# Why bargain stockpiling is not emergency food storage



## Urinal Cake (Oct 19, 2013)

Why bargain stockpiling is not emergency food storage
Posted on February 8, 2016 by Gaye Levy Views: 2,709

Do you ever watch those programs on television about extreme couponers? I am not much of a TV-watcher, but I've seen a couple of these. It is astonishing to watch people load up a heaping grocery cart, then give the cashier a thick wad of coupons and walk out of the store paying $3.11 for everything.

I imagine you could build an enormous stockpile of goods this way, but is it really the best way to build a preparedness supply?

Bargain stockpiling vs. emergency food storage

I get the greatest ideas from my readers. I am very grateful never to be short of subjects to write about because of your wonderful questions and suggestions. A while back, I received this in my inbox from Karen:

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Why bargain stockpiling is not emergency food storage - Personal Liberty®


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Agreed. My stores are not discount items or clearance items. They are items that we eat currently and are appropriate for mid and long term storage.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Like any other purchase. You have to think about how it fits in prior to buying.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

I agree in principal but disagree with the premise that couponers stockpile non emergency items or try to compare preppers with couponers gone wild... I do not think I have seen a couponing prepper on a TV show... having 400 bottles of toenail polish is not a prep

I run a coupon site, have 2 facebook groups, and have done coupon classes. I make the point that buying things you will not use (unless you donate them to charity) is a waste.

Couponing

NOW - buying on sale with coupons is freaking fantastic way to prep........

local martins had soup on sale with coupons it ended up being 25¢ a can... I have 100's of can of soup
Coupons and Special Offers - Campbell?s Kitchen

There was a coupon for dole pineapple that was doubled.. using the coupon I bought 40+ cans of pineapple for FREE... I picked up 2 cans every time i went. I still buy some from time to time.

Hormel Chilli, great prep - they have coupons all the time and I have several cases of chilli.. I think My end cost was around 20¢ a can

we have a bunch of mustard and ketchup that we got almost free

also - martins does money off gas.. sometimes with coupons you can spend $10 and gets $20 in gas

coupons come out every week and will often change monthly

I have done some threads on couponing and i guess it is time for another one


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

I don't know Hamburger helper with ground rabbit, squirrel or deer might taste pretty good after awhile.


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## tirednurse (Oct 2, 2013)

I both agree and disagree. I don't think it's a smart idea to just stock up on anything without a plan for it. However some of the things she mentions specifically I do buy when on sale even if I wouldn't normally. 
For example Costco will do their $3.50 off thing on Kraft Mac and cheese. I always buy this even though I think mac and cheese tastes like vomit. I'm not the only one living here though. I modify it prior to storage though. I make up small zip lock bags with powdered butter and milk and then put this with the contents of the mac and cheese box into a seal a meal bag and vaccuum seal. All ingredient except water are in the bag so no need to think about where's the milk? 
I have a friend that goes even further and will add a package of dried vegetables and some type of meat also to make it a complete meal. I keep mine separate because of the little kids who can be picky.


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## Real Old Man (Aug 17, 2015)

Investing a couple of bucks in a Costco card tends to save bigger bucks in the long run. 48 rolls of tp for the same Food lion Price for 6.

Same goes for 20 pound bags of rice.

But if there's not a Costco near by your SOL


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## Real Old Man (Aug 17, 2015)

Moonshinedave said:


> I don't know Hamburger helper with ground rabbit, squirrel or deer might taste pretty good after awhile.


Actually canned corned beef is a great substitute for hamburger


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## chocks141 (Nov 21, 2015)

We eat it pretty regular with elk, deer or bear hamburger, but I havn't seen any squirrel helper at wal-mart


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## Real Old Man (Aug 17, 2015)

chocks141 said:


> We eat it pretty regular with elk, deer or bear hamburger, but I havn't seen any squirrel helper at wal-mart


It's in the same Aisle as frogs legs extenders


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## Will2 (Mar 20, 2013)

Morale is a often overlooked part of prepping, if you can get something that will make you feel better why not. Its not just about surviving but surviving and being happy.

deals are deals, if you are getting something worth more than your money, that isn't a bad thing.

I don't so much agree with the premise of the OP as I think that you can get some very useful items on sale. I'm not a couponer, mostly due to living places where coupons don't exist, but if it works for you why not.


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## M118LR (Sep 19, 2015)

tirednurse said:


> I both agree and disagree. I don't think it's a smart idea to just stock up on anything without a plan for it. However some of the things she mentions specifically I do buy when on sale even if I wouldn't normally.
> For example Costco will do their $3.50 off thing on Kraft Mac and cheese. I always buy this even though I think mac and cheese tastes like vomit. I'm not the only one living here though. I modify it prior to storage though. I make up small zip lock bags with powdered butter and milk and then put this with the contents of the mac and cheese box into a seal a meal bag and vaccuum seal. All ingredient except water are in the bag so no need to think about where's the milk?
> I have a friend that goes even further and will add a package of dried vegetables and some type of meat also to make it a complete meal. I keep mine separate because of the little kids who can be picky.


tirednurse, a couple of days without eating and all the picky tends to go away. But your fore-planning is excellent, hope the youngsters stay well feed enough to remain picky.

