In my book, if there is no disaster (and one isn't expected), you can stockpile as much stuff as you can afford and are willing to store, without me calling it hording. (Okay, if you have no intention of ever using those supplies, I might call it hording, but I would still not have a problem with it.)

However, if a disaster has happened or was about to happen, I think that buying any supplies beyond what you (and those who depend on you) can use within the next several days is not "preparing". I would call that panicking or speculating, depending on the reason for the purchase.

Just before Rita veered away from Houston, I was at a local warehouse store and I engaged in a bit of panicking. I bought two boxes of diapers when I had enough diapers at home to last a few more weeks. (I panicked because after Katrina hit, people bought all the cheap diapers to donate them and it was weeks before I could find cheap diapers again.) Sure, I (or rather my daughter) will eventually use all those diapers, but I shouldn't have purchased that many. Another person in line had two carts full of pay-as-you-go phones. My guess is that person was speculating. The management limited her to only 10 phones, and I hope that she had a hard time returning them.

-Kuovonne