks)
  Feminine Products – 2 Years (24 Packages)
  Razors – Indefinitely (At Least 50 at all Times)
  Shaving Cream – 2 Years (24 Cans)

  Baby & Toddler

  Diapers/Pants – 3 Years (4,500 Diapers in Various Sizes)
  Baby Wipes - 3 Years (144 Tubs of 72)
  Baby Lotion – 2 Years (24 Bottles)
  Baby Wash – 2 Years (24 Bottles)

  How long do want your stockpile to last?

  
  

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• My Stockpile – April 2013

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  I took some photos of my new stockpile room yesterday. We had this room built when we were getting our basement renovated. It was actually intended to just be a regular storage room, but then I realized how perfect it would be for a stockpile – so, now this is where our stockpile resides!

  We also keep our chest freezer in this room. The only thing not in here is laundry stuff (in our laundry room upstairs) and diapers (in Kaylee’s huge bedroom closet).

  

  Right at the end of the room are 4 bins with drawers. This is where I keep smaller items.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Is it just me, or are stockpile rooms just fun to look at?

  

  This shelf has beauty items and some odds and ends.

  

  This is one of our food shelves. It stores cereal, pasta, canned beans and tomatoes, rice and it also has soda and bottled water on the very bottom.

  

  This food shelf has snacks (crackers, granola bars), condiments, drinks, and a few random food items.

  

  Over here we have cleaning supplies, paper products and baby wipes.

  

  That’s it! I hope you enjoyed my stockpile tour. Maybe I will do a video tour soon, too.

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• Stockpile Storage Chart: Free Download

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  Are you wondering how long you can store and/or freeze the items in your stockpile?

  Download our new stockpile storage chart to find out!

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• Stockpile Organizing: 3 Easy Ways to Stay Organized (New Video)

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  I often get asked how I organize my stockpile, so today I’m going to show you 3 things that I do to keep my stockpile organized at all times.

  Bins/Baskets

  The number one thing that I recommend when starting a stockpile is to use bins whenever possible.

  I always recommend using bins, because they will help you to keep your smaller items contained and not falling all over your shelves.

  To save money, use the bins you already have on hand. This could be a plastic bin from the dollar store that you already have, or small cardboard boxes.

  Categories

  Tip #2 is to have categories. These are very important when you’re stockpiling.

  Categories to consider:
  - Health & Beauty
  - Food
  - Household
  - Kids/Baby
  - Laundry

  Setting up categories is really going to help you to find things when needed, which will prevent your items from expiring before you actually find them.

  Donation Station

  My final tip is to have a donation station. This is just an area in your stockpile (or even another area of your home) where you keep all of the items you plan to donate.

  Keep it all in one area, so that once that area is full you’ll know it’s time to take it to be donated.

  Those are my tips for organizing your stockpile.

  There are many ways to keep things organized, so do what works best for you. The important thing is to store your items in a way where you are able to use them before they expire.

  Do you have any tips for organizing your stockpile?

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• Money in Your Pocket eBook For Only $1 or 50% Off!

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  Purchase the Money in Your Pocket eBook for only $1 during our special Boxing Day sale. This offer is valid December 26, 2011 only.

  From December 27-31, 2011 you can purchase the eBook for 50% off (only $2.49).

  Enter promo code BOXINGWEEK at checkout to get your discount.

  Purchase the Money in Your Pocket eBook now!

  Note: Thank you SO MUCH for the support you have all given me in regards to this eBook. I am so fortunate to have readers as awesome as you!

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• New Video: What My Stockpile Looks Like Today

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• How To Stockpile Meat & Produce

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  Stockpiling Meat & Produce.

  

  Stockpiling is a great way to save money on your grocery bills, but there are some items that are more difficult to stockpile then others – like meat and produce.

  It’s very rare that you will come across a coupon for fresh meat or produce, so stockpiling those items seems like an expensive task – but rest assured, it is possible to stockpile these items without paying an arm and a leg.

  Below I have outlined the best ways to stockpile meat & produce.

  Invest in a chest freezer

  Just like you probably don’t have enough room to store your grocery stockpile in your kitchen cabinets, you likely will not be able to store your meat & produce stockpile in the little freezer above or below your refrigerator. That’s why a chest freezer is essential.

