One of my wife’s favorite cosmetic products was recently discontinued. For years she’s used a certain facial cleanser from Avon, so when Avon stopped selling it, Kris was frustrated. She’s tried similar products from other companies, but prefers the one from Avon.
It occurred to Kris that maybe she could find the product online. She tracked down a seller on eBay and ordered a two-year supply for $50 (plus shipping). This is double what she had been paying, but she decided it was worth the cost.
For the next couple of years at least, Kris will be able to enjoy one of her favorite products. She’s stocked up.
This is just one example of a dilemma I’ve faced lately. When does it make sense to stock up on a product you like and use regularly? I’ve learned that when I find a wine I love, I should buy a case. This makes sense. But it doesn’t make sense to stock up on laptop computers when I find a great one. This would be an expensive habit, and the technology would quickly become obsolete.
But many items fall somewhere between a case of wine and a lifetime supply of computers. Lately I’ve wondered when it makes sense to stock up on products I’m passionate about. (And does it make a difference whether these products are consumable or non-consumable?)
Timberland Chocurua
I’m not usually the kind of guy who notices brands or model numbers. I wear my clothes and use my appliances without much thought. I can’t tell you which company manufactured my cordless drill or who made the shirt I’m wearing. They all seem to work fine, and that’s what matters.
Before our trip to London and Dublin, I bought a pair of hiking boots. I didn’t pay much attention to the brand; I just went into the local sporting goods store and bought the pair that felt right. As it turns out, I love these boots. They’re amazing. They’re functional and comfortable. If Kris would let me, I would wear them for every occasion. (“You are not wearing those tonight,” she once told me as we were leaving for a nice dinner with friends. I’d been wearing them for days on end, and she decided to put her foot down.)
The store that sold me these boots is going out of business. It occurred to me last weekend that maybe I should see if they still had these boots in stock. Maybe I could buy a pair for cheap. The store didn’t have these boots, but Amazon does. Now I face a dilemma. Should I order a pair or two to keep on hand for when these wear out?
iPod Shuffle
On a less utilitarian note, I was a little alarmed to learn that Apple has discontinued (well, “re-configured”) one of my favorite products. I’m a huge fan of the little clip-on iPod Shuffle. I use mine constantly.
Last week I had a chance to look at the new iPod Shuffle. I don’t like it. I don’t want to own one. My Shuffle is showing no signs of failure, but I began to wonder: What would I do when it does die? (Or, as is more likely the case, when I lose it?) I’m not willing to purchase a new model. I want the old one.
Then I thought: What if I stocked up? What if I found a source for the old iPod Shuffles and bought two or three or four just to keep on hand? Assuming I could afford this, is it a smart thing to do?
Does stocking up make sense?
My previous bad habits have made me wary. Whenever I want to spend, I question myself. That’s true in this case, as well. I cannot decide: Are these impulses foolish? They don’t feel foolish, but sometimes I’m not as smart as I should be about these decisions. Would buying these extra iPods or boots just be a sort of hoarding? Would I be bringing more clutter into the house? I don’t know. All I know is that I don’t feel guilty for considering these options — so long as I can afford them.
We already stock up on paper products like kleenex and toilet paper by buying in bulk. Kris has boxes of empty canning jars in the garage, donated by friends, for when she needs them. But we’re not devoted to a particular kind of jar or picky about a style of tissue. Is it different when I’m merely anticipating that something I like will be unattainable later? Am I merely postponing the inevitable? I don’t know the answers to these questions.
What about you? Have you ever stocked up on a product you like? Do you think that you might do so in the future? Why or why not?
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Wow, great topic! I live alone so I don’t stock up on food products. Also I love to cook fresh ingredients and stay away from processed food so that doesn’t suit my lifestyle. If I had a family though I would probably do it to save money when I could.
I don’t have the space to buy bulk consumables like toilet paper to save money, but I see the value in it.
All that said, I am guilty of finding products online and buying as much as I can when I know its being discontinued. Like hair product that I know works for me (my hair is crap, only a few things can tame it!). I agree with others that every once in a while you should update your looks.
