Why Stock Up?

Three freezers full for a couple people isn't much use in a disaster. The power goes out, and there you are, trying to shovel snow into the house if it is winter (and snowy), or cooking everything you can and over-eating if it isn't winter, or isn't cold. // There's a point to keep in mind, and as with many things, it's "moderation". If you had 30 bags of frozen something in the freezer from last year's garden, and used 10, that should be your target for future prep & storage. Even doubling what you used, thus storing 20 of whatever-it-was is still generous overage, even given the possibility of some changes in what you'll want or who you'll feed.

I lived in central fla a few years ago when we had the 5 hurricanes in a years time. As a general contractor I was working like crazy cleaning up messes. Well after one near Orlando, we were clearing debris from shopping plazas on the edge of Kississimi and Orlando. I went into a publix groc. store to get something to eat around midday. Note, this was three days after the storm passed. There was a generator running, so only a quarter of the lights were running. All the cold stuff had been thrown out allready as there was no referigeration. I combed the isles and found some canned beans left, not much else. Remember, this was a large American city, not a third world country. This place was wiped out, and wasn't much better for days. I remember almost a year later there were still blue tarps on roofs all over that still hadn't been repaired. Well, I wasn't much on prepping before that, but it opened my eyes. I've been setting myself up ever since to be able to weather disasters, weather man made or natural. I'm a practical kind of guy, and try to keep things simple. What are the most important things in life. First is water, then food, and shelter, security, and the list can go on and on. Take water, you have three days to live without it. Actually, after two days you are weak and disoriented, so were down to two. If you drink dirty water, you get dirreaha and loose what water you have In your system even faster. If you don't have an emergency supply of water, preferably with a filtration device, you're stupid, period. It is too important to just hope nothing will ever go wrong in your lifetime. You can go without food for three weeks, the experts say. Again, your judgement is impaired much sooner without nutrition, so you can cut that to 1 week. Not having some sort of pantry of non perishable food is unthinkable to me. You don't need to go out and buy three years of mountain house dehydrated food for thousands of dollars, but you can buy a couple extra cans of something each trip to the store. I'm on a rant here, and don't mean to preach to people, but it amazes me how most take these things for granted today. I'm pretty sure we are on the verge of a financial crisis in this country, possibly worldwide, and I am certain that our government is not capable of taking care of everyone. Having some supplies stocked up isn't fanatical or paranoid, it's common sense, or at least should be.

I agree there's a point where you can be hoarding needlessly. I went thru my pantry and took about 6 trays of canned goods to the soup kitchen as things were near expiration. I was ok with it as I helped someone else and non went to waste. But when I first started collecting a supply, I bought some stuff I don't even really eat, just to fill my shelves. I got three cases of great northern beans. I don't even like the ---- things! My point here is yes, keep in mind some things that will store well, but buy what you eat, and then eat what you buy. As in rotate the stuff. I do use a freezer, and have it well stocked, but remember how fragile the electricity can be in a disaster. Yes I have two generators, but during an ice storm a few years back, the gas stations here didn't have power to run the pumps for three days. Don't ever have to rely solely on anything frozen.

brought up to stock up.u never know mom would say.i can't get my kids to listen about stocking up

I want to stock up also, but I noticed my shelves aren't quite as full. Recently, I changed my eating habits and now most of what I eat are fruit and veggies. I'm way too old (at least in my energy level and other stresses in the way) to grow a garden, or to can or dehydrate. Just don't have enough oomph anymore. So I'm gradually using up the prepackaged food and not replenishing. It finally occurred to me that I could buy a little more of each type of fruit/veggie than what I'll use right away, and prepare the rest for freezing. I actually do have a second freezer, so I could put away some produce. But not sure what else I can do. It feels soooo good to just walk to the storehouse and pick out xyz rather than run out cuz I didn't buy extra.

My refrigerator broke this week.

Ah, well.

I bought things like apples and potatos so that we could eat as well as we usually do: we like fresh foods and the garden is not yet producing! Tonight we had spagetti, the last of the bell peppers, and wine. Tomorrow if I can find where the kids put the butter I will fix hot tuna sandwiches and soup.

Life happens, and if I can feed us by opening some cans I will. McD's is fine for the odd meal but eating there every day would be nasty!

And that is why I prep.

Ok been there done this. We rather have stuff from the Freezers. Power went out for weeks because of Ice Storm. It was cold at night, had Freezers where the cold could get to them at night. We kept and eye on everything. Just before Electric came back on we had started Canning.

