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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JD,
I think that stocking up on anything other than essencial consumer goods that may run out may be a bad idea.
Stocking up is also relative. Before you stock up you need to answer the following questions satisfactorily:
How much of the item will you stock up?
Will it last until you need it, i.e. what is the “shelf life” of the item(s)?
Is it possible that a substitute product will become available that will be more suitable to your needs?
What is the holding cost of the items, considder financial and non financial factors?
Do you have the cash to invest in the comodoty now?
Can you go without the product if it is not available any longer?
etc.
etc.
These are only some of the questions that needs answering before any reasonable conclusion can be reached.
Each person needs to evaluate his/her own situation and make reasonable judgements baqsed on objective criteria.
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#95, @Pieter: “A Shuffle will most likely last two years or so”
I’m a bit suspicious of this claim. Can you provide some evidence for this? At the very least articles, forum postings, etc?
Just as a data point: I have a Shuffle that sat in it’s box for a year and then has been in pretty much daily use for over 3 years. It’s still working fine and shows no sign of problems.
Granted I don’t frequent Apple related news sites or forums but I haven’t seen or heard any solid data or anecdotal experiences of clip-on Shuffles crapping out after only a couple of years.
That’s not to say it doesn’t happen but I wouldn’t use that as a reason to not to buy an extra Shuffle if the opportunity presented itself.
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Wow! So many great comments today. Thanks.
I like the distinction between “stocking up” and “buying a spare”. That’s an important difference that I hadn’t been able to articulate. (It was floating there in the back of my mind, but I couldn’t quite reach it.) It does seem to me that sometimes a spare makes sense.
In the case of my hiking boots, I think I’d like to have a second pair. My current pair is very much an outdoor pair of shoes. I’d like to have a “nice” pair. Kris still won’t ever let me wear them to a dinner party (although if she doesn’t notice, maybe I can get away with it), but I could wear them for other purposes. I just wish all shoes were as comfortable as these.
The points about the iPod are great, too. While it’s true that I do love this model, it’s also true that I can probably acquire one on the secondary market for years to come — if I need it.
Finally, this is another case where I’m surprised at the quantity of discussion. I never know which topics will spark conversation.
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Thanks for your blog and just had to comment about stocking up…. I used to scrounge around to make a deodorant last, or put off buying basics and thought that was the normal thing to do.
Now I’m buying multiples of stuff, many times for free with coupons, and I LOVE IT!!! There is nothing like running out of deodorant, and simply opening up my stockpile to get a new one! I’m on the last of my .39 dishwasher liquids and getting nervous… kind of like the good old days!
Anyways, I think with coupons it makes sense to stock-up on non-perishables and many types of foods. The other day at Target I bought 5 tubes of Neosporin for .98 each (they were on clearance, I used coupons in addition). I have FOUR boys under the age of 10 so this probably isn’t unreasonable LOL.
Mary in MN
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This made me laugh:
“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.)” ~ J.D.
I can relate. I bought a new pair of ‘stretchy’ Lululemon pants last year. They have this elastic fabric that is so comfortable and perfect for lounging on the coach. You’ve got to check them out:
http://shop.lululemon.com/store/productslist.aspx?categoryid=700&pagesize=0
They’re also really great for office work because of their stretch-like abilities. I’ve never been so comfortable doing office work from home.
I never took the plunge and started wearing them to dinner parties (because they’re sort of like jogging pants), but I love these pants so much that I went out and eventually bought a second pair
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I stock up on goods I know I could consume if I had to. If I had to, my hubby and I could gobble up the soup I bought in bulk in a week.
But shoes and ipods can quickly slide from being “spare goods” to clutter. I don’t want to be buried under spare stuff in case I need it. What if I never do need it?
This has happened to me before: I’ve bough a spare pair of great shoes only to have my feet (or my likes?) change and never actually wear the spare pair. Though it sounds like you have a need for the second pair of shoes right now, so they are less a spare pair and more a “dress” pair
Further, I always wonder if I might move before I use my stocked up supplies and have to haul them around with me.
But I understand the dilemma.