  I admit, when someone suggested the freezer idea to me 2 years ago, I thought they were crazy. Surely I didn’t need that much space for frozen food. What a waste of money, space and electricity that extra freezer would be!

  Well, I was wrong. One day I picked up 6 almost-free frozen pizzas from the grocery store and stuffed my freezer full. The next week, chicken breast was on sale and we were almost out – but we were almost out of space in the freezer as well. It was then that I realized that the extra freezer was actually a good idea.

  I missed out on the chicken deal that week, but I also learned my lesson. After a bit of research, I picked up a freezer for our basement and it now houses lots of extra chicken, frozen pizzas and more!

  My point is – if you want to save money by stockpiling meat and produce, you really need to consider getting an extra freezer. They are definitely worth it.

  Only buy sale items

  Only purchase sale items when you are stocking up, never full price. The front (and sometimes back) pages of most store flyers will have the best deals. Look there first. Only add the cheapest items to your shopping list.

  As for how much you should stockpile, well, this really depends on your family and how fast you can consume certain items. For our family, we eat chicken breast at least 3 times per week. That’s 12 chicken breasts per month, per person. If we would like the chicken to last us 6 months, we would need to have a stockpile of 72 chicken breasts for each person.

  Don’t stock up on items that your family will not consume before they go bad, no matter how cheap they are.

  Find out your store’s mark-down schedule

  The next time you are at your local grocery store, ask the staff when they mark down produce and meat. It’s best to ask the staff that works in the back of the store, as cashiers usually don’t know this information.

  Try to find out which day of the week and what time(s) they mark down those items, so you can try to swing by the store at the perfect moment to snatch up cheap meat & produce.

  Remember that items that are marked down are usually cheap because they are going to expire very soon. Be sure to get those items into your freezer as soon as possible to prevent spoiling.

  Have a stock-up budget

  It’s a good idea to set aside a certain amount of money every week (or month) for stocking up. Even if it’s only $5 per week; knowing that you have that limit will prevent you from overspending. The point of stockpiling is to save money, so don’t go over your budget.

  When you come across meat or produce (or other grocery items) that hit your stock-up price, pick them up and add them to your stockpile.

  Purchase directly from a local farmer

  I know a few people that save quite a bit of money by purchasing 1/4, 1/2 or even a full cow directly from a farmer in their area.

  You can often purchase pigs and other animals as well, but each farmer is different, so check with the ones in your area to find out what they offer.

  If you can’t afford the purchase of a 1/4 (or more) cow on your own, consider splitting the cost with another family and then dividing up the meat.

  Check out the clearance racks

  Many grocery stores have a clearance rack with marked down fruits & vegetables.

  They are often only bruised or have other small imperfections. They are still edible.

  Freeze properly

  Remember that freezing food is not as simple as just tossing something into the freezer. The way that you prepare it for freezing is the only way to gauge how long it will last in it’s frozen state.

  Use freezer bags or storage containers

  Get the products that are made specifically for freezer use.

  I don’t recommend freezing meat in the packages they come in at the store, unless you plan on thawing and consuming all of that meat in one meal. Instead, take the amount of meat you need for one meal and put it in it’s own container or bag.

  Information on freezing fruit & vegetables: How To Freeze Fruit and How To Freeze Vegetables.

  Label everything

  Mark everything that you put into the freezer with the current date and a note on what’s inside.

  Don’t forget to check our list of things you can and cannot freeze, and how long you can freeze them for.

  Although it’s difficult to find coupons for fresh meat and produce, you can still save money on these items and you can certainly stockpile them.

  The key is to buy low and freeze properly to guarantee yourself a healthy supply in your stockpile.

  How do you stockpile meat & produce?

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• Things To Consider When Starting A Stockpile

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  Stockpiling is a fantastic way to save money. I have been stockpiling for over 4 years now and it has saved me from running to the store and paying full price for something on more than one occasion.

  Although it is nice to have an area in my home dedicated to my stockpiled items, there are some things I wish I’d considered before building my stockpile, and things I recommend you consider if you’re just starting out.

