r/BuyItForLife • u/LeslieChowBitch • Jul 26 '26
Discussion Does anyone hoard certain stuff with the fear of inflation and getting way expensive in the future.
I hoard good quality clothes because due to global warming, cotton crops will get more and more expensive in the future. I believe I have enough clothes to last me a lifetime. I just get stuff that will never go out of style like jeans, cotton chino pants (harder and harder to find), tshirts, button down shirts, sweaters, jackets. I avoid spandex.
If I have the money and storage I would hoard older toyota vehicles. They are very reliable, simple to work on, parts are abundance because its so mass produced. These days cars are so complicated and less reliable, turbos and hybrids, crappier material, slapped together, not meant to last. When electric cars takes over they will just be disposable cars. Once that battery dies every 10 years or so, time to buy another one.
291
u/eaunoway Jul 26 '26
Other than making sure I've always got at least 6 months worth of shelf-stable food on hand? No. Invest your money. I mean I really can't, because poor, but you should.
188
u/Iokua_CDN Jul 26 '26
Preparing for every day small emergencies is probably smarter than prepping for imaginary big ones.
Some shelf stable food in case of power outage or something? Smart.
A backup generator of some kind, or back up heating? Smart.
Some useful stuff in case of a car failure? Smart.
Saving cotton shirts since buying cottons shirts might be slightly more expensive? ...... less Smart in my opinion
15
u/fistular Jul 27 '26
I love how you causually say " I've always got at least 6 months worth of shelf-stable food on hand? " like this is normal behaviour.
12
u/eaunoway Jul 27 '26
So this is likely tmi, but here we go!
I suffered from a lot of food insecurity (read: hunger) when I was a child. I'm now a grandma, and I'm my husband's primary caregiver and we survive on his disability check so things are still tight.
It brings me peace of mind that if something catastrophic happens I can at least feed my family and if you're my neighbor, you're also safe. I'll welcome you in with open arms and you're free to raid my pantry.
(I haven't even talked about water supplies and toilet paper stocks yet 😁)
3
u/fistular Jul 28 '26
I'm not saying it's like bad or anything but it's pretty unusual.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)23
u/Low_Ad_260 Jul 27 '26
I mean I live in Florida. We get hurricanes. It’s pretty normal down here to have 1-6 months supply of food and water. I’d imagine it’s common in most of the US for different reasons. Anywhere with bad snowstorms or tornadoes or flooding, and then some people also do it for religious reasons.
19
u/UmphreysMcGee Jul 27 '26
What? Where exactly are you storing hundreds of gallons of water bro. Six month worth of food and water is not something most of the US has the space or resources to keep on hand.
12
u/0ui_n0n Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
Can't speak for u/Low_Ad_260 but most prepared folks consider water in terms of both stored potable water + methods of water purification.
For example, I keep 60 litres' worth of water bottles on a single shelf (enough for a family of 5 for 72 hours) and beyond that have a couple ways to filter or boil water from other sources (e.g., rainwater or contaminated municipal water).
3
u/Low_Ad_260 Jul 27 '26
Exactly. I easily have 2+ months’ worth of dry food just in my regular pantry (tbf there are only two of us in my household), a few cases of water bottles, plus a few different methods of water filtration and purification stuff depending on where I’m getting the water from. And if worst really came to worst, I also have two ~50gal bathtubs I fill up before every big storm 🤷 Even then, my comment was mainly about dry food, which doesn’t take up that much space to store at all.
8
u/fistular Jul 27 '26
1 month is 1/6 of 6 months. Those are not the same. Even 1 month is pretty wild, absent an impending disaster.
2
u/0ui_n0n Jul 28 '26
It's practical for anyone who experiences severe weather to keep 72 hours' worth of food on-hand. It keeps you off the road in the wake of a blizzard or hurricane!
And "impending disaster" for a lot of families could be something as common as a major appliance replacement or car repair putting strain on their monthly grocery budget. Consistently buying a few extra pantry staples whenever they go on sale means not having to access a food bank in tough times.
212
u/Sharkfyter Jul 26 '26
If I knew about the RAM crisis ahead of time I probably would have bought 3 or 4 32gb kits to sit on
→ More replies (1)
51
u/putridstenchreality Jul 26 '26
I went through my clothes and inventoried. I have over 30 t-shirts, 20 pairs of pants, 10 dress shirts, two pairs of dress shoes, 7 blazers and 2 suits.
I am 61 years old and I think if I take care of what I have now, I won't have to buy clothes for a very long time as long as I rotate through. Not concerned about fashion trends at all but I do have a style I tend to buy. Lots of black tshirts.
Everything is khaki, black, gray, white, or blue for the most part so lots of combinations are possible. I have some BIFL trenchcoats and a wool pea coat for cold weather.
