# What kind of things do you stockpile? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 29, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826 "2015-06-29T23:16:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [June 30, 2015, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/21 "2015-06-30T05:53:13Z")
Almost everything when it goes on sale. Lots of coffee. Toilet paper. Tissues from Costco. (Kleenex, not Costco brand). Water for the earthquake. Soup. Lightbulbs. In general we always buy ahead. Both of our sets of parents did this also, so we got it honestly. Who wants to go to the store at a moment’s notice? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/22 "2015-06-30T07:15:18Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > **Kabong** , tell me about your experience buying combs. I just bought a new one (well, it came in a pack of two), made by Conair (a brand of cosmetic products carried by CVS) because my very old one (also by Conair) had various teeth broken off. > > Damn, the new one was like dragging a bed of nails over my head! The teeth, while not stiff, were just flexible enough, and sharp enough, that they dug into the skin of my skull every time I used it! I had to comb my hair _very very carefully_ to avoid it, and with only limited success even then. > > My old comb doesn’t do that! I think the teeth aren’t as sharp. Or something. What is your experience with the combs you buy? Well, the ideal one for me has always been one of those ‘unbreakable’ ones straight out of the '50s, about five inches long, in black, but they only seem to come in packs of one or two, which means I’d be buying one every couple weeks. But yeah, the ones from those cheap bulk packs are about as comfortable as using a wire brush and tend to be in odd colors, which bugs me for some entirely trivial reason. I’m just glad I still have a head of hair that requires combing (at age 60). ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/23 "2015-06-30T11:24:54Z")
Toilet paper Kitchen towels Light bulbs Batteries Printer paper Toothpaste Shampoo Propelling pencils Bread Soft drinks ---
**Author:** ![Barrett\_Bonden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@Barrett\_Bonden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrett_Bonden)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/24 "2015-06-30T12:30:14Z")
Calgon Spiced Tea body mist ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/25 "2015-06-30T12:35:51Z")
I don’t think it’s really fair to say that I stockpile things, even though I shop at Costco, because I usually get down to the last roll of toilet paper, the last inch of dish soap in the jug, and the last stick of butter before I travel to the Land of Big Food and buy another 6 month’s supply. What I definitely have spares of would be batteries for my wireless mouse, eye glasses and blood glucose meters. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/26 "2015-06-30T12:39:31Z")
Do video games count? I figure that even if I stopped buying new ones today I’d still have enough to last at least two years. ---
**Author:** ![Scougs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scougs/32/3158_2.png) [@Scougs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scougs)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/27 "2015-06-30T12:57:41Z")
[These shoes.](http://www.cottontraders.com/mens-suede-slip-ons/invt/aq11460) I buy the the black ones three or four pairs at a time. When they were out, I pull a new pair from the cupboard. Once I’m on my second last pair, I keep an eye out for them on a half price offer. Which I’ve just seen that they are just now, so just getting the credit card out… ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/28 "2015-06-30T13:00:09Z")
I make sure I have a backup package of all non-perishable consumables, such as TP, paper towels, soap, etc. That way I won’t have to make a special trip just to get some, thus spending gas. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/29 "2015-06-30T13:12:26Z")
\*duct tape \*WD 40 \*electrical tape \*Caffeine Free Diet Coke, in 12 oz cans \*dog treats \*hot sauce Anytime I see a bargain on any of the above I pick up a few. Just wouldn’t be right to run out! ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/30 "2015-06-30T13:25:41Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Alcohol. > > SNIP > > It’s my moral responsibility to make sure I have more alcohol on hand than I could possibly drink. Funny you should mention that. One of my uncles had more whiskey and other hard boozes around than any normal person should. He had more than most busy bars should. He had closets and shelves full around most of the house. His excuse always was that it was in case Prohibition ever came back. When he finally passed away around 1998 his kids put out bottles at the visitation for anyone to take and enjoy in his memory, picked enough for themselves for a long-term/lifetime supply, stashed some aside for the grandkids and future greats, and passed some extras off to the rest of us. Heck - I’ve got a bottle or two left myself from his stash. And people wonder why I always admired Uncle Ray. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/31 "2015-06-30T13:33:12Z")
Hmm… I can’t think of anything I intentionally stockpile, but I do end up with temporary surpluses of common consumables- contact solution, soap, toothpaste, etc… due to sales, or because I forgot that I already bought an extra tube/bar/bottle (or 3). ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/32 "2015-06-30T14:29:22Z")
I keep in stock almost all the household goods that everyone else has mentioned: Batteries, toilet paper, envelopes, pens, soaps, yada yada. We had a sale last week locally at the local big box store and I have 64 rolls of TP in the basement. I’m good for a year I guess…I don’t keep count. I also stockpile blank notebooks. I use them for keeping records of different things, and they end up lying around. Yes I agree this is wasteful and potentially stupid, but it seems to be genetic. I have broken the habit of stockpiling purses, but I still have a habit of stockpiling black stretch pants. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/33 "2015-06-30T14:33:06Z")
