We buy the metallized liners from the beprepared.com site for all our buckets, and the Gamma Seal lids, too. They've gone up in price since our last order, but I feel more comfortable having an extra "line of defense", so to speak, just in case one of the Gamma lids doesn't get closed. We have stocked for years, we likely always will, and the economy is rarely at the top of our list for reasons why. Of course, the current situation does have us evaluating our stores, restocking a bit more often to ensure we're never short on something, and expanding our "list" to include things that might be more expensive in the near-ish future. I'm also expanding my selection of heirloom vegetable and herb seeds and adding some of them to my longer-term storage plans. Properly stored, some of them can last for many years.

Dropping out of lurkdom to second the Liberator wedge recommendation from quite a few posts back. The website is admittedly very explicit, and the models are enough to make even a "perfect" woman feel less than sexy, but the proof's in the, er, tea, kwim? We're up to 10 different pieces of Liberator furniture & shapes now, and I have yet to meet one I don't like. As for toys...my collection hit a high point at about 8-10. Different varieties, different uses, some battery-operated, some not. One so small you could hide it almost anywhere. I'm pretty boring these days, though, as I only have two. For me, it's nothing to do with not desiring my Dh, and everything to do with not having him available for tea-making more than once a month. Dh travels for work and is often away for weeks at a time, on rare occasions months at a time. Tea for two just doesn't happen often enough. If it weren't for my toys, I'd be very, very unfulfilled, and when Momma's not happy...yeah. I'll take toys and do-it-yourself tea-making over nothing any day.

Potatoes aren't a bad idea, but be careful with just using store-bought potatoes for seed pieces. Even the organic ones can carry potato diseases that might not affect eating, but will affect the plants you try to grow from them. Even worse, once you get those diseases (fungus, viruses) in the soil, future potato plantings there will also be infected. It's worth it to buy seed potatoes, which are certified disease free, instead of using store-bought ones. That said, you can still plant store-bought potatoes. Just be sure that if you grow potatoes or tomatoes again (they're related and affected by some of the same diseases) that you don't grow them in that same spot next year! I'm actually considering doing a second crop of potatoes this year, since my growing season allows for it, just experimenting with store-bought potatoes. I won't be doing them in my main garden area, though. My first crop of potatoes is still growing. They sprouted fairly quickly, and grew at a pretty amazing rate once they recovered from some frost damage. I'm looking forward to harvesting them. :D As long as you have enough time between now and your first frost date, you should be fine. This link should help with that, if you don't already know it: http://www.victoryseeds.com/frost/oh.html. Hope that helps!

Thank you, those of you who answered my question. It's been enlightening. I was raised in several different Christian denominations, and exposed to several others, but I have never *been* Christian (or anything vaguely monotheistic, for that matter). It's difficult for me to get my head into that worldview, even for a little while.

You know, that's why I love that my food storage includes my husband's gun cabinet...and that he's a great shot. If they managed to take the food, it wouldn't matter to us anymore anyway. Over my dead body, in the most literal sense. Yes, this person was joking, but that situation is not far from the truth...in the case of a long-term situation, a seriously BAD situation, where the dung hits the fan and our country ends up in the sort of situation you only see on TV, there are some who would turn bandit and robber to get by, and it wouldn't be the sort of person you'd think that was doing it. ETA: I'm bowing out now...I have a lot to get done today, and this conversation is sucking me in too much. I'm off to do some gardening with the small one.

Well, you plan and store according to your location and the likely threats. It would take a flood of literally Biblical proportions in order to flood my area, so I don't worry about that. People who have to plan for hurricanes would be going about things an entirely different way than my family is, simply because the threat is different. I would guess the storage location would likely have to be elsewhere than a basement or underground, everything would need to be watertight, and preferrably everything would be portable for evacuation if at all possible. But, as I said, that's just a guess. My focus is on preparing for threats that make sense in my area -- tornadoes, power and utility outages, job loss, economic downturn. My system wouldn't have meant much in a situation like Katrina, though the buckets would likely still be sealed and dry...just underwater.

