Stocking Up Motivation and Goals

Some of the best advice I ever received for being a good home manager was to run my home like a business, but with a lot more love! After being raised in the business world in my family's business, attending business school, and working in the world of supply chain management for 5 years I find this advice very practical! I take the tools I used in supply purchasing and planning and apply them to my home management practices!

Two weeks ago I shared pictures of my disorganized and partially stocked pantry. That was so we could move onto what comes after the shopping strategy because after all, you need a place to put stuff!

I confessed I had to change my shopping strategies as we moved and was trying to balance saving money and meeting my family needs as best I could, and I also talked about getting stocked up again, or at least working towards that. But a key part of stocking up for me is knowing why I am doing it. Yes, there is the argument that it is just common sense, but I like to plan stuff out, so I decided I need more detain than that to plan.

All companies have stocking goals and they usually start with conflicting goals like low inventory and never miss a customer shipment. Fortunately my goals and reasons are not conflicting...except that pesky stay in budget one!

So here are my reasons for wanting a well stocked pantry, freezer, and even fridge.

1. I would like to be only buying food items on sale - therefore I would like to have enough on hand to make it to the next sale. In a perfect world every item I buy at the grocery store was on sale and had a coupon.
   
2. It is important to me to be somewhat prepared for life's little emergencies - someone gets sick, life gets crazy, there is an unexpected expense. I would like to have food on hand to make meals to get through these crunches. Not to say there would not be an emergency trip for milk, but running in for milk is one thing, running in with a huge list is another. (Although buying milk at Costco definitely leaves us wiggle room here too).
   
3. We would like to be able to say yes when the call comes out for snacks for Sunday morning or someone needs a meal. I can do that better if I have what I need on hand!
4. We want to do a better job of hospitality, and it is much easier for us to offer the invitation or say yes when there is not a special trip to the store required.
5. We get snow and ice storms here - plan ahead so we are not one of those families in the grocery store frantically stocking up before the storm hits!
6. Be able to put off going to the store because we have more important things to do. There are some weeks I just don't want to go to the store. Sometimes we have lots planned, and sometimes I am just needing a break or the sales are lackluster and just do not warrant a trip.
7. We have one car, and I love that! But it does make errand running require some creativity sometimes!
8. Okay, here is the truth I have been hinting at. I just don't like grocery shopping. Going once a week is really my limit. I do like Costco, but the grocery store? Not so much. Having a healthy pantry definitely makes this dislike easier to manage!

Okay, I confessed my foibles and goals, how about you? What makes you want to stock your fridge, freezer and pantry?


Next week more concrete plans to make these goals happen and these motivations work.


Series:
Part 1: New Shopping Strategy
Part 2: New Shopping Strategy Part 2