This is what 25 YEARS of stockpiling looks like: Mum shows off the cavernous pantry she started in 1995 - packed with pasta, long-life milk and a 12-month supply of custard powder

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A mother has shared a glimpse inside an enormous stockpiled pantry she started building 25 years ago in a series of Facebook photos.

She said stockpiling, or 'bulk buying' as she calls it, has saved her family of 10 from incalculable stress during natural disasters like the Queensland floods of 2010 and emergencies like the coronavirus pandemic by having food at their fingertips at anytime.

One of the bedrooms of her home has been converted into storage space for long-life foods, while two 1,000 litre freezers - the size typically used in restaurants and catering - are packed to the lids with frozen vegetables, chips and desserts downstairs.

Filled to capacity, she said the freezers alone hold enough food to feed her household of seven adults, three teenagers, two dogs and a cat for six months.

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Stacks of buckets large enough to hold six months supply of dry goods like custard, flour and oats
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Shelves laden with biscuits, crackers and crisps
Photos show the result of 25 years of stockpiling, with stacks of buckets large enough to hold six months supply of dry goods (left) and shelves laden with biscuits, crackers and crisps (right)
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Family-size bags of pasta, long-life milk and party supplies like napkins and paper plates are piled high in one of the bedrooms of the home

'I'm that obsessive about them I can tell you exactly what is in each and where to find it,' she wrote. 

She said she buys fruit and vegetables every fortnight and non-perishable pantry foods and household essentials once a month at Costco, a wholesale supermarket where she is a member.

She also spends roughly $2,500 every three months on trays of tinned food and bulk bags of dry goods at Bidfood, Australia’s leading wholesaler, and bakes her own bread from the ingredients she buys. 

The photos reveal the result of two and a half decades of hoarding.

One shot shows two stacks of six buckets marked with labels like 'custard powder', 'quick oats', 'self-raising flour' and 'pasta'. The containers look large enough to hold at least a year's supply of each.

She said she fills the buckets from individual packets and leaves a bay leaf in each.

Bay leaves are thought to repel insects like cockroaches, beetles and ants who detest the herb's powerful fragrance.

She said she draws from her massive supply of custard powder and almond milk almost daily, using both to make hot and cold desserts, cakes and cookies. 

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Enormous boxes of crisps, cereal and popcorn
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Piles of toilet paper and vats of baking supplies like cocoa powder and candied cherries
Enormous boxes of crisps, cereal and popcorn (left) arranged beside piles of toilet paper and vats of baking supplies like cocoa powder and candied cherries (right)

Other photos show shelves laden with biscuits, crackers and instant coffee, and floors filled with trays of water and fizzy drinks.

In one, an entire rung is devoted to wholesale-size bottles of sauces like ketchup, mayonnaise and barbecue dip.

Another is filled with jars of non-perishable condiments like tomato puree, peanut butter and Mexican salsa.

Enormous boxes of crisps, cereal and popcorn are arranged beside piles of toilet paper and vats of baking supplies like cocoa powder and candied cherries.


Top tips for stockpiling

* Only buy items that are half price or less.

* If they are cheap buy as many as six of the same product at a time.

* When placing them on a shelf ensure the best before label is in order of when they go off.

* don't buy perishables unless you know you'll be able to eat them.

* Cans are easy to stockpile, as is toilet paper and soft drink.


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An inside view of one of the 1,000 litre freezers, stacked full with frozen chips and desserts
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A corner of the bedroom filled with kitchen utensils, pots, pans and plastic lunchboxes

Her passion for hoarding has been passed on to her adult children, who buy in bulk for their families too. 

'As a full time stay home mum this is what I take pride in. This is me helping provide for our family by making sure there is always food and snacks and more available,' she said. 

A woman from Western Australia who was impressed by the stockpile replied to her post with a Game of Thrones meme that read: 'Hail to the Queen.'