But if we didn't have Canning Supplies on hand we would have been in trouble.

big rockpile

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If I need a Shelter
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I go to the Rock!

sounds like Rock is a bit like me--storage also contains lots of canning jars and lids. I believe in keeping enough that I could manage months without going to town. Horse feed is a bit of a problem tho

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I think most disasters are small and localized to a given family. That has sure been my experience in life. I'm no spring chicken and have plowed through more than a few years.

A huge snowstorm or a power outage even for more than a week is not a disaster in my book.

Illness, accidents, job loss. Those things happen on a much more regular basis. I've seen it happen in my family. It happened to my family when the main income earner became ill and needed daily care...meaning there was no income for over 18 months. Now THAT is a disaster. There can be all the food in the world in the grocery store but if you don't have the means to buy it's of no use. If you don't have the means to pay an electric bill or purchase propane for months on end...THAT is a disaster.

The savings were used to pay for things that needed paying for. Medical insurance. The electric bill. That sort of thing. I could not have made it through without all the canned goods and things I had purchased on sale and set by for a rainy day. Even with the things I had set by it was still a rough road. But I had laundry soap and food for the table and a med kit to treat other more minor illness and injury that happens in life.

It's the very localized personal disasters that are more likely to impact someone.

I am a hoarder,not only do I stock up on food and other goods I use a lot of but I grab stuff people toss out in the trash,dig through construction dumpsters,keep empty metal cans,plastics bags,etc etc,,,the thing is one in awhile you have "purge" the stash and get rid of the stuff you aren't using,,and make room for more stuff you might use

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I started "stocking" up when my DH and I were college students with a baby. Our tuition and books were paid but the remainder of our living expense were provided by us. I learned that an unexpect Doctor bill or a reduction of hours at my DH's work could wipe out grocery money for the week. I soon had a small overage of items so that we could weather any financil crisis that crossed our paths. Those habits have continued through 50 years of marriage and have carried us through job losses, unexpected expenses and natural disasters. I also can always help my son and my grandsons if need be.

I am impressed by Imrose's relative. To think that someone, of any age, would be prepared to not go hungry for over 3 months. There is a lot to be learned from some of the older folks and their methods, insights on reaching advanced age. Unfortunately, our society gets a lot of its knowledge from TV and "experts" making a pretty penny to tell us how to live our lives, raise our children, vote for politicians ... I'd rather come to posts like this, and listen, evaluate, and share lessons learned from personal experience. Maybe not all the information is accurate but to my way of thinking, I trust it a lot more than other sources.

We keep beans and rice for emergencies and use them regularly. I found out the hard way beans kept too long will not re-hydrate if left to sit too long. I almost always have cabbage in the refrigerator, and sauerkraut working on a shelf. Don't have sauerkraut on hand right now because I got a big clump of hairy mold on top. EWWW... I didn't have the fluid over the top so I think that was the problem.

I remember years ago a sweet lady who had uncontrolled diabetes. She drank a couple of 6pks. of regular cokes a day. She also had stopped moving except for the absolute necessary trips. It is so sad to see people to do things that will lower their quality of life. Or significantly shorten the span of the lives but at some point you have to pull back and say, it is their choice.

If people refuse to stock up and prepare for possible interruption of the distribution of food, or for daily escalating prices all I can say, it is their choice.

Natural disasters aside, you will eventually have a monetary crisis that drains the bank account. Cream of mushroom spaghetti soup gets old on the third day and paper towel doesn't do the job like tp. This coming from a 23 year old who has had a few budgeting mishaps. I will never have unstocked cupboards again.

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Dh asked why I needed so much flour, rice, beans, etc. I told him its our insurance policy.

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We call it our savings account.

Matt

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When we consider the realities of inflation, "stockpiling" really means converting your paper dollars ( which are losing value everyday) into real goods ( which are getting more expensive everyday).

I think stocking up has gotten a big boost in popularity as a growing number of people are becoming aware of our looming fiscal crisis.

Its another reason more are raising or trying to raise a garden.

Twobottom, my sister calls it an "alternative retirement plan."

There are some things I simply hoard. Yardley's Lavender bar soap. Right now I can buy them at the dollar store. I used to be able to get them 2/1.00 not that long ago. I really don't want to do without them. When I am retired they will probably be 5.00 a bar. I might be that I have a "few" bars stashed.

Our semi annual meat sale is tomorrow. Can't fathom the price increases even from last fall.
Stock up, indeed.

Matt

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After this winter I won't skip stocking up again. It was insane.