I love my clip on shuffle too! I think it will be available on Ebay and Amazon for long enough you won’t need to worry about replacing it. Plus the things are pretty indestructable!
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The only things i have ever stocked up on were items I would need to survive in an emergency (batteries, some candles, etc).
Besides that, with the turnaround in products on the markets, I dont feel its necessary to hoard items for future use. Something like the iPod seems a little drastic to stock up on. If the unit works, great, if the latest one seems like a big flop, then your probably not alone and a newer unit will quickly replace it.
Everything has a half-life. Some things (like food) will degrade faster while others (shoes, clothes, makeup) might take longer to ‘expire’ but also fashion wise might not be current.
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Buy the hiking boots but not the iPod.
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When the clip-on iPod shuffle first came out at $80, I saw one die on my father-in-law in a matter of 4 months. At the time, the warranty was 90 days, and to have it fixed out of warranty was $60, so it made sense to just buy another one since it was a product that he enjoyed using. (I’m not going into a long-winded discussion on whether its ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ to spend money on replacing a ‘want’ when something breaks.) My clip-on ipod shuffle was gifted to me a few months later, and it still works fine. Its worth noting too, that his shuffle did not ‘brick’…it simply refused to reconnect to any computer…it still played, would occasionally charge, but it would not sync up. I troubleshooted every possiblilty (since I am a bit of a techie), and it refused to connect…I’m still disappointed that it didn’t completely die but rather a few functions died and could not be hacked to be brought back.
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I’d never stock up on technology. It changes faster than any of us can imagine or predict. If you don’t like the current Shuffle model, they might make two more different models before you actually need a new one. And the beauty of preferring older technology is that you can always buy it later VERY CHEAPLY on eBay or other websites.
I’ve stocked up on shoes, but only one extra pair. Shoes last me long enough that I can’t predict beyond a second pair whether I’ll still want or need that model. And again, it’s often possible to buy old brands later. For example, I currently use a model of Asics running shoes that are 2 models behind the current model. I want another pair, and I can still find them for sale online – but deeply discounted. Score!
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For personal items I have been burned a number of times becoming very loyal to a particular shampoo, concealor, or face lotion and then it be discontinued. In retrospect I regretted not stocking up; only when I got around to getting another one did I found out that it was discontinued or the formula changed, so now I try to buy 1 extra. However as I go through them slowly and have a shelf life I’m not willing to do more than that.
I got a pair of shoes at Walmart that turned out to be a favorite of mine. I liked them so much I went back a couple months later to get a second pair but they were out of stock and not restocked the following year. It makes me realize how much churn and transitoriness there is in the production of consumer items.
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About two years ago, I found a plain t-shirt at the Gap that was the best-fitting, most comfortable t-shirt I’d ever worn. I first bought a couple in black, a brown one, and a few other colors. I was wearing them every day, so I finally decided to stock up, especially once they went on sale for 3 for $15 (they had been $22.50 each originally). I bought 15 more of them in black, and I’ve been steadily wearing them ever since. My mom thought it was insane that I’d bought so many, but I’ve continued to wear them (and wear through them) for two years now, and Gap unconscionably discontinued them a few months after I stocked up. I only wish I had bought another 15!
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I did a post on my blog today about stock piling, I was inspired by your thoughts on stock piling.Check it out!
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I stocked up on CD/DVD cases from the dollar store.
There was this one brand that was made of the soft, flexible packing like a DVD case, but was small and thin like a CD case. This meant they took up less space to mail to clients (as a photographer I send digital negs) but they didn’t crack and shatter when dropped or mailed. Great product.
They started to disappear at most dollar stores, but I walked into one that had just opened, and they had a supply of them. They came in packs of 8 for a dollar, and I bought 10 dollars worth, that was about 2 years back, and I just ran out this spring.
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I recommend you stock up on the boots. I found a favorite pair of boots and made the mistake of not laying in a future supply. When I went to buy another pair 2 years later, they were discontinued. That was three years ago, and since then, I have purchased 3 pairs of other boots, trying to find a suitable replacement – and none of them measure up to the original pair. Stocking up would have saved me wasted money and time.
