Look, there's no shame in hoarding! Sometimes, you just feel more comfortable having stocked up on a certain item. And to show that you're not alone, we've listed 20 common things that many people love to hoard for various reasons. How many of these items do you keep a stockpile of at home?
1. Toilet Paper
Do you remember what happened during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic back in 2020? When the initial sparks of panic first hit, one strange thing that many people did was run to their local grocery store and stock up on hoards and hoards of toilet paper. This instance of panic buying struck the whole nation! But if anything, it made it clear just how important people viewed having this item on hand at all costs.
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2. Food Items
The best thing about canned foods and dried goods? Their incredibly long shelf-life, meaning you can store them indefinitely! Because of this, many people love hoarding non-perishable foods in their pantry, whether it's driven by a fear of emergencies happening or just wanting a stockpile of food at a moment's notice.
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3. Cleaning Supplies
People who love being clean and tidy all the time absolutely love hoarding cleaning supplies like disinfectants, hand santizers, or wipes. They just feel the need to always have something on hand to clean away messes! Because the thought of not having wipes on hand to clean away a spill? Yikes!
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4. Kitchen Gadgets
If you're on social media, you've likely seen the numerous different kitchen tools or gadgets that are always trending. And if you're someone who falls to prey to that advertising, you've likely garnered quite the collection! But sometimes, these items just appear to be useful when really, they're just trendy items that don't work too well. Hence the large collection!
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5. Paper Products
It's not just toilet paper, it's all the common paper products! From paper towels to tissue paper, these items are used on a daily basis, which means it makes sense why people would want to keep a large stock at the ready. As a result, many people love hoarding them, perhaps buying them in bulk from Costco.
6. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Let's do another throwback to the COVID-19 pandemic - during this stressful period of time, it was common to see people loading up on personal protective equipment. But even now that (thankfully) the pandemic has passed, some people are still loading up, just because they want to be ready in case something this extreme ever happens again.
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7. Batteries
With so many of our essential electronic devices relying on batteries to keep them going, it shouldn't come as a surprise that many people hoard batteries at home. What if a power outage happens? What if your mouse runs out of battery and you can't use your computer? What if your remote dies? Batteries will always come in clutch when you need them the most.
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8. Water
Some people just love thinking ahead or are fearful of potential disasters or emergencies that could happen at any random moment. And what's one vital thing we need to survive? Water. So for many of these individuals, stocking up on bottled water only makes sense.
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9. Pet Supplies
Do you have a lot of pets at home? If so, have you ever felt stressed about not having enough pet supplies on hand? Because some people sure do! Pet owners stressed about the wellbeing of their furry companions might feel the need to hoard medications, food, or any other supplies that are meant to keep them happy and healthy.
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10. Collectibles and Memorabilia
They're called collectibles for a reason! Whether it's Pokemon cards, random toys, or certain antiques, people love creating massive collections of hobby-related items. It's just so fun watching the entire collection grow! While for some people it's pure entertainment, for others, it's because they believe these items might increase in value over time.
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11. Books
Book lovers, how many of you buy novels without even knowing what they're about? For some, having a collection of books sitting there is part of the hobby. Who doesn't love looking at a bookshelf just completely filled to the brim with books?
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12. Clothing
Now this is a common one that many people can relate to - how many jeans are sitting in your closet that haven't been worn in years, but you just can't throw them away? For some reason, people develop personal attachments to a lot of their clothes, turning into a situation where the collection keeps growing, but most just sit there being untouched.
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13. Shoes
Same goes for shoes! Collecting shoes is just like collecting clothes: you can never have too much, so it seems. But as you gain more and more, the less likely you are to wear all of them, leaving several pairs completely untouched.
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14. Cosmetics and Beauty Products
Ladies, be honest here. How many expired makeup products are you still keeping around? Maybe it's because of their expensive price tag or because it's your favourite product, but for some reason, you just can't toss them in the bin! The result? An evergrowing makeup collection where you only really use a couple favourites.
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15. Tools and Hardware
Ever walk into a garage and see an endless row of home hardware tools? From hammers to screwdrivers, the hoarding is endless! This is especially popular with DIY enthusiasts who love having every tool they need easily on hand for whatever projects they embark on. But having two of the same screwdriver? Is that really necessary?
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16. Craft Supplies
If you love making crafts, you can never really have too much yarn, fabric, beads, or construction paper on hand! While of course, your cupboards might be overflowing with all of this, craft lovers feel a need to keep every material on hand in case they suddenly get inspired for a new future project.
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17. Electronic Devices
What's the oldest cell phone you still keep around? Whether you've got the oldest iPod still in your drawer or the first generation iPad sitting around, people struggle to throw away old devices, leading to a giant hoarding of miscellaneous tech junk. They're not exactly usable anymore, but you still love keeping them around for some reason!
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18. Plastic Bags
Although plastic bags aren't really provided anymore, there was definitely a craze where people accumulated tons and tons of them in their house. For potential reuse purposes of course! Used to line trash bins, transport items around, or keep things organized, they sure had a lot of uses.
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19. Seasonal Decorations
Used only once every year per holiday, seasonal decorations definitely fit in the "hoarding" category. If you're a family who loves decorating, you know you've got a massive storage box full of Christmas ornaments or Halloween creepy-crawlies taking up space somewhere. They're just sitting there waiting to be pulled out for that one day every year!
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20. Office Supplies
From paper to pens to notebooks and sticky notes, office supplies are a commonly hoarded item simply because you can only buy them in bulk. These items usually come in large bundles, meaning you have to stock up! We can't deny they come in clutch when you need them though, but otherwise, they're just sitting in your drawers unused.