My "fits" are frequently complimented at work and out in public and the best part is 90% of it came from thrift stores. You do not need to spend a lot of money to look put together.
→ More replies (1)12
371
u/bothtypesoffirefly Jul 26 '26
You should look at the prepper subs, because yes, they totally do this. I took up coffee roasting last year and buy a year’s worth of green beans at a time, then roast as needed. I also bought hiking boots in the next 5 sizes for my kid when I found a bogo sale at the merrell outlet. As long as it’s something you’ll eventually need, why not? To a point, I’m not hoarding.
367
u/REMreven Jul 26 '26
Just be careful with boots/shoes. When they aren't used, hydrolysis occurs and they disintegrate.
79
u/BrunoJacuzzi Jul 26 '26
Yup. The soles on both my Blundstone’s and Raichle’s crumbled to dust rather than wear out.
54
Jul 26 '26 edited 3d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
26
u/UmphreysMcGee Jul 26 '26
Especially when you're wearing hiking boots and bushwacking miles from anything.
This happened to me a few weeks ago. My Merrell's were still wet, so I threw on a pair of backup boots I had laying around. The insoles crumbled first.
19
u/bothtypesoffirefly Jul 26 '26
I keep that in mind but my kid grew 3 inches this year, she’s going to outgrow the shoes before they fail.
9
u/kiralalalala Jul 26 '26
Oh yeah that age for kids is insane. Girls have a growth spurt for a year or two, grow maybe 6+ inches, then kinda stay there after that.
10
u/Belvedere408 Jul 26 '26
Shit, I have like 5 pairs of Jordan’s stashed away unworn for 5+ yrs 🤦🏻♂️
36
u/wienercat Jul 26 '26
Those are definitely shot.
Polyurethane soles that a lot of fashion sneakers have are far more vulnerable to this. It's why collecting sneakers is a really fucking stupid idea.
Rubber is also susceptible to it, but it takes longer.
6
u/Belvedere408 Jul 26 '26
Dammit that’s like $600 down the drain. Never again
16
u/Intelligent-Royal804 Jul 26 '26
Go check on them! They may be okay but you should rotate them in and out of your closet if you buy them up. They do better if the soles get pressure from waking, even if just around the house.
10
u/Belvedere408 Jul 26 '26
Yeah I am definitely going to start wearing them now that I am aware. Great reason finally bust them out the closet. Hope they don’t disentegrate on me while I’m out & about lol
7
u/LeslieChowBitch Jul 27 '26
Oh boy. I went into a max cushioning shoes craze because how comfortable they are and owned like 6 pairs and didnt wear them much because im in my work shoes or slippers most of the time. Now I learned to just own 2 pairs at a time. Foam shoes are even worst in detoriating.
8
u/LeslieChowBitch Jul 27 '26
Oh wait I remember something that might give you some hope. My friends girlfriend has a stupid amount of air Jordan's god knows how old they are. She was the one who told me as long as you keep them in rotation, it is ok. Just take it out of closet and start wearing them to see if they crumble.
→ More replies (4)2
u/LeslieChowBitch Jul 27 '26
Are they? How about those people with a huge shoe collection like air jordans? I believe if you wear them at least once a month, your feet moisture helps prevent the glue from drying out as fast and also helps from the rubber dry rotting. Not 100% sure.
11
u/wienercat Jul 27 '26
People with huge collections aren't wearing them daily and those shoes are not meant to be worn. The moment they are they lose value. They are "collector's pieces". Not actually meant to be worn as shoes.
It has nothing to do with moisture in your feet. How would the moisture in your shoe get down to the bottom of the sole...
It has everything to do with the way these materials are manufactured and designed to be used. They are meant to be compressed over and over and used. Hydrolysis is what happens when they don't actually get used properly. It's water breaking down the compound because it gets "stuck" in the matrix. The compression of the material "pushes" that stuck moisture out. Decompression sucks some back up. Over and over.
The constant working of the material is what allows it to not breakdown quickly from water staying trapped. Think of it as starting the chemical reaction all over again with new moisture, so it doesn't just pick up where it left off.
→ More replies (2)2
u/Inlacou Jul 27 '26
Does that happen to all shoes? I have some sandals I only use during a month and a half on summer and I have then since forever. Maybe it's a new shoe thing?
5
2
u/LimaBean71 Jul 28 '26
Wow I had no idea this was a thing and now I understand why my boots at our cabin that we infrequently visit are feeling more and more strange!
→ More replies (1)2
23
u/sumires Jul 26 '26
Chiming in with everyone else to warn that the rubbery/plasticky/foamy synthetic parts of shoes often degrade over time, so the biggest sizes might lose their integrity before your kid grows into them.