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I have inadvertantly stocked up on a lot of things in the cleaning/paper department. I kept to the monthly buying list I had for our family of five now that we are back to the two of us. Suddenly the storage room is full! I think I may continue with the list, especially as prices seem to be going up, and have enough laundry detergent and such for a year or two by the end of this year. (Storage space is not a problem.) Then that part of the budget can be put to stocking up on something else!
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I’ve gotten a lot better about extra stuff I don’t need. But one thing I still stock up on: shoes.
And the main reason is that my feet have gotten pickier as I’ve gotten older. When I find a style that I like and is COMFORTABLE for extended wearing, I tend to stock up. I don’t care about name brands – I wouldn’t care if they had a K-mart logo on them. They just need to be comfortable and look OK.
So I have several pair Skechers Journeyman and Keen Newport sandals put away (all picked up at significant sale prices), as well as some Skechers slip-on casual shoes.
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Buy the boots.
My husband was devastated when Danner discontinued his favorite boots. They put a new style out under the same name, but he says they don’t fit the same. The perfectly fitting shoe is a rare enough occurence to warrant stockpiling, IMO.
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I use a very simple rule of thumb when it comes to stocking up: “Stock up on only consumable products and only get at most a year’s supply.”
When I say consumable I refer to things like toilet paper, makeup, or Crystal Light water packets. Stuff that I know I will pretty much constantly use and that I will need short of a meteor taking me out. I typically will only stock up a month or two at most because I am a bit of an unclutterer so I don’t like to store tons of stuff.
Now, on the flip side, there is a difference between stocking up and grabbing a spare. If you really love something like a pair of boots or a shirt, grab a spare. You don’t need more than one, but if you absolutely adore something and are very certain that you won’t be able to find it in the future, then go for it. But don’t go stocking up a decade’s worth of boots, there are other fish in the pond and you may find something you love even more!
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My wife runs into the problem of obsolescence when shopping for beauty products. Several of the items she uses have either been discontinued or have the “new and improved” label, which usually means a change for the worse. When she finds a product that she likes, she’ll stock up in anticipation that it’ll be discontinued.
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First check out this video (you may not want to buy anything after you see what we are all doing with our consumer mindset):
http://www.storyofstuff.com/
You can probably find the iPod in the future on ebay. And at that time there will undoubtedly be something newer and cooler you like more.
But if you are addicted to the boots I would buy them while that model is around. Although keep in mind even if you keep them in the box the sole components will break down and not perform well for the health of your feet in time. The reason why runners need new shoes every few months isn’t just wear and tear, the shoes get harder just sitting around aging.
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When I was a child I remember visiting my great-uncle who stocked up on EVERYTHING. Anytime anything went on sale, he would go and buy as much as he could on special, even going to multiple stores (this was in the days before you needed a special card!) Visiting his basement was like going to the store, with multiple freezers, refrigerators and shelves. I now realize he was actually a hoarder.
I usually buy multiples of favorite consumables when they go on sale, and also if I find a piece of clothing that works well, I will buy it in multiple colors.
@Kristen (#44) thank you for the remark on shoes! I will really keep that in mind.
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Shoes last longer if you allow them a day off. I would have no more than two pairs of the same shoe, fit can vary with color. As you age your feet change what feels good now may not fit in a couple of years. I injured my foot after buying a few pairs of my favorite flats. Once my foot healed I was not able to wear my new shoes. O course my weight gain did not help. I am now attempting to sell my shoes on Ebay. I never purchase anything to stylish and I invest in quality shoes and replace soles or heals as needed.
Electronics change so rapidly I would not stock up.
Now foods I do stock up on there is one syrup my husband loves Lyle’s which our local store does not carry. In fact I know of only on store that does, a specialty grocery store. Once a year I go there, I also plan on spending the day at the mall it is in, and purchase a years supply (three bottles). I very seldom purchase anything more than a cup of coffee for my day, but I see what is in style so I can rework my closet contents to see if I can come close.
My year is judged by the level of syrup in the last bottle. Since I only use it on homemade waffles the year is some times closer to two years.
Staples I purchase at the club store, pasta, tomatoes, green beans, baked beans, chicken stock, tuna, juices etc.
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My rule is I stock up on things..