Things I never let myself run out of: Toilet Paper **Coffee** Toothpaste Deodorant Especially Coffee. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/34 "2015-06-30T14:44:01Z")
I keep a lot of the household things already mentioned on hand in semi-bulk just because I hate having to run to the grocery or hardware store for a single need. Beyond that, I do have a hard time turning down the purchase of any interesting smoked meat rub or marinade or BBQ sauce and will load up on those I know I’ll be using, so one shelf in my pantry probably has 30 to 40 combinations of those at any given time. If some of the hard to get craft liquors I like are available I’ll buy what the store has, sometimes a case at a time. We have a large kitchen and bar area, plus a second kitchen and three fridges so there’s plenty of storage room. Sometimes one fridge will be half full of just Trappist beers. Can you stockpile ball caps? I buy near every cool one I see. I work my way through nearly all of them over time and they rarely wear out but I do have many times more than the average person would ever consider necessary. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/35 "2015-06-30T16:02:02Z")
Lessee… Toilet paper Paper towels Plastic bags (I keep every plastic bag I get from stores to use when taking out kitty litter) Cat food Eggs Bread (in freezer) Toothpaste Contact lens solution and sterile solution Hair dye Chewing gum Everything else, I don’t necessarily _stockpile_, but I always always buy a backup before the first thing is used up. For ex, I buy a new half-gallon of milk when I’ve reached the half-way point in the current jug, I buy more apples when I have 2-3 apples left in the fridge, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/36 "2015-06-30T16:10:23Z")
I don’t stockpile anything. My wife, on the other hand stockpiles everything. Canned food, takeout food containers (washed, of course), paper towels, toilet paper, soft drinks, boxes (we pretty much still have the box for everything we’ve ever bought), anything you can think of. Handbags. Old mail (I recently came across a fat envelope labeled “Non-Essential Receipts - 2003”). Tape. Christmas cards. _Furniture_. Soap and shampoo and so on from hotels. Well, she calls it stockpiling. I call it hoarding, and I’m kind of worried about it. Wish there was something I could do, but she’s not really open to any suggestion that there’s anything wrong with her “stockpiling.” ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/37 "2015-06-30T16:27:16Z")
Shampoo Soap Body wash Moisturizer TP Dog food Rice Dish soap Apples pref Honeycrisp Pomegranates in season Onions Cereal-honey bunches of oats ---
**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:** [June 30, 2015, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/38 "2015-06-30T17:07:24Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Hmm… I can’t think of anything I intentionally stockpile, but I do end up with temporary surpluses of common consumables- contact solution, soap, toothpaste, etc… due to sales, or because I forgot that I already bought an extra tube/bar/bottle (or 3). Hmmm…that’s another subcategory. Stuff you buy because you forgot that you already bought it, so you wind up with lots on hand. I do this, but right now I can’t think of any examples, because by definition, those items are _forgettable_. > [@Marion\_Wormer](#): > > …I also stockpile blank notebooks. I use them for keeping records of different things, and they end up lying around. Yes I agree this is wasteful and potentially stupid, but it seems to be genetic. … I have that gene. > [@lieu](#): > > …Can you stockpile ball caps? I buy near every cool one I see. I work my way through nearly all of them over time and they rarely wear out but I do have many times more than the average person would ever consider necessary. I would call this “collecting.” Not that there’s anything wrong with that. > [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > I don’t stockpile anything. > > My wife, on the other hand stockpiles everything. \ > > Well, she calls it stockpiling. I call it hoarding, and I’m kind of worried about it. Wish there was something I could do, but she’s not really open to any suggestion that there’s anything wrong with her “stockpiling.” These last two posts raise the question of the difference among stockpiling, collecting, and hoarding. If \*\*kopek \*\*has any of Uncle Ray’s stash left, I suggest we all head over there to discuss it. \*\*Lieu \*\*will bring barbecue flavored with his \*collection \*of sauces. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/39 "2015-06-30T17:12:15Z")
I don’t know about stock piling but I buy certain things in bulk when I see them on sale. Yesterday it was liquid laundry detergent, large bottle $1.50. I didn’t really need it, but it’s not going to go bad, and I’m not going to stop washing clothes. Plus, once I’ve gotten in at a great discount anywhere, it burns me to turn around and pay full price, the next week. Mangos however are different. I like the smaller yellow mangos. And when they come into season I buy them by the crate, clean, portion and freeze them. So me (and my friends!) can have delicious mango shakes year round! But especially in the winter! Some days it’s what gets me through, I swear! ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826/40 "2015-06-30T17:17:00Z")
Oddly enough, this purse: [http://www.overstock.com/Clothing-Shoes/Fossil-Sutter-Leather-Cross-body-Handbag/5494817/product.html](http://www.overstock.com/Clothing-Shoes/Fossil-Sutter-Leather-Cross-body-Handbag/5494817/product.html) For me, it’s the perfect everyday bag, lots of pockets and compartments to try to keep myself organized. I pick them up on Ebay when I see them if they’re reasonably priced and in good shape. It’s just that I never ever want to go purse shopping again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-things-do-you-stockpile/723826.md?page=3)