Please explain...Spouses/Partners who don't like stockpiles?!

[SouthernBelle5]

I (and my husband) don't understand why a partner or spouse would NOT like a stockpile. I have seen several posters over the years that did not have a supportive environment. The way we see it, its FOOD! What's the problem? (We are assuming stockpile is not strewn about floors, etc)

[patriciamer26]

Can't imagine why?? Mine has even started to worry about the dwindling shampoo stock. (And he couldn't understand why I NEEDED multiple coupons at first)

[JulieDB]

My husband hates the stockpile. He grew up in a home where there was little extra of anything. Yes, his mom would buy some extra canned goods when they were on sale and keep them in the cupboard. But as for things like toothpaste, paper towels, toilet paper, or even light bulbs there were just none except for what was being used.

I grew up in a house where there was constant fear of running out of certain things. So we had those things in Costco like quantities.

I do try to be realistic. My stockpile is nothing compared to some of the pics I have seen. I especially like to keep extra canned goods during the winter in case I can't get out. I always keep extra paper goods and although I often buy large quantities at Costco, I do keep my eye out for good deals. Yes, I currently have too many rolls of paper towels and toilet paper but that's partly my husband's fault. He does not understand how organization works. He says he is "cleaning". But what he does is take things from where they are neatly stored and puts them here there and everywhere, mostly hiding them so he doesn't have to see them. He was just complaining of it again and saying he was going to have to "clean" the garage. Yes he does sweep the floor but other than that, nobody could really call what he does cleaning.

I went through the garage this past summer to really clean it up in order to put my stockpile shelves back where I wanted them and make room for a freezer. That's when I found all the paper products. Yikes! I put all the rolls on the high shelf on the wall then promptly forgot about it. So when the the batch of Costco coupons came out with paper good in there, I bought more. My bad.

[IntoTheMystic]

I started our stockpile about a year ago. At first, my husband didn't get the stockpile/couponing mentality and he thought I was spending a bunch of money and just hoarding things in our basement. (The basement is his "territory".) When I sat him down, and explained that all of the personal care items I was stockpiling were FREE, and the food/paper items were really CHEAP, he changed his tune. I started using a Sharpie to mark each item with the price I paid, and that way he could see what we were spending (saving).

Then I had the opposite problem- he became "too supportive" and started bragging to his friends, and I had to stop him. (I like to fly under the radar.) Anyway, I stopped stockpiling personal care items once we had a good stash. (I was worried about expiration dates, and I didn't coupon much during summer break). Now he has noticed our stock is dwindling and he is wondering when I'm gonna get some "more deals"...

[kschick96]

When we were first married, DH struggled with my couponing and stockpile-I think he just couldn't understand it. He grew up in a big city and if you needed something, you just went and got it, plus his mom was never a couponer.

I, on the other hand, grew up with a couponing mom (been a couponer all my life) and in a small town, so we could get a good deal or if were visting a larger city and we could get the stuff we needed, we had to "stock up" because we didn't know when we would be back to "the city," to get particular items we couldn't get in a small town.

When DH moved me to where we currently live (the middle of nowhere) he began to understand this stocking up when it's a good deal and you have the opportunity to get things you can't get in a small town.

I think it also depends on what spouses/partners stockpile-it effects how their SO views it. I have a great HBA, paper products, cleaning supplies, and diapers and wipes stock pile. These are things that don't really go bad or take a long time before they go bad. I also am a person who mainly focuses on the basics when stockpiling for food-flour, sugar, chicken broth, tomato sauce, pasta, rice etc. My food stockpile is nice, but nothing like what others have. I think because I tend to focus on the basics that make several different meals-I get the support I do.

I've turned DH into a couponer and stockpiler! So this is what works at our house!

[Beka27]

We have a tiny house. Three bedrooms. No basement. No garage. So, the issue is more a lack of space. He is supportive, but I have to find creative spots to store things. And at a certain point, we're just going to run out of room. My dream house would have an attached garage and a dry basement, but until then, I have to limit how much I buy.

[SouthernBelle5]

We have a tiny house. Three bedrooms. No basement. No garage. So, the issue is more a lack of space. He is supportive, but I have to find creative spots to store things. And at a certain point, we're just going to run out of room. My dream house would have an attached garage and a dry basement, but until then, I have to limit how much I buy.

I do feel your pain on this one. Ours barely squeaks over 1000ft and we have not attic access and no basement. We do have an outdoor storage building but since I'm in the South not much can go out there.

[jenn09138]

My dh didn't take long to figure it out
However we were married when I started couponing and it took even longer for me to start stockpiling, my dh's mother tries to use a coupon here and there but she just doesn't have the commitment to learning and is always SUPER busy. My mom never couponed tho she probably should have.
My dh is always so excited when I bring home a good "haul" from the store, constantly is bragging to his family and friends, (i used to not like this because i wanted to fly under the radar but now I'm just happy he's on board) ( you should have seen my mil's face the first time she saw it)
I think most people just dont understand why someone needs 100 cans of tomatoes or such but when you sit down and explain to them the necessity of getting more free this week so you dont have to pay anything next week when you need it they begin to understand. Thats how I got my dh on board and I showed him the #'s of what we spend/save now versus what we spent/saved before coupons.

[434Teresa]

Some people just dont like having more than one of something even if they can get three for what one would have cost. Some people live by the "one day at time" saying which cost them more..some pople just dont like having it setting around unless its being used right now. Some thinks it looks greedy on thier part and worry to much abotu what others think when they come in the house and see all the paper towels ect they have...

[peggy47]

When I married my husband 15 yrs. ago he had NOTHING in the way of food, paper supplies, hba, etc. He had a house but it looked like a motel room...nothing personal...if I cooked at his house I had to bring everything...right down to the salt and pepper!!! Fast forward 15 yrs....we have tons of food, paper towels, tt, hba...his only comment is "I don't mind you buying but we have no room." I have 15 packages (6 rolls each) of paper towels and come Thursday (T'giving) my 2 kids are coming so I can guarentee that half of that will be walking out the door....I don't mind...I don't give them money but always glad to help with food, paper products, hba etc.