Taking bulk buying to an extreme! Strange behaviour.

swingaloo

As a young wife many years ago I was continually running out of things, I was so unorganised. I was forever running next door to borrow some coffee if we got visitors, dashing across to the shop as we had no milk etc.

As years have gone on and Im now into my second marriage Ive now got to the other extreme. A couple of years ago I was trying ways to save on my weekly shopping bill and for some reason I decided to bulk buy for a three month period anything which was not fresh and reasoned my only weekly expense then would be fresh meat, veg and milk. Of course my plan was flawed but it did start me on a path to being paranoid about running out of anything.

So now Im sure that what Im doing is not normal! I have to have everything in 5s or 10s depending on the item. My cupboards are looking a bit like a small supermarket.

I HAVE to have 10 jars of coffee in the cupboard, 5 large boxes of tea bags, 5 tubs of Clover in the fridge etc.
Anything I use, salt, pepper, sauce, oxo, gravy mix. The same applies to washing-up liquid (10), fabric conditioner (5), toothpaste (10), soap, even kitchen foil, nothing is allowed to run out.

If I open a jar of coffee I cant rest till Ive replaced it. Im sure its getting to be a bit of an obsession.
Please, someone tell me its not just me does this.

PasturesNew

It IS just you

There's being prepared, there's stocking up .... and there's you

It's not necessarily "bad" .... don't think that ... unless you're having to move to a bigger house to house it all.

Ames

It sounds like hoarding. I don't do it (much) with food but I do with other things.

I suppose the question is whether you think it's a problem that needs addressing or if you're happy to carry on? If the latter then it's fine, if it's the former then there are things you can do to change.

swingaloo

PasturesNew wrote: »

It IS just you

There's being prepared, there's stocking up .... and there's you

It's not necessarily "bad" .... don't think that ... unless you're having to move to a bigger house to house it all.

Well at least you made me laugh. Funnily enough we have just moved to a bigger house. I think it hit me when we were packing and my hubby said 'Flaming hell (or words to that effect) we have more food than furniture!'

caronc

Not quite as bad as that with foodstuffs (don't mention the freezers LOL) - but loo roll is another story, I get anxious if I don't have least one unopened large multi-pack in the cupboard so always overstock......

monnagran

I was a bit like that until I moved from a huge (and I mean HUGE) barn of a house into a tiny cottage. Since then I have managed to have things in threes, 1 in use and 2 stored. Every time I take one off the shelf it goes down on the shopping list to be replaced. It seems to work as I always have the security of 2 spares stored.

Ahem. We don't mention the 96 loo rolls in the wardrobe

x.

suki1964

It is hoarding and no it's not just you

I think anyone who's gone from living day to day to having money left each month does it

My mum is the worlds worst, I've bored this forum many a time about tins of tuna and carrots

First thing , you are questioning your behaviour , that's the first step

I have my kitchen organised so whatever is opened is in the larder or fridge

I have one back up in the store cupboard

But then that one could be a 4 pack of beans, soap, toilet roll


Go through and write a true inventory and keep that as list on your phone or a note pad. Keep referencing it when writing the shopping list. Be sensible about your true comfort levels. I'm only happy with 4 tins of tomatoes for instance because I use loads each week But baked beans, 2 tins back up is more then enough

Once you know for sure what you have in the house and you look at meal plans, it becomes easier to let go

Don't beat yourself up. There's plenty of us who have been there, many of us still are. The eating out of the stores thread might help you

VfM4meplse

Strangely enough I feel happy when I reduce my supply of hoarded goods (coffee, tea, toilet roll, toiletries etc).

I'd much rather have the space these days.

karcher

I just don't have the space to store/hoard food stuff. I have one cupboard for savoury stuff: has rice, pasta, tins, flour, oil, spices etc, then one smaller cupboard for tea, coffee, sugar, biscuit box, cereal etc. It is impossible to store more than one of anything.

Likewise, I only have a small freezer compartment in my fridge, so again it is only filled with one pack of anything.

I am however guilty when it comes to loo roll. I am currently in a panic as I only have one pack left :eek:...I'll be going shopping as soon as it's light :rotfl:

I must admit, as I don't have a car and live some distance from any shops, being able to store more food would make life easier for me and mean I don't have to shop so often...alas I can't as I just don't have the space.

Skint_yet_Again

... how about space under the bed or in the loft. I can always find space to store stuff I just put perishables into plastic storage boxes with a lid

karcher

Skint_yet_Again wrote: »

... how about space under the bed or in the loft. I can always find space to store stuff I just put perishables into plastic storage boxes with a lid

.....It's a flat so I don't have a loft. Under the bed space already full with plastic storage boxes with bedding, towels, clothes and paperwork in as I only have a wardrobe.