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| Pantry Stock Up |
I have always tried to maintain a minimum of two weeks' worth of emergency food items and other needed supplies on hand since I live in an earthquake prone area (we had another reminder of that, very early this morning, at 4:30 a.m., in the form of a 4.2 earthquake and several aftershocks measuring at least 3.0, which I felt)! It's what we are urged to have. The presumption being that, if there was a major earthquake, outside help might not arrive for at least two weeks due to damaged infrastructure and one should be prepared to manage on ones own until then. According to the news, based on this morning's earthquake, there is a 10% chance of an even greater magnitude earthquake happening in the next month, as a result (sometimes, the first earthquake is a "pre-quake" of a bigger earthquake).
When the request came in mid-March to shelter in place for two weeks, I wasn't too worried. I had plenty of food and other supplies to see me through the two weeks and a bit longer. Nevertheless, I picked up a few additional items on my last grocery shopping trip before the shelter in place went into effect, anyway, because I wanted to have enough on hand for at least a month. I knew I wouldn't want to go shopping at the end of the two weeks; I was going to wait for about a month or so before I went shopping again.
What I didn't anticipate was just how long the risk of infection would continue to remain as high as it continues to be! The plan was for most people to stay at home for two weeks until the circuit of spreading was broken due to a lack of direct contact. That initial period of self quarantining was supposed to limit the spread of the virus and bring it more under control and make things safer for everyone. Instead, four months later, the rate of spread is just as high, if not higher, in my area, at least. As a result, I am still unwilling to risk grocery shopping in person! Instead, I am ordering groceries online and either picking them up curb side or having them delivered and, occasionally, asking others, who do grocery shop in person, to pick up some items for me! Plus dealing with limited availability of certain items, concerns about disruptions in supplies, and rising costs, of course.
Which brings me to pondering about stocking up! I've been stocking up, again, slowly, as a result of the pandemic. Partly because I am not grocery shopping as frequently and partly because some items are not always available for purchase, as and when I want them, these days.
Many years ago, one of my friends spoke about her pantry and how she tried to keep one year's worth of supplies (not just food, but also other household items, garden seeds, etc.) in accordance with the teachings of her Church. I was very intrigued and she was very helpful, sending me lists of recommended food items and amounts, per person, etc. For a time, I stocked up a little more than usual, but, then, I found I wasn't eating everything I stocked and some items, such as crackers and cereal, turned rancid before I could eat them (I don't have the recommended cool storage/pantry for long term storage; I store my pantry items in the kitchen cabinets and my un-air conditioned house gets pretty warm in our summers), and that was a waste of both money and food. So, I cut back on stocking up.
When the request came in mid-March to shelter in place for two weeks, I wasn't too worried. I had plenty of food and other supplies to see me through the two weeks and a bit longer. Nevertheless, I picked up a few additional items on my last grocery shopping trip before the shelter in place went into effect, anyway, because I wanted to have enough on hand for at least a month. I knew I wouldn't want to go shopping at the end of the two weeks; I was going to wait for about a month or so before I went shopping again.
What I didn't anticipate was just how long the risk of infection would continue to remain as high as it continues to be! The plan was for most people to stay at home for two weeks until the circuit of spreading was broken due to a lack of direct contact. That initial period of self quarantining was supposed to limit the spread of the virus and bring it more under control and make things safer for everyone. Instead, four months later, the rate of spread is just as high, if not higher, in my area, at least. As a result, I am still unwilling to risk grocery shopping in person! Instead, I am ordering groceries online and either picking them up curb side or having them delivered and, occasionally, asking others, who do grocery shop in person, to pick up some items for me! Plus dealing with limited availability of certain items, concerns about disruptions in supplies, and rising costs, of course.
Which brings me to pondering about stocking up! I've been stocking up, again, slowly, as a result of the pandemic. Partly because I am not grocery shopping as frequently and partly because some items are not always available for purchase, as and when I want them, these days.
