Comments (79)

1. Condoms! Specifically, Inspirals, which I buy in truckloads.

   posted by Ray on 2-13-2008 at 4:14 am

2. Trader Joes did the same thing to me… Ginger snap cookies with a lemon filling… to die for! Discontinued! My back up must have is the new Ocean Spray Diet juices. YUM. Please oh please don’t take them away!

   posted by Alison on 2-13-2008 at 4:15 am

3. Tabasco mayonaise and the two Tabasco mustards! Yum!!!

   posted by Jill on 2-13-2008 at 5:30 am

4. I have full, unwrapped cigarette packs stashed all over the place – in the car, freezer, in my desk at work. Never know when you’ll run out and not get a chance to get more.

   posted by Tim on 2-13-2008 at 6:03 am

5. Toilet paper.
   Paper towels.
   Canned beans, black, kidney, etc.
   Canned tomotao products.
   Pasta.
   Coffee.
   Shaving cream (I shave my head so running out is like someone else running out of shampoo and conditioner or gel, mousse, hairspray).
   Razor blades (see above).
   Beer, wine, Scotch.

   Spare tubes (you can never have too many).
   Water bottles (I have dozens).
   Rags (pounds and pounds).

   posted by fixedgear on 2-13-2008 at 6:27 am

6. musk-scented Speed Stick deodorant! It’s the only kind that smells ‘natural’ (somehow) on me, and it is not available in all stores, so I usually buy out a drugstore when I find it. And of course people think I’m weird. And I am, but that’s another story.

   posted by comfyactor on 2-13-2008 at 6:44 am

7. I wish I’d thought of stockpiling shoes.

   I miss the Merrell city hiking shoes I wore backpacking across the country. They “disappeared” soon after I returned home (that’s how comfy they were).

   Anyway, I got new ones, but they’re an upgraded version, and an entirely different colour. Definitely not the same.

   posted by K on 2-13-2008 at 6:48 am

8. I don’t even have irregular feet and I buy backup shoes. If they feel right…don’t take a chance of having them discontinued. Not only does it apply to shoes but it also applies to jeans…man, good jeans are hard to find.

   During the “New Coke” era, a friend bought enough “Original Coke” that it lasted until they pulled the new Coke and replaced it with original Coke.

   posted by Del on 2-13-2008 at 7:00 am

9. I always buy a ton of the same kind of drawing pencil, Sanford-Design Ebony. I go through them pretty quickly. I even went as far as buying a pencil extender I saw in Little Tokyo one day so I can make them last a few days longer. I think I’d be very upset if they ever stopped making it. At least I’ve got backups til about 2009.

   posted by ArtF on 2-13-2008 at 7:05 am

10. David, I like your back-ups system of buying your favorite toothpaste, shaving cream, deodorant, etc. I used to do this but it didn’t work for me. See, I’d just be content using the back-up and forget to buy a new one. SO, I started backing up with suitable yet horrible replacements. For example, the $1 stick of deodorant my mom sent me about a year ago will get me to go out in less than a day and buy a new stick of degree. OR, the baby powder scented shaving cream that I use as my crummy back-up. It makes my hands REEK of fake baby powder for the whole day after using it to shave my legs. I also will only use that once or twice before I’m fully stocked on Gillette sensitive skin again.

    Although once I left it (the baby powder shaving cream) on the counter next to my toilet to remind myself to buy more (I had just moved) and the cable guy apparently used my bathroom, felt bad for stinking it up, and thought it was air freshener… I came home to find pink foam all over my ceiling and the room smelled like baby powder… it took me a few hours to figure out what happened. Maybe that’s why I hate the scent.