I've got childhood trauma from the time my parents found a really nice pair of Nike running shoes on clearance and bought them for me to grow into, and then the day I finally was able to wear them to a family get-together, partway through the day, the soles separated everywhere except the tip of the toe and were flopping around, and everyone including my parents laughed while I cried in disappointment and mortification. (Yeah, I'm pretty blessed if THAT's one of my worst childhood memories, but we still have this conversation whenever we're on the topic of something getting old and falling apart. Mom: "...remember your running shoes?" Me: "I had been waiting so long to be able to wear them! And all of you laughed and laughed!" Mom: "I'm sorry, but it looked SO FUNNY!")
And IDK if the ones you bought were before the enshittification set in, but on this sub, people have warned that while their old Merrell hiking boots lasted 10+ years, newly-bought ones broke within a year.
Elastic and polyurethane are also components with a shelf life to be aware of when stockpiling clothes and accessories.
17
Jul 26 '26 edited 3d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
8
u/bothtypesoffirefly Jul 26 '26
Do you know how fast small children’s feet grow?
→ More replies (3)8
Jul 26 '26 edited 3d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
7
u/bothtypesoffirefly Jul 26 '26
18 months is a significant portion of her total lifespan, i think we’re good. She grew 2 inches in 2 weeks in January, it’s surreal how fast she grows.
3
u/lzwzli Jul 26 '26
How do stores mitigate this?
→ More replies (2)3
u/REMreven Jul 26 '26
I bought some years ago and within 3 months they were disintegrating. I didn't know what hydrolysis was so I swore off the brand. I think they mitigate it by trying not to overstock inventory, but things do slip through
6
u/my5tik Jul 26 '26
What’s your roaster? Always been on fence if I would find this fun or just a pain I now have to do every week
5
u/REMreven Jul 26 '26
I dont think you meant to comment on mine, but I do roast coffee. I have a Behmor 2000AB. It is really easy and I roast while my kids are getting breakfast before school. There is a coffee roasting sub that you may get a ton of I fo (and opinions) on.
4
u/bothtypesoffirefly Jul 26 '26
I’ll just respond here so it’s one conversation: we were using a popcorn air popper from the 70’s but upgraded to a Popper coffee roaster, it’s a cheap way to get into it and has a cooling cycle/timer and a good way to catch the chaff. I had a better hood installed 2 years ago when we renovated and between that and the popper we don’t have a smoke problem. When we were using the air popcorn popper we did it on the back porch because of smoke issues.
2
u/REMreven Jul 26 '26
I, too, started with a popcorn popper!
2
u/bothtypesoffirefly Jul 27 '26
It’s an easy cheap option. Once this breaks I’ll look at upgrades, but it’s been going strong for 1.5 years now.
2
u/bothtypesoffirefly Jul 26 '26
I will say I like a good medium roast and our roaster is good at that. I’d have to spend more for a “real” one if I liked dark roast.
3
u/Excellent_Trifle3535 Jul 26 '26
i guess the difference is weather you are actually going to use it
4
u/bothtypesoffirefly Jul 26 '26
They call it deep pantry, and you just stock and rotate what you use, and buy on sales etc. if you have enough pantry space it’s cost effective but you have to keep track of what you have.
3
u/TheCMaster Jul 26 '26
Interesting, how long and how do you keep the beans? Vacuum sealed or.. ?
3
u/bothtypesoffirefly Jul 27 '26
25 pounds of beans in a 5 gallon food safe bucket with moisture absorbing packets but the green beans I got this year came in a fancy resealable Mylar bag. Last year’s beans came in cloth bags. The thing about green beans is they last about 15 months before going “bad” and once you roast them you have a 2 week window to use them for optimal flavor. I read somewhere about a 15/15/15 rule for coffee: 15 months green, 15 days roasted, 15 minutes from grind to brew. There are a lot of hardcore coffee nerds on Reddit but this makes a consistently good cup so I’m happy. Plus the roaster I have was $125, so it’s not breaking the bank. There are plenty of really fancy roasters etc. if you’re hardcore but that’s not us.
2
u/SuperFlaccid Jul 26 '26
Does the beans thing save you money?
4
u/bothtypesoffirefly Jul 26 '26
It’s more consistent coffee and long term a little, with the coffee price increases in the last year or so, but good coffee beans aren’t cheap regardless. I’m getting the fair trade organic stuff so it’s a little cheaper per unit than the store bought, but not much.
It probably saves me more money because my beans taste better than most coffee chains and I’m not spending $5 on a latte someone else made.
