What have you stocked up on?

[snickelfritz]

I realized that we had let a basic supply of necessities get too low.

 

So, I went and did a basic stock up. Really, only a little more than what I would normally buy to have a couple of weeks of staples.

 

I think I'm going to just keep working on that to keep a good supply on hand. I don't have illusions of having a year's worth of food, but a few month's worth would be nice.

 

How should I go about this? How do I figure up how much to buy? How do I store it? Should I focus on a few staples from each basic food group to really stock up on and then just plan on supplementing with what's available(seasonal availablility and/or if there are shortages?)

 

Are there guidelines anywhere? A checklist?

[Karen sn]

Canned Alaskan salmon. Mine "expires" in 2013.

You can eat the bones for minerals and the flesh is rich in fatty acids.

[Colleen]

I don't believe it's necessary to stock up on anything.

[Kris]

So, I went and did a basic stock up. Really, only a little more than what I would normally buy to have a couple of weeks of staples.

 

I think I'm going to just keep working on that to keep a good supply on hand. I don't have illusions of having a year's worth of food, but a few month's worth would be nice.

 

If you do this every week, i.e., just buy a bit more than what you usually do, you'll have a nice stash put away in a short period of time, and it will be relatively painless. :)

 

How should I go about this? How do I figure up how much to buy? How do I store it? Should I focus on a few staples from each basic food group to really stock up on and then just plan on supplementing with what's available(seasonal availablility and/or if there are shortages?)

 

Are there guidelines anywhere? A checklist?

 

I think you should start with what your family likes to eat, and go from there. You can find a lot of recommended lists via Google that will give you some ideas, but you'll want to personalize that. Lots of things are great for long-term storage, but if you family doesn't like to eat them . . . :)

 

Some dried things, like pasta for instance, will keep almost forever. But I rotate my stock of canned goods. I assume "no electricity" -- so I don't rely on my freezer for my emergency stash.

 

I'd concentrate on the staples first. Figure out how much you use in a week or month, and then multiply that by the period of time you're wanting to stock up for. Then do the same for everything else. Everyone has their own idea of what a "staple" is for their family. For instance, if we run out of oatmeal, that's almost a "special trip to the store" thing. So I've got plenty of oatmeal. :lol:

 

Sweetie was home this weekend and did an inventory. I didn't realize how concerned he was and I'm glad I've stayed on top of this.

[Aggie]

When we lived up north and I had a great basement, I stored dry beans, canned fruits, veggies, beans and meats, juice and bottled water. I also kept a good supply of dry milk, paper plates, plastic bags and tp. :)

 

Having (involuntarily) lived without electricity and water for weeks, I wanted to make sure that we could eat relatively healthy and quickly without 'modern' conveniences.

 

I usually stocked up in the fall, kept it all winter, then what was left we ate through in the spring.

 

hth,

Aggie

[Kate CA]

Whole wheat berries, brown and white rice, brown and white sugar, white flour, oil, canned veggies, canned tuna, canned and dried beans, shortening, regular spices (in large containers from Costo or Smart & Final). These include oregano, basil, cinnamon, garlic powder, dried onions, chili powder, salt, vanilla extract, etc. - I stock the ones we use regularly. There are others we use less often that I keep in smaller amounts. We also keep soft wheat berries, oat groats, and thick rolled oats. At this time we have farina too. Baking powder and yeast we also buy in bulk. Dog food and cat food too.

 

We are also starting a fall garden with broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. I also keep potatoes in stock as well as fresh onions. Water is another thing of which we store some. Not nearly enough for our family should there be any trouble with the water supply, but if that is the case we will have bigger problems at that point.

 

What we do is minor compared to others, but we could survive on the "peasant diet" for some time. Wheat and beans or rice and beans are complete proteins and while they are not exciting, they would certainly feed us. HTH!

[Colleen]

Help me understand.:)

[Vida Winter]

Canned tuna and salmon, flour, wheat berries, olive oil, crisco, beans (canned and dry), canned green beans, corn, pears, tea and coffee, sugar, rice, pasta, laundry detergent, garbage bags, baby wipes.

 

If we needed to I could cook fresh tortillas (flour, crisco, salt) and beans for some time and it would be delicious.

 

More than "shortages" I worry about power outages. We have had a significant one each winter. During an outage I still have fresh water and can use propane on my cooktop, but not the oven.

[KS_]

If you do this every week, i.e., just buy a bit more than what you usually do, you'll have a nice stash put away in a short period of time, and it will be relatively painless. :)

 

 

 

I agree . . .I don't have a real plan on stocking up, but I always watch for things on sale that we use regularly, and buy extra of whatever it is.

 

Other things, like wheat berries, flour, rice, etc., I buy in bulk because it's much less expensive and I don't have to buy it as often.

[mom31257]

We have never stocked up on things before, but this week we did. We bought some canned foods, toilet paper, water, juice boxes, otc medicines, contact solution, and "female" items. I was afraid that an economic fiasco could cause at least a temporary problem. I also bought the kids fall clothes and shoes. We needed to do that soon anyway, but we thought waiting until later might mean higher prices. My dd's growing so fast right now, I won't buy her's in advance. My ds has consistently worn the size that matched his age his whole life. I feel like I can buy ahead for him. I've tried to buy things on clearance for the next year or two, when I can afford them.