    This can has lasted me through 3 moves and 4 years.

    posted by Kelly J on 2-13-2008 at 7:18 am

11. u gotta check out a new balance store. they are awsome, the people are actually trained to fit a shoe to your foot. other places have 15 year olds that give you dirty looks if you try on more than 2 pair, i seriously tried on about 20 pair before they got me the perfect set. turns out i have high archs. anyway, they have like every size and every width. it was a whole new shoe experience for me and wanted to pass it on :D

    posted by Chuck on 2-13-2008 at 7:23 am

12. I have backup shoes, too. ‘Earth Spirit’ brand sandals from Walmart – I have at least 6 or 8 pairs new in their unopened boxes.

    posted by Greg Steinmayer on 2-13-2008 at 7:25 am

13. See, the backup system doesn’t really work for me. I’m a big believer in trying new things (my New Year’s resolution was to try at least one new thing a week), so by the time I get done with something I’m ready to try a different version. Toothpaste, shampoo, mustard – I’m always looking for a newer or better version of what I’ve already tried. I guess if I did have the urge to start backing up my favorite stuff, I’d probably start with Great Value brand ketchup, Pantene scrunching gel, Dove deodorant, and Pink Lemonade Snapple (which is almost impossible to find).

    posted by ba on 2-13-2008 at 7:37 am

14. I don’t have any yet, but I need to figure out a way of buying one or more backup VCRs. The ones with the “cable-ready” tuners on them. They don’t make them anymore! I tape 20-30 hours of TV shows, across four VCRs, each week. But the only devices you can buy that are tuner-equipped anymore are DVD recorders. They don’t work for what I need to do.

    Don’t tell me to use the DVR that the cable company gave me. That’s only good for two programs at once, and sometimes I need three. Plus, I can’t tape a show in one room and play it back in another.

    The VCR technology that has worked fine for decades is now, all of a sudden, obsolete…for no good reason whatsoever!

    I’m keeping my eye out for cable-ready VCRs. There are a few out there, but they’re refurbs. Can’t get a new one!!

    posted by Mike on 2-13-2008 at 7:41 am

15. I buy plain t-shirts in bulk. If I find a cut that looks really good, i’ll buy it in every color ( and sometimes 2 each). After getting washed, some shirts bunch and never fit the same (like gap shirts). This way i’m covered and I know its quality.

    posted by Melanie on 2-13-2008 at 7:47 am

16. I have a friend who keeps a vast supply of low top Chuck Taylors under his bed in pretty much every color they make them in. He’s a lawyer, so most of the time he’s wearing dress shoes and I can’t imagine that he’s burning through the Chucks that fast, but I guess he just likes to be prepared.

    posted by Stacy on 2-13-2008 at 7:52 am

17. My favorite oatmeal in the world is McCann’s Irish Instant Oatmeal (makes the old guy with the white hair’s oatmeal taste like wallpaper paste). Problem is it is now hard to find (my local grocery used to carry it but no more). So when I see it I buy up as much as I can get. I know, who gets jazzed up about oatmeal?

    posted by JaneM on 2-13-2008 at 8:02 am

18. The only backup I can think of in my house is ammunition. I go to the shooting range every couple months for fun, but I always leave one box of ammo at the house. One time I blew through all my ammunition in one day, then I knew all night that someone would break in that night.

    But what do you expect, I am a Texan.

    posted by Witty Nickname on 2-13-2008 at 8:10 am

19. I live in Eastern Eur where it can be incredibly hard to find what you need when you need it; SO- my back-ups are:
    dental floss (Oral B Satin floss- doesn’t shred in my teeth)
    panty-liners and tampons (haha- not everyone has that problem but well… it’s pretty major- and finding something decent can be nearly impossible- in fact, my t’pon supply still comes from the States because they don’t sell Playtex over here)
    bras (I hate hunting for a decent one and when I find something that works, I go back and buy them out)
    Kleenex brand well kleenex
    popcorn
    peanut butter

    posted by ann on 2-13-2008 at 8:15 am

20. Mike – check your friendly neighborhood pawn shop for VCR’s. I’ve had some luck shopping there for stuff, and it’s almost always new and in pretty good shape.

