With food prices skyrocketing, many South Africans are stockpiling their groceries so they may be able to stretch the rand and ensure they never runout. Stockpiling is not a new phenomenon as the older generation used to do it as well. They used to call it bulk buying.
BUDGET AND SPACE
Smart shopper mentor Adrienne Bogatie says this is not necessarily a cheap exercise. "Work out your food budget first, the average food trolley with only the very basics is around R4200 for a family of 4 for the month. This is more than the minimum wage for unskilled and domestic workers,'she says. Be that as it may, it is good for the long run. She warns that space to keep all the products may be an issue for some people. She says you need to be sure that you have a dry, cool and dark space to store everything.This is to ensure that your food remains optimal. You can only stockpile non-perishable items and freezer items. She says it's a thing if you buy products with long shelf life such as canned food, grains and stuff that you can freeze in your freezer for a considerable amount of time. Chef Lucia Mthiyane suggests you freeze butter, bread, pies, rolls, soups, milk. Just make sure to separate and label them. If you didn't know that eggs can also be frozen, here's how to do it. You crack them open and store them in an airtight container. "Products that can be stored correctly without the risk of attracting rats or cockroaches are also a good idea when stockpiling,' she cautions.
SALE AND PRICE DEALS
Going for products on sale and those you use regularly has to be in that trolley when you go shopping. "Two for one, buy two get the third free, R100 deals, buy 2 and get R10 off, marked down...all these are for the company to make sales or lose as little as possible when products are about to expire. Don't get caught in their trap,' Adrienne cautions. Adrienne gives a tip about what really makes a price of a product to be worth stockpiling if it's on sale. She says the sale price must beat 10 per cent or below the normal price. However, there are products you'll have to stockpile even if the price is a bit stiff. Speciality items that are only available at certain stores and the not available all the time such as organic product or specially made.
PANIC BUYING
Experts warn that stockpiling need not be confused with panic buying. At times they're viewed as the same but that's not the case. They say stockpiling is planned whereas panic buying isn't. "Stockpiling is easy to start, it is the accepted version of hoarding, however, stockpiling only works if you are buying items you use regularly. There is no point in buying five or six boxes of a cereal your family won't eat,'Adrienne concludes.
