Grocery stockpiling 101: Small tips and tricks that could save you money

Stockpiling is by no means a new concept, but with the current economic situation in South Africa, it’s one that could certainly help save you some hard-earned rands. The pandemic has left many with enormous pay cuts or no income at all, and by learning how to be a bit more thrifty with your purchases, you can enjoy a great level of financial freedom and flexibility.

A private Facebook group that was set up a number of years ago to help families save money has seen enormous growth in the last year and its founder, Ncumisa Fandesi Ndelu, says that stockpiling is not just about collecting stuff (i.e. hoarding), but it’s also about keeping your money in your bank account and shopping with more awareness and intention. Her Facebook group is a highly engaging word of mouth platform where the community truly seeks to help one another.

It bears emphasising that stockpiling in this context does not constitute panic buying – which is what we saw taking place at the beginning of South Africa’s hard lockdown.

Tips: 

• When thinking of starting a stockpile, always opt for items that have a long shelf life, like kitchen cleaning products and pantry staples such as pasta, rice, pap, tinned food, tea and coffee, oil, dried beans, and grains.
• Check the expiry dates of items to ensure you’re buying them with enough time to keep – this will be determined by you and your family’s own unique needs and requirements.
• Examine every “on sale” or discount sign in a supermarket scrupulously (as you may not always be getting much of a deal). In addition, you should start to become more familiar with general pricing structures and the cost of items. This will give you the ability to spot great deals quickly.
• Space is a factor to consider, so if there’s a room or an area of shelving that isn’t functional, perhaps start creating a special “stockpiling” spot where you can keep all the items you don’t currently need but will use sometime in the future.
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