    As for me, there’s a small deli that’s not even remotely convenient to my house or my office, but whose chicken salad is the only thing I’ve taken for lunch for going on two years now. (Our office got food from there once, and I was hooked.) So, my Saturday ritual is to drive across town during ‘Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me’ (on NPR) to buy a tub of the stuff, which gets me through the week. If the forecast is for snow, sometimes I buy two. Sad. ;-)

    posted by Roger on 2-13-2008 at 8:16 am

21. I always make sure that I have plenty of Trader Joe’s (or Trader Giotto’s) pizza sauce in the house. Nothing tastes as good as their sauce.

    posted by Diana on 2-13-2008 at 8:17 am

22. the only hair product I use is this garnier texture spray..i bought it when I first cut my hair short and then when it ran out and my hair was ala don king, I couldn’t find it anywhere… finally one rogue cvs had it and I now own upwards of 20 bottles…to say the least, I looked a little OCD to the check out girl.

    posted by Jen on 2-13-2008 at 8:19 am

23. I have always, always bought shoes in multiples. My feet are somewhat hard to fit, and I’m picky. Terrible combo!

    In addition, I am a total brand loyalist. The number of different, and multiple Dansko shoes I have could raise Imelda’s eyebrows. I’m on my 4th purchase of the clogs. Not thrilled with the sandals, so not sure I’m going to stockpile them.

    Other shoes I love: Havana Joe makes a hiking boot with a heel, which I fear they have discontinued- I have a spare though. Saucony Grid Hurricane for running. and Merrell mocs are good alternates to being barefoot.

    posted by E on 2-13-2008 at 8:19 am

24. It’s called redundancy by engineers, and I’m betting psychiatrists have another term for it. It’s what makes me pick up the twin pack of Molly McButter at Sam’s club. Unfortunately for me, I go through it twice as fast, bathed in the warm assurance that I have another jar in the pantry. I hope!

    Remember the Seinfield episode in which Elaine’s favorite contraceptive sponges were taken off the market? The concept of spongeworthiness made her stop and think (when apparently not much else did).

    posted by Tom on 2-13-2008 at 8:20 am

25. Lipsmacker’s Dr. Pepper chapstick.

    I have them planted every where. 2 in my car, 2 at my desk at work, 1 at my desk at home, 1 on my bedside table, 1 in my boyfriend’s truck, 2-3 in my purse, 1 in 2 of my winter coats, and any number have been sacrificed to the dryer gods because of being left in my pants.

    posted by Jessica on 2-13-2008 at 8:22 am

26. My mom loves Bath and Body Works Cool Citrus Basil body spray, but they don’t sell it any more. Once or twice a year B&BW will have a big sale and bring out old fragrances, and Mom will buy about 1/2 a dozen to keep her going until the next sale.

    As for me, I have a hard time finding clothes that fit and are flattering on anyone who isn’t a size 0 or has a mile long torso. So when I find a sweater, shirt, or jeans that I like, I buy multiples in various colors. Sometimes I feel like I’m wearing the same thing each week, just in a different shade, but at least it fits!

    posted by Rae Rae on 2-13-2008 at 8:28 am

27. Schick Personal Touch razor cartridges. I have been shaving with the same razor for upwards of 23 years because it’s the only thing that I can use that won’t shred my legs. I buy the replacement cartridges whenever I see them but they’re starting to disappear. When that happens, I don’t think I’ll ever shave my legs ever again.

    I was at Target yesterday and they didn’t have any, so I’m afraid they are becoming extinct sooner than I had anticipated!

    @JaneM – If you have a “swanky” grocery store nearby, check that out for your oatmeal, especially if they have a “European” or “British” section. Our Wegman’s has that oatmeal in stock, so if you really get in a bind, email me and I’ll send you some.

    Maybe we could start a “hard-to-find product exchange” program?

    posted by Rachel on 2-13-2008 at 8:30 am

28. I do it with shampo, for a while Herbal essance made this uplifting shampo that smelled so good and did what I needed it to do to my hair. I bought like 16 bottles of it… now they no longer make it. I ran out about 6 months ago. I should have bought more. sigh

    posted by Sambo on 2-13-2008 at 8:36 am

29. JaneM,

    If you go to Kroger, they have McCann’s. It is also my favorite. Oh, the deliciousness of creamy oatmeal.

