8 practical stockpiling tips

Practical Stockpiling Tips: Save Money!
adapted from things i read on the internet.

 

Practical tip 1:

Figure out your storage possibilities ahead of time. You can always find unused space for storage. EG: In a box in the pantry.

 

Practical tip 2:

Invest in a freezer. This is the single best thing a stockpiler can buy. Meat, bread, butter, even milk can all be frozen away for months. Make double or triple batches of cookie dough, or an extra casserole to freeze so you don't have to run to the store to feed unexpected visitors who stay for a meal.

Practical tip 3:

Shop in bulk wherever possible. Fresh meat, vegetables, canned goods, flour, toothbrushes etc. to name just a few. Watch prices on frozen food & non perishable merchandise. 

 

Practical tip 4:

Be selective! Don't stockpile a carton of instant coffee if no-one in your family will drink it.

Practical tip 5:

Find new uses for cheap products. It's amazing how you can stretch your money & your food.

Practical tip 6:

Know your prices. If you can remember roughly what something normally costs to buy, you can mentally work out if it's a great buy or not. Not much point buying bulk of something for $5 each when on special it could be $2.50c. I know I buy 10-20 tubs of margarine when I see it's only special for approx $1. normally its at least double that price. Usually I start to run out when it's on special again. Roughly every 3 months.

 

Practical tip 7:

Use sticky labels wherever possible. That way you can pinpoint exactly how long it's been in the fridge/freezer. If you open a tin/packet and don't use all the contents but then place the rest in a container in the fridge/freezer, write down the use-by date. That way you know when it should be used by.

 

Practical tip 8:

Plan a menu for Christmas Day and any other day over the Holiday season when you know you will have guests for meals. Write a list of all the ingredients needed to make these meals. Add anything else to the list you think you will need. Plastic plates, knives, forks, spoons, cups, napkins, etc etc. Add other things as you think of them. Drinks, snacks, baking ingredients. etc etc. The list could get huge. But once it is written down you have a starting point for stockpiling. If you think you will have 50 guests over the Holiday season then 1 pack of 10 paper napkins is useless, but maybe 2 x 100 is better. Type up your list on your computer, add the normal cost of the items in a column. Keep eye open for sales catalogues. When you see things really cheap, maybe grab some of the specials. Paper napkins, plastic utensils and that sort of thing don't really have a use-by date. Food should be stockpiled later in the year, but I can't see why you can't spread the cost of the Holiday season over most of the year. Always check for use-by dates on the food you buy to make sure it is will be fine to store until Christmas.