1) I will always need.
2) and re available at a good price. Costco is my stock-up place.
#Forever stamps. Lots of them. And one cent stamps as well.
#My favorite cologne.
#Paper products like toilet paper.
#Dishwashing liquid and sponges.
#Cans of corn, green beans and peas.
#Underwear and socks once I find the ones I like.
I don’t stock up on soap or shampoo because I like to try new ones. I also don’t stock up on refrigerated stuff because it invariably stays too long in the freezer.
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When my much loved hiking boots finally bit the dust I looked forward to buying a new, updated pair. In the end I litterally bought the newer model of my old boots but they’d had many upgrades in the 8 years I’d had my old ones – Vibram soles, slicker and more modern lines, etc. Hiking boots last a LONG time, I wouldn’t want to lock myself in for that long.
As for the iPod, I’d grab one extra because honestly, who doesn’t lose those things? But I wouldn’t stock up too much because you know that in one or two years they’ll have the next iteration of the shuffel on the market and it’s more than likely to be pretty cool. Then you’ll probably end up wishing you had the new model (which will likely be as cheap or cheaper than the current one).
But that’s just me. A hoarder I am not. You could say I don’t like to tie my capital up in inventory. I guess it’s a matter of knowing yourslef and knowing if you really want to stick with one item for so long.
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I’ll forward you a friends and family coupon for Timberland the next time I get one. Normally 60% off at the TBL retail stores and online.
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Yes,
I stocked up on Derby Extra Double Edged Razor blades. In fact I think I have enough to go easily 20 years. I did this more as a investment and not because I thought they would go out of business. So now I should be set for shaving for a long time.
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Hey J.D. I love your blog I’ve been reading it for 2+ years. It surprised me that you would even ask this question on your post. I know you are better than that. I agree with everyone when they say “don’t stock up on the Ipod shuffle” because:
1.you ARE postponing the inevitable
2.new technology is constantly coming out
3.this is a want, doesn’t sound like a need
4.you’ll have more junk in your home
5.will it really save you money if you bought them now vs. when yours breaks?
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My local Stop & Shop ran coupons in the community fishwrap during the winter advertising $10 off a purchase of $50 or more. I brought the coupon and a calculator and stocked up: paper goods, oatmeal, the canned ingredients I use for chili (which I make quite frequently and freeze, so I go through these products like the wind), sponges, dish and laundry liquid and powder, and Grape Nuts — for which I also got a $5-off coupon for a future purchase due to a concurrent promotion. Did this three times, b/c the paper kept running the coupon week to week. And on all my purchases, I used a rewards card to get a little something-something back.
They stopped running the promo in the early spring, then resumed, but as $5 off a $40 purchase. Either they got swamped (I think places usually have a target compliance rate on offers like this) or they’re desperate to stay in business and not enough folks came in during the depths of the winter onslaught of recession news and layoffs. Either way, I’ll be going back to S&S once again.
For stuff you’re definitely going to use, that won’t go bad or can be frozen, and you won’t get sick of, by all means take any vendor who has an offer like this up on it. Admittedly, I did take the calculator along to force myself to stop buying when I’d qualified for the -$10. (I’m assuming they also count on folks blowing past the minimum and justifying the extra $10 of purchasing power as “free money.” To hell with that, I spent as little as I needed to and split!)
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Buy the boots! And then alternate wearing the old and the new.
I don’t stockpile consumables generally, but bought two packages of Retin-A on a trip to Mexico. It’s only available by prescription in the U.S. but you can get it in a regular pharmacy there … and yes, it’s perfectly safe and exactly the same formulation sold here. I paid about sixteen dollars for two tubes which would have been forty-plus each here, in addition to the doctor visit. Properly stored, it lasts for years … and has saved me probably hundreds of dollars in dermatological treatments that are not covered by insurance.
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the bottom line is, you won’t know till you get there. i had a pair of running shoes ten years ago that are still the best running shoes i ever owned. it would never have occurred to me to buy more than one pair because I didn’t know how much I would love them. Plus, maybe I would not want the second pair when the time came and wish I could try some other shoes. Or maybe not.