See, that's where the stockpile helps, in this situation...it will get you through until you find your place on the learning curve. If you already have the skills, great, and you might not need so much put back. But, if you *don't* have the skills, you will (hopefully) have time to learn them before you starve/suffer. Not to mention, you can only grow food for so much of the year in a garden, and not everyone can have chickens, goats, cows, etc. (I wish I could raise some chicks and a goat...darn HOA :glare:) The stockpile isn't the long-term solution, it's the thing that will get you through until the situation gets better, or you learn how to grow/produce your own, whichever comes first. So (and this isn't snarky) are you teaching your kids gardening basics, too?

My house is pretty new (2001), with a concrete poured basement and foundation. The storage area is in the most structurally sound part of the basement. We're re-stocking our 72-hour emergency kits which include no-cook emergency meals and basic first aid materials, etc, and those are kept in our emergency storage space. As for the how/what/etc. of our main storage... We store in food-grade buckets with metallized liners and air-tight gamma seal lids for some of the more important items -- rice, beans, flour, sugar, etc. I have a 5-gallon food-grade bucket of honey, as well. (That's more for meadmaking than anything else, though.) We are currently putting together an emergency food prep kit in a rubbermaid tub...since we have both a gas and a charcoal grill available, it will include things which can be used for grilling, assuming we're simply without power for whatever reason and still have our house in one piece. No, we're not likely to be allowed to live in a damaged structure, even if we wanted to. My husband has a travel trailer he uses for work, and assuming our house was destroyed, we'd take what we could of our food supplies and find somewhere to go until things were better.

I don't want to get into this one too deeply, because it has been a LONG time since I opened a Bible, but as I recall, the Samaritan did not risk his life to save the man lying beaten on the road. Yes, he spent his time and his money, and those were naturally his by right to spend as he chose. He did not chose to help the man at the expense of his own quality of life. Food and water are necessary for life. When we speak of giving away our food storage, we are talking about giving away life, not just a bit of time or money, especially if the situation is one in which replacements for that food will be impossible or simply severly limited. As for your second point, I can only address myself and my family's situation. I have been slowly stocking for a long time (years). I am not rushing out to buy simply because food is scarce. I am focusing my efforts somewhat more on things which are most important to me and which are most likely to be difficult to acquire for current prices later on, but I am not doing anything I would not be doing in better times. I do not see my actions/purchases adding to the sort of situation you are describing, but then I have not bought everything all at once. I have had to scrimp and save to do it, and during lean times when we were living paycheck to paycheck I had to scale back on adding to the storage and actually live off of it instead.

We have a fully finished basement, and a most of our food storage/extra pantry space is in our basement, carefully stored out of the way in the strongest part of the basement. We also have an emergency/weather radio because the storm sirens are too far away to hear in anything but perfectly calm weather.

Ok, I'm probably going to get run off the WTM boards for this, but... why should you give away the food in that situation? You worked for the money to buy it, you purchased it, you stored it, you planned for the future. If they didn't, that isn't your fault. If you chose to save and store so that your children and family wouldn't starve if something happened, and then something did happen, why then turn around and guarantee that they will suffer right alongside anyone else, just a little bit later on, by giving it all away? That defeats the purpose of saving/storing in the first place. That said...I would have no problem sharing my food storage, for a price. Not a monetary price, necessarily, but a value-for-value trade. One person, one family, no matter how large, will likely not have all the skills necessary to survive the sort of extended crisis situation you're talking about. Trading our food for skilled help, trading our water for other necessities, or trading our skills for things we need from others...that is a situation in which I would be willing to share my food stash with others. I wouldn't, however, just give it away to whomever came asking simply because I stored food and they didn't. This isn't directed just at you, btw, but at the general "you" as well. I cannot comprehend this concept, of storing back for such emergencies, only to give the food away and throw your lot in with everyone else. Would anyone be willing to explain why they would do this?

