Stockpiles

How and where to stockpile can be a problem for some people if they don't have the space, but for those of us with basements, that's the easiest. Shelving units from Menards are probably the easiest. Plano makes 4 or 5 shelf units that are strong enough to hold all our groceries. I got mine when they were on sale with a rebate to get even more money back. The reason I like shelving as opposed to cupboards is I can see what is on the shelves and am therefore more likely to use them. If things sit in cupboards, I don't see it, possibly buy more of it and it ends up never getting used.

When placing things on the shelves it makes it much easier to place like items together. All my pasta sauces and pasta is on one shelf, fruits and veggies on another, baby food and formula together, and cereals on a shelf. Things come on sale in cycles. Every so many weeks they are on sale again so there really is no need to have a tremendous amount of food in your stockpile. There is no need to be "extreme" about it. Plan on buying only about how much you would use in 3-6 weeks. By then it is usually on sale again. Of course some of the best sales have limits on how many you can buy. That means in that shopping trip you can only buy so many of that item. That does not mean I don't give money to my husband to go to another check out line or bring it to the car and go back in the store for more, as long as it is a really good price. You can do the same with your husband or with your kids if they are old enough. Always have more of the staples that make a good meal. I always have more veggies, pasta (in a variety of shapes), sauces, cream soups, cereal, and rice. These things are in so many different recipes that they get used more often to make meals.