# I do a whole lot less grocery "stockpiling" that I used to. Do you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 21, 2025, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919 "2025-03-21T16:15:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/61 "2025-03-22T16:43:52Z")
Stocking now can potentially save money if inflation gets worse. I’ve bought more canned goods and other non-perishables. I’m not hoarding. Just keeping more canned goods on the shelf. I am thinking about buying a chest freezer to stock some chicken and beef. It’s only going to cost more six months from now. I’d like to have a few chuck roasts, hamburger meat, and whole chickens in the freezer. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/62 "2025-03-22T16:52:00Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Between us, we’ve got a system where we’ll plan meals for the week, scour the pantry, and make exactly the shopping list we need, for pickup at the store At the other extreme, we start planning dinner in the late afternoon, and run to the store if necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/63 "2025-03-22T18:22:59Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > You might also buy things like paper towels or trash bags from there; yes, the package quantities are enormous but the items don’t spoil. I always buy those items at Costco. They get stacked on a shelf in the garage. Served me well during Covid. I had just restocked my paper products before the lockdown. Just dumb luck. I had plenty of toilet paper and was just starting to feel the shortage on paper towels when things started to ease up. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/64 "2025-03-22T19:26:39Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > If you’ve never been to Costco, you might imagine that you have to buy something like ketchup (or mayonnaise) in a gallon container but it’s actually not like that at Costco. Googling, they sell a three-pack of Heinz ketchup in 44-ounce squeeze top bottles. The supermarkets also sell the ketchup in that size bottle, though they also have it in smaller sizes. And even if three 44-ounce containers are too much for you, you could split the pack with two other households. I just restocked my Heinz ketchup at Costco, and it was two fairly large bottles. Not to mention I have never had ketchup spoil - the tomatoes kill any bacteria, I think. Now, if you shop grocery sales correctly some things there are cheaper than at Costco. I’ve never bought soda at Costco, and you can usually get things like chicken cheaper at the grocery if you buy when it is on sale. We plan our menus around what is on sale, and we save 20 - 40% on a regular basis. Now some of this savings is on inflated non-member prices, but we still do pretty well. Costco also has some things the grocery doesn’t, like frozen French Onion soup some parts of the year, so there is reason to join without even considering the savings. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/65 "2025-03-22T23:19:15Z")
Many large appliances have special plugs that require dedicated outlets, and that includes an attachment that screws into place. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/66 "2025-03-22T23:39:48Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > frozen French Onion soup Try Trader Joe’s. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/67 "2025-03-22T23:56:58Z")
None of my appliances are screwed into place. They all use ordinary 3-prong cords. That includes two fridges, a stand up freezer, a washer, and a gas dryer. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/68 "2025-03-23T00:29:43Z")
My freezers use ordinary three-prong cords, but they both came with a doohickey that’s designed to fit over the plug and be screwed into place using that screw setup that holds on the faceplate. I don’t think either of those is in place right now because the chances of their being accidentally unplugged, in this particular situation, are minuscule; and the screw setup is a real nuisance to remove and replace if I’m cleaning the freezers and want to unplug them while doing so. The only appliance I’ve got that takes a special plug is the electric stove, presumably because it draws too much power for a standard outlet. (The hot water heater is hardwired; if I need to turn its power off I do that at the breaker switch, it has its own.) ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/69 "2025-03-23T00:35:42Z")
I bought two extra packs of chicken today, thanks to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/70 "2025-03-23T00:47:41Z")