Many years ago, one of my friends spoke about her pantry and how she tried to keep one year's worth of supplies (not just food, but also other household items, garden seeds, etc.) in accordance with the teachings of her Church. I was very intrigued and she was very helpful, sending me lists of recommended food items and amounts, per person, etc. For a time, I stocked up a little more than usual, but, then, I found I wasn't eating everything I stocked and some items, such as crackers and cereal, turned rancid before I could eat them (I don't have the recommended cool storage/pantry for long term storage; I store my pantry items in the kitchen cabinets and my un-air conditioned house gets pretty warm in our summers), and that was a waste of both money and food. So, I cut back on stocking up.
Also, around that same period, minimalism was being advocated. Eating down the pantry and freezer became a popular thing to do. I almost felt guilty if I had more than one or two items of anything other than tuna, because Dancer kitty liked his twice daily tuna (which I stocked up on whenever it went on sale for $.50 per can, buying 24 cans of it, unless there was a limit on the number of cans one could purchase at a time).
My stocking up strategy used to be fairly simple. I stocked up on most items when there was a good sale and in amounts I knew I could use in a reasonable period of time. I also did a quarterly stock up of household supplies, such as toilet paper, dish washing liquid, etc., buying enough at a time to last until the next stock up. This strategy worked well when I could shop at least weekly, varying the stores I shopped at each week, in order to take advantage of the sales.
My stocking up strategy used to be fairly simple. I stocked up on most items when there was a good sale and in amounts I knew I could use in a reasonable period of time. I also did a quarterly stock up of household supplies, such as toilet paper, dish washing liquid, etc., buying enough at a time to last until the next stock up. This strategy worked well when I could shop at least weekly, varying the stores I shopped at each week, in order to take advantage of the sales.
All that strategy flew out the window when faced with the constraints of online shopping, delivery slots and fees, availability of items, etc.! Now, I am stocking up the pantry, as and when things are available, with an eye towards having enough on hand, not just until the next shopping order, but, also to see me through possible future shortages due to disruptions in supplies and deliveries. Often, this means 6 each of cans of vegetables, fruit, and coconut milk (when available), at least 6 cans of condensed milk at a time (I use it in my tea and a can will last me about 10 days), and as many as 10 or 12 cans of tuna. I have been shopping according to what I want to have on hand as opposed to what is on sale at the time of shopping. Very often, there is very little that is on sale at the time of ordering. I generally order the lowest priced items, but, I am realizing that stocking up during a pandemic is not very budget friendly!
I didn't have a very big grocery budget, to begin with. Prior to this, my grocery budget was $75 per month. I have more than doubled my monthly grocery shopping budget during the pandemic as I stock up. I am grateful that I can do so.
Part of the extra money for the stocking up is coming from what I'm saving on eating out (budgeted at $25 per month; so far, I've not eaten out or bought any take out since early March when we celebrated daughter's birthday), gas for the car (budgeted at $50 per month; so far, after I filled the tank on March 17, I've spent $23 in July to top up the tank), and the $50 I budget each month for "miscellaneous", which is how I've always padded the monthly budget for any unexpected expense or the occasional "going over budget" in any given category. Most months, this has given me an additional $125 to spend on stocking up. On the months in which I didn't buy any new clothing items, I've had an extra $10 (which is my monthly clothing budget) to add to the stocking up budget, as well (I haven't bought any clothes, recently, but, I did buy a package each of undies and socks as they were needed).
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| Household Supplies |
Stocking up on cat food, kitty litter, household products, sanitizers, etc., has been expensive. But, I wanted to build up a stock of them for my own peace of mind. End of March would have been when I would have done my regularly scheduled quarterly stock up of things such as dish washing detergent, toilet bowl cleaner, etc. So, I was already getting rather low on those items when we went into sheltering at home. I went ahead and stocked up on those items, even if it meant going over budget. Again, I am grateful I am able to do so.
I think I now have a pretty well stocked pantry. I will try to replenish items as they get used up in order to keep a certain minimum amount in the pantry at all times. But, starting in August, I will be going back to a monthly grocery budget of $75 (or, maybe, I'll add the $25 eating out budget to it, because I am not planning to eat out or buy take out foods in August, and make it an even $100).
What are your thoughts about stocking up and keeping a well-stocked pantry?
I'm starting to build up a bit of a reserve, just enough to last three or four weeks. This is based on the difficulties of getting deliveries rather than any shortages of certain items. In the UK we seem to have overcome most problems to do with shortages, although flour and yeast can still be hard to get hold of.
