Garage Stockpile Organization

OMG…..wow….what….how did you do this? That’s the question I get when people enter our garage. Stockpiling started for me when I first watched the infamous TLC Extreme Couponing show. Instantly, I became motivated. It’s amazing to watch people walk into a store and come out paying $4.57 for $900.00 worth of groceries. That’s when I knew I had to make a change.   Now…  that I got this couponing thing down, I’m on a roll with getting deals and my stockpile is getting bigger. What to  do with all of this? It’s wise to consider a plan to store all of your items.

When I first started couponing, I thought I had it all under control. With all of the excitement, I ran out before doing my research and bought the wrong type of shelving. Here’s an old pic when I first started. As you can see the shelving was starting to warp due to the weight of the products.

  If your considering stockpiling sturdy shelving in my opinion it’s a must due to trial and error from the previous picture. I think of my stockpile as an investment. With all of the money saved building my stockpile it was  a wise investment to purchase a sturdy shelving unit. This is the  shelving unit we have. You can purchase one similar at Lowe’s Improvement for $49.00. If your military retired or active duty, you get an additional 10% off.    The convenience, of always having your household essentials is that you never have to make an unplanned trip to the store. Economically, stocking up when prices are low helps to reduce your monthly grocery budget. Get Creative! If your space is limited or if your on a budget, small items like what you see here can also be stored in bins, decorative baskets and boxes you can purchase from Michael’s craft stores, thrift stores and even the Dollar Stores.   Using a pegboard is a great way to utilize vertical space. It’s inexpensive and it’s a great weekend DIY. This helps me to stay organized and get things up and off the floor. Here’s where I store my swifter mops. When you stockpile you must be mindful of where you store your products, especially your paper goods. You work hard clipping coupons, searching for sales  protect your investment. I keep my paper goods on the top shelf in case of  a flood or a minor spill.

Let’s face the inevitable groceries prices are getting higher along with gasoline prices. Non -perishable items can help reduce your grocery bills. Stockpiling will change your life for the better. The overall  purpose of stockpiling is to save money.

Here you see I have my soft drinks sitting on a sheet of plywood hubby cut for me.” Why you asked? ” I’m no EXPERT!  Cement floors have chemicals and natural gases that can get into your food or drinks.  You want to make sure to keep drinks up and off the floor and keep them away from gasoline and pesticides. Protect yourself as well as your products.

 Due to the heat and humidity, here are some of the things that I do not store in my garage. Like, I said before I’m not an expert. It’s trial and error and wish. that I would have paid more attention in 7th grade science class.

 Do not store:

                             Candles                                                                         Lotion

                             Batteries (may swell or explode)                         Medicine

                             Toothpaste                                                                  Diapers

                             Aerosol Cans                                                               Makeup

                             Canned Foods, Boxed, etc. (you may have issue with pest)

 

Pantry items like laundry detergents,dish soap, and dishwasher detergents do not have expiration dates, so there’s not much maintenance involved with these products.   Here are my freezers. We have five only two are shown here but, We keep four in our garage. One is for ice cream, ice pops, ice cream cakes etc. Another freezer chest if for my hubby’s fish when he goes fishing. The other one is a stand up fridge that we use often for large platters of food, wine, and sheet cakes when we have gatherings.