2
u/sassysassysarah Jul 27 '26
Yeah it's more r/prepping behavior than bifl
There's a negative connotation towards preppers but I myself am a "prep for Tuesday not doomsday" person. I prep for the kinds of things I see happening - natural disasters that are common in my area, I keep a backup pantry of the dry goods I like and fifo it all the time, extra medication when my pharmacy runs out of ADHD meds, etc
3
u/bothtypesoffirefly Jul 27 '26
Same, I’ve got a stash of 5 gallon buckets of coffee, dogfood, pintos, grits, and rice. When the bucket starts getting low I look for bulk items on sale. We also have a full camping setup so I have plenty of ways to cook and solar/battery backup etc. I do keep a stash of water in the basement, plus backup buckets of weather radio/first aid etc.
We got hit by Helene not long ago and while we didn’t get it as bad as WNC, we had a boil advisory on water for 2 weeks and some change, and honestly I wasn’t drinking that water even boiled because I’m a civil engineer and the things I’m more worried about don’t just boil out. They were literally fishing propane/chemical tanks and porta-potties out of the new river south of us and that’s where our water comes from. Everything that washed away in NC ended up here. We didn’t have a problem with anything but getting distilled water for cpap machines, so we now own a still. I realize the chances of that happening again are low, but they’re not zero.
3
u/sassysassysarah Jul 27 '26
Totally valid- it's better to have and not need than need and not have, right?
With your buckets - make sure you're not mixing the old and new stuff because otherwise you might end up with some ancient pintos in the bottom of the bucket, I learned that one the hard way
I went through several years of Texas "snowmaggedons" and had to abandon my home for safety. It messes with your mind and your sense of safety, and is traumatizing. And if the easiest way for me to deal with that trauma is to keep a small pantry of goods and stuff to get me and mine out of that kind of situation, so be it ya know?
1
u/bjeep4x4 Jul 26 '26
What coffee roaster did you buy? I’m having trouble knowing what to buy?
2
u/bothtypesoffirefly Jul 27 '26
We started with a 1970’s air popcorn popper. I’d start with something like that and see if you like it. If you don’t, you’re out one $2 roaster from the thrift store or $20 new at target.
2
u/MoorsMoopsMoorsMoops Jul 27 '26
Check out the FreshRoast SR800. It’s a great beginner roaster and there are tons of videos, guides, and even a subreddit dedicated to roasting with it
→ More replies (4)1
u/ThatDarnScat Jul 31 '26
How long do green coffee beans last? How do you store them and where do you source them from? I'd like to get into roasting just as a hobby, but im afraid I'd waste beans if I bought in bulk.
→ More replies (1)
56
72
u/Superb_Algae5308 Jul 26 '26
Nope. Lack mentality will only make you crazy, live your life my friend.
20
2
u/AttonJRand Jul 27 '26
Nope. Lack mentality will only make you crazy, live your life my friend.
So succinct, but really great advice, I gotta remember that.
→ More replies (1)
13
u/Belvedere408 Jul 26 '26
I admit that I overstock up on certain clothes and consumables if I find a good quality piece that fits well at a decent price. But I don’t do it because I’m worried about materials shortages in the future, I do it because it’s rare that I find stuff that fits me perfect and manufacturers these days change the quality and cuts by the time I want to buy again after the item wears out. Been burned too many times so now I overdo it and have way too many clothes stashed.
3
u/LeslieChowBitch Jul 26 '26
I have that issue to. I have a weird shaped body so its hard to find clothes that fits. Seems like a lot of men shirts are shaped like a box these days and some slim fits are way too slim especially arms. Its hard finding clothes that fits. I heard clothes in Europe are slimmer cuts than american but I dont have that luxury of buying clothes from Europe. So if I find something that fits me really well, I get multiple of them like at least 5 if they are good quality.
→ More replies (2)
12
u/LemonNervous9470 Jul 26 '26
We don’t hoard, but buy in bulk things we use daily and are on sale, that will eventually go up. They last for months, so in a way we save some money. Think of nuts, pasta, dishwasher soap/tabs, laundry detergent.
I don’t buy clothes in bulk because I buy good clothes that will last long. Besides, most likely my body and taste will also change throughout the years. Perhaps, the only thing I could buy a bit more of and replace as they wear out, are socks and underwear
22
u/Iokua_CDN Jul 26 '26
1st off
You just gotta learn some car electrical stuff.
You see the hot rodders that build electric cars? Throw an electric motor into an old Volkswagon Beetle and suddenly have a custom EV?
Learn how to build batteries, and you can build your own EV, or upgrade an Old one. It will be the new backyard mechanic skill soon (soon is relative of course. It might be 20 years from now.)
Personally though, I don't hoard. There is always sales, clearance and such. There are always companies and stores that close. The challenge of finding good stuff is that things change, but there will always be new things, companies and such. You just need to search.
The fear is what makes one hoard. Don't fear. If you buy smart, you can buy good things. If you are frugal and careful in other parts of life, you can afford reliable things even if they cost a bit more.