  What exactly should you stockpile?

  Each person and each family has different preferences in terms of the items they would like to always have on hand in their stockpile.

  If you don’t have children, you probably won’t need to stockpile diapers and wipes – however, families with little ones could benefit tremendously with such items.

  Make a note of the items that your family uses on a regular basis. A few examples are toothpaste, shampoo, cereal, peanut butter, and bathroom tissue. Those are items your are likely going to be using all the time, so they should probably be included in your stockpile.

  Create a list of what you would like to have on hand, and once you collect the desired amount of each particular item, you can cross it off your list.

  How much should you stockpile?

  Again, the answer to this question will almost always be different for everyone.

  The first thing you need to decide upon, is how long you would like your stockpile to last. Many people are happy with a 6 month supply of products, but you may be okay with 3 months – or perhaps you’d like to have your stockpile last an entire year.

  Whatever decision you make, ensure that it is the right one for your family. Don’t compare yourself to someone else and their stockpile.

  A good way to gauge how many of a certain item you should stockpile is to write the date on a brand new item. Once the item is gone, make note of the current date – this will tell you how long it took you to go through that item.

  Here’s an example:

  Let’s say you’ve been tracking the usage of a bottle of shampoo.

  If you’ve decided that you would like to have a 6 month stockpile, and it took you 2 weeks to go through that bottle of shampoo, that means you need to have 12 bottles of shampoo in your stockpile.

  Do you have the room to store your stockpile?

  How much you are able to stockpile really depends on the amount of storage space you have available in your home.

  You don’t need to dedicate an entire room to your stockpile (though, that would be great if you could!). You can use a tall shelf in your kitchen, an unused closet, a corner in your basement or garage – really, anywhere you have the extra space.

  If you just can’t seem to find an inch of space anywhere at all, it may be time to de-clutter your home – or, perhaps, you may only be able to have a small 1-3 month stockpile.

  Can you afford to stockpile?

  Building a stockpile from scratch does cost a bit of extra money, but it’s an investment that I think is well worth making.

  You will need to buy more than one of an item at a time, and this, of course, means that you must spend a bit more money on groceries than usual.

  I recommend setting aside a bit of money each month just for stocking up on great sales.

  Keep your “stock-up” money separate from your regular grocery money, and only spend it on items you want to add to your stockpile.

  I’m a firm believer in stockpiling and I think that the initial cost is well worth it. You will save your family quite a bit of money on your grocery bills and you will always have what you want on hand and won’t ever have to pay full price for anything again.

  Do you stockpile? If so, please share your tips for beginners.

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• Saving Money With Stockpiling

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  Are you looking for ways to save money on your grocery bills?

  Do you use coupons, avoid eating out, turn off lights in rooms that are not occupied?

  It can be difficult to save money when the money saving tasks seem like work.

  What if there was a way to significantly reduce your grocery bill without much effort? Would you be interested?

  The number one way that we save money on groceries is by stockpiling.

  What is stockpiling?

  Stockpiling is when you store large quantities of certain items to use as you need them. In this case, we are talking about groceries. Saving money by stockpiling groceries is very easy. You simply stock up on items that are on sale to avoid paying full price down the line.

  Benefits Of Creating a Grocery Stockpile

  1. You will save money by stocking up on items when they are on sale, instead of purchasing one or two items at a time when they are full price, just because you need them.

  2. Last minute grocery store trips will be a thing of the past. When you have a grocery stockpile, you don’t need to run to the store to grab a much needed dinner item. Just go to your stockpile and pick one up for “free”.

  3. When you are short on cash one month, you can create an “eat from the pantry” menu, using items that you already have on hand in your stockpile.

  4. You can help others in need. If you use coupons, it’s often that you will be able to stockpile things at a very deep discount (sometimes you will even be able to get things for free). Donate extra stockpile items to other families that need help with their grocery bill.

  How To Create a Grocery Stockpile

  Decide where to store everything.
  The very first thing you need to do when creating a grocery stockpile is to figure out where you are going to put everything. If you live in a small apartment or condo, it may be out of the question to have a very large stockpile. It may be best to just have a small one instead.

