Welcome to the thrilling conclusion of the backstock journey! Part 1 and 2 here.

In this post I’m going to detail how to begin purchasing items for your backstock and make sure you don’t go overboard buying or run out of items.

Why? Good question.

In short, we’re all busy and it’s easy to get house blind to the things we’re low on until we run out. Then we rush to the store when we don’t need to go, buy more than we need or click for another Amazon order of 1 item in a giant box which now needs to go out to the trash.

When you plan and stock smartly, you’ll have a home backstock that leaves you pretty well organized and less likely to run out of something you use regularly.

If you followed the strategy in part 1 and 2, you should have a list of all the non-perishable household items you want to have stocked, how many you have now and how many you want. Using this list, find everything that you have zero stock of and add that to your shopping list.

If you want 2 bottles of mouthwash – one for each bathroom – and you have none, I would go ahead and buy 2.

However, if you want to have 6 bottles of shampoo and you have none and money is tight, just buy 2 today. It’s really tempting to stock up on everything to the max but that’s not financially reasonable for most people.

Tip! If money is rather tight, consider making your first backstock deposit some cash instead of products. There might be a time when you need that $20 for food or gas and having a spare bar of soap won’t help you eat or get to work.

Another strategy you can use is splitting product into smaller batches. If you’d rather buy a $1 spray bottle and split up that Windex into 2 bottles, you do you. Just be sure to label things so you know what you have.

After you get everything on your list up to the minimum amount needed, consider setting a backstock budget for each trip to the store. This would allow you to look for deals without ignoring the list.

If you have a little time, the next trip bring along the backstock list and add onto it like so:

• Rubber gloves for cleaning: need 2, have 1 (Target $1.99/pr on sale)
• Magic Erasers: need 2, have 13 ($4.99 for 2 at Walmart, check amazon)
• Shaving cream: need 2, have none ($7.99 from Amazon, 14 oz bottle)

(and honestly, the generic brand of Magic Erasers is so cheap at Amazon, $17 for 50!? yes, please. I bought these years ago and split the order with a friend and I’m still using them.)

You don’t even have to buy the item to get an idea of the regular cost.

In my much younger days I tried using coupons to get items free or cheap, only to discover that I didn’t need much of the items for which coupons were offered. The one place I did succeed was in getting brand new disposable razors when they offered a new type for just a few cents. I didn’t mind using razors marketed to men but when I realized I would have enough for a decade, I sent them off to my cousin who was in the Navy since it was difficult for his unit to find them at sea. Win-win.

Each trip to the store, peruse the items you would like to stock up on and find the best deals in your budget. You’ll also want to look and see what’s been used because backstock is not static. For me this is a monthly review.

• Hand soap, still have 12+ bars of fancy soap to use up
• Shampoo and conditioner, just opened the newest bottles, should restock
• bandaids, I’ve had a clumsy few months, need more small bandaids
• Toothpaste, almost done with this tube but have 2 more in backstock
• Napkins, still have a full stack since I started using fabric napkins
• Face wash, almost out of this container but don’t love it, look for a new brand

If you’ve started with the list for your family then it’s easy to review and see what you’ve got. And don’t forget to adjust your backstock limits if you find that you’re using something a lot faster or slower than anticipated.

Once you get into this new habit, it becomes second nature to review what items you are low on, shop around for the best prices and stock up so you never run out. It may feel like a lot of work but it pays off when you have plenty of toilet paper, never run out of trash can liners, don’t ned to rush off for menstruation supplies, and always have meds on hand for a cold or flu.

I know this can be expensive so if you have family members who say you’re hard to shop for or love practical gifts, consider giving them an edited version of your list and share that you’re working to stock up on cleaning supplies and toiletries. It might be a great way to get stocked and avoid kitschy crap you don’t want for your next birthday.

Happy backstocking!