Has anyone else found themselves shoring up on stuff because they live far from the stores, in the middle of nowhere?
I've recently been spending too much money, and I caught myself rationalizing that I had better buy something now, while I was here, or it will be a while before I get out again. And there it goes, stuffed into my freezer or my closet not to be used for weeks or months, if ever...
Yes. I usually ride my bike, so if I run an errand with the car it's very tempting to buy a bunch of stuff just because it's easy to haul.
The only cure I've ever found is the stick with a list or just don't buy anything more until your freezer/pantry/closet is empty.
Absolutely. Especially the big box discount stores in the city -- better stock up on the cheap stuff while you're there! And I live only about 15 miles/25 km from the nearest town, so while selection isn't as great and some things really are not available, it's not as if I couldn't get something if I had to.
There are some things that I stock up on because I absolutely do not want to run out, and although I am close to town, at any given time, there might be a reason why I couldn't get to town for a couple of days, especially in the winter. So things like diapers and toilet paper I ALWAYS have a back up supply. I can only remember one time ever when I got down to my last pack of toilet paper.
However, since I have done a little decluttering and also have been doing some cleaning that hasn't happened for a LONG time, I've been tossing/donating things that I bought and never used or that were just spoiled due to time and/or neglect, and that seems to be cutting down somewhat on my urge to shop. Opening up a box of cereal that turned out to be two years past its best before date that tasted stale has made me rethink my food stocking tendencies as well. Also, the big box cheap stores being a particular weakness of mine, it helps that as I get older and have more and more kids to cart around, I am starting to HATE going into those stores! Between the kids either misbehaving or wanting to ride in the cart because they are tired and the crowds and the fact that my van is filling with kids and running out of storage space to get it all home, I am slowly losing my desire to even go into those stores.
I think some of this comes from my pack rat/frugal ancestors. My dad worked away a lot, so when he came home, he pretty much always went through the city and would come in with bags and bags of stuff that he had stocked up on where it was cheaper. So I tend to think that trip to the city equals stocking up. I'm getting to the point now, though, where I'm starting to think that I'd rather spend a little bit more on something and just get it at home where I can be in and out of the store faster than I can park in the city.
We are in the heart of the city, but I shore up anyway (not in a big way, in fact, we don't have room for storing much at all) but the reason is the very limited shopping hours, and none on holidays or Sundays or evenings. I cannot STAND being forced to go out to eat evenings or weekends because we can't buy basics.
I stock up on basics that we use constantly, but for me it's a form of uncluttering. I *hate* having to run out to the store at the last minute for something we need that we're down to the dregs on.
My schedule is such that there can be stretches of days when it's just not in the cards to take even an hour to go get more TP or tomato sauce or toothpaste or whatever. Having at least a week's supply of those things on hand as a minimum means that I can concentrate on doing the things that are most important to me and that I can schedule my shopping trips when it's convenient for me and not have to go panic shopping. It takes a load off my mind to know that I can walk into the kitchen and make any one of a couple dozen simple meals with what I have in the pantry, and that if we ever have another huge blackout or a storm hits that means we can't get groceries for several days, we won't have to worry about how to feed ourselves.
The key is to not buy more than you can use in a reasonable time or more than you have storage space for, and to keep everything organized and the stock rotated so you know what you have and nothing gets the chance to go bad. It's not stocking up per se that's bad; it's how you do it.
i don´t shore up anymore. i used to buy the big-boxes because you can save a lot of money if you buy big-box-non-label -tissues, -cornflakes, -shampoos...whatever. as a part of decluttering, now i don´t buy them anymore. i buy the smallest amount availiable. it´s amazing how many shelves i don´t need anymore and i think i don´t waste any money because now i use those products more carefully and in some cases, i realized that i was just used to use them, but i don´t really need them.
great experience!
I've quit shoring up. I used to have quite a stockpile but it made me feel cluttered so I've been using up what I have and only want to have 1 or 2 extras.
Lori, I agree completely.
It depends where one is coming from though. I have never hoarded nor been a packrat, so I approach the issue as one of maximum efficiency to not have to do the "panic buying"
I don't wait for the toothpaste to be finished before I get more--when it gets to halfway I buy the replacement. Same with toilet paper, milk, deoderant, tissues, olive oil, fem hygiene products, cat food, litter etc. If I find a remarkable 2-for-1 deal on a staple, I will take it.
For people who have packrat/overshopping issues, this is something different. I don't keep 10 toothpastes, a flat of olive oil, etc.
We are all approaching our targets from differing starting points.
I always have TP and paper towels in reserve, and usually buy a backup of a "basic" when there's 1/2 to 1/4 left. I'm only 3.5 miles from the grocery store, but even so, I'd rather not make a "have to have it now" trip. I've been decluttering non-food things that I've somehow accumulated. Right now my issue is that I have 4 bottles of really nice liquid hand soap (a gift). It takes me up to 6 months to use up one (I have them in the kitchen and bathroom). I could regift them as I'm pretty sure the niece who gave them to me will do so again in the next couple years as she lives by the outlet and watches for sales. I didn't give this excess a thought until on vacation I visited a friend of my friend who I was traveling with. This woman had at least 4 of several different kinds of bath/beauty toiletries occupying several shelves of a bookcase in her bathroom (the others held towels). This made me really think about what I need to keep on hand in all sorts of areas.....
I used to, when I saw a really good deal. I'm pretty sure I had 3 or 4 tubes of toothpaste under my bathroom cabinet. I live alone.
Now I remind myself that I live two blocks away from a 24-hour grocery store and a 24-hour Walmart. I'll pick up extra of something if I use it frequently enough. But I do switch brands on things occasionally, and I don't really want a huge stockpile of something I decide I don't like as much any more.
I don't even stock up on that much food any more. I have to carry it home, and since I'm the only one who uses it, I can keep a fairly good eye on things like flour and sugar, and I know when it's time to get more.
The problem with stocking up and being disorganized is that you end up seeing a GREAT DEAL on something, so you buy more, not remembering that you already have a huge stash at home. That's happened to me with more than one thing, and sometimes it is something that expires, so really, the great deal is wasted if I end up throwing things out unused.
Well, I never thought of myself as a packrat because I am completely anti-clutter (I once got rid of every knickknack I owned because it looked too busy), but after recently finding out that I have celiac disease, I think I went nuts trying to fathom such a big change in my diet. So, not thinking I had a whole lot of options, I went to a natural food store that was about 40 minutes from my house. I hate grocery shopping and cooking to begin with, so the thought going through my head was, "You better stock up on this stuff or you'll be stranded without anything to eat." Needless to say, in no time my cupboards and fridge were so jam packed that I was overwhelmed with all the clutter. Well, turns out there's a natural food store on my way to work that I never knew existed and my supermarket started a new frozen gluten free section that it didn't have before...so, realizing this, it occurred to me that there's no need to stock up!
This all may all be chalked up to a simple adjustment to a new way of life, but I also caught myself thinking this way with my crafts. Perfectly normal stuff, but when you've got a full room devoted weaving, sewing, crocheting, painting, scrapbooking...you name it...something's gotta give. ;-)
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