  There are many stockpile storage ideas. Choose the one that works best for you. When organizing your stockpile, it’s a good idea to keep like items together so that they are easy to find when you go “shopping” for things.

  

  Figure out how much to stockpile.
  Remember that every family is different. What works for one family, won’t necessarily work for another. 3-6 months worth of product is an ideal stockpile storage amount. However, some people (myself included) prefer to have a stockpile of at least one year’s worth.

  Determine how quickly your family goes through all of the items that you plan to stockpile.

  For example, let’s say you want to stockpile laundry detergent. When you open a new bottle or box, write down the date on the bottom of the package. When it’s empty, check the date on the bottom and you will see how long it took you to go through that item.

  We’ll assume that it took you 1 month. If you want your stockpile to last 6 months, you will need to have 6 bottles/boxes on hand at all times.

  Create a stock-up budget.
  Don’t stockpile too much when you first start building your stockpile. I know it can be tempting to want that stockpile to be nice and big right away, but that’s near impossible (unless you want to spend loads of cash).

  It took us well over a year to accumulate a year’s worth of supplies in our stockpile.

  Go over your grocery budget and work out how much of that budget you can allocate to stocking up. Try to set aside $10-$20 (or more, if you can afford it) per week for stocking up on sale items.

  Stick to your budget. Don’t spend more than you can afford, just because something is a good deal. There will be more great deals in the future. Only spend what you have set aside for stockpiling.

  

  Stock up when items are on sale.
  Watch your store flyers and look for items that are on sale at your rock bottom price. The best sales are usually on the front page of a sale flyer, so look there first and see if anything catches your eye. Pick up as many of those items as you can and put them into your stockpile.

  If you use coupons, your savings will be even greater. Sometimes when you match a sale item with a coupon, you will be able to get things for free!

  Keep track of expiration dates. It’s a good idea to have a stockpile inventory, making note of when certain items expire. Always add new items to the back of your stockpile so that the oldest items get used up first.

  Know how long to stockpile.
  When you are creating your grocery stockpile, there are two important things that you need to know:

  - How long to store certain items in your stockpile.
  - Food items you can & can not freeze.

  Creating a grocery stockpile was absolutely one of the best things I have ever done.

  It has saved my family so much money over the last few years – I don’t see us ever not having one!

  Do you have a grocery stockpile? How long did it take you to build?

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• Items That I Stockpile

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  Having a grocery stockpile saves us a ton of cash on groceries each and every year. Whenever there are great deals, I stock up. Not only does this save us money, but it also saves me from having to go to the store to pick up one thing when we run out of it.

  If I can get the following items for 75% off or better, I will stockpile them in large quantities:

  Items I Will Stockpile (No Expiry)

  - Toothbrushes, Floss
  - Plastic Wrap, Aluminum Foil
  - Facial Tissues, Bathroom Tissue, Paper Towels
  - Plastic Storage Bags, Plastic Storage Containers
  - Garbage Bags
  - Diapers, Baby Wipes, Baby Lotion/Soap
  - Feminine Products
  - Cat Litter
  - Bandages

  As for the items that do expire, I will stockpile enough to get us by until the it expires, or until the next sale (depending on how much money is left in our grocery budget). If it’s free – I will get as much as I possibly can, keep what we can use and donate the rest.

  Items I Will Stockpile (Expiry)

  - Toothpaste
  - Oil, Non-Stick Spray
  - Pasta, Rice
  - Beans, Canned Tomatoes
  - Cereal
  - Peanut Butter
  - Tuna
  - Olives
  - Canned Fruits, Canned Vegetables
  - Salad Dressing
  - Condiments
  - Juice
  - Water
  - Cheese
  - Chocolate
  - Canned Soup
  - Cat Food, Dog Food
  - Dish Soap
  - Disinfecting Wipes
  - Shampoo, Conditioner
  - Body Wash, Bar Soap
  - Household Cleaners
  - Pain Relievers
  - Deodorant
  - Hand Soap
  - Body Lotion

  It’s important to remember that you only buy items you know your family will comsume before they expire. Donate all extras. Be sure to rotate your stock as well, by placing new items behind older ones.

  What items do you stockpile?

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