Yup. I live in a suburban neighborhood with lawns like golf courses, and I put in a good-sized garden this year. It's the only one I've seen in my entire area. Gardening and basic food production is not high on the skills list around here. Neither are many other basic survival skills. My biggest concern is that if things *do* go the way some of the more alarmist among us claim, they will go there too quickly for most of us to catch up and adapt. Life could get difficult very, very quickly, and when it's a "learn quickly or starve" situation, I'd much rather already have the know-how, kwim?

Yup. That, exactly. Just over a year ago, a town not so very far from here was completely destroyed by a tornado. (Greensburg, KS ... you may have heard of it.) We're right in the middle of tornado alley, so tornaodes and storms with 60+ mph winds are fairly common. Assuming a similar storm hit our area and disrupted the food supply, we'd be fine. In the event of long-term income loss, we would still be fine. Our storage has already helped us stretch our food budget during lean times and Dh's layoffs. Basically, our food storage is an investment in future well-being. If we never need it, we'll still be using it as we rotate things, so nothing has actually been lost. If we do need it, though, we'll have it when food will be harder to come by.

Wait...midwestbelle....does this mean I'm not the only one in this area?!?!? :D:D:D Yay!!!! I'm in Goddard... just a little west of you, I'd guess.

Here's a somewhat different "alternate path" story... My father-in-law did start college after a short stint in the military. He wanted to study higher-level mathematics. Instead, he dropped out and became a union pipefitter. It wasn't that he couldn't do the college work; far from it -- he was, quite literally, a genius. He dropped out because he was smarter than his professors, and they kept telling him he was doing everything wrong (when he wasn't...just not doing things in a way they could understand). So, he became a union pipefitter and spent a couple decades in the trade before retiring. The man was a genius, but chose a very physical line of work and excelled at it, making more money than many college grads. More importantly, he was happy, and managed to help raise 6 very different children to be (reasonably) successful individuals. People are always talking about "living up to your potential". Did my FIL live up to his potential? I'd say yes, just not in the way everyone expected.

I read mostly fiction, though I have been picking up more non-fiction in recent years. I've spent a lot of time lately looking for good, well written fantasy. I'd list my favorites, but I doubt they'd be much appreciated around here. :D

Exactly. I woke up at 6:45 one morning to find my 3.5-year-old boy in the living room surrounded by a pile of toys. The front door was unlocked from dss leaving early for school that day, and from the way ds was happily playing, he'd been there for a quite a while. Considering how quiet the door is, he could easily have gone outside and wandered away with me none the wiser. (And he also knows exactly how to unlock the door if he wants, and will find a climbing object if necessary.) Yes, it was unwise of these parents to get plastered and (I'm assuming) not have someone keeping an eye/ear on the kids. But at the same time, it doesn't take getting drunk to lose your small child. With some kids, all the locks and gates in the world won't keep them in if they want to get out.

Our local city-wide sales started yesterday and will run through tomorrow. I can usually get good deals at yard sales, but today was amazing! On a lark, my MIL and I went shopping this afternoon after the horrible winds forced us to close our own sale down. I scored a HUGE table full of really nice baby clothes (for $20!!!) from a woman who didn't want to sit outside anymore. I think the total count is now over 108 pieces, in roughly equal piles of 0-3, 3-6, and 6-9+ month sizes. A lot of them look like they were never worn! :D

Ladies, I've been lurking on these boards for quite a while now. I have seen some wonderful, thoughtful conversations. I've seen compassion, friendship, and all other sorts of "good" on this board. I've also seen some discussions that deteriorated into nothing more than thinly veiled catfights. Is this really what the WTM board is all about?

How I make mine depends on whether Dh is home or not. He doesn't like his as sweet as I do, so I have to limit the sugar to less than 1 cup when he's home. Otherwise, it's two cups all the way. Usually, I fill my whistling teakettle to almost full, bring the water to a boil, and pour it into the pitcher over the sugar and teabags. I let it steep until it's the right color, then add water to top off the pitcher. Chill and enjoy. If I'm in a real hurry, I use my great-grandmother's super-sweet sun tea recipe. Similar amounts of sugar and teabags, but much less active effort. One trick I like to do in summer is to use 3-4 family sized teabags and add one single-size bag of a mint tea/blend (spearmint, spearmint/peppermint). I've actually cut the sugar to less than half a cup this way and it's still sweet enough for me. It also gives a subtle cooling feeling on the way down, great for those weeks of day after day after day of 100+ degree temperatures!

