Stockpiling Groceries

We always make sure we have at least a full month's supply of food in our house at all times. The way we keep it from going bad, is we put the new stuff at the back of the shelves in the pantry. Once a month, I check the dates on everything in the front, and anything that is going to be expiring within the next 2 months gets moved. We move the things to our upstairs cabinets (our pantry is in the basement), but another shelf would work just as well. Then I make it a point to use something from that shelf at least a couple of times a week, until the stuff is all gone. The last week before I go through the pantry again, I sometimes end up making something from that shelf every night, so that it's all gone before it's time to clean out the pantry again!

Put your sugars and flours in plastic bags and seal tight...then store them in your freezer. Many items that have expiration dates on them are for selling purposes. They last longer than the date. Pastas and rices last as long as they're also stored in sealed containers so bugs don't get in them. The important thing...once you open something, use it as soon as you can or they will get 'stale'. They'll still be safe to consume, but the flavor won't be as good. Canned goods are your best bet as they have a tendency to last longer and have an extended shelf life after their 'sell by' date. I have food stuffs in my cupboards that were purchased a year ago that are still good.

I'd agree with Rob.. I'd stock up on staples, like flour and sugar, and canned goods, as well as frozen foods.. they will keep longer.. my grandmother always had a cellar full of canned goods..she kept them full, just in case.. When I live in my own place, and have the room to do it, I tend to stockpile certain things too.. I buy stuff when it's on sale, stock up, and use coupons.

we are stocking up too, I read somewhere that prices are going up like 3 times by december, I cant stock up freezer foods but cans, paper, boxed foods I am, and when i buy it I add them to behind on the shelf and so I use the oldest first.
My friend is stocking up because she thinks something bad is gonna happen and is getting stuff on line that has a longer exp. date.
Maybe get some of that stuff too

I stockpile can goods for several months when places like Kroger have them on sale. I also stock up on things such as ketchup, bbq sauce, Miracle whip, etc. just be sure to watch the expiration dates and keep the older stuff in front to use first. I don't have a huge freezer but if i arrange it the right way, I can get many frozen items stocked up too. I also watch for sales on paper products. I try not to buy anything unless it is on sale or I have a coupon.

And watch the time of the month that you buy. Price go up at the beginning of the month--because that's when food stamps and social security checks come out. Sad to gouge the poor, but thats business.

Rotation is definitely the key. We have built quite a stock now that hurricane season is upon us, but unfortunately I cannot stock up on flour and sugar, since our freezer is very small. I have to keep anything that is open in the fridge due to all the bugs and critters here in the South.

Good question Adelaide and great answers. I too was wondering about this. I'm trying to be more efficient in this area to save every penny we can!

I don't do sugar...it can get hard. If the sale is really good, I stockpile canned goods, sauces, condiments, pasta, rice, etc. I stock up on soaps, shampoos,detergents, diapers & paper products whenever possible.

I live in an area with earthquakes, so everybody must stockpile. I have several months of food ready because you have to be prepared. We have at least 1 year supply of bath tissue, so guess everyone in town will be at our house.

My freezers are always full and I have a generator. We have lots of canned goods, cereal, and water.

canned goods are always good to stockpile

I would stick to the dry goods like pasta and rice, make sure they are sealed in plastic bags and stored in a dry place. The canned goods are easy to store too!

Dry corn and various dry beans and peas. Canned beans hig far too much space; go dry. Besides, the dry ones you've soaked and cooked yourself taste much better and aren't loaded with sodium.

Shelf satable juices such as V-8 and fruits. **Read laabels carefully!** Do not get the ones marked "beverage"; they have too much sugar. Get nothing containing high fructose corn syrup; the stuf is a health menace. Get the ones marked 100% juice.

Dry wakame (a kind of seaweed); it soaks up into a perfect green vegetable that you don't even have to cook. Other dried seaweeds are excellent for your vegetables, too.

Use coupons and when the sales are good, stock-up!
I use the garage with lots of shelving and my freezer too.

All the above suggestions are great - just keep your head and don't start stockpiling stuff just because it's on sale or stores easily. If you don't know how to cook dried beans, rarely bake from scratch with flour and never eat canned corn, don't buy them just because they store well! This may seem really obvious, but I can't tell you how many of my friends are regularly throwing out expired food or donating near-expiry food to food banks because they didn't plan ahead before stocking their shelves and freezers.

The best way to avoid buying food that will just go to waste is to have a list. Know what you regularly eat out of cans, etc, and look for coupons and deals on those. Otherwise, you'll have lots of food, and "nothing to eat" every time you open your cupboards.

My family stockpiles on stuff (we call our basement, mini-walmart). Stock up on things you know you use frequently (like drinks especially). We stock up on canned foods too, but always keep track of the expiration date. If you grow things and can, I think the max you should have those is 2-3 year (not entirely sure since we use ours up long before then). We keep our bread and sugar in freezers and its still good for a while afterwards.

You've gotten some great answers Adelaide. Not much more I could add. =)
So I'll leave you a 10*~

i usually buy a lot of toliet paper, paper towels, spaghetti sauce, noodles, things that dont go bad obviously haha

Stockpile anything you can freeze. I could not live without my freezer. I cook from scratch so things like flour and sugar go fast and I have no problem stocking up on them. Butter freezes very well, so I always have a few pounds in the freezer. Keeping a price book helps me to recognize the best prices.

Get a dehydator. You can dehydrate many vegetables and make your own beef jerky. I would stock pile more canned goods and dry goods than freezer items. It is a very good idea to invest in one of those machines that seal food, Seal-A-Meal, I had a brain freeze. Seal-a-Meals are excellent. Double ziplock bags for dry goods and look carefully at flour and these kinds of products to make sure there aren't any insects in them. Make sure you do not have a rodent problem or roaches. Roaches can eat through plastic, too. Pasta is a good thing to stock pile, anything powdered. Those ready in minute soups are wonderful, too. Bottled water is a must and wipes....for personal uses. Heavy duty trash bags and containers to put them in when filled with garbage. Scent sprays, quick energy drinks and Kool-aid, feminine products. Charcoal, charcoal lighter, if you have a gas grill, get an additional one filled and keep it locked up. Buy throw away cooking pans, so you do not have to use your house water to wash them.
And don't forget about your pets. Dog food should be stored in air tight containers, too, cat food, bird seed, etc. I have been through many hurricanes and when one was on its way I put piles of clothes to use so I would not have to dig through them later. Always make a get-a-way bag if you have to leave and never forget your meds.

I wish I could stockpile.. but when the sales hit, i never seem to even have a dollar to spend and that week seems to be the week we cannot buy groceries.. however.. i have planted veggies and im gonna try canning and freezing what i can and then i know im getting fresh and no chemicals.

You got some great Ideas.

I use a lot of gallon jars. I get the glass ones from restaurants, wash them in baking soda (the ones that had pickles in them still smell...I don't know how to get rid of that) and use them for things like dried beans and peas. I live in the country and worry about pests, so I try to seal everything I can. I buy sugar 25 lbs at a time and keep it in a plastic bucket with a lid...most bakeries are willing to give up icing buckets for free. I use my dehydrater a lot, and I have about 75 lbs of flour in the freezer. I grow my own vegetables as much as possible, and can and freeze what I can. I'm just learning and it's a lot of work, but it's worth it. The food is better, more healthful and, perhaps most important, reliably available. The day is coming when we will experience food shortages in this country and I do not intend to go hungry.

Hope this helps you on your way to 3000.