My mom raised my sister and I to love diet coke but not to buy it unless it was 2 12-packs for $5. All through college when we lived together my sister and I would buy a bunch at that price and not buy it when it was more expensive. I haven’t seen it that cheap in years but recently it was $2.75 for a 12 pack at Target. I bought five and am still going through them- that is enough for a while! I also texted my sister and mom to tell them to stock up! The consumable nature of the product makes sense.
Going back to the not knowing though- in the past I have stocked up on tampons (sorry if this is tmi) but in the last year I discovered the divacup (divacup.com), a reusable menstrual cup. Now I am glad I didn’t have to wait to go through a year’s supply of feminine products before purchasing a far superior (and more cost effective) solution.
I definitely say don’t stock up on the shuffle- I was about to offer to give you mine because I don’t use it often- I feel that as people upgrade and stores continue to have some stock there will be plenty on craigslist or ebay for cheap.
bottom line (like so many things) it’s a good idea if you KNOW you will use and enjoy using it, if it adds to your quality of life by assuring you of having something that brings you joy, but if we tried to stock up for every eventuality we would end up overstocked with dinty moore stew awaiting the apocalypse. (my dad does this every hurricane season- when power is lost in the neighborhood he can run half the block off of his supplies, but if no storms come we just have a lot of MREs and tuna. But it lets him rest easy.)
p.s. love the blog, I’m a long time reader and just decided to comment.
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Shoes (which will definitely wear out): yes, buy. I have done this and was SO happy…I wish I could find more of that style, but it’s sadly gone, gone gone. Keeping the old shoes – now THAT’S hoarding.
The iPod thing sounds a bit hoard-y to me. Just be responsible with your old one. And back up your music!
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I wouldn’t stock up on anything that’s technology related. All of those things will be improved upon and replaced in the marketplace in the future, and technologies will continue to get cheaper as they’re made more efficiently.
Stocking up on wines that you like, on the other hand, strikes me as an excellent idea. You can never have too much of something you love that won’t always be available.
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the boots make sense. non perishable and won’t go obsolete. the ipod shuffle does not. by the time you need a new one there will probably be yet another version out.
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Maybe it’s late and I haven’t had lunch yet so I’m feeling delusional but I’m actually laughing so hard, I’m in tears about Victor’s candid comment “No, those boots are hideous”. Which, by the way, they’re not really I just found it funny.
I stockpile clothes; not mass quantities, but if I really like a nice top, I’ll buy it in 2 or 3 different colors. I actually find clothes shopping to be a pain and don’t prefer to do it often, so this saves me time in the future
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You inspired me to write my own post about stocking up!
Buy those extra hiking boots, since they seem to make you happy and will be worth it, but skip the spare iPod. Everyone’s already touched on that one, but it’s true. Electronics will come and go. Besides, can’t you still send them back to Apple for refurbishing if it dies and you don’t like the new model (or did they discontinue that service)?
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I look at the total cost of ownership combined with the cost out of my pocket at that very moment. For example, 3 years ago I had a coupon for $1 off trash bags if I bought 2 boxes. Being a new home owner, I didn’t think much of it and purchased two boxes of 45 bags per box, saved my dollar and stuck them under the counter. Being a single guy I don’t generate a lot of trash, so nearly 3 years later I finally ran out and had to buy more. Now we are talking about $4 boxes of trash bags, $8 – $1 coupon = $3.50 / box average, could I have used that $3.50 more efficiently over the period of 18 months, maybe.
In a similar situation, I bought a 10 pound bag of batsmati rice, at the time it was about $11. It lasted me a solid 8 months, but I was shocked to see the price nearly doubled when I went to buy another bag. In this case, stocking up on a nearly non-perishable food item would have made a wise investment.
I started to run back in Feb and bought a pair of sneakers fitted to me by a specialized running store and only use them for running or when I’m at the gym. I’ve read that most running shoes should be replaced between 300-400 miles because the cushioning really starts to fall apart and you can end up hurting yourself. Shoe companies seem to produce an updated version of existing running sneakers every 5-8 months; I’ve read that some runners will buy a half dozen or more of the same sneaker once they find one they love in fear that the newer model won’t fit / feel as good.