I have my own confusions about my relationship with things, my “needs,” and ultimately my desire to save money, which I’ve been blogging about too.
lessstuffmorefun.blogspot.com
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on both the boots and ipod…its a big no no to stock up. if it gets damaged it might not be that easy to find a pair that you love but you will
and have i ever stocked? nope
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Moxiequz, you completely overlooked my parenthetical comment. My iPod Nano has lasted three years and shows no signs of failing. As a huge fan, I’m hardly suggesting Apple products have a short life span by guesstimating two years for a Shuffle. Rather, I was just tossing out a deliberately undershot number.
In fact, the longer a Shuffle lasts the more valid the point I was making in my original post. Supposing a Shuffle lasts four years – if JD were to buy three or four of them, they’d last for up to 16 years. I’ll guarantee you that in 2025 iTunes will not be compatible with 2009 iPods.
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I actually wrote a whole post on the stockpiling issue just about a year ago. You might want to note what I mentioned in there about having shampoo and conditioner go bad. Facial creams and lotions are even more touchy. They last longest if you keep them at the right temp (not too hot or too cold) but are still prone to separating or degrading. A years worth is probably okay. More than that is probably a waste.
I would tend to agree with the majority of commenters on the other big items you mentioned. Don’t buy the iPod, but consider buying the boots. I have a very hard time finding shoes that fit my foot comfortably. Some styles of Aerosoles work well for me but others don’t. I loved the Skimma (ballerina style flats) that Aerosole sold many years ago. They sold them for several years, although the available colours kept changing. It never occurred to me that they’d discontinue such a classic shoe, but they did.
I can’t tell you how many times in the years since then I’ve wished I’d bought 2 pairs of each at a time and maybe a couple of extras in black!
Yes, ballerina flats came back in style and were available everywhere for a while but most of them were very uncomfortable for me and many wouldn’t stay on my foot as I walked. I’ve never found shoes I like as much since then….
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I definatly think that it’s worth it to stock up on things like food. We even get free razors, tampons and deodorant from my work, so I have piles of it and hand it out to our guests at home… before you even comment, I know, handing out deodorant to house guests is cliche, but either they come back for more or they stop coming around. My Poppy always said, “All are welcome here, some when they come and some when they go!”
Anyways, I think my stockpiling revolves around things that I know won’t go bad and that we will definately use. I think it’s thrifty, but my husband thinks it’s rat-packing! So I limit my “piles” to 6 months to a year’s use. That way we’re both happy!
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My neighbor has her garage totally stocked up with T.P. I think I used to buy a lot more but you only have so much room to store things. Sometimes its bad enough the T.P. pack is HUGE and you have to get it in the cart. I make sure I have extra but I figure if a crisis came I could run to my neighbors.
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For cosmetics recommendations, I absolutely love Paula Begoun, the Cosmetic Cop. She looks at ingredients, as well as packaging, and I find her suggestions spot-on and affordable.
As for stockpiling, there is a down side – safe, clean storage. In FL, we can’t store anything in the attic (too hot) and no basement. We like to keep our cars in the garage and even that gets too hot to store food stuff.
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Ultimately, stocking up comes down to space. I have lived in large cities with small home spaces most of my life and, as a result, I never stock pile anything. My husband started buying toilet paper at Costco and while I saw the logic, I bemoaned the loss of space. I’m so bad that I usually buy panties one piece at a time–which drives him crazy as I usually need more than I have and I HATE to shop. As a result, I tend to wear things and use things beyond their ‘prime.’ I learned to wear two threadbare bathing suits on top of each other for laps, repurpose running sneakers with a fancy support sole to make them walking sneakers, etc.
But, I see the logic. If you can figure out where to stock your pile.
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As a carpenter, having comfortable steel toed shoes matters a lot to me. I bought a pair of Doc Martens two years ago, and they’ve served me well. I still have a good year and a half of use in them, but when I found the same pair on sale for 70% of their normal price, I bought the second pair for two reasons: First, because the price of this particular shoe has gone up by ten dollars since I bought my first pair; Second, because it takes a good six to nine months to break a pair in. I’ve saved myself the hassle and blisters, and ensured that I’m comfortable at work for the next six years.