ReplyDeleteI stock up household cleaners and toiletries once or twice a year so I have plenty for now and won't need to reorder until November or December, although I will order early if there are good savings in the autumn sales - assuming there will be sales this year.
My food budget has taken a big hit with the online shopping as I am paying full price rather than buying yellow stickered items, but I'd rather that than actually go to the store myself.
It's good that you are building up a reserve to last you for a few weeks, Eileen. Stocking up on the household supplies a couple of times a year is also a good way to make sure that you have enough on hand. Yes, paying full price for all these items is a big drain on the budget, but, like you, I'd rather do that than risk shopping in person. I am very grateful that I am able to have that option.
DeleteI think it's always wise to keep a reasonably well stocked pantry of dry and tinned goods which have a long shelf life, and of household items. Having witnessed some of the panic buying back in March and the subsequent knock-on effects of that, I am very mindful it could quite easily happen again. X
ReplyDeleteI think a stocked pantry is a buffer against shortages and other uncertainties. Sometimes, it is hard to say just how much is enough, but, my plan is to donate what I will not use by this time, next year.
DeleteI like to be well stocked with the things that I use and need. I shop at Costco, so a trip there lasts me for a few months. I pick up my produce at our local co-op every two weeks. I hate to waste food, so I am careful with what I buy. I compost the vegetables that sometimes go bad too quickly.
ReplyDeleteI used to do the same when I had a Costco membership, Stephenie; it was easy to stock up when I shopped there. I think you are doing well to buy the fresh produce at the co-op. :)
DeleteIt has been an eye opener as to how fast food can disappear from the markets. Living in southern CA. I've always had a couple months of food and animal feed stored just in case of an earthquake. It's been easy to get vegetables and fruit but meat and eggs were scarce for a couple months with limits on them. I think it's a good thing to stock up on essentials. Just be sure to keep checking dates and use them. Patty McDonald
ReplyDeleteI'm in So. Cal., myself, Patty. Just before we went into shelter in place was the first time I've seen empty store shelves, here! I was shocked! I still haven't been able to buy beef, other than ground beef! Every time I've ordered it for curb side pick up, it has been unavailable! It's a good thing I like chicken as much as I do! :)
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ReplyDeleteBecause of the way I grew up, I have at times become a food hoarder. I have to watch myself from over stocking. I do like a well stocked pantry. Where I live we have beautiful gardens. We get the first produce - Asparagus starting in May, then rhubarb then on it goes. My love is canning and preserving. That is the wayI stock up. I prefer to have home grown foodies either frozen, home canned or dehydrated. As for cleaning I only use baking soda and vinegar. Occasionally I will have a bottle of bleach on hand. I now am going to have a go at making homemade soap in all its forms I.e. laundry, hand, dishwashing. I believe I am quite a bit older than you so for me that is the normal way to stock up. We also have lots of farmers in the family to get grains from. Meat we buy only if it on a good sale. Also we can get fresh cold water fish here almost anytime we feel up to going fishing. Also lots of hunters around. It suits my family. Jean
Jean, your way of stocking up is the best way, I think, because you are preserving the things you harvest when they are in season. It sounds like you are well prepared. :) I have made jams and chutneys, but, I have only tried my hand at canning some fruit (home grown peaches) this year.
DeleteHow exciting to be making your own soaps! Something I've wanted to try, but, haven't done, yet.
I had been starting to use up my reserves just before the lockdown. My plan was to clean everything out and then maybe shop mainly from week to week. I was planning on keeping a little extra on hand as winters here can be quite harsh and I don't always want to go out. However since the pandemic I have begun to rethink. I certainly want to use up things in the freezer and cupboards (to rotate) but I intend to keep more on hand. I buy what we use when I see it as the shelves aren't always stocked up very well. It's certainly a time to rethink things!
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is a time to rethink things, isn't it? I have decided to stock up to a level that I feel comfortable. If I have over stocked, then, my plan is to donate the extras, in about a year from now. I think it's a good plan, don't you?