Any food stuff in stock is another meal without scrounging or hunting, both of which are far more calorie consuming than cooking. When it comes to foodstuffs, the higher the pile the better I like it. If I couldn't eat my way to the bottom of the pile before Order was restored and I could start again, I'd call that a victory.


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## tirednurse (Oct 2, 2013)

M118LR said:


> tirednurse, a couple of days without eating and all the picky tends to go away. But your fore-planning is excellent, hope the youngsters stay well feed enough to remain picky.
> 
> Any food stuff in stock is another meal without scrounging or hunting, both of which are far more calorie consuming than cooking. When it comes to foodstuffs, the higher the pile the better I like it. If I couldn't eat my way to the bottom of the pile before Order was restored and I could start again, I'd call that a victory.


I hope we never see a need to starve our kids so they will eat what they find distasteful. That goes for me too I guess.

I rotate my food preps so eventually the kids will eat the mac and cheese packs in the turn over. I like to keep things simple and just do one item at a time so we can mix and match instead of always the same thing in the packet. I can and dehydrate so much that the things I get from the store are not the norm around here anyway.


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## Blendingin (Feb 13, 2016)

tirednurse said:


> I hope we never see a need to starve our kids so they will eat what they find distasteful. That goes for me too I guess.


Me too!


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## SittingElf (Feb 9, 2016)

> For example Costco will do their $3.50 off thing on Kraft Mac and cheese. I always buy this even though I think mac and cheese tastes like vomit. I'm not the only one living here though. I modify it prior to storage though. I make up small zip lock bags with powdered butter and milk and then put this with the contents of the mac and cheese box into a seal a meal bag and vaccuum seal. All ingredient except water are in the bag so no need to think about where's the milk?
> I have a friend that goes even further and will add a package of dried vegetables and some type of meat also to make it a complete meal. I keep mine separate because of the little kids who can be picky.


I add a can of tuna to mac & cheese. TunaMac. Yumm.

Also, many of the "instant" mac and cheese types don't require milk. They just need water.


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

My wife and I are the only one that live in our home but we do prep for more people to join use if the SHTF. Our pantry has enough food for a few weeks at the most. I think it would be foolish for us to buy coupon food at bulk because we would never eat all before it went bad. Even if we rotated it we would never eat it all.

This is why we store food that will last at least 30 years, rice, beans and freeze dried foods.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Tennessee said:


> I think it would be foolish for us to buy coupon food at bulk because we would never eat all before it went bad.


Canned Soup, meat, veggies, fruit last years and years


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

deleted.........


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## jro1 (Mar 3, 2014)

Why don't food banks have people to go on these 'crazy' couponing sprees? You see these people come home with pallets of food for pennies on the dollar!


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

jro1 said:


> Why don't food banks have people to go on these 'crazy' couponing sprees? You see these people come home with pallets of food for pennies on the dollar!


many get food donated and they do not do their own shopping

the ones that do their own shopping... always look for coupons and or sales.. I know of food pantries that will ask local church members to cut or print certain coupons

AND - do not think of the couponing shows as a norm!!! they are not...


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

Maine-Marine said:


> Canned Soup, meat, veggies, fruit last years and years


Most of the items you mention are not part of our normal diet. We try to eat fresh fruit, meat and vegetables when possible. Why buy a bunch of stuff you normal don't eat just because you get it a discount price or happen to have a coupon? Then throw it away after a few years later when you didn't eat it.

There isn't a can meat out there that tastes as good as fresh meat. So why buy and eat that crap when you don't have to!

We prep to live not live to prep.


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## KA5IVR (Jun 11, 2014)

Tennessee said:


> Most of the items you mention are not part of our normal diet. We try to eat fresh fruit, meat and vegetables when possible. Why buy a bunch of stuff you normal don't eat just because you get it a discount price or happen to have a coupon? Then throw it away after a few years later when you didn't eat it.
> 
> There isn't a can meat out there that tastes as good as fresh meat. So why buy and eat that crap when you don't have to!
> 
> We prep to live not live to prep.


I agree. We store what we normally eat and rotate through that stock. I'll buy extra when it is on sale, but have enough on hand that we don't run out for about a month. I don't see any good reason to buy a cheap case of Ramen Noodles from Costco when I have never eaten a Ramen Noodle in my life.


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## NotTooProudToHide (Nov 3, 2013)

Will2 said:


> Morale is a often overlooked part of prepping, if you can get something that will make you feel better why not. Its not just about surviving but surviving and being happy.
> 
> deals are deals, if you are getting something worth more than your money, that isn't a bad thing.
> 
> I don't so much agree with the premise of the OP as I think that you can get some very useful items on sale. I'm not a couponer, mostly due to living places where coupons don't exist, but if it works for you why not.


Your're correct moral is important. Before he took his channel offline MainePrepper did a video showing his homestead and one of his preps was an old school VCR with a huge library of VHS tapes that he got for less than a buck each. You could run a system like that without a ton of electricity if you had some rudimentary solar system and it could provide a huge moral boost. I'd also consider learning how to make your own alcoholic beverages which is legal so long as you don't sell it and if your really feeling your oats how to farm tobacco. Tobacco and alcohol will be HUGE bartering chips if things go south long term


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