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I say stock up on the boots! I have a similar story where I had a great pair of hiking boots made by Lowa. I bought them lucky but this store seems to change brands every year so I couldn’t get them again. I went online and I found my boots on eBay so I bought them at approximately the same price as in town. Then, a year later, after they stopped making them, I got lucky enough to find the same boots again on eBay. I bought a pair super-cheap. Now I can’t find them anywhere in my size for any price. Wish I had bought several. Good-fitting boots without a ton of time and travel invested are a beautiful thing. Feet support everything else in the body so I believe in good footwear. And, I live in a town without a lot of choices. I felt justified in stocking up. But on a technological item I say don’t because there are improvements in them every year.
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JD buy a couple pair of the boots, it is a small price to pay for peace of mind that you won’t have to think about it. The fact that you are already considering doing it, means that you will constantly regret not buying them when you had the chance.
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Apple routinely puts the “old” versions on sale on their website after a new version has some out — these usually last up to or over a year.
Also, if you take a look on craigslist, there are always older iPod models around.
This is isn’t something that you should pay full price to stock up on by any means.
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I buy two or three pairs of my sensible black work shoes when they go on sale at Payless Shoes.
Usually when they have a ‘Buy One get One half price’ sale.
I am really bad at buying anything fashionable though as I just don’t care enough about it.
My aim is neat and clean. Who cares about Christian Loboutin shoes at a thousand bucks a pair??????
I am currently on a no new clothes challenge to myself. Have not bought anything new since September last year.
Have also not cut my hair since September 2007.
My personal challenge this year is to get myself in shape, physically and financially. So I am trekking to Base Camp in Nepal in November….
S
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The only things I currently stock up on are things like food and paper products. I do that when the sale prices are at their lowest.
However, I am considering stocking up on incandescent light bulbs. I read an article several months ago that said a bill has been passed that sets incandescents to go off the market in 2014. I’m all for CFLs, but they make lousy reading lights. For any lamp used for reading, I use incandescents. I can easily see myself becoming some crazy hoarder just to keep decent reading light. I get migraines if the lighting is weird, so this is more than mere preference. Now if they can come up with a CFL that has gives off the right color for reading, I’ll be okay. But that’s a big IF.
As for YOUR preferences, I’d stock up on the boots, but not the iPods. Technology changes too quickly to take chances on keeping the old stuff around, IMO, but a good pair of shoes is totally worth it.
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BUY THE BOOTS – I bought a pair of running shoes that I loved. I recently went to buy a new pair and they are discontinued. I searched online and could not find the same kind in my size. I had to go with a different brand and style, but they are not the same. I wish I would have bought another pair or two as soon as I knew I liked them.
The iPod I probably wouldn’t worry about, Apple develops products so quickly that chances are the new one will be redesigned in 6 months anyway – plus it is very easy to find used and refurbished products online.
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Stock up
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/ipod?mco=MTE3Njc
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I can understand about stocking up a facial cleaner product, because face skin is very sensitive area, and some products may suit others, but not suit us.
I think we may stocking up a product that regularly used and need to repeat order in short-term.
No way to stock up a laptop, it isn’t repeat order item in short-term.
And technology items grow better and better every year.
I use to stock hair-tonic from Japan,
‘coz I use regularly and it takes distance to buy
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The rule I use for stocking up on items has to do with whether or not it is an item we regularly use. Shoes is an interesting question though, I regularly use them, but I’m not regularly replacing them. I actually did but a second pair once, but by the time I’d worn out the first pair, I didn’t like the second pair. They were comfortable only for a short period of time. I ended up donating the second pair. Scoob on the other hand has done this with great success. Then again, the man only gets a new pair of shoes every 9 years or so (and it took him 2 years of looking to find what he wanted). So when he suggested stocking up with a second pair, it made sense. These are his daily man-sandal things.
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I love stocking up things if there’s a resonable chance I’ll need the stock within the next few years.
I’ve stocked up on Ipod Nanos of the first generation. The reason is that this is the only Ipod which runs open source firmware (which allows me to change the song tempo while exercising – something regular Ipods will never do and which is essential to keep me motivated for hour long training sessions)
There’s a problem with this, though.
The internal battery of this player will go bad – so the players in stock will need battery replacement at some point. For the Nano I will be able to buy these batteries for a long time.
For lesser known brands this is something you need to research before you need replacement parts.
