Stocking Up

Instead of buying paper products, even if they're on a good sale, just use hand towels/washcloths, and regular plates and cups, etc.

I'd work on a list of things you know you'll need that aren't perishable, such as shampoo, soap, toilet paper, deoderant, etc. Instead of cleaning supplies, you can use vinegar, which is really cheap.

You could stock up on some canned/frozen goods that are versatile too, like tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, canned salmon, rice, lentils, frozen veggies...

If meat is on a good sale, get some. But I'd personally wait on that kind of thing until the date is a bit closer.

Personally I would not worry about stockpiling 'stuff', I would stockpile the money you would have used on 'stuff' so that you are able to buy what you need when the time comes.

Bundles of toilet paper won't do you a lick of good if you run out of meat.

Sock away the extra cash for those lean times.

I think if you find food at a great price, you might as well get some extra. I always do this, and it's always been a benefit. What I would also do, is cut back in other areas for a few months. Eating out, spend less on entertainment, not as many impulse buys, have a great but smaller Thanksgiving and Christmas, etc. There is probably extra money you can save, while you are also stocking up. I'm sure it doesn't have to be either or.

Start with the basics. Toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, hand soap, feminine products, laundry soap, dish soap. Things like that.
You can save money by not using fabric softener or dryer sheets and instead use white vinegar in the washing machine and tennis balls or wool dryer balls in the dryer. The dryer balls help cut down on dry time which is also a money saver.
If you have pets, stock up on an extra bag or 2 of food or some extra litter or whatever they require.
Look at food items that can store in the pantry or can be frozen for later use, assuming you have the room in your freezer.
Take the time now to see if you have farmers markets or co-ops so you can get more affordable fresh produce.

If you want to stock up on products when you see a good sale on items you use-not just a good sale.

Go back to basics.
If you have any CC debt, now would be the time to remove it. look at your bills, what can you elliminate?
Use reuable things ,vs throwaway.. ie real plate not paper. stuff like that.

If you are living in the real & now.

Items that will not spoil or have a long shelf life. Too bad you can not get a gas card for when gas is down. lol

The other thing you can do, is take any extra funds like from the grocery budget and buy a gift card for the store that you will likley use it in. When I first moved out, I would take $500 of my tax refund money and put it in $50 gift cards so when I was tight, I still had money for groceries.

Any food product that you use that can be stored safely or frozen. I buy flour, sugar, etc. in bulk...Also, toiletries, shampoo, soap, etc.

We don't do a lot of processed foods, but I do buy pasta and canned tomatoes in bulk. i also buy the kids snack crackers in bulk when on sale. And then of course zip lock bags, etc.

Check out a local couponing website that tracks the big sales. They tend to run in cycles ( we eat cereal, and I only buy it twice a year, when prices hit rock bottom).

My first instinct is to stockpile the $$ .

If you need to stockpile items at home :
Toilet paper, paper towels, condiments, sticking my freezer with good meats, veggies.

As for toiletries... I routinely have a stockpile of razors, shave cream, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, soap, baby wipes, my makeup, cleansers, moisturizers ( I use Clinique),

My pantry is the size of some baby nurseries so it looks like a grocery store. One repairman once said he was going to send his wife to my house to grocery shop, lol! I have a stash ( not hoarded) of supplies we use in a regular basis.

Bottom line..... live below your means now, stock what you can plus cash so you are prepared.

I am always "stocked up" and never ever hoard (in my opinion). :) It seems like meats often take turns being on sale, so when I find a great deal on say, pork tenderloin (which I found 2 weeks ago) it was $5.99/pound. Not amazing, but not bad. It was buy 1, get 3 free! So yeah, I got 4 tenderloins that week. The next week, the price was good on wild cod, so I bought a few pounds. When chicken goes on sale, I'll get that too. I divide what I purchase into bags and freeze what I am not using that week, labeled, with the date on it, or cook a big batch of something and freeze it that way in meal-sized portions (meaning 4 servings/portion since we have 4 people). That, I think, is smart to do all the time. When you have a coupon for the toilet paper you use, and then you see that it's on sale, then by all means buy the toilet paper with your coupon and the sale price instead of waiting until you "need" it at a regular price! That's just how I shop, all the time.