    Cheers.

    posted by Meredith on 2-13-2008 at 8:37 am

30. I have back up of Bath & Body Works Rice Flower & Shea products–they stopped making it but it turns up at their sales til they get rid of it. My friends buy it for me when they see it, too. Got some for Christmas!
    My deoderant is also difficult to find. The used to have it at Wal Green’s but last time I went to get some they didn’t even have the label on the shelf anymore. I stocked up at drugstore.com
    Aveeno Positively Smooth shave cream is also taking up alot of room in my house.
    My mom stocks up on Avon Slick Tints-like twenty at a time!

    posted by Julie on 2-13-2008 at 8:46 am

31. Everything! I live in a rural mountainous area. There are NO stores, except very expensive groceries (not even good stuff they just jack up the prices on the crap) and the worlds smallest WalMart both of which are about 10 miles away. In order to get to anything good, it’s at least an hour and a half drive away- if the weather is good. So when somehting is good, we stock up big time.

    posted by qt314159265 on 2-13-2008 at 8:47 am

32. If anyone is interested in a good aluminum free deoderant (see above) it’s Adidas Absrbent-Deo with cotton technology. It works so well I can work a twelve hour shift as a nurse & not stink when I get home.

    posted by Julie on 2-13-2008 at 8:48 am

33. I remember my parents always bought two of the same board game just in case one happened to lose its pieces or they expected it to become a big time collector’s item one day. Nowadays I always have backup shoelaces and diet pepsi.

    posted by Kay on 2-13-2008 at 8:48 am

34. JaneM – Amazon actually sells McCann’s! I know it sounds weird to order groceries from an internet bookseller, but my wife and I have gotten quite a few things like that from them. (She went through a soy crisp phase not too long ago, right about the time our co-op stopped selling them. So, we went to Amazon and ordered a case!) Anyhow, check out

    http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=Mccann%27s%20oatmeal&search-type=best&tag=coffeeresearch113896-20&index=grocery&link%5Fcode=qs

    posted by Roger on 2-13-2008 at 8:51 am

35. dentyne fire chewy gum (not the chiclet kind); totally missing from stores, all of a sudden. I was distraught until I found a tiny convenience store with a box left. took the whole thing. checkout guy thought I was absolutely nuts.

    posted by shyestviolet on 2-13-2008 at 8:52 am

36. sharpie markers – black
    soap – lemon verbena and nag champa
    toilet paper (charmin extra soft)
    white long-sleeve shirts

    posted by jennifer on 2-13-2008 at 9:06 am

37. I make sure that I always have backup Blistex–I can’t go more than a few hours without it. I’m also partial to Smashbox lip gloss, but Smashbox changed their formula last year. Now I’m always checking Ebay for discontinued shades of the old formula, and when I find my favorites, I’ll stock up.

    posted by Becca on 2-13-2008 at 9:10 am

38. For some reason in Firefox the comments are not completely visible.

    posted by septer on 2-13-2008 at 9:10 am

39. Uh-oh septer – I think I broke it
    when I pasted the Amazon URL above.
    It seemed fine before.

    posted by Roger on 2-13-2008 at 9:17 am

40. Oh, David, are we twins separated at birth? I too have a problem with wide feet but my double whammy is that in ladies sizes wide widths don’t normally start until size 7 and I’m a 6. So, definitely when I find a pair of shoes that fit I buy multiples. Been doing that for years.

    Additionally, one reason I can never get out of WalMart without spending $100 (affectionately known as “another $100 day) is because every trip is an opportunity to pick up more toilet paper, paper towels, soap, Q-tips, deodorant, hairspray and cereal. I now have 8 boxes of cereal in my pantry. What is wrong with me?

    posted by Fran on 2-13-2008 at 9:21 am

41. @Del- ditto on the jeans. When I find a pair that I like on me, I will buy 2 or 3 pairs. As a result, I now have some that aren’t exactly dyed the current hip version of blue. It could be worse though- what if I had bought 15 pairs of acid washed jeans and had to throw them away (or horrors- still wearing them)?
    I have a back up of all toiletries, especially contact lens solution and tp. As far as food- Ragu organic pasta sauce- it’s the only one our family can agree on, and it’s a major disaster if we run out mid-week, and also Aunt Jemima original pancake mix- the one that requires eggs and milk. The just add water stuff isn’t as good, but sometimes that’s all the store has in stock, and it turns into a frozen waffles weekend. :(

    posted by Lebetho on 2-13-2008 at 9:39 am

42. I thought my husband was the only one who advocated a “life-time supply” of various goods. In his defense he is tall, NOT fat, and wears 13 AA shoes. That’s right – AA. Ah, the fun of searching for shoes for him….. If you think finding wide shoes are dificult, you’ve never looked for very narrow men’s shoes. Hence “lifetime” supply.

    posted by Larriann on 2-13-2008 at 9:55 am

43. I have a bit of a running joke with my parents. Every single time they go to the store, they buy a pound of butter. Whether they need it or not. Butter freezes, so they’ve always got a backup. To the point that, around the holidays, when you tend to use more butter cooking special treats, they’d buy 4 lbs of butter, even though there’d already be at least 3 at home.