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Hi
I do stock up on things like wine but have noticed that I tend to consume it slightly faster when I know I have a big supply
This might erode any potential savings of buying in bulk!
On the plus side, there’s no danger of my stock of wine “degrading over time”!
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When it is something we definitely use before the expiration date and the price is an extreme discount– I snap up the limit they will sell me . . .
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I say, do what works for you.
Because I’m way too different. I change tastes so much, and I don’t like stocking up. Although I can see a point made for something like shoes, I only have one pair of shoes at a time (until it wears out) and since it tends to take about 5 years (or even more) by that time I want some change.
I also feel like you never know what will happen next… Take the person who stocked up on tampons, for instance. I used to use them, but then I changed for the menstrual cup: this will last me 10 years. I don’t know what I would have done with a huge stock of tampons. And yet, before switching I wouldn’t have though that I’d ever stop using them…
I do understand the ipod thing, though. Finding a piece of electronics you like is hard. Both aesthetically and the way it works.
Someone mentioned the jukebox mp3 player, by Archos. I used to have one. It stopped working, and I can’t get used to the one I have now. It’s full of stuff I don’t need, and can’t play musics by artist, by genre, of by anything, or all of them. It can only read what is in a specific folder.
You don’t know how things will evolve, but that’s true both ways. So, when you stock up (or buy a spare), you’re taking a risk.
I’d worry about electronics because I’d be afraid to damage it before even using it… And what if it never works? By the time I need it, the warranty will have expired…
However, it’s your risk to take. If it’s a reasonable expense for you, and if the risk of losing it is that important, then sure, you can go for it.
Apart from food, there isn’t much I buy that “expires” or wears out. However, I have bought “spares” of things other people might not consider.
For instance, my favourite books. I might buy the first-edition version because it’s important to me. But then, I’ll also buy a cheap paperback version so I can re-read the book often without damaging my precious first edition copy.
I only do that for some books I re-read often, but it would seem stupid to other people. However, I feel first edition copies are not replacable, so it’s important to me not to wear them out.
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How does one decide when clothes are officially worn out and need to be replaced?
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As embarrassing as it is, I’ve found myself on my hands and knees in several Fred Meyer stores lately. This is because of my love of bbq sauce. The only commercially available bbq sauce WITHOUT garlic (to which I’m severely allergic) WAS Kraft’s line of sauces. I say “was” because now they have a new formula for every single sauce and the sole change was the addition of garlic. @$#!%$#%! Now I’m completely screwed for bbq sauce and have resorted to scrounging the old bottles from the back of shelves at grocery stores. I had to explain to my wife why I brought home a dozen bottles of bbq sauce and stuck them in the cupboard. Soon, when I’ve depleted my supply, I’ll have to make my own sauce.
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I don’t know about your wife, but I would NEVER stock up on more than a couple months of cosmetics or facial cleanser. Here’s why…
I live in Maine, but last year I got married in California. I had decided to go to a tanning salon a week before the wedding, which is something I had never done. For a couple weeks after I had very dry skin, which really isn’t all that unusual for me anyhow. Well, the day before our flight to California I decided to use an eye cream that I had received as a free sample with my favorite facial cleanser about a year before. I went to bed, and woke up the next morning unable to open my eyes! I had a horrible reaction to an expired cosmetic, and have puffy faced wedding photos to remember it forever…
Cosmetics and skin care stuff have expiration dates, just like medications. I would never ever suggest stocking up on years worth of this stuff.
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I have the same problem with the Ipod!!!
I found a website that sells used clip-on shuffles for around $30.
http://www.tunecycle.com/
Plus they guarantee they work. I have ordered one, but it has not come yet.
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I’m not much for stockingup on things anymore. Almost everytime I have we stopped liking the item. I’m almost through soap that my daughter used but didn’t take when she left for college 5 years ago. Only a dozen bars of Ivory left. Fortunately we like it.
On the other hand, when we helped clear out my fatherinlaw’s garage, we found cases of toothpaste decades old. We threw that away.
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why do you call her your wife, when you just got engaged? just curious.
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I thought I`d share my thoughts on the ipod shuffle issue. I think that while apple will continually be putting out new generations of ipods, older generations will be easy to find on amazon, ebay or pawn shops. People will be upgrading and getting rid of their older ipods. They`re so popular that I think gently used older generation ipods will be easy to find for at least 5 years.