But when anticipating a big unknown factor like a change in the job, I would start pulling the cash together a bit, and going cheap in other areas. Can you bump the thermostat up 1 degree? Plan your week out so you lump all your errands on 1 or 2 days so you aren't going back and forth to town all the time (saves gas money, reduces opportunities for impulse buys, etc). Start looking at some ground beef instead of rib eyes, don't go out to eat or out where you have to spend money as much (we do lots of stuff for fun but work it so nearly everything we do for fun is also free or very near it). Start cutting back a little bit in ways that you can see opportunities, to prepare for this possible change. You may like it and stay that way, or if you don't like it and the possible change passes by, you can go back to how you are "normally".

If this change may include moving, don't stock up. You have to pay per pound for what movers haul, and it's just more to pack/unpack. If you're just concerned the pay will be lessened, then best to just practice living more cheaply. I never buy paper products, unless you're talking toilet paper, feminine products, or typing paper. That's a waste of money even if on sale.

Don't just stock pile food you will also need cleaning supplies. Soaps for you, dishes, laundry and cleaning your home. When they go on sale pick up extras and also toothpaste. We tend to only think about food when things are not going well and not hygiene products. I would also get toilet paper and paper towels.

I think you need to order my favorite book on being prepared for an emergency.

Peggy Layton is a Home Ec. graduate and she has good common sense. She has a book that will help you fix this issue.

You basically track what you buy at the grocery store for a couple of months then set up your food storage with those items. If you don't use tons of wheat each month then you don't need to stock up wheat. If you eat 6 boxes of chocolate pudding a week then you need to buy up pudding each time you go to store.

Her books are amazing. You can check them out at your local library to see how they fit into your lifestyle.

I have them all but in this case I'd recommend this one:

http://peggylayton.net/index.php?app=ccp0&ns=prodshow...

We have a deep freeze, so we buy all our meat in bulk meat packages direct from a local butcher shop. It does save money. Also get a Sunday paper every week, couponing really does save a ton.

We buy all our meat at one time (4 months worth) and I wrap it very well, put it in freezer bags and I label it with the cut of meat and the date. I never worry about it being in the freezer too long, to be honest. We have one of those side-by-sides and it's not like I can put a year's worth in there...

I do think that if you find a sale price on what you as a family really DO eat, there's nothing wrong with buying it. The problem is that if you are too worried about stocking up, you may buy something that's on sale and find that you either don't like it or never eat it.

I wouldn't stack up on seasonings. I don't think that would be very helpful to you...

I started Christmas shopping.
If I see a good deal, I start buying.
Not sure if you have Half price Books over there, but i always find good deals at the clearance rack.

Also I buy in advance goodie bags for my kids for their birthdays when they celebrate at daycare.

When we get out taxesI always go to Costco and get toilet paper, kleenex etc. However, I have since learned that you can get great deals just by looking at the Sunday ads and putting coupons with them.
Things that are almost always on sale are deodorant, body washes, toothpaste (although I do better at the dollar store), laundry detergent.

I admire your forethought.

I don't really like food that has been in the freezer very long, so I'd stock up on cleaning supplies, laundry detergent and paper products.

If you aren't moving I would can or freeze any veggies and fruit you can. I do this anyway but it tastes better, keeps, and is cheaper! Always nice to have on hand.

I personally cannot stand canned veggies! YUCK!!!

What would I stock up on? things that don't go bad. Things that I would need and use.

Paper towels
Toilet paper
Tooth paste
Tooth brushes
Soap
Shower Gel
Hair care
Feminine Hygiene products
Laundry detergent
dishwasher detergent
peanut butter
jelly
butter

If you have kids in diapers?
Diapers
Diaper wipes

Ketchup
Cream of Mushroom soup
Rice
Noodles

I would also ensure that I made menus for the week. There is a family that makes their menu for the YEAR!! That's a little too much for me - I do every week.

Are you prepared for an emergency? If you really live in California - are you prepared for an earth quake? If so - what do you have in your "GO-Bags"? I know you don't need to stock up on can openers and such - but really - think about what you would need in your "Go-Bag" and go from there.

I would not buy things like bread as the will go bad.

Frozen Veggies - those are limited consumables - unless you have two or three freezers or even one HUGE one. Those I would stock up on and keep track of what I have used, etc. so I can re-purchase - but unlike toilet paper or shampoo - frozen veggies need special storage.

Make a list of what you use regularly. If it's on sale and you have a coupon for it? Purchase it. Keep track of how you consume it. And go from there.