I was watching a few of my regular YouTube channels this morning over my first cup of coffee of the day, and there seemed to be a regular theme running through their latest updates. Stocking up their food supplies.
It made me wonder if this would be a sensible thing to do. Fuel prices have already risen twice in our area in the last week, which of course will have a knock on effect very quickly on the price of food. My first thought was to go to the shops immediately after breakfast and buy a few things, then I realised how dizzy my early morning tablets had left me, so I changed my mind.
I'm not supposed to drive when they have this effect on me, I usually take them in the middle of the night if I get up for the bathroom, but this morning that was at 2am, much too early, so I took them at 7am ... hence the morning dizziness.
I decided to do something much more sensible instead, check the contents of the store cupboard to see what I already had in stock and finish off the moving of all the food dated 2026 to the top cupboard.
Everything in the top photo needed moving up ... and the spaghetti with the orange banded label wins the award for the food that has been neglected for the longest.
Best before January 23 ... oops!!
It turned out to be a good exercise to do as I thought I had just two tins of tomatoes left in total, and I was all set to buy some more, but then I found these four cans tucked away at the back of the bottom cupboard. Funnily enough I didn't remember buying them, but happily ... due to me showing my shopping in great detail to bore you all rigid over the past couple of years ... I found out that they had been bought HERE, in April 2024.
I've bought a few extra tins (tomatoes, beans etc) . Need a big bag of rice as I use it for lots of meals. Pasta not so much so and I have some rather, ahem, elderly pasta hanging about but it still smells ok!! I need to top up with flour and sugar (baking) and more bread flour and yeast too. We are meant to be stocking up on tinned foods which don't need heating, in case WW3 breaks out properly.
ReplyDeleteI definitely need to buy some baked beans then, they can be eaten cold ... not that I've ever eaten them this way. I guess it's a case of being sensible and not going mad stocking up isn't it. 🫤
DeleteMy Mum always had,” a bit put by just in case”. Tea, sugar, tins etc. Both parents had lived in the East End of London as children in very harsh times. My Dad worked for Fords Motor Company, there was always lots of strikes. My Mum’s proudest boast was that my Dad always when on strike gave her the same amount of house keeping money as usual. Typing that has bought a lump to my throat. He was a good Dad, husband and saver. I too have always had, “a bit put by just in case”. Far more than my Mum because I was the lucky generation that came after the war and for that I am eternally grateful. Hope all is well with you Sue. June
ReplyDeleteAww, what lovely memories. Your Dad sounds like a good man. I was lucky to have a Dad just like that. ❤️
DeleteWhich thrifty YouTube channels do you watch? I could do with some new viewing!
ReplyDeleteI regularly watch Kezia Neusch/The Whole Home, Rebecca at Railway Cottage, Ali Lives Well on Less and Weary Wolf, and occasionally Frugal Queen in France and Frugal Granny UK ... I think it these last two that then brought up lots of other channels talking about stocking up. One of which was Charlie Survival.
DeleteI watch lots of other non-frugal ones too. 😀
Thank you.
Delete🙂 xx
DeleteMy Mum (a minister's wife) always had a supply of tea and sugar in the bedroom cupboard. Just in case there was a large scale emergency and we needed to serve the people with cups of tea in the church hall!
ReplyDeleteI bet it was always appreciated when needed. 😀
DeleteI don’t really have a huge stick of anything but will make a list of useful foods eg beans, tinned fruit for my next shop. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI definitely need to get some baked beans, I couldn't believe that I had none at all in stock. 😬
DeleteI always kept a good stock cupboard, even when we lived in the narrow boat but once we moved into the flat Steve insisted on taking over control of the food shop (and purchased mainly beer). Now I'm on my own I've re-stocked my cupboards, I have to have a supermarket delivery and I'm trying to go as long as possible between deliveries.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are really enjoying your new found freedom. I enjoy reading about yours and Beano's new life. I remember the relief when I left my first husband and struck out on my own. I didn't have a dog, just four cats. 😀
DeleteSpaghetti with everything?
ReplyDeleteI'd have to be really starving to eat cold baked beans, although I can eat 'cold' peanut butter quite easily!
Snap, I much prefer my beans hot and on crispy toast. Peanut butter, that's something that I should add to my shopping list. Luckily Alan doesn't like it, so I can stick my finger in the jar anytime. 😄
DeleteOne of the things I remember most about visiting Clouds Hill, where Lawrence of Arabia lived in Dorset, was hearing about him (or reading it) leaning on his mantlepiece and eating baked beans cold from the tin. I would have to be fairly desperate to do that!
DeleteHaha, me too. I didn't realise that he lived in Dorset. 😀
DeleteYes, he was posted there and lived near Bovington Tank Museum. He was also killed (some still say murdered) on a nearby lane on his motorbike.
DeleteMy husband was on charge of food shopping during the previous covid years; he always had a reserve of food tucked away, comes of growing up in an isolated hill farm which usually got snowed in every winter. I'm city born and do the grocery ordering now... so our stock pile is a bit small...
ReplyDeleteMaybe just build on it slightly, if you have the space. 🙂
DeleteNo stock-piling here, at least, not consciously. Having a large-ish family, I acquired the habit of 'making sure' early on and it hasn't left me,even though the children have.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to get into the habit of not buying for a full family isn't. 😄
DeleteWe haven't done any deliberate stocking up but we do have a supply of staples that we draw from over time, and I always try to eat the oldest first. Occasionally, like you, I come across "expired" food that doesn't really expire.
ReplyDeleteAs long as I have a good supply of my basics I am happy. Coffee, pasta and tinned tomatoes are always first on the list. 😄
DeleteI try to keep a nice supply of... everything, just in case. We live in rural area, and it is not unheard of the roads been blocked by trees or broken tanks (there's a military practice area next to us). So it's easier, if I don't live from hand to mouth. I made a little stockpile check on the other day. We were running out of sugar (bought 6kgs), but I might need to buy vegetable oil, salt (sea salt for preserving), white rice and flour. Maybe tuna, too. Otherwise we would be fine for weeks... Oh, catfood and dog kibbles! Can't forget those. And matches, I do have several boxes left, but I would feel more safe with at least two more whole packages (10 boxes in one package).
ReplyDeleteGosh no, you can never forget the pet food. Ginger would never forgive us if we didn't have his Science Plan and Whiskas dried cat food. He's happy with a tin of tuna every now and then, but he loves his dried nibbles.
DeleteYes, we do have a stash of supplies, including non edibles like candles and matches.
ReplyDeleteI know some folk get a bit sniffy about it but we feel, as long as none of it is wasted, there are plenty of reasons why thinking ahead is a positive thing.
Alison in Devon x
Definitely. I always try to rotate my stock putting new purchases at the back ... but I seem to have been lacksadaisical with my spaghetti rotations. 😄
DeleteAlison, I shall have to put up a photo of my candle box with candles and matches - the candles I inherited from my mum and she died 19 years ago now.
ReplyDeleteThe older they are the longer they burn, like old soap gets longer lasting with age. I have never gone more than 19years though!! 😄
DeleteToilet rolls!! I usually have a new pack of 9 toilet rolls (spare, which is replaced as soon as it's opened. Might increase rhe number of packs - I'd hate to run out!
ReplyDeleteYes definitely, remember the Covid years!! 😬 I might buy myself a spare pack if they come on offer again, even though I bought some recently.
DeleteI've just done a very major top up as time was due to look at the stores; reckon three months with the exception of bread, spread & cheese.
ReplyDelete