Personally, I`m not a fan of ipods. I have a Creative Zen mp3 player and love it for a number of reasons (SD slot, big screen, radio, cheaper than an ipod, to name a few). I strongly recommend it to everyone I know. I`m told that they have fewer problems than ipods but I haven`t confirmed that. I`ve had mine for around 18 months without problems. My only complaint is that it`s hard to find non-Ipod mp3 player accessories.
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I’m all for stocking up on non-food staples like soap (if you’ve liked it for a while, I guess!) When we stock up on food, however, we tend to eat it too fast because we know it’s there!
That’s been our failing at buying groceries only every 2 weeks (and stockpiling). We manage to do 1 week, but can’t go much beyond that… I guess we could slowly work up to it
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I stock up on things that I don’t want to spend the brain power/time on buying again which I know I’ll use but limit their storage to a specific area and size.
One odd example of this is binders. There’s quite a lot of types of binders but they basically do the same thing. If I see them on sale and I haven’t exceeded the space allocated for stock piling, I’ll grab a few. Otherwise I spend 15 minutes in the binder aisle snapping things and wondering which one is better for the price, more functional, better looking, etc. It isn’t worth the brain power.
If the item goes on sale regularly, only a tiny stockpile is needed. There will always be a sale on TP somewhere.
There’s also a difference between buying a spare, hoarding, and stashing. I buy my favorite bottled tea when I see it (that will fit in the designated space so currently 8 bottles) because it is an imported item I rarely see. This is hoarding and I only open one for a rare occasion. Hey, some people hoard their good wine. I also stash crafting supplies by getting them while I’m at the right place to do so, if I know I’ll use it and have a place to keep it. But I’ll “shop my stash” first to see if I have a suitable item for crafting.
Kris should chill the lotion or place it in a cool non-humid place. Some cling wrap over the top, beneath the cap to ensure it is sealed should also help.
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Wow how much walking do the people that recommend buying an extra pair of boots actually do?
I’d not recommend buying a second pair because hiking boots are meant to last.
Just make sure you buy a really decent pair, something like the leather Brashers ones and take really good care of them.
Also don’t use them for day to day use – only for when you are actually hiking.
I’d certainly stock up on things like consumables – but you need to be really careful of those supermarket 2 for 1 offers! My mother is terrible for that – no matter how much I tell her not to do it and she always ends up with stuff in the cupboard or freezer that they never get through.
The one thing that I do stock up on is T-shirts. I found that a particular brand that I really liked and bought a one or two whenever they were in a sale – which is pretty regular at the moment!
As for shoes, well trainers for me. I stick to Nike, although not the uber expensive ones. I’ll buy a pair if I see ones in a sale or if I have a particular need. E.g. recently I needed a slightly bigger pair in navy or black that I could wear with a jacket and trousers.
So I’ve always got probably a couple of extra pairs that I can alternate between.
They are all pretty similar, the tennis type Nikes but different styles, colors etc.
But would that count as stocking up? I think it does – you don’t need to buy everything at once. It’s just buying a bit more than what you need regularly.
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For the cosmetics/toiletries when a product I like is discontinued, I’ll buy enough to last for a year or the expiration date, whichever is longer. I can then take my time to find an adequate replacement. It’s important that Kris takes the time to find a replacement as her supply dwindles/expires.
As to electronics, the only good reason to stockup is in the event of downtime which involves losing money in the event of failure.
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My friends and I are stocking up on Pepsi Throwback (Pepsi made with sugar instead of High Fructose Corn Syrup), for a few reasons. First of all, we have no idea how long “for a limited time only” is, and right now it’s selling for the same price as regular Pepsi. Secondly, we want to send a signal to Pepsi that we REALLY like this product, and they should consider making it a part of their permanent line. We’re voting with our wallets.
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I stock up on Logitech’s Marble Mouse as featured on Cool Tools:
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/003584.php
Its only about $20 a pop so it is cheap enough to buy 2 or 3.
I really use mine hard, so I like to replace it every 6 months or so.
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I have often thought about compiling a list of non-consumable product purchases which have proven, through the years, to have been the wisest purchases. Maybe it was a $15 fog-free mirror that just kept performing so well and when I finally had to replace it, not a single other even more expensive one could come close.
