I am always amazed by the stories of people running out to the grocery store right before a winter storm because they have run out of food and toiletries. WIth the exception of individuals living hand to mouth-this just doesn’t make sense to me.
Restock Your Stockpile NOW
The average American home has more than enough space to store items for the Winter. The key is to be thoughtful about your purchases as you make them throughout the year. I begin to slowly stock up on personal items and toiletries for the upcoming winter around the middle or end or March. Why then? Because March is when my current winter stockpile dwindles to the point where I know it’s time to start stocking up again.
I grew up watching my mom plan her stockpile in a similar way and I have to say it really works. My mom did this because money was tight and other was worse than running out of the things that you need when money was low.
I continue this tradition of stockpiling for several reasons. First, I reallyhate running out of stuff. Currently I don’t have a car, and I live in Colorado where the potential of crazy snow, biblical rain, and tornados is ever-present. If I’m trapped in my home for almost a week (this has happened before) I don’t want to be upset because I didn’t plan well and ran out of toilet paper.
When you begin purchasing items for your winter starting the process early helps to eliminate a number of different types of stressors that occur when you wait until the last minute.
- Money-by starting now you can allocate around $25-$50 dollars a month towards your stockpile. This is easier to manage than $300 dollars at one time.
- Space-the stockpile gradually grows into the space that you have
- Time–Just include this with your regular shopping.
- Better Quality–By buying things early while you have more cash on hand you are able to purchase better quality items (bought on sale of course!)
Types of Products Purchased Early:
- Toothpaste-I run across $1 Tom’s of Maine toothpaste all the time at my local Albertsons. There is no way I’m going to pass that deal up so I pick up several tubes at a time.
- Toothbrushes-I have to brush my teeth.
- Dental floss–Gum health is everything.
- SOAP!!–Nothing else needs to be said.
- Toilet Paper–You NEVER want to run out of toilet paper..eww..
- Perfume-Yes, I wrote perfume. I purchase perfume from TJ Maxx or Ross at a deep discount. Currently I have BCBG and Lucky Brand. I’m looking for Angel (my favorite) Just because you’re broke doesn’t mean you should smell. I don’t spend more than $25 on a bottle.
- Body Wash-I’m smelling really good now!
- Vaseline-Colorado is DRY.
- Lotion–Colorado is DRY.
- Shampoo/Conditioner-You have to wash and condition your hair from time to time.
- Lady Products–Yes, I wrote this and if you’re a dude you’ll be grateful that your lady doesn’t have you running out in the middle of a storm because she’s ran out of said products. Ladies until you go through “the Change” you know this is going to happen. STOCK UP.
I also begin stocking up on my canned or shelf stable foodstuffs around June. I start that process by writing down the types of meals I imagine I would like to eat during the winter. Then, I create lists of items that I would need to make those meals. Also, as I add to the food stockpile I move the oldest items in front of the newer items. By rotating the cans I use up everything before it expires.
Examples Of Food Items Include:
- Canned Salmon–if it’s on sale I GET IT!
- Canned Tuna–Whole albacore. I don’t like the chunky kind.
- Sesame oil–I use this all of the time!
- Soy Sauce-Love this stuff! I use soy sauce a lot to flavor my meat.
- Almond Milk-Shelf Stable. These milks are the ones that you find on the shelf that are square shaped and look like they are in boxes similar to cardboard. Don’t worry, it’s not cardboard!
- Canned Tomatoes-Look at the ingredients and make sure that there is NO SUGAR in it. Disgusting but very common in canned tomatoes. I use canned tomatoes in soups, stews, and occasionally make pasta sauce with them too.
- Salsa verde-Delicious! I can’t get enough of salsa verde. But, if I’ve grown tomatillos (the main ingredient in salsa verde) then I like to make it fresh. One day I have to learn how to can my growing efforts from the summer.
- Frozen Fruit-I like to use frozen fruit in smoothies or use it to make dessert. Since it’s always so expensive I like to stock up whenever it’s on sale.
A well thought out and well planned stockpile process will save you time and money. Incorporate your stockpiling into you regular grocery shopping and then you will never worry about not having enough food and personal grooming items if the weather gets rough or when life gets rough.
***All items in the photo below were purchased at the Dollar Store!***
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I wish we could stockpile, but it is hard given our limited space. We do stock up on toilet paper though!
I love a well thought out stockpile! I hate not having enough of the essential items 🙂 The problem is doing a large shop gets really expensive, so I like to do a little at a time.
We don’t stockpile much other than toilet paper. I love that your stockpile picture contains like 3 years worth of toothpaste though!
Catherine, I have more toothpaste than that. Don’t judge-you’re a Dental Hygienist. You should be proud of my fight against tooth decay and gum disease.