Checking my stats on http://www.dailymile.com I’ve run 118 miles so far this year, so I’m about 2/3rds the way through the life of my shoes and the model I’m in has already been replaced by a newer version. My “older” version are now discounted at several online retailers. At my current rate of running, I won’t need new shoes for another 4-5 months, but should I stock up because they are on sale now?
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I almost never stock up on anything. I’d have to care passionately about a very specific item to do that.
Electronics? By the time my current one breaks, a much better one will probably be available for less than I paid for the old one. Who knows if an old iPod will even be compatible with new computers in 5 or 10 years, maybe USB will have been replaced by something else, and you won’t be able to get a cable for the old iPod or something. I can’t think of a single time I would have traded my current laptop computer for my previous one, no matter how much I’d liked the previous one at the time. The new ones are always better.
Shoes? They’re shoes. I don’t care that much, really. I’ve been wearing different shoes for my whole life and they’ve always been fine.
The only things I can think of where I’d care enough to stock up are on things like consumable items that are required to use products I own. An example might be Polaroid film which I think is discontinued now. But if I actually had a Polaroid camera, I’d probably upgrade to a digital one instead of stocking up on film.
I don’t tend to get particularly attached to objects unless I’ve put a ton of sweat-equity into them, and in that case, I couldn’t stock up on them anyway, since I must have built or restored them myself.
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Definitely. My husband likes a certain brand of jeans (Levi’s 501 shrink to fit) and he can’t find them in the east coast. He buys several pairs when he visits out west. He usually “wears out” (to shreds) a pair or two a year, so 4 pair last 2-4 years, depending on how much dirty work he does.
I’m with most of the readers here. Get the boots, forgo the Ipod. (But I’m not an Ipod fan-I’ve got a Creative Zen.)
But in truth, they are so cheap on Amazon, that you could buy one more if you love it–after all, your money is for your use and because you are proving yourself responsible with your money, you could buy the Ipod as a double. You could always give it to a kid or poorer person if you find you don’t want it because something better comes out. Sometimes it is worth getting something in order to get your mind off “what if”. Saves emotional energy. That is “worth something.”
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I think people who advise against not to stocking up on the iPod Shuffle because “something better will come along” are missing a point JD already brought up (but bears repeating):
Yes, something better *may* come along. Or not. In this specific case JD likes the design of the clip-on iPod Shuffle. It works for him (and having one myself I wholeheartedly concur). Apple has now apparently discontinued this design. The next redesign of the iPod (who knows when that will be) may be superior to both the old and the new Shuffle. Or it may not. Just because something has been redesigned or “upgraded” doesn’t automatically make it better than older models.
JD’s current Shuffle suits his needs just fine.
So I say – hell yes buy an extra one if you can find one at a reasonable price.
If a truly better product does come down the pipe and you simply have to upgrade keep in mind that even in this economy (or perhaps especially in this economy) there’s a lively second-hand market for working electronics. Particularly for designer items like iPods.
Regarding the hiking boots: definitely stock up. A few years ago I found a pair of Ecco hiking boots that were perfect for everyday wear and some light hiking and very reasonably priced. I bought one pair and then they discontinued the line. I’ve spent more time than I care to admit trying to find boots that were as comfortable, presentable and rugged as those Ecco ones. I wish I had bought at least one extra pair.
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I use a face cream that retails at $48 for two ounces. I found an online retailer that sells “professional size” jar of the same product for $80 for 8 ounces — roughly $10 an ounce versus $24/ounce (for the regular-sized jar). The savings of 58% is worth stockpiling.
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What not to stock up on: treats.
I find that with some foods, if I buy it in small amounts, we are careful to make it last. If I buy large amounts, we gorge.
This makes it both not frugal and also not healthy.
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you know what was spongeworthy to me? Carnation Instant Breakfast in the Strawberry Flavor ONLY. Oh man, if I could get my hands on that–it’s my favorite justifiable junk food! I have to buy it in a multi-pack, and it’s totally lame.
I have stocked up on stuff when I was leaving the field of spa management, when I used to get wonderful skin and body care products at cost. Sigh. But I stocked up a bunch and put them on my credit card because I used to be an idiot. So no, it wasn’t worth it to me after the interest rate I paid on my CC balance.