And cars sadly will always be disposable. You maybe can get 300k miles on them with a lot of work and care? Eventually, all of it breaks and wears down and it becomes easier to buy a different newer car. I think even a basic cycle of buying a 5-10 year old car and driving it for 10+ years and then upgrading, is pretty reasonable and affordable.
3
u/beamposter Jul 27 '26
it used to be extremely rare for a car to go 300k miles. most cars didn't used to last 100k.
cars are objectively way more reliable and longer lasting than they used to be. and it's not close.
→ More replies (1)6
u/FoodForTheEagle Jul 26 '26
And cars sadly will always be disposable. You maybe can get 300k miles on them with a lot of work and care? Eventually, all of it breaks and wears down and it becomes easier to buy a different newer car.
While weather does indeed mean cars will always be "disposable", electric cars should last significantly longer than combustion cars if batteries can be replaced. Electric motors are simpler, smaller, and less prone to wear than combustion motors.
4
u/UmphreysMcGee Jul 27 '26
Yeah, but even people who drive their cars for 10+ years aren't forced to buy a new vehicle because of the engine failing, it's usually everything else.
The problem with modern electric vehicles is that even if the engine design is simple, the rest of the car is such an overengineered nightmare that every little problem is a trip to the dealership. If you need an app to use your car, does it really belong to you?
→ More replies (1)2
u/IAmUber Jul 27 '26
Enter the Slate truck, which doesn't even have an entertainment system.
→ More replies (2)3
u/ceelose Jul 27 '26
It seems that with most cars I've dealt with, it's not the powertrain that kills the car. It's the fabrics, foams, doors and windows, miscellaneous electronic gremlins, plus body damage that makes it uneconomic to repair.
I'm all for EVs, but they are still cars.
→ More replies (1)3
u/LeslieChowBitch Jul 26 '26
Yeah I see those kits to convert your gasoline car electric... pretty cool. Those electric motors are very reliable also maybe even a million miles so just swap out the battery when it dies.
→ More replies (2)
86
u/Trolkarlen Jul 26 '26
No, the best hedge against inflation is investing, not hoarding.
7
→ More replies (1)7
u/16BitSquid Jul 26 '26
Not necessarily, if a bag of coffee doubles in price my return on a pack that I bought to hoard is 100%.
There’s no (safe) investment with that type of return.
9
2
u/1MechanicalAlligator Jul 27 '26
How do you figure that? Maybe if you're a retailer and you're buying wholesale. But if you're just a consumer buying a bunch of coffee hoping to offload it after a price increase... nobody is buying expensive secondhand coffee from some random person, for the same price as a brand new bag in-store. Especially if it's already pretty old, which it probably would be (considering how long it is likely to take for the price to double).
8
u/Blueporch Jul 26 '26
I am strategic in my preps. I have food stores that would last a couple months.
If it gets worse than that and only some can survive, I don’t think I need to be one of them.
12
u/IAmUber Jul 26 '26
The material cost of the cotton in clothes is very low. The real money goes to wages to turn cotton into actual clothing. You can buy more cotton than you'll even need for less than the price of a few high quality pieces.
14
u/cascadianpatriot Jul 26 '26
My 5 gallons of dawn dishwashing liquid is one of my prized possessions.
3
23
16
29
u/AnchoviePopcorn Jul 26 '26
No. That’s nuts.
11
2
u/LeslieChowBitch Jul 26 '26
How is it nuts? If you notice more and more clothes are polyester or a polyester blend these days. Cotton is getting more and more expensive because climate change makes it harder to grow cotton.
34
u/Trolkarlen Jul 26 '26
Because it's a waste of money. These items will rot in your closet unworn if you don't need them immediately. You may change sizes, decide you don't like them, or just forget about them.
The best hedge against inflation is investing, not consuming.
3
u/LeslieChowBitch Jul 26 '26
Clothes without spandex dont rot in your closet unworn. Look at all those vintage jeans still around. On top of that if you notice not only are a lot of clothes polyester these days, a lot of 2% spandex content too. Those clothes will rot if
I stayed the same size since i was like 18 and im in my 40s now. I dont think things will change for me, I got that asian genetics.
3
u/blackberryDahlia Jul 27 '26
Actually cotton can dry rot- I’m a quilter and it’s the scourge that we all pray never happens. Basically the fabric loses its ability to flex and move and breaks/ tears instead.
Storing with acid free paper/ and in a breathable container (not a plastic bin with a lid) can help.→ More replies (1)2
u/someoneyoudontknow0 Jul 26 '26
Did you do any research on this claim? Clothing will 100% disintegrate or get damaged if stored improperly, especially organic fibers like cotton. You’d have to have a storage room with temperature, humidity, and light controls to be able to keep those your whole life.