    Finally I started commenting on all the butter. And it’s turned into a family joke. Every time we run an errand together, they buy me a pound of butter. If they stop to drop something off at my house, they’ll bring me a pound of butter. I’ll mention over the phone to them that I’m going to run to the market, they’ll remind me to get butter!

    And my sister and I have had a conversation about, “what’s your butter?” What’s the thing that she or I keep buying, whether we’re out of it or not. I recently discovered that my butter is potatoes. I can’t ever remember whether I have any around, they keep well, so I can always pick up a few.

    posted by jenny on 2-13-2008 at 10:00 am

44. Recently Kraft stopped producing Postum right about the time I was running out of my last jar. Normally I wouldn’t have bought “backup” because Postum had been around for more than 100 years. Who knew it was suddenly and without warning going to become unavailable? I couldn’t find any leftover jars at any of the supermarkets in the area. I had a mild freak out and started calling friends in various places around the country telling them to buy any jar of Postum they see for me. Luckily my co-worker told me about a grocery store she frequents that sells dented and discontinued items. She calls it the cheapy food store. She suggested that I call them. Jackpot! The clerk there told me that they had “quite a few” jars and that he would hold them for me. My co-worker generously volunteered to stop by the store and pick them up for me. I managed to ho get 5 jars! Anyone who drinks Postum knows that 5 jars should last for the next 25 years. I’m mostly happy now but I curse Kraft for what they’ve done.

    posted by zantimisfit on 2-13-2008 at 10:19 am

45. jeans. I am ‘petite’ so my legs are about 4-6 inches shorter than everyone else. plus I have a butt so finding jeans that fit length wise, butt and hips are a rare find. so I buy at least 3 pair of that same pair of jeans.

    posted by Caitie on 2-13-2008 at 10:35 am

46. Huey’s Burger Seasoning. I used to live in Memphis, and Huey Burgers are the best. The local groceries sell the seasoning they use, but I haven’t been able to find a mail-order source. So I stock up whenever I’m up there to last me until my next visit–usually about 4 or 5 jars. I load up on Corky’s BBQ sauce too.

    The store clerks must wonder why I’m not buying any meat with all my seasoning products.

    posted by Mariah on 2-13-2008 at 10:54 am

47. I don’t buy backup shoes, but if I’m out and wearing heels, you can bet there’s a pair of backup flats in my car.

    But the absolute worst is when you get a runner in your last pair of panyhose. EVIL. I buy them in bulk from the outlet store o.o

    Trader Joes Gripe: Bring Back the Mango Tortilla chips! My life is no longer fullfilled!

    posted by Ashley on 2-13-2008 at 11:10 am

48. Yankee Candle used to sell a candle called “Roses of CliffWalk” which they discontinued and started carrying “Fresh Cut Roses.” The Cliffwalk candle was far superior (to my nose)so when I happened upon a Hallmark that was selling its old candles I bought them out. I ration them out to VERY special occasions. I know it is silly because one house fire could destroy the lot and then where would my hoarding have gotten me?

    posted by karen on 2-13-2008 at 11:11 am

49. Bras – I wear a 36F and they are IMPOSSIBLE to find in stores as most stores only carry up to DDD (sometimes known as E) and even those only start in band size of 40. If the stores even have them, the odds that they fit are even more IMPOSSIBLE. Unfortunately, the last “desperate” bra-shopping excursion left me with the wrong size (38DDD) due to no stores in the state having the right size but I STILL bought a backup because it was the best I could get. People oogle at my cleavage but they just don’t realize how much trouble these bad boys are…on so many levels…

    posted by ummmm on 2-13-2008 at 11:19 am

50. Books, especially Vonnegut, Irving, Helprin, and Rushdie. I have two or three copies of most of their books…just in case.

    posted by Melissa on 2-13-2008 at 11:20 am

51. I dont stock pile anything but I have a funny story about my mother.

    She bought a pair of sandles she LOVED and wore them for 20 years because she could never find new ones and she refused to get anything different (they were seriously gross at the 20 yr mark).