As I look through my home, I can see items which have been performing well for many years well beyond their initial cost while some more expensive items flopped and failed to meet expectations.
This would be an interesting list to compare with folks.
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I stock up on bread, when it is buy one get one free. Also I stock up on meats that are 1.50/lb or less. Both of these are frozen. Sometimes I will buy 1.00/lb or less vegetables and make casseroles or blanch and freeze them. Laundry detergent or soap can be stocked up on. Also my grocery store gives a 10% discount for buying 6 bottles of wine, so usually I do that.
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it is a good idea to stock up…why miss out on your discontinued products when you can buy a bunch and be happy…
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Maybe the contention in itself is the issue.Perhaps excessive in view of the fear of change? I know it sounds clinical but therein lies many who catapault themselves into consumer debt, the fear of missing out or the apprehension of what discountinuation of a product line might do to self-image or changes to a lifestyle. Never buy retail, is another way to stock-up but sometimes, tying up cash in inventory just doesn’t make sense to save a few pennies.
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I haven’t read all of the comments here (this one generated a big discussion!) but I’ll say based on past experience to only buy the shoes if you’re going to put them in the rotation immediately. High tech shoes have components that harden over time (this is at least true with running shoes, and I suspect with hiking boots as well), so if you just put them in a box in the closet and pull them out in a couple of years, they might be stiff or otherwise sub-optimal.
Don’t buy the ipod. We have no idea what technology we’ll use for music by the time your shuffle wears out – what if someone makes a portable Pandora player that also does MP3’s? (Heaven!)
Love the site!
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Something to remember about certain items that are discontinued is that they end up at places like Big Lots and Ross, where you can buy them for a fraction of the cost. I found some lotion I had tested at Bed Bath and Beyond and liked at my local Big Lots, for $2.00/bottle. It cost $20.00/bottle at BBB, so I bought 3 bottles of it at 90% off. Same for the hypoallergenic shampoo my daughter needs — it was $8/bottle at the store, was discontinued, then I found it for $1.50/bottle at Big Lots.
Of course, it’s hard to stay focused in a place like Big Lots, where there are so many “good deals,” but I did save a lot by finding the things I wanted and sticking to them. They sometimes have discontinued electronics for cheap, although I doubt they would have Apple items. I did buy a set of Apple-compatible speakers there, though, so you never know.
Incidentally, they also sell discontinued Avon products, so Kris might check around and see if any Big Lots or other discount stores have the cleanser she likes.
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Oh — and to keep cosmetics longer, put them in the refrigerator or, even better, in some cool, dry place that stays about 60-65 degrees. Cosmetics don’t like heat, and most companies will not honor “money back” guarantees on cosmetics if they have been subjected to 80+ degree heat. Not sure if that’s a problem in Oregon, but it sure is in Tucson…
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Get the boots. This is your feet we’re talking about here. If you don’t stock up you’ll either spend countless hours trying to find a pair just as comfortable or buying a pair and comparing them unfavorably forever.
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I should stock up on my exercise sneakers, but it’s hard to shell out that much at one time. It’s a pain to find sneakers that come in extra wide, have enough depth to accommodate my orthopedic inserts, are cushioned for my horrible overpronation, and don’t bother my messed-up knee.
Crap, I’m falling apart and I”m not even 30 yet.
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For products that are quickly perishable in a relatively quick period of time it makes sense to stock up if 1) you find a good deal, or 2) you really love the product and it is going away. For instance, I love that popcorn made by Popcorn Indiana. It, however, usually costs over three dollars a bag. Expensive for popcorn. I recently found an unheard of sale of .99 a bag. I bought ten bags. It makes sense here because normally I am willing to pay a higher sale price of about $2.50 a bag (I rarely buy anything that isn’t on sale).
I am a big Apple fan. I too however dislike the new Shuffle. I wouldn’t stock up on that though because Apple learns from it’s mistakes. If the past is any indicator Apple will have a new Shuffle similar to the old one, but better, in a year. If not, you can always find a used one. Further, besides the battery the Shuffle you like will probably last ten years. Unlike the original iPod, there are no movable parts on it.
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