One of the basis of minimalism is to live minimally, with the essentials.
Stocking up of stuff doesn’t seem to go in line with minimalism.
Is that really the case?
Personally I think it depends.
Items that we do stock up often are diapers and milk formula for Ally. As many would know, diapers and milk formula are not exactly cheap. For us, we would normally buy more during promotions and discounts to reap some savings.
I think that stocking up in such instances is perfectly alright. These are consumables which will be consumed at some point in time, and based on the rate that they run out, it’s quite common for us to stock up to 2-3 months of diapers and milk supply for Ally, or perhaps even longer.
Food however, is tricky. If they are perishables, you might want to pre-plan your meals to ensure that your ingredients are all being utilised before they turn bad (the last thing we want to do is to throw away food right?). Certain items such as canned items and dry items with longer shelf-life could be stocked up.
There are definitely some cases, where people do stock up for emergencies. For those living in disaster prone area, these might be necessary actions during times of emergencies, for instance, where water supply is cut off and food supply is scarce.
Other than that, a lot of other items should be reviewed on a case to case basis. Ultimately, it depends on your level of comfort, and your rate of utilisation. Stocking up does not equate hoarding. It could in fact, save you some time, money and convenience!