    On vacation a couple years ago she finally found them again and bought 10 pairs in 3 different colors…. after screaming and jumping around like a mad woman and shoving her current crumbling sandles in EVERYONES faces screaming about how they lasted 20 yrs.

    posted by Diane on 2-13-2008 at 11:23 am

52. I’m on my last pair of (now discontinued) backup shoes. Last time I saw them in the store, I bought 5 pairs. The are very comfortable, but the soles are quite cheap; they typically only last a year.

    I also keep backup deodorant, shampoo, several bottles of BBQ sauce and Zebra’s Sarasa pens (best pen ever). My father once found out his favorite pen was being discontinued, so he bought a 500-count box of them.

    posted by Kevin on 2-13-2008 at 11:48 am

53. I used to stock up on lots of back-up items. Now Ebay is my back up. Like I don’t have to have 10 bottles of my shade of nail polish because someone on ebay will always have a bottle or two I can buy if my shade gets discontinued.

    posted by Melissa on 2-13-2008 at 12:10 pm

54. Lipton’s Instant Iced Tea is having trouble in their warehouse, or where they make it, or SOMETHING, because none of the stores carried the original kind for almost 6 months – not flavored, not decaf, just plain wasnt there. She called the manufacterer, and they didnt have any there either! When they FINALLY restocked, my mother bought 10 jars (canisters?) of them… not she it almost out, and AGAIN, they dont have any in the store.

    posted by Sarah on 2-13-2008 at 12:24 pm

55. What size Beast?? Hopefully not mine and where did you find them??!!

    What do you mean “discontinued”–i will have to take up water polo if i cannot get my Beasts!

    Thanks for any help you can give me….I have the same Beast fetish and need to deal with it!!

    posted by Stuart on 2-13-2008 at 12:33 pm

56. Rachel, Meredith and Roger
    Thank you for your tips! Alas no Kroger’s or Wegmans in NJ (that I know of). Stop & Shop used to carry it but no longer do (sniff sniff). I will have to resort to ordering from Amazon!
    A ‘hard to find’ exchange is a great idea! If anyone outside the Tri-state area needs Taylor Pork Roll let me know and I can send you some. I used to cart it up to CT for my daughter but her local grocer has started carrying it just for her!

    Thanks again all!

    posted by JaneM on 2-13-2008 at 12:34 pm

57. Cadbury eggs. I guess it’s not really a backup, so much as a seasonal hoarding. I know they’re disgustingly bad for me and consist of nothing but sugar, but I cannot help it. I love them, and buy many four-packs of them at the grocery store around Easter time.

    They have started appearing on shelves in the past couple weeks–Walgreen’s always seems to lead the charge. Yesss.

    posted by kate on 2-13-2008 at 12:51 pm

58. Pens. I’m very picky, and extra-fine doesn’t always mean extra-fine. I have 36 of my favorite around the house, and if I see them, I buy another package.

    Also, raspberry turnovers from Pepperidge Farm are freezer staples.

    Now I’m worried about my favorite Keen sandal being discontinued…

    posted by Miss Kiki on 2-13-2008 at 12:59 pm

59. I’ve got a solution for your shoe problem. I too have irregular feet and the way to fix this is simple. Go to an orthopedic shoe store. If they are capable, they can make shoe inserts specifically for your feet. I did, and I swap the inserts from shoe to shoe. End of problem.

    posted by G on 2-13-2008 at 1:19 pm

60. Thanks all! I have tried some of these remedies for my shoe problems, but sadly, the inserts only fit in certain shoes. What I have been doing lately is using The Beast inserts that come with the sneakers and put them in a certain dress shoe made by a French company that is wide enough to take the entire sneaker insole! WOrks well, but then I have to have backup of the dress shoe because it’s the only one that takes the large sneaker insert. At work, no one knows it feels like I’m wearing sneakers.

