What is stockpiling?
- A supply of what your family needs for a specific period of time. This period of time could be a year, until it goes on sale again, or the amount you can use before something expires.
- Buying large quantities of something at it's lowest point, so that you never have to pay full price.
- Preparing for a rainy day buy knowing you always have the necessities for your family on hand.
- Using what you bought!
- Having a source to help out others in need.
What is not stockpiling?
- Buying large amounts of things just because "it's a great deal!" even though you already have 100 of them.
- Buying large amounts of things that you will end up throwing away without using because they will expire.
- Buying large amounts of things that you have no purpose for. (For example, buying a bunch of cat food because it is a money maker when you don't have a cat.)
- *The great exception to the above is if you are donating it all, which is definitely ok in my book. (But don't be surprised if people question your generosity if you got the rest of your groceries for free by buying these "donations")
Why do stockpilers get backlash?
A lot of stockpilers get backlash for what they do. I think this is just like everything in couponing, a few bad apples spoil it for the whole bunch. Here is a list of reasons why I we sometimes get backlash for what we do:
- Shelf-clearing- Whether the person special ordered the item or not, the perception is that the person cleared the shelf. Also, even if you special ordered you can cause a backlog of clear shelfs because the warehouse fills the special order before the store orders.
- Buying 50 just for overages- Plain and simple I think this puts a bad taste in many peoples mouths. I occasionally buy something solely for the overages, but it's usually only one or two. But then I see others buy 100 of something really useless (like phazyme, ecotrin, vivarin) resulting in $50 of overage, so they can buy their other groceries cheap. It's worse when they buy something they don't need (like cat food or vitamins), but yet is something you do need and you can't seem to get it. So basically what is your intent of buying 50 of something? To prepare for your family or to get overages? It will probably answer the question of why you get backlash.
- Buying risky coupons- This may make the store upset, especially if you buy printables because the risk of fraud greatly goes up. You also risk backlash from fellow couponers if you end up with 20 tearpads/peelies/blinkies/booklets because a lot of people believe someone "took" all of the coupons from their store. If you buy these types of coupons, you encourage people to steal all of these types of coupons to make a profit.
- Selling the items- This one really bugs me. I was at the Fleamarket this weekend (mmm fresh produce!) and saw a person with a stand called "Half-off Retail." I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that everything there I knew was dirt cheap, free, or a money maker in the past few months. I saw Kraft Sandwich Shop Mayo, Sundown Vitamins, Windex, Bic Razors, etc. I'm certain a lot of people would give backlash to this.
- Being "greedy"- Basically not helping others when you have the means to.
- Being a "hoarder," crazy, dooms-dayer, etc- Some people just see stockpilers as crazy. Don't take it personally! Some just don't get it, or can't see a need in having as much of something as you do. Try to teach them or just don't talk about it.
- Here's a good article that I think show how stockpiling can go wrong.
Hopefully this sheds a little light into the world of stockpiling. Join me next week for more frugal tips.