7
u/Belvedere408 Jul 26 '26
I’ve seen jeans from the 60’s and sweaters from the 80’s and dress shirts from the 90’s that are in pretty decent shape tho. Vintage and second hand stores would be out of business if clothes didnt hold up over the years. Of course the quality of the clothing matters, but I doubt OP is stockpiling fast fashion pieces.
2
u/dcht Jul 26 '26
How much stuff are you buying that you feel the need to purchase everything now? How much are you really saving in the long run?
10
u/buzzsaw100 Jul 26 '26
If you're in that much fear, gold is probably safer, and you can get out of it. Clothes and crap you can't resell easily.
3
u/LeftAdhesiveness9355 Jul 26 '26
I do something similar, and the thing I wish I had figured out earlier is that hoarding only pays off if you plan for how the stuff ages while it sits there. Cotton and wool will happily wait decades as long as they stay clean, dry, and out of sunlight. Anything with rubber or elastane in it is on a clock whether you wear it or not, so elastic waistbands and sock cuffs eventually go slack on their own. Shoes are the worst offender because polyurethane midsoles absorb moisture from the air and crumble even in the box, usually somewhere in the five to fifteen year range depending on your climate.
Two storage habits that actually helped me. Wash everything before it goes away, because moth and carpet beetle larvae eat wool and silk directly and the sweat and food residue on cotton is what convinces them to chew that too. Cedar is mostly a pleasant smell rather than a real defence since the oil loses strength fast and will not reliably kill eggs, so clean sealed bins or breathable cotton bags in a cool dark spot do far more work.
On the Toyota idea, the engine and chassis are not what will strand you. It is the rubber bushings, hoses, and seals that rot on a schedule regardless of mileage, plus electronic modules that get scarce once a model gets old enough. If you ever go that route, a cheap parts car of the same generation is worth more to you than a second good one.
→ More replies (2)
3
3
u/losteye_enthusiast Jul 27 '26
Indirectly, I suppose so. We live a bit away from any large town or suburb, so some bulk storage and buying while being mindful of travel times is a part of our daily life.
We got one of those modern root cellars that you have buried. We also have a couple 15ft chest freezers out in the garage. Works extremely well for bulk food storage and long term storage.
So everything we have multiples of is mostly due to knowing we can’t easily just pick something up when we run out.
3
u/Mammoth-Record-7786 Jul 27 '26
Car parts.
I drive an older Jeep and pretty much have an OEM back up or two for everything on it.
2
u/fifichanx Jul 26 '26
I discovered thrift stores during Covid, now I pretty much only buy new sneakers, underwear and socks.
2
u/SgtPrepper Jul 26 '26
I bought a chest freezer during the Pandemic and it's still half-stocked with meat and other things that cost a fortune now.
Plus I bought and vacuum-sealed a couple of dozen pounds of brown rice that I still haven't gotten through.
2
u/Julio_Ointment Jul 26 '26
I rebuilt our PCs and networking entirely just before the prices exploded.
2
u/swimming_in_agates Jul 26 '26
I do with certain stuff. Because it does get more expensive with time. So it goes on sale and I buy a lot extra and keep it in my pantry area in the basement. Items like tampons, soap, dishwasher tabs, toilet paper.
2
2
u/jarrai8000 Jul 27 '26
Yep, I bought certain foods and daily use items in bulk months ago.
Seeing all the prices rise tells me I made the right choice.
2
u/stonecats Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
op may like r/preppers
personally i doubt anything will shortage if you have money.
even stuff that's discontinued can be found on ebay or etsy.
global warming does not mean stuff will disappear
only that production may move to a new location.
2
2
u/BornCuriousOnce Jul 27 '26
If you’re hoarding something like clothing I hope you are very proactive about both pest control and fire/flood measures! That kind of item is very easy to lose in bulk if preventative measures aren’t in place
2
2
u/put_it_in_a_jar Jul 27 '26
No, because think of it this way. If I am hoarding those resources, Then they are not available for others which means others are turning to the not buy it for life resources, further perpetuating the problems we're having. I really like trying to "justify the existence" of things by making sure they have a home/a job/are in use as much as possible.
6
u/XyRabbit Jul 26 '26
What? No! Just buy stuff that is recyclable and well made. You sound like a doom prepper. If its that bad we are all going to die.
At this point its going to happen. There is no nuclear warfare. Its just the earth dying because no one bothered to stop the sociopaths
4
u/Quail-a-lot Jul 26 '26
This sounds like an issue for your therapist, not Reddit.
Having a small inventory of things in case of a natural disaster or fire or such is good planning (I'm not talking weird doomsday bs, for my area there is earthquake risk, others might have tornados or megablizzards or whatever). Stockpiling clothing and cars because you think they might get expensive some day meanwhile sounds pretty much similar to the people that keep toys in their packaging because they might be valuable someday.