    Anyone use Kheils products? Any men notice a difference in the Men’s Face Cream formula since the company was bought out? The new company changed the old formula and now I’m buying old stock off eBay.

    ANyway, keep these coming! Great to know I’m not the only one.

    posted by David on 2-13-2008 at 1:29 pm

61. Oh, and Stuart: I take size 11 Beasts. They still make a version of The Beast, but it’s much lighter in weight and the insert isn’t as sturdy/supportive. YOu can buy the old Beast on Road Runner dot com. They still carry them!

    posted by David on 2-13-2008 at 1:33 pm

62. @JaneM: there are actually quite a few Wegman’s in NJ, including the one where I shop that is 2 miles from my house!! Check their website – maybe you can buy it over the phone or something and they’ll ship it to you. ;-)

    posted by Rachel on 2-13-2008 at 2:05 pm

63. For me it’s shave gel and disposable razors. Whenever the brand I like goes on sale, I buy as many as I can just in case. That, and plain t-shirts. I’m oddly shaped so any shirt that looks good on me ends up getting bought with two or three clones.

    posted by heather on 2-13-2008 at 2:09 pm

64. I’ll buy back up on anything I can’t get locally and have to have shipped – makes the shipping fee more cost effective.

    For food items I must always have certain staples on hand and will buy large qty’s when on sale so I’m stocked up for a couple months. I get mad when I can’t make what I have a taste for right now becuase I’m missing an ingredient.

    My husband has this mustard from Germany he loves and I found a place in Chicago that sells it. Bad thing is we live in Indianapolis a 3 hour drive away. Well I called them and they will ship it. So we got 5 tubes. Only problem is my husband forgets where he puts the back ups until I find them digging thru the cabinet and in the mean time he has ordered more.

    He loves this mustard soo much there is a small tube at everyone’s house for him to use when he is there. And if we should ever run out we can go get their tube.

    posted by Beth on 2-13-2008 at 2:19 pm

65. @34 — I know it sounds weird to order groceries from an internet bookseller, but my wife and I have gotten quite a few things like that from them.

    Not that weird — if you compare the item numbers when shopping Target.com, you’ll notice that they are similar to Amazon’s ASIN numbers. Not surprising, in that Amazon provides the back end for Target… About 18 months ago, there was minor flap over something sub rosa being listed (though not available) on Target’s pages, probably as a result of a mis-keyed ASIN number.

    posted by k2 on 2-13-2008 at 2:44 pm

66. My running shoes just got discontinued and now I’m in a mad scramble to find a pair in my size online. Damn NIKE!

    posted by Matt on 2-13-2008 at 2:46 pm

67. My boyfriend hoarded 1lb bags of cadbury mini eggs. Enough to last me until next easter. He’ll do it again this year if he can find them. In fact, if there’s a food that I love that isn’t perishable, my boyfriend will stockpile them.
    I hoard Lush products. Especially limited editions that I love.
    Pasta and sauce making products.
    I too am short and have junk in my trunk. I have my pants hemmed, including jeans. Just tell your tailor to keep the original hem, so that they don’t look stupid.

    posted by witera33it on 2-13-2008 at 3:53 pm

68. Just a suggestion for all you Polaroid lovers out there… You better stock up on film now because Polaroid announced that they will stop making the cameras and film to focus on making digital cameras and TVs. Sad day…

    posted by Al on 2-13-2008 at 4:11 pm

69. I *love* Cadbury mini eggs! I squirrel those bad boys away, too! In fact, just like a squirrel, I have been known to forget about bags and then months later find them again.