I do stock up on things from time to time, because they are on sale and non-perishable, and I am paying cash. I cannot remember when the last time I stocked up on something because it was going to be a collectors item or it was being discontinued and I needed it. Oddly enough, JD, my boyfriend and I just discovered a couple grand worth of comic books–things my boyfriend always wants to spend on! I guess the self-control not to stock up on the collectors items paid off, he just uncovered his childhood collection!
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If you love the boots, buy an extra pair or two. My husband runs, and when he tried out some Asics Cumulus 7s, they were structured in such a way to totally cure his nagging hip pain. Then the company rolled out the Cumulus 8. Husband tried a pair, and the hip pain was back. He scrounged around online and at local running stores, and managed to get seven more pairs of the 7s, which carried him pain-free through not only the time when the company was making 8s, but also the 9 model run as well, and, even though he didn’t get as many miles on the last couple of pairs of shoes before he ran out, his stash got him through until the 10 models came out, and those had been changed until they resembled the 7s again, and he could use them as well to run pain free.
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I used to swim about 300 days out of the year. As a result, I went through numerous Speedos. Even if you rinse the chlorine out after every swim, the disintegrate. At the summer sidewalk sale, the local sporting goods store would always have a clearance on the last years patterns at 1/2 price. I would buy every suit that they had in my size. Now when I buy a new Speedo, swim cap, or goggles, I always buy two.
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A lot of the discussion regarding shoes is centering around regular types of shoes, which have a relatively short life if worn regularly. Decent hiking boots will last a casual hiker for years, and often are very simple to resole or repair. I only had to replace my last pair after 9 years of use because my feet expanded during pregnancy and they no longer fit. I’ve now had my current pair for 8 years, and they still look brand new, despite being used fairly regularly. I fully expect to get at least another 5-10 years of use out of them. My husband is much harder on his boots than I am, and even so, he will get at least 9 years out of his current pair before needing to repair them.
If you are buying cheaper hiking boots, and replacing them every 1-2 years, then your money will be better spent buying a good pair that will last you a LOT longer. (Of course, make sure to go to a store where they are experienced in fitting hiking boots.) As for storing an extra pair of “preferred” boots, with the idea of using them in 8-10 years or so when you wear out the other pair, I’d point out that any new boot is going to feel stiff and strange when you are used to a broken-in boot. In addition, your feet may have subtly changed shape over the years. The boot you loved a decade before may no longer be satisfactory at all when you put on the unworn pair.
Oh, and to repeat myself, don’t discount the importance of technological advances in hiking boots. In the past decade, boots have gotten lighter, cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter, quicker to dry out, and better at keeping water from getting down to your feet. It was a completely different marketplace when I was shopping in 2001 than it was in 1992, and believe it or not, the prices had actually dropped. I paid $159 in 1992, and I paid $129 in 2001, yet the 2001 boots were miles ahead of the 1992 ones.
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Once I found a pair of very comfortable running shoes for clearance, so I decided to go ahead and buy 3 pairs. I hate shopping for things, especially shoes, so I thought it was a smart thing to do. However, as someone else pointed out, by the time the first pair wore and I pulled the 2nd and 3rd pairs out of the closet, they weren’t nearly as comfortable. Much less cushion. That’s when I learned about shoes having somewhat of a limited shelf life. Not sure if this applies as much to hikings shoes though.
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I buy as much natural and handmade products as I can, and when I come across a product I know I will buy more of, I will contact the maker and see if they’d be willing to sell me a case (or equivalent) at wholesale prices. I don’t think I’ve ever been told no! I do this with the soap my husband uses as well as with certain greeting cards and non-perishable food items. With the soap, I save nearly 50% of the price, and since the soap is not packed in individual wrappers, I am saving the environment from more trash.
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I just stocked up this morning at Safeway. The bread I prefer is usually $4.75 a loaf. Sometimes sales will drive the price down to $3.50 or so and I’ll buy an extra loaf. However, today the price was at 2 for $5. Considering I use this bread daily and go through a loaf or more a week, it makes sense to stock up when it’s nearly 50% off. So I bought several extra loaves to put in the freezer and will probably go back again.