DeleteI was sure that there would be food shortages when Brexit happened, so I had a well stocked Brexit Box. I was SO grateful for that when Bob and I got the virus in early March. It meant we had plenty of food in hand. I'm gradually trying to rebuild that store again, as I think there will be issues in the Autumn with British food supplies. I'm more keen on packets and cans than having a huge freezer. In our previous village, power cuts were regular and random! I guess that's a likelihood for you in an earthquake zone. Keep safe, my friend!
ReplyDeleteYes, shelf stable food is generally better for stocking up because the electricity can always go out and I don't have a generator as a back up. I keep seeing gaps in my stocks, but, I think I'll be able to manage if I have to. :) Thank you, Angela; there has been a bit of shaking going on, but, things are okay. :)
DeleteHope everything is ok with the quake.
ReplyDeleteI have always kept a stocked pantry/freezer, but I do think I am more conscious of it now than I have ever been. Since son3 and dil3 have been here we have used some of my frozen foods and I am replacing them a little slower than I would like to, but like you, I am spending money on nothing but food. I did refill the car for the first time since early May, and vow to top it off from now on when I have used 1/4 tank, just to keep it filled.
Yes, everything is OK after the quake. I had a few decorative items fall (but, nothing broke) and one small can of tomato paste fell out when I, very cautiously, opened a cabinet.
DeleteI have been refilling the car when it got down to 1/2 tank, but, I like your idea of refilling after using only 1/4 tank and essentially keeping it full at all times.
I know you will have a fully stocked pantry/freezer before long. :)
My last two grocery runs have not been too pricey because I have mainly been going for perishables. I seem to have a lot of stuff in the pantry and freezer already and I am not used to keeping so much in store. In fact I am going to have to sort out the pantry as it is crammed with things at the moment. I do keep an eye on dates so I don't waste anything.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you have a fully stocked pantry, Bushlady. It'll all come in handy over the winter, I'm sure, as you might not need to shop that often when the weather is less than ideal. :)
DeleteI Love posts like this. I really enjoy reading about how other people handle their household budgets.
ReplyDeleteI think you are smart to expand your previous levels in consideration of the virus and the fact that so much of our future situation is unknown.
I have done the same and raised the normal levels I would keep on hand.
In the past, I always stocked up on the sales too. Things are different now and availability has taken precedence.
My food budget was $240 for 2 people. I don't separate paper products or cleaning things from that amount. In July I spent $319. So that's about $80 more. I am also appreciative that I am able to spend what I need to spend for the things we need/want.
My budget isn't as precise as yours as my categories are more broad.
I have $500 in my combined spending category for food, gas, things from CVS that aren't prescriptions, and any other misc. items. For instance this month I needed a new electric kettle. Things like that.
(Inside of that $500 I like to keep grocery story shopping under $240.)
I rarely spend all $500.
Whatever is leftover in that category at the end of the month I send it to my investment account. I used to send it to my IRA when I was working. For July, even though I went over on the groceries, I have $100 left unspent and that is because we didn't buy any gas because we don't go anywhere! lol
It's comforting for me to budget and stay on top of things and I appreciate your sharing what you do.
p.s. I see diced tomatoes!
Did you get coconut milk?
Thank you, Debra. I'm glad you enjoyed this post and I certainly enjoyed reading your comment. :)
DeleteIt is the level of uncertainty about the future that helped me to decide on the stock up quantities. I'd rather be over prepared than under. The food won't go to waste - I can always donate if I have extra.
I, too, have broad budget categories for some areas: House & Garden, for example, includes property taxes, home owners' insurance, maintenance, garden expenses, etc., Utilities include the water and power bill, phones, natural gas, etc., with each subcategory having its own allotted amounts (I really should have been an accountant!). LOL. But, groceries has been a stand-alone category, as that was what got me started on having a household budget in the first place. $240 for two sounds very reasonable to me. One of my friends budgeted $200 per person for her family of three, but, then, both she and her husband were professional chefs.
Yes, I bought diced tomatoes! I thought it might be a good thing to have on hand, especially after reading about your sausage and beans casserole. Were you able to get some? I bought mine from Target, in case you still need to get some. I think they were around $1 per can; not sure how that compares to what you pay for them at Aldi.
Yes, I was able to buy the cans of coconut milk, too! Paid almost double the price I pay for them at the dollar store, but, I bought the maximum number I was allowed to buy. :)