If money were no object, I'd be a historical costumer. History, research, travel, sewing, shopping...it's the best combination of a few of my favorite things. I'd specialize in Renaissance costuming, of course, and probably focus on various places in Italy because they had some of the most amazing fashions! In my spare time (ha!) I'd take classes in history, art history, and various languages.

This is a good point. Dh brings in a great income when he's working steadily, a pretty low income when he's not. In 2004, he only worked 6 months, we barely broke 30k, and we always had more month than money. Now, he makes more than twice that and we're doing well. The thing is, even when he made half what he does now, health insurance, vision, and dental were covered. So, for someone who made/makes the same amount of $$ without the same benefits, there would be a huge difference in available funds. We live pretty well. We just bought a nice newish house (built 2001) and we have $$ for occasional luxuries. All the same, I'm frugal and keep in mind how quickly circumstances can change. We only have one vehicle, which Dh uses for work-related travel. I clip coupons, shop sales, maintain a huge food stockpile in my basement pantry and two deep freezes, and always keep in mind how a purchase now might affect our ability to get by later. We also don't have cable or satellite, we use cell phones instead of a landline, and we limit our expensive hobbies. Living well but frugally is easy when we keep in mind our own values instead of trying to "keep up with the Joneses".

I can't answer most of your questions, since my Dh isn't actually on the Nutrisystem program. I can tell you that it should work "on the road" as long as there is access to a basic kitchen setup. As in, sink, microwave and possibly stove. All of the items are shelf-stable, no freezer or refrigerator needed. You have to add in some perishables, like veggies or salad, from what I remember, but everything coming from NS is non-perishable. As for how I know this...Dh picked up a few month's worth of Nutrisystem meals off Craigslist from someone who had to drop the program for medical reasons. He's been using it to stretch his food budget while working away from home. Since he's not actually on the program, we can't really judge how effective it is, but the food is quite easy to prep and fairly tasty (with some exceptions). He often feels like a zombie after a 12-hour day, but the NS meals are still quick and simple enough for him to manage. I hope that answers your question, and that someone else who's actually on/used the program can answer the rest! :D

Er, my guess is no. I'd ask her, but we haven't really spoken in several years. As a child, I was her party trick and not much else. She was quite touchy-feely proud of me in public for my academic and other achievements, but never once told ME she was proud of me. I was expected to follow the rules, do everything without question, and go along with all of her little lies and manipulations. I'm not entirely sure what she expected me to be like when I grew up, besides being her own personal ego-trip, proof that she wasn't just a 40 something carhop who couldn't do anything better. Considering that she nearly disowned me when I married Dh, then fell through on her promise to be at her grandchild's birth (she cancelled two days before the induction!), I'm guessing happily married with a wonderful family and an amazing home just wasn't in her plans for me.

We've been land-line free for about 3 years now, and I love it. A few things, though: Don't lose your phone when the battery is almost dead. Finding a phone with a dead battery can be nearly impossible, sometimes. My couch ate mine, and I didn't find it for several months! When it's just your cell phone, it's not such an issue, but when it's your only phone it becomes a problem. Remember to keep the house phone charged, especially if it isn't used very often. Otherwise, it may have low battery just when you (or your kids) need it most. (Been there, done that, wasn't pretty...) Having your "home phone" with you all the time can be an inconvenience. Admittedly, not all people are like this, but I've run into quite a few who expect me to answer right away, no matter what, just because it's a cell phone. As if the fact that I'm always available now, even when I'm away from home, makes me obligated to answer calls immediately. All in all, I LOVE having no land-line. It's saved us an astounding amount of money. Add that to all the other benefits, and it's been well worth it.