Stockpiling is great and can save you tons of time and money. I am a huge stockpiler and whole heartedly believe in it. Although, at times I have not always been a smart stockpiler and wasted time and money. I do not want you to make the same mistakes I have in the past. So avoid wasting money and time by knowing these risks with stockpiling so you don’t fall into the stockpiling trap.
Expired Items
Overall, one of the biggest risks with stockpiling is items expiring before you can use them. This especially comes into play with stockpiled food. To help so this doesn’t happen make sure your pantry is neat and organized. If there are items that are expiring within the month I keep them in the front of my pantry. In addition, if an item like cereal, pasta, or a non perishable is recently expired I will still use it. Furthermore, I take a note or make a mental note to not buy as much of that product next time it is on sale. Other household items can expire like hand sanitizer, certain soaps, and cleaning supplies.
The Item Goes Bad
Another risk with stockpiling is an item could simply go bad. When you are a stockpiler, when you actually use most items it is not right after you bought them. It could be days, weeks, months or even years later. Sometimes the item could not be usable anymore. This could be because it expired like above, or it is just too old or doesn’t work anymore.
Items that go bad could include party items like balloons sticking or getting a hole in them, or the elastic in underwear going bad so it doesn’t work, or food and drink.
The worst is when something goes bad before the expiration date. If that is the case some stores will give you a replacement and/or refund your money. This most readily happens with food, but can happen with other items as well.
Can’t Use the Item Anymore
Next, a risk with stockpiling is not being able to use the product any longer. I actually have a great example of when this happened to me. Before I had kids, I was a huge black Friday shopper. I got such a thrill from going store to store, getting deal after deal and getting most of my Christmas shopping done too.
Several years in a row, Boston Store had this amazing deal on women’s boots. Each pair was $20 and they were nice boots. I wear a size 11 and it is not easy for me to find boots, but they always had them in my size. So I would walk out with several pairs of boots each year.
Living in Wisconsin boots did go bad with wearing them in snow and salt. However I had built up a stash of about 6 pairs of unworn boots. Then about 3 years ago I needed foot surgery and could no longer wear most regular shoes including my boots. So here I sat with all these new pairs of boots that I could not wear. I sold some of them online, but there are still a couple of pairs I am sitting with. Who would have known, but in this instance stockpiling boots was a waste of time and money. I no longer stockpile shoes this way.
Limited Storage Space
In addition, space is a risk factor when it comes to stockpiling. If you do not have a basement or much extra storage it can become difficult to stockpile items. With limited space it becomes hard to keep stockpiled items organized as well. Things end up getting messed up and crammed together just to make them fit. That is what happened at my old house
Furthermore, with limited space can come excess clutter. Be sure you have enough space for all your stockpiled items or you will end up wasting time, energy, and money. For example, I enjoy shopping at Menards for a variety of items. They have a rebate program where you can end up getting items for free.
For a couple of years (and I blame my dad:) I got obsessed with getting anything that was free – even if I had never used the product in my life. I always thought maybe someday I will use it. Well this led to excess clutter and I eventually threw out some of the items. The rest I put in boxes and labeled appropriately.
In the end, if you need more space you may end up having to toss some items that you had, but just don’t use fast enough.
Something Better Out There
When you buy a lot of an item and your expectations are for it to last a long time, you may get tired of that item or something better may come along. Risks with stockpiling tend to happen more when you stockpile items for years or when you stockpile clothing items.
For example, if you stockpile shorts and buy 5 pairs of the same shorts you might not get to wear them all. By the time you get to pair 3, 4 and 5 a new and improved pair of shorts that you like better (new style, new material) may come along. Then you have to make a choice. Either you will continue to wear the shorts you bought before to avoid wasting money, or waste money and get the new shorts.
Change Your Mind
Lastly, we are human and we may all of a sudden not like something anymore. A risk with stockpiling is our tastes could change and no longer like an item so we through it out or give it away. This could happen with food, clothes, household products, almost anything. So if you are going to stockpile an item, be sure it is something you will use no matter what the circumstance. Otherwise it might not be worth the risk of wasting money.
Final Thoughts on Risks With Stockpiling
Lastly, if you ever have to throw anything out before you are able to use it, you are wasting money which defeats the point of stockpiling in the first place. While I am a huge believer in being prepared and saving money, you need to know what’s worth stockpiling. Stocking up on a year’s supply of something just to have it go bad is not smart either. For more on the best items to stockpile and save money click here.
As a person who loves a good deal and loves to stockpile, I have learned the hard way many times. I have thrown away food, drink, clothes and toiletries that were brand new. Either they went bad, expired, or I didn’t need or use them anymore. Use these risks of stockpiling to help you make smart shopping decisions.
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