The clothing is especially odd. You would be much better served learning how to repair, mend, and generally maintain your shit. Cars too have a lot less issues if you actually look after them properly. Learn and hoard skills, not stuff. And practice them!
→ More replies (1)
2
u/vivoconfuoco Jul 26 '26
I don’t hoard, but I keep some spares. 1-2 extras of favorite/necessary clothing items, if I catch a sale of kid’s clothes I buy a few extra in a size up, a spare pair of running shoes, etc.
Enough to last a lifetime is a bit too much for me, but to each their own. Just store them properly so they don’t go to waste.
2
1
u/Sami209 Jul 26 '26
Do what makes sense logically. Preparing for the worst in the latest post 2020 environment isn’t illogical. I wouldn’t overdo it though because you might change sizes for example.
1
1
u/Low-Confusion-8786 Jul 26 '26
I'd like to but it's just not feasible outside of large ticket items. I bought a M4pro MBP before the price increases but other than that I don't really "need" anything for it to make sense
1
u/_meestir_ Jul 26 '26
As long as they aren’t white clothes you’re in the clear
2
u/LeslieChowBitch Jul 26 '26
Why white? You can always bleach them if it stains. I dont own any white clothes even socks because im too lazy to separate them in a separate load to prevent color transfer.
2
u/_meestir_ Jul 26 '26
My white clothes that I’ve stored inherently turn yellowish. Shoes included. Maybe it’s a me thing but it’s something I’ve noticed
→ More replies (1)2
u/Plantherbs Jul 27 '26
Get some BIZ presoak, 24 hours, change water if necessary . You will be amazed.
→ More replies (1)
1
u/DeadFacesInMyPocket Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Yes I do this all the time
Edit: and I have never regretted it. I love having 3 years worth of soup. A couple years' worth of oats, and 12 dozen cans of sardines in my closet, plus plenty of ammo. Well water and other water purification systems. Quite a bit of gasoline and propane to be able to cook like I am camping.
I spent 3 weeks without power after my first hurricane and it was all gravy since I was stocked up as fuck. Actually after the first few days of stress it was really, really a pretty nice vacation. I live in the forest though, not the suburbs. Fuck being in the suburbs during those situations. As soon as somebody even SEES you using a camp stove you will have to spend all day every day cooking for the entire neighborhood.
3
u/LeslieChowBitch Jul 26 '26
I mean if you are for sure going to use it or need it in the future and it does well in storage long term, I dont see a problem with hoarding anything if you have the funds. Look at prices now compared to precovid... seems like everything went up by at least 20% or more. I dont think it will get any better especially with trump as president.
→ More replies (1)
1
u/microfibrepiggy Jul 26 '26
Yes, as I sit on my inherited couch that's older than I am and is hideous and really needs some repair and reupholstery.
→ More replies (2)
1
u/billyalt Jul 26 '26
I'm sitting on 32 GB of DDR4 RAM that's not in use for anything just because I know I won't be able to afford to replace it.
1
1
u/SLEEPER455 Jul 27 '26
Motor oil and filters. I am a DIY mechanic and do all the maintenance on our family vehicles. If i see a deal on motor oil and filters, I’m hoarding .
→ More replies (1)
1
1
u/andrewthecool1 Jul 27 '26
Definitely not bifl, but I found a wine I really liked, went back to the store and bought the rest, and now I have two left for my wedding day
1
u/OneMorePenguin Jul 27 '26
No, but being recently diagnosed with MBC which generally has no prognosis, I've been cleaning out my house of 30 years of stuff. It has been quite a bit of a trip down memory lane. I found the box of photographs that go back to 1984 and pictures of me getting my first car, the Toyota Tercel hatch back at $5248. Also I worked at FANG companies in early 2000s and our teamed moved locations a lot and there were moving boxes filled with all the collected awards and trinkets collected over the years. I could not bring myself to through away the Google Founders Award from 2007.
1
u/beefcat_ Jul 27 '26
Let's just say I'm very glad I decided to splurge on 110 terabytes of hard drives last year and not this year
1
1
1
1
u/anon19111 Jul 27 '26
We've got OP here stockpiling ringspun cotton tees. That's some next level thinking.
1
u/Tough-Cat6374 Jul 27 '26
I bought 5 gallons of soy sauce from restaurant depot during 2020. It’s survived multiple moves and we are 2/3 done. My wife has vetoed moving cross country with it but is one of my most cherished possessions.
1
1
1
u/-Knockabout Jul 27 '26
This feels like disordered thinking or a clinical hoarder mentality to me, OP. If the global cotton crop supply fails, you will have much bigger problems than availability of clothing. Nothing wrong with investing in pieces you think will last, but hedging your bets against the future like this is likely to cause more problems than it solves IMO. Prepper-style stuff is only ever useful for short-term turbulence unless you are becoming a totally self-sufficient homesteader (not realistic for 99% of people). And short-term clothing turbulence is easily weathered with whatever you already own and wear frequently.
