How Much is Too Much?

Taking inventory this weekend on the non-perishable goods and thinking about how long what will hold out for how long. Not an easy question to answer. Some for me, some for you, some to trade for what I am short on... Its all hypothetical until its too late. On a tight budget, just collecting enough for you and yours is a chore, but inevitably there will be items you need and don't have or run out too soon. Flashlight batteries, candles, first aid supplies: these are just a few of the items that we don't need on a daily basis now, so it can be hard to guess how many we will need for an extended period.
My philosophy on this is "Buy 'em when you see 'em cheap". No body goes out and looks to buy 100 lbs of candles, but if your out at a Second-hand store and they have a bag of once used Christmas candles for a buck, I buy them and throw them into a "tupper-tote" in the basement. Before you realize it, that tote is full and hard to move.
Second hand stores are a great way to find many Retreat items. You'll surprise yourself if you go into one of these stores with a "survival" frame of mind. That pile of blankets or box of Mason jars that you would have walked right past now become a cheap cache for JIC (Just in Case).

It boils down to Three major catagoreies when stocking up.
1. Would I need it?
2. Can I afford it?
3. Do I have room to store it?

If you answer yes to all 3 questions, then its a no-brainer. If you only think you need one, but they have 2...why not? The second item can be a back-up, trading stock, or a gift to a neigbor in need. Non-perishables can be put away and forgotten. If you forget you have it, then it will be a plesant surprise when you need it.
Some items to consider or give you ideas: 5 gallon buckets, decorative kerosene lamps (inefficient but more useful than a candle), Fish and animal traps, Axe and hatchet, shovels and other gardening tools, sleeping bags!, books (how-to guides as well as intertainment), battery operated radios, flashlights, and virtually any Military or camping/backpacking items.