Creating a Food Stockpile
Groceries are getting expensive. The food costs keep rising but our income stays the same. Creating a food stockpile is not just for the end of the world of the zombie apocalypse. It’s for everyday people to help keep their grocery budget low.
This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission. Please see my policy page for more information.
Creating a Food Stockpile Keeps your Grocery Budget Low
Having an in-home stockpile is like having a mini grocery store in your house. We’ve heard the term “shop your pantry” in meal planning, this is where it’s really put to use. When you have extra food stored, you can always be sure you’ll have something on hand for dinner.
Having food on hand means you have to buy less at the grocery store when you shop. If you already have 3 boxes of pasta, there’s no reason to pick up any more. 3 boxes of pasta means 3 meals that you don’t need to spend money on.
Creating a food stockpile also eliminates the need to go out to eat when you don’t have food in the house. We’ve all been there - you meant to go to the store and before you know it, it’s dinner time so you run to the nearest Applebee’s or pick up a pizza. While it’s always great to treat your family, too much eating out adds up quickly. If you have food on hand you have the option to create a quick meal at home instead.
Related Post: How to Keep Your Grocery Budget Low
Stock Up When It’s on Sale
Creating a food stockpile does not mean over extending your grocery budget. We’re trying to save money - not spend more! The trick is to look at the weekly ad for your grocery store and the digital coupons when something is on sale and then pick up multiples of it. My last grocery trip canned tomatoes were on sale for 5 cans for $5. I picked up the 5 cans and they went into my stockpile.
I like to stockpile a lot of canned goods, boxed pastas, spaghetti sauce, and meat when I have the room for it in my freezer. Just having these ingredients on hand means that I can whip up spaghetti with ground beef any day of the week.
I made a list of everything that my family eats on a regular basis for my stockpile list. On it are things like mac n cheese, beans, frozen vegetables, and chicken broth. I bring my list to the store and when something is on sale that’s on the list I pick it up for the stockpile. You can stockpile anything but you do want your family to eat it.
If you’re unsure where to start for your stockpile list - start with the last few grocery lists and see what’s in your pantry and freezer. You don’t want to stockpile refrigerated things unless you can freeze them like cheese and deli meat. When I do stockpile for the freezer I write the date on the item so I know how old it is. You can freeze most things up to 3 months.
Get Creative in the Kitchen
When you want to eliminate going to the grocery store and just eating out of your stockpile - you sometimes have to get a little creative. You can put pretty much anything in pasta - especially mac n cheese. My family loves mac n cheese and a can of beans mixed in it. You can also mix in canned tomatoes and canned corn. It’s a filling, healthy-ish meal that uses some staples in the stockpile.
Stretch your meals if possible. Putting beans, canned tomatoes, and canned corn in mac n cheese makes the meal bigger. You can feed more people with it or have leftovers. It’s all about making more with less.
Related Post: Grocery Haul and Savings: A How To Guide
Stockpile cooking is a true art form. If your family is a big Hamburger Helper fan like mine is, try making your own with ground beef, noodles, tomatoes, and spices. Sometimes I’ll add a bit of cream cheese to mine to make it more creamy.
I originally learned about stockpiling from the TLC show “Extreme Couponing”. At first I saw these families with mini marts in their home and thought it was excessive. Now living in one of the most expensive states and trying to feed my family - I understand it. While I don’t extreme coupon, I just pick up things here and there that are on sale to build my stockpile. Last trip I only spent $5 on the canned tomatoes for the stockpile so it’s not a huge investment up front. That $5 did not break my grocery budget but it did give me peace of mind that I would be able to feed my family.
Do you stockpile or know someone that does? Let me know in the comments what your favorite thing to stockpile is!
I am low key obsessed with organizing my pantry and stockpile. These are the perfect bins to keep everything accessible and to make my little Type A heart happy.
Affiliate Link