I have a TJs and a Publix within literal rock throwing distance of my front door. I stock nothing. Unless you consider the 10 eggs and 12 slices of bread I’ve not yet eaten out of their respective packages to be “back stock”. I stop by one or the other store every day or 3, commonly buying 2 or 3 items total. I almost _never_ don’t qualify for the express line. They have stock, tons and tons of it; I have none. And I also have no piles of pre-bought crap in my very limited space. Probably not what works for y’all, but it works for me. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/71 "2025-03-23T01:31:05Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > If you’ve never been to Costco, you might imagine that you have to buy something like ketchup (or mayonnaise) in a gallon container but it’s actually not like that at Costco. Googling, they sell a three-pack of Heinz ketchup in 44-ounce squeeze top bottles. The supermarkets also sell the ketchup in that size bottle, though they also have it in smaller sizes. And even if three 44-ounce containers are too much for you, you could split the pack with two other households. You’re not doing a very good job of selling them. I have to buy a gallon but in three bottles instead of one so now I need to coordinate a grocery exchange program with the neighbors & even a 44 oz bottle will have a significant portion tossed at some point well after expiration date. I had a BJs card because I bought for a non-profit, which means all purchases were tax free, too. I was allowed to use it personally but very rarely did so. It wasn’t even a case of they weren’t convenient to get to because I was literally in the store making purchases for the non-profit. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/72 "2025-03-23T02:05:52Z")
I live alone, don’t drive, and order my groceries online to be delivered. A few heavy things, beverages, are on a standard monthly order so I don’t have to think about it. I can’t stock up too much, as most of what I eat is perishable. Though I also am not a big eater anyway. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/73 "2025-03-23T03:19:05Z")
Yes!! ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/74 "2025-03-24T03:04:39Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Excess salt is very unhealthy for those with kidney problems and many others–and you can get an adequate amount of salt in all the other grocery products you buy–so there is no need to add any. Just to add to @Beckdawrek 's sound recommendation that if you’re stockpiling, include salt because it is good for a lot of things: Salt is really useful, and healthy, for blanching vegetables. I used to think it was somewhere between unnecessary and bad, until I read “[Salt - Fat - Acid - Heat](https://www.amazon.com/Salt-Fat-Acid-Heat-Mastering/dp/1476753830/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2K22TS11IBIU6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vc1ZfcXK9WYcBa_ChDSfskDyKxtxiveneAAbQDc7n1SxW-kUnPcAF99QfPmWOZE3hif-otbAki4LPh1Kq2uhWJ9l7COVzVOpuqVptZVQEeQQbNe1iTmDmgA5IUoiucZZDcfTKmYfnrXDUATeYciYxZpA-AQagdK3JA66d9xGZ-SaCb7ApWFizVSlFuBIeSdbc3jQbMEHuSAa6L9Q2m0anJazrh8UMX708ke4B22tFw0.ANWxmlvytDPvE3PxvlwwaCNdL-aad4beU6TQphQqJf0&dib_tag=se&keywords=salt+fat+acid+heat&qid=1742785278&sprefix=Salt+fat+acid%2Caps%2C3168&sr=8-1)” by Samin Nosrat. I learned from that book that salting water for blanching is the best way to preserve nutrition, as the {mumble-mumble-something-science} salt keeps the micronutrients from leaching out during the blanching. And you aren’t adding a lot of salt to the veggies; it stays in the water and gets poured off. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/75 "2025-03-24T03:48:47Z")
I use a handful of kosher salt to scrub out cast iron frying pans. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/76 "2025-03-24T05:43:32Z")
Yes, absolutely! (According to a professional Four Seasons chef I took a cooking class with.) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/77 "2025-03-24T06:03:14Z")
Salt is also a nontoxic weed killer (except, of course, for the weeds!). ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/78 "2025-03-24T13:00:54Z")
What do you know? I made that up myself. ---
**Author:** ![GailForce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@GailForce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GailForce)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/79 "2025-03-24T14:09:51Z")
I’m close to being a hoarder. First off, I’m very frugal, so when something’s on sale, I buy extra. Second, I used to feed kids, so I always bought stuff they like, stuff they might like, stuff they should like, etc. but they don’t even visit anymore so I’ve got lots of “stuff for the kids” sitting in my pantry for years now. Third, I’m comforted by having loads of food around, even if it’s food I don’t even much like. Fourth, there isn’t much that I don’t like–I’m an adventurous eater, often making up recipes that repulse other people just to see what happens if I mix X with Y (sometimes vile, but often interesting). I really should make a project out of emptying my pantry and my freezer sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919/80 "2025-03-24T14:25:52Z")
I’d say we do more stockpiling since covid hit than prior to it. We have a Sams membership and make fair use of it. We had a little mouse incident about a year ago and lost some boxes of pasta and a few bags of dry beans, but following that we purchased some large plastic totes and haven’t had problems since. Primarily we focus on stockpiling canned goods (we also can from our garden), flour, pasta and paper products. A chest freezer in the garage helps with meat storage\> Id estimate we lose somewhere in the neighborhood of five percent of our stores due to expiration or spoilage [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-a-whole-lot-less-grocery-stockpiling-that-i-used-to-do-you/1015919.md?page=5)