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BTW, the reason for NOT stocking up on iPod Shuffles has nothing to do with anticipating a better product eventually replacing the new unsatisfactory one.
A Shuffle will most likely last two years or so (my iPod Nano has held up for three and is still going strong). If you stock up on several, you’re prepping for 6-8 years or more of iPod usage. That’s great, except it’s unlikely the 2015 or 2017 version of iTunes will be compatible with your 2009 iPod.
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@ 64 – I think your distinction between “stocking up” and “buying a spare” is illuminating.
When I stock up, that usually means that I’m buying in bulk for savings – paper goods, cases of wine, BOGO items. That’s different than when I buy extras of the things I most covet, to ward off the sadness or inconvenience of not having them down the line. I don’t think having spares, within reason, is a bad thing – but having them doesn’t serve the same purpose as stocking up.
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My wife (and I) visit her native country once a year. So all year round she stocks up on things they want… American cosmetics, American chocolate, American vitamins and supplements, minor-size gifts, etc. Of course she is always on the lookout for sales which is the only time she buys the stuff.
The closets in the house are to the brim on these items.
So when we travel there, suitcases are mostly things to give away. Clothes are an after-thought!
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You need to do some serious soul searching before stocking up on anything. I can’t tell you how many times I have gotten really excited over a product only to find the extras I bought aren’t as valuable as I thought they were because:
*I lost them – If you bought a second shuffle would you be able to keep track of it for the next year?
*My taste changed – The first five boxes of X were great, but I’m not so wild about it anymore and I’ve still got 5 boxes to go through.
*My fit changed – I have bought a 2nd pair of the same jeans only to find that I’m a little heavier and they don’t fit as nice as the ones I bought six months ago that stretched in the right places.
*THEIR fit changed – Some things are subtle and not always part of a design change, for example, with yarn projects they say to make sure all of the yarn for a project should be from the same dye lot because you get subtle variations. The same can be true for your boots. If they changed the machine that cuts the soles, the material supplier, or just the guy who sews the body to the sole, it could feel like a completely different boot, so be careful.
*It spoiled – Food obviously, but a lot of personal care products age poorly. Light and humidity (or lack thereof in my case) can ruin things too.
*I found something better – This is especially true with the iPod. Technology matures. Just like you aren’t crazy about the model that followed your fav, there will be another model to follow that might be even worse, or better than the first!
Ultimately I don’t hoard something unless I have been looking for something like it for a while. This indicates that if I like it I will continue to like it, and I am not likely to find a replacement easily when it wears out.
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Lots of interesting responses here. I’ve previously stocked up on headphones (never more than 2 in reserve) because portable phones break often (too often).
However, I recently decided against buying backups of my full-sized headphones after a long decision process.
It wasn’t because I didn’t like them (they’re amazing); it wasn’t because I was afraid of them becoming obsolete (headphones aren’t like laptops)–it was simply because my desire to keep them was indicative of a desire to possess, to cling, to avoid loss. Stocking up would have reflected a fear of change, of the future, and of the transient nature of things. I’m trying to move past this in my life, and a good step towards that is acknowledging that if my headphones break, I can repair them. If I can’t repair them, I can have them repaired. If I can’t have them repaired, I can buy a new pair. If I can’t buy a new pair, I can find a different model to enjoy. In the end, the music matters most–not the headphones.
Hopefully this helps others. You can’t win the stockpiling game; even if you hoard a lifetime supply, you then have to fear the loss of your treasures (to fire, to theft, to decay). Eventually, even if you avoid these pitfalls, you inevitably lose to death. The only way to win (as far as I can tell) is to drop out of the game entirely, and simply appreciate what you have in the present without trying to preserve it in the future.
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Now HERE’S a topic I can get into. One of my hobbies is couponing, and I can get many food items, toiletries, ect. for free or nearly free. It’s a no-brainer for me to stock up on these items, since the out-of-pocket cost is so low. If I accidently over-stock, I give to family and friends. It’s never difficult for me to find people who can use shampoo, razors, toothpaste, ect.
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