    I also stockpile plain, fitted T-shirts. Whenever I’m at Gap or Target, I always buy at least one black, one white, and one other color. Those shirts go with everything, but always seem to disappear.

    posted by Melodye on 2-13-2008 at 5:48 pm

70. Kraft was making two cheeses I adored — a Smoky Swiss & Cheddar and a Roasted Garlic Cheddar — that have either been discontinued or at the least are no longer shipped to my area of the world. When I first saw one of the two disappear from the shelves, then come back (for a very brief period), I bought a dozen or so blocks of each and absolutely hoarded them. They are, alas, gone now. *sob*

    posted by Denise on 2-13-2008 at 6:22 pm

71. If I find a clothes that fit right, I buy multiples occasionally.

    I really wish that I had backup for my toothpaste. I used Reach Batman BubbleGum flavor, until all the stores in my area stopped carrying. I think it may be the universe’s way of telling to stop using children’s toothpaste, but I want toothpaste that tastes like bubblegum and has Batman on the packaging dang it!

    posted by S on 2-13-2008 at 6:41 pm

72. I have 2 prs of jeans in my closet w/ tags still on them…I am wearing two pair, and when they wear out, I’ll start taking the tags off…I’ve donated LOADS of clothing that still had tags on them…weird…

    I like to keep toiletries on hand – soap, toothpaste, deodorant, etc…

    Peanut Butter is on hand….just in case…

    I am kinda a hoarder, but not the OCD kind…just a ‘jewish mom’ kind…and I’m not even jewish…

    posted by donner on 2-13-2008 at 8:21 pm

73. My main thing is probably chapstick, which is not actually a conscious hoarding, but more a result of the fact that constantly misplace it and buy more. When I moved recently I found 6 tubes of Burt’s Bees in various places around my house.
    I used to buy backup candy at Easter also because I love the small Hershey’s chocolate eggs. Hershey’s now makes the Kissables though, which seems to be the same thing in a different shape so I don’t do that anymore.
    I also buy backup lotion and body spray from Bath & Body Works when I find a scent I like because they always discontinue the ones I like. I probably have enough of the White Tea and Ginger scented products to last me several years! (And true to form, they have discontinued it)
    For some reason lately I always seem to think I’m out of canned diced tomatoes so I’ve bought enough of those to last me months!

    posted by Nicole on 2-13-2008 at 8:29 pm

74. Most recently, Wrigley has changed the formula of my favorite chewing gum of all time, Extra Spearmint. It tastes like a Hall’s Mentholyptus now. Disgusting. I’ve called the company and complained, and stock up on the older stuff whenever I find it (mostly in seedy convenience stores now).

    I also had a favorite beer, Michelob Black and Tan. It’s gone forever.

    posted by JohnL on 2-14-2008 at 7:26 am

75. JohnL: Did you know that Ben and Jerry’s makes a Black and Tan ice cream? I don’t even like beer and it’s delicious o.o.

    another backup of mine: I have an entire package of Penguins in my pantry that I refust to open until I get a new package. I don’t understand why no one sells them in the US (except, of course, Jungle Jim’s which is the best place EVER) they’re delicious and they can be used for timtam slams.

    Also, where in the US can I buy TimTams? What’s with the cookie discrimination!?

    posted by Ashley on 2-14-2008 at 8:01 am

76. oh yeah, and also Thin Mints. Stinkin’ Girl Scouts need to come around more than once a year.

    posted by karen on 2-14-2008 at 9:36 am

77. Vandoren Black Master clarinet reeds, strength 3.5.

    i usually end up ordering them because music stores in my area hardly ever carry them. and when i find them i get at least two boxes at a time.

    and Nutriberries for my parrots. they all love their Nutriberries. i ran out once and everyone had to live on carrots and broccoli until i could get to the pet store. good thing the African grey isn’t a picky eater–the cockatiels on the other hand…

    posted by the creature on 2-14-2008 at 3:53 pm

78. Girlscout Cookies! Once a year sales? Seriously? When I have to get my thin mint on, I have to get my thin mint on. My freezer always at least two boxes.

    posted by Jessica on 2-14-2008 at 4:54 pm

79. Hm. Brooks’ web site still has the Beast available. (I wear them too. You had me worried for a minute. No word on them being discontinued on the web site.) Are you positive about this? If some vendor told you this, I wouldn’t trust them as far as you could throw them. A cashier at Walgreens once told me they were discontinuing Mach 3 razors, which was bullshit. I smell the same level of bullshit here. The fact that the Beast is still readily available on the Brooks site leads me to suspect that they are still being made.

    posted by csbmonkey on 2-14-2008 at 10:36 pm

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