I find myself buying lots of things that I only need one of -- Keychain flashlights, first aid supplies ( gloves!) etc. So I usually have 3x more than I need at any time. Ideas?

( besides, of course, give it to you

Some things its good to have in bulk. Gloves for example (since you mentioned them). I buy those thin black gloves and put three pair with the jack/lug wrench in each vehicle, a couple in each GHB, one in each tool bag, etc. The thin rubber gloves buy bulk and out a few in each FAK, a few with anything like oil or grease for working on cars/bikes. Matches, lighters, bandaids, etc distribute all through the various kits.

One kit at home. One at work. One in the vehicle.

That way you always have one at hand and if something happens at work or home you have one to have and one to hand out.

I found myself outfitting Art's 3 kits strategy, and then just kept buying - for upgrades, spares, and to make kits for Mom & Dad, brothers, sisters etc - birthday and christmas presents. Peace of mind knowing that they have a good 72 hour kit in their closet. Water containers are another I buy in bulk, then I help them fill up a 15 or 35 gallon container, and store that away.

I'm not very handy at carpentry, plumbing or electrical work, but I can put together a pretty good kit.

My only problem is with things that have limited shelf life (like batteries) and go bad before they get used. Otherwise I just count it all as stock.

I buy a couple of bricks of AA alkaline batteries when they go on sale, and store them in a cool place with my emergency food and water cache. I have converted most of my emergency electronics to AA size for this reason. I have head lights, two way radios, AM-FM radios, several different flashlights in my kit. I use these batteries as needed, and when they go on sale again, I buy more. I do the same with stored food, using it as needed and then replenishing when it goes on sale. The advantage of this is that all of my supplies are relatively fresh, the problem is that I sometimes get lazy (or cheap) when it comes to replenishing things I have used, so there can be an ebb and flow in the quantity of supplies on hand. I am trying to think of a better way to organize so my overall supply level remains fairly high, but still in rotation. I would hate to get into a situation where an emergency developed, and all I had left in my cache was an 8 year old case of canned rutabegas.

I tend to buy in bulk when I can except things that have a limited shelf life as mentioned by scafool. Just bought Doug Ritter's Pico Lite in a 5 pack from Pinnacle Flashlights since it was cheaper than buying individually. Used a couple myself on my backpack and keys and have been giving the extras away as gifts. My friends have absolutely loved them!

Too many times I have found a product to be clearly superior and thought to myself that surely it would catch on and that its outstanding qualities would guarantee that it would remain in production and available. Only to come back later wanting another, sometimes after the first example wore out, only to find out that the design is no longer made. Often that the company that made it had been bought out by some mindless conglomerate that is only interested in manufacturing vastly inferior copies.

If I find a design I really like after sufficient use to show its virtues I often make a point of going back and buy more. Unfortunately the pace of acquisitions and mergers is such, and production runs so short, that often I find what I like to be a virtual one-off. If you find something you like, something you really like, something clearly superior in price, quality or value, buy more of them.

I would add a reassurance and a warning. The internet, and presence of sites like E-bay, means there is less chance you will get stuck with stuff. Used to be a person who stocked up on a specialty item was taking a risk. Yes, there were others out there who might want, even need, the item, but there were few ways of contacting them.

A friend rebuilt antique foreign cars as a hobby. A dealership went out of business in the 70s and he bought their entire stock of specialty tools. From the mid-70s to the mid-90s he only sold a few. There were people who needed and wanted them. But few ways of telling any of them you had what they wanted. When he got online he got into news groups and sold the tools by the hundred.

Lesson here is that if you find something good there is likely someone who would agree. If you bought it at a good price, and you don't get greedy, you will likely be able to sell what you can't use. The market is world-wide and most of seven billion strong. Odds are there are hundreds of people who share your interests and preferences.

The one major exception is, with a few holes just to keep things interesting, electronics. No matter how well you shop, bargain, and research in a year, sometimes just a few months, you will be able to get something better for less. Buying anything electronic is an open invitation to buyer's remorse. With electronics it is best to do your research and get the best best you can for the best price. Then make your purchase, and stop looking. Only buy what you need because your ability to resell the item is limited unless you got a really good deal.

Herblock's Law: If it's good, they'll stop making it.

Also note Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #141: Only fools buy retail.

I say if it's great and you are buying below wholesale, stock up. I've done this with everything from Cross pens to LED lanterns.

Later on, you can donate them to charity. Or sell them on eBay. In the meantime, you have a first-class hoard of quality gifts for every occasion. Believe me, that's a sweet problem solver.

I am with Art and Doug about how good products disappear on you.

I was not quite clear enough about my problems with bulk battery purchases.
Some people around me have a saver mentality.
They can't throw anything out.

When I buy bricks of batteries they tend to put a new battery into whatever device they are using and after using it a bit put the partly used, or even dead, battery back into the box with the new ones.
I then end up with a box half full of half dead batteries and half full of fresh batteries. Often the dead ones corrode.

It is one of the reasons I have gone mostly to rechargeable batteries. Rechargeables are usually stored dead.

After watching a recent episode of Alton Brown's "Good Eats" on food network, I went seeking a bulk load of Barley. I found a 25 lb bag on sale for $11.50, so now I have all the barley I will need for a while. I put it with my bulk loads of rice, beans, peas and other such items that will take me the next 5 years to consume.

Perhaps you could use some up by combining it with hops, water, and yeast...
-Blast

I like the way you think.