I am seeing all the stockpile photos and I even have a couple of my own.. My stockpile is just starting, but when do you all say enough is enough? Looking at moonflowers photos have me thinking do we really need so much....

In my head I think all that is great, but I keep looking at my house and thinking I dont have enough places to cram all that stuff..

My rule of thumb I TRY to adhere to....I only buy what I know my family or close friends will actually USE/EAT, and I limit my stockpile to what we can use in a year, or before expiration dates. I don't do the garage sale thing yet, so I try to keep it limited to these rules, even if the items are free.

Now, if it's something that's a money maker.....well, sometimes I bend the rules! LOL

There is a big difference between need and want. Does anyone need all this stuff? No. I can understand why you would get a lot of stuff to donate to shelters, that is doing a good thing for people that need it. But there are always deals out there, and there is always going to be a sale for something that you need eventually. I mean, we've got so many stores all around us! To me it is hoarding, but that's my opinion. I have a stockpile of about five or six shampoos and conditioners each, toothpastes, things like that. When I stockpile on food, I buy enough to last me for about a month, because I know that I will be able to get another good deal.
Couponing may be a way of life, but it doesn't have to consume your every waking moment.

I've been doing this since January and I am still afraid something won't go on sale and I'll have to pay full-price for it, so I stockpile.

I don't ,DH does! I agree that I only stockpile a year's worth of what I will use or give away.

One years worth and that is enough

We all need to remember when looking at someone elses stockpile pics, that what amt. works for us doesn't work for someone else and who are any of us to judge? Families are different sizes, needs are different. So what looks like a massive amt. in truth would not be enough for another. Some people earn part of their living by selling some stockpile items, some donate quite a bit too. My personal comfort level is about a 3-4 month supply and that just wouldn't be near enough for others. I LOVE LOVE LOVE looking at all the big stockpiles out there!!! Would I want it? Nope. But I do admire those that put the time and commitment into obtaining them I have enough to deal with in my own life than to worry about if someone is hoarding or not It's none of my business.

I know Moonflower does an amazing job of stockpiling for garage sales. I admire the fact that she seems to REALLY know how to track down the best deal and capitalize on it at her garage sales.

For now, I've decided to only stockpile what our family can use in a year. That can be hard to judge since I'm just starting out, so I have been known go overboard. My husband pointed out that we cannot possibly use 20 mustards in a year....sometimes I get so caught up in the "free-ness" that I forget to think about my one year rule. Although, with all of our cheap and free hot dogs lately, maybe we do need all that mustard.

Bridget

I believe too much is when you start throwing away things that are past the expiration date.

I don't think that anyone is as extreme as MoonFlower is with her stockpiling. Now what she does with it is her business, though I believe donating stuff is a good start and I believe she said she does do so.

I also agree with the year idea. Keep in mind that a year for one family might mean a completely different amount of items than a year for another family, especially if you're helping out friends/family with your savings.

I know if I still lived in my old house with the huge detached 2 car garage I'd have shelves and tubs of stuff, my sisters and friends would know where to go and I'd do the same "bath/beauty" rigged raffles at the school we used to do {we found a way to help the really, really low income kids whose parents literally couldn't afford soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc all without making them feel bad} We used to do what we could with a huge supply of hotel samples donated to us and The Dollar Store.

If I had MoonFlowers stockpile I'd do some serious fundraising damage at the end of the year carnivals too, where they ask each classroom to pick a theme and make a giant gift basket that is then raffled off, dutch auction style I think it's called. Imagine how many baskets you could make and the $ raised for the school?

You can do a lot of good with a huge stockpile.

My current goal though is to stop buying any food. I want to just buy milk/produce for as long as I possibly can, saving up my Qs for when I'm done, go through all the stuff we have and then 'start fresh' and stock pile now that we know what products we actually really like and which we don't. I've bought some things I'd never had before, like Hamburger Helper. My 8 yo loves it. My other two hate it and I can only tolerate it. I won't be stocking up on it again. I may buy a box or two when there's a great Q/sale, but no more buying 6 at a time for instance.

IF I find that I have to much, I gather up several bags and donate to the local food bank.

Well I wasnt judging I was just posing a question.. Im new at this and have already started seeing the pack rat in me wanting more of the great deals.. I just used hers as an example because it was the pic posted today!

For us somewhere between a 3-6 month supply on things. I find that the sale and coupon cycles generally are around 3 months (meaning if it's on sale today it's likely it will be on sale again in about 12 weeks - not an exact science but close enough for us). Mainly this is because of storage and also because my MIL was a hoarder and that is one of my DH's biggest fears (that we will have to leave among boxes and piles of stuff like his mom did).

I do however buy more than for my family of four. I send a box to my grandma once a month. I give a box to my DH's grandparents about once a month. My sister shops in my HBA stockpile whenever she wants (about once every 6 weeks or so). And I help out two friends of ours who are single dads (who both have residential custody of their kids). I also have 6 nephews so I'm frequently giving them things. I also buy stuff to donate to our local Humane Society.

So, my only point is (although I've drug it out long enough!) that it's very hard for one person to say what a good sized stockpile is for someone else.

Linz