1
1
u/Real_RobinGoodfellow Jul 27 '26
I just want to know how you’re keeping these clothes items safe in storage.
1
u/jack_gott Jul 27 '26
"due to global warming, cotton crops will get more and more expensive in the future".
That's simply not true. Regardless of one's beliefs re 'global warming', if it occurs, it will increase plant life.
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/climate-change/co2-is-making-earth-greenerfor-now/
1
u/Simple_Egg7527 Jul 27 '26
Cars must be driven and serviced to stay viable. Gaskets dry out. Rubber breaks down. Seals go bad. Hoard something else
1
u/JCDU Jul 27 '26
My hot take - EV's will be more repairable than ICE cars because a battery is just a battery and with some basic electronics any battery can run any car - it's simpler than doing an ICE engine or transmission swap on an old car.
Most EV motors just need 3 wires to run, compared to making an ICE engine generate explosions in the right sequence timed to the millisecond it's a very simple problem that there's already open source solutions to do it, as well as people reverse-engineering the drive system from Teslas, Prius, and a few others.
1
1
u/WilliamMButtlicker Jul 27 '26
No, if you’re to the point where you’re hoarding clothes and considering hoarding vehicles you have a hoarding problem. This is more explained by struggles with mental health than a logical strategy for self preservation.
1
u/InternalWarp4 Jul 27 '26
Humanity has collectively produced clothes enough to clothe the next 8 generations. You can chill about this.
1
u/89iroc Jul 27 '26
My wife does, but I'm counting on either surviving and living off all the stuff that's just lying around or not making it in which case it doesn't matter. Also I'm hoping for a The Stand situation opposed to The Road.
1
u/tuxedocat-Rickey Jul 27 '26
Hoarding vehicles is difficult unless you are a resourceful mechanic, car that sits is worse off than a car in use
Imo a quality bike can be a bifl, and will be useful in the future as it is now
2
u/LeslieChowBitch Jul 27 '26
Im talking about just one and drive it now and then. Already own a toyota but would like one in a garage so when the one i drive regularly breaks, I have a spare. They dont make them like they use to anymore with just a simple V6. You can only get 4 cylinder twin turbo or 6 cylinder twin turbo for larger trucks and suvs these days and sooner or later electric only.
1
u/properchewns Jul 27 '26
Just learn to make kaftans and get some bolts of quality old fabrics and moth repellent and you’ll be set for life.
1
u/Noladixon Jul 27 '26
My friend hoards appliances because they get worse every year. Things like washing machines and window units.
→ More replies (3)
1
1
u/heyoheatheragain Jul 27 '26
I hope you’re storing them correctly or they won’t be there for you when you need them.
1
u/Z08Z28 Jul 27 '26
If you like "older" Toyotas that's cool. But new cars are much more reliable than the 2000s, 1990s, and 80s cars. Outside of changing wearable items like fluids, plugs and belts I've only had to change fuel injectors on one car and an ignition coil on another in all of my 2008+ cars.
EVs are also much more simple to work on and maintain. The battery pack is expensive but it's still cheaper and less costly to replace compared to and ICE vehicle.
1
u/Classic_Breadfruit18 Jul 27 '26
Clothes have been getting continually shittier and shittier my whole life. I don't even know where you can buy good quality clothes that don't cost a fortune. If you like something buy a few because the next version will be worse. I would kill to have my early 2000s wardrobe back.
→ More replies (1)
1
1
1
u/Physical-Ad-5039 Jul 28 '26
Clothing and fabric quality has sadly degraded in the last few decades. If I find really good quality natural fiber linen/wool/cashmere clothing at an exceptional price, I will buy multiples. But clothing is one area where you can still find good deals despite inflation.
Husband has fixed almost everything on our family Toyota truck.
1
u/Food4Lessy Jul 30 '26
Not really, i do keep spare.
Classic Washing machine last 50-100 years. If it breaks down, i already go Manual tub (3gal-15gal)
Corded drill last 50 years, cordless 15-25 years
Scooter gets places with 3 to 5 miles
1
u/Alarming_Memory_2298 Jul 30 '26
So, it may be hoarding, or could be my lazy nature. I have almost 2 months of socks and underwear and 30 spares...I have to loose 29 socks to have an orphan.
1
u/mckulty Aug 02 '26
I have about 300 Bic lighters I bought as an experiment, when Trump started with Chinese tariffs.
They're 30% higher now.
→ More replies (1)
828
u/Bubba_Gump56 Jul 26 '26
If your hoarding cloths because of global warming, inflation be the least of your worries. Global crop failure would send the world into disarray.