Creating Storage Space for Stockpiling

I am a stockpiler, and I don’t want an intervention. I used to have a huge kitchen with 12 cabinets, and still didn’t have enough room for all my bargains. I especially love buy-one-get-one specials. If I find a discontinued item I use regularly on deep discount, I’ll buy as much of it as I can afford. End of lot stores are heaven for me, but where do I store it all when I get it home? You may be surprised.

Finding Space You Never Realized You Had

I’ve done some crazy things to find space for my stockpiles but it’s worth it. When I lost my job, I had a 3 month supply of food, which saw me through until I got food stamps. You have to get creative, but if you look around and rearrange, you will find space where you least expect it.

Hidden Space in the Kitchen

I’m sort of like Mother Nature in that I abhor a vacuum. If I have enough space anywhere to stash non-perishables, I’m going to use it. Everyone has cabinets under the counter with one small recessed shelf made for pots and pans. I needed more room for canned goods, so I first made a layer of cans underneath the cookware. When that wasn’t enough, I took the cookware out, hung them on a rack and used the cabinet for food. Pasta, grains, flour and sugar went into decorative canisters above and on the counter under the cabinets.

I have a ton of bakeware that I hardly ever use. I stored those in the attic so I could stash dry goods in the drawer under the oven. If you can’t part with all the cleaners under your sink, put a plastic container of things underneath them and take up that headroom, or buy some stacking shelves to utilize every square inch of available space.

The utensils came out of the drawers and went into decorative crocks on top of the refrigerator and the microwave cart so I could stash dried beans in the drawers. I even started storing the dishes in the dishwasher to free up the cabinet space for more food.

Creating Space Where There is None

It’s simple enough to put up shelves around the top of a room and close them off with something appropriate for your decor. I live in a room now with a walk-through closet leading into the bathroom. I plan to put narrow shelves above the closet doors as storage space. No one ever sees that part of the house, so it won’t be unsightly. In fact, I wouldn’t mind putting shelves all around the top of the room if my landlady would let me.

The best place to create space is under furniture. Inexpensive risers can lift pieces several inches off the floor to create storage underneath. This is better done in bedrooms than common areas.

Found Space in Bathrooms and Bedrooms

There is generally unused wall space in bathrooms to add storage for cleaning supplies and toiletries. In the bedroom, I opted for tall, narrow chests of drawers instead of a dresser along one wall. One holds clothes, the others hold food and household goods.

You’d never know I have such a stockpile. Everything is carefully concealed and covered up where necessary, or stored where visitors can’t see. With the cost of food rising every day, I feel like I need to stockpile it while I can still afford it.

Now where am I going to put all those fruits and veggies I plan on canning? Beleive me, I’ll find somewhere.

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