 

We're probably going to stock up on more food and multi-vitamins. I was able to buy maybe a week's worth. I bought canned chicken and tuna, peanut butter, chili and spaghetti o's type stuff, whole wheat crackers, vegetables, and fruit. It wouldn't be the healthiest eating, but I figure if I really need the stuff, that will be the least of my worries!

[Kris]

Help me understand.:)

 

I'm not Kate, but I can answer that. A "glitch" is much easier to deal with if you aren't hungry and don't have to worry about feeding your kids. I consider it the equivalent of saving for a rainy day.

[GreenKitty]

I realized that we had let a basic supply of necessities get too low.

 

So, I went and did a basic stock up. Really, only a little more than what I would normally buy to have a couple of weeks of staples.

 

I think I'm going to just keep working on that to keep a good supply on hand. I don't have illusions of having a year's worth of food, but a few month's worth would be nice.

 

How should I go about this? How do I figure up how much to buy? How do I store it? Should I focus on a few staples from each basic food group to really stock up on and then just plan on supplementing with what's available(seasonal availablility and/or if there are shortages?)

 

Are there guidelines anywhere? A checklist?

 

Are you stocking up because you think their will start to be shortages at the grocery stores because of the way the economy is?

 

I personally don't see a need for it, if that's the case. I feel if people start making a rush to the grocery or banks than is just making things worse.

 

Maybe you are talking about something else?

[6packofun]

Mainly I'm stocking up on toilet paper, dry milk, canned goods, dry pasta, sauces and pet food. This is less of an emergency thing and more of an "I don't like to be forced to run out for TP or birdseed in the middle of a snowstorm!" thing! lol I hate to have to go out in bad weather for ONE emergency item, so I try to stock up on those to last the whole winter.

 

We don't have the funds to be stocking up on *everything* right now. :( If we did, I'd be adding in more flour, sugar, yeast, canned meats, stews, fruits and veggies so that we could do simple meals and rotate in an emergency. Also, batteries and some candles. Maybe even some more warmer blankets, 1-2 for each family member.

[snickelfritz]

Last year, parts of Tulsa were without electricity for up to 2 weeks. Hotels that had electricity were full, restaurants were shut down and roads were too hazardous to get out. This is a common occurrence around here in the winter. I also want to get a small generator, candles, plenty of flashlight batteries, charcoal, etc....

 

At the worst.........well, I feel better having some staples stocked up on. I live in the middle of a city. Tiny yards (minimal garden space), no livestock. If the stores run low on food.(or are out of electricity and close down)....we have nothing. I am going to put in a square foot garden, but we do not have enough yard space to grow any significant portion of our family's food and that won't do us any good until NEXT year.

 

Bottom line, it's a minor inconvenience that makes me feel better prepared.

[jacqui in mo]

I'm considering it due to the inflationary worries of this big mess. I remember a WSJ article a few months ago stating it may be a better investment to do a little stocking up on food items before prices continue to rise than typical financial investments. But on the other hand, I'm wondering if this will actually be more of a Y2K type scare. Jacqui

[Tammyla]

I started keeping a well stocked winter pantry (in the basement)after moving here. It makes things easier with fewer trips to the grocery store when the weather is nasty and the parking lots are full of ice, snow and sludge. Now it is a year round habit that saves money.

 

Finding the right amount isn't hard and I don't focus on it. I saved my receipts for a month and then purchased 4 times the amount when the items were on sale. My focus is on non perishables, paper products and things like dishwasher and laundry detergent.

 

:001_huh:I've just run out of my rice stock and was stunned how much the price has jumped since last year. Buying in quantity when things are on sale saves us a ton of money, but I'll admit I began this to avoid the grocery store during the winter. I also have a chest freezer and stock it full during the fall months.

 

 

My list exist only in my mind, but here goes a try.

 

Rice

pastas

tomato sauces

tomato paste

flour

sugar

canned goods

baking mix

baking soda

toilet paper

tissues

paper towels

cleaning supplies

laundry detergent

dishwasher tabs

water (for outages 5 gallons each or more)

tooth paste

shampoo

conditioner

soap

cotton balls

q-tips

nuts

pretzels

oatmeal

cream of wheat

cereal

beans

knorr bouillon

crackers

batteries

medications

olive oil

 

 

Edited September 30, 2008 by Tammyla

[snickelfritz]

I'm considering it due to the inflationary worries of this big mess. I remember a WSJ article a few months ago stating it may be a better investment to do a little stocking up on food items before prices continue to rise than typical financial investments. But on the other hand, I'm wondering if this will actually be more of a Y2K type scare. Jacqui

 

I'm actually surprised that this is controversial. As someone who MUST go to the grocery store for ANY and EVERY food item that we eat, I feel like it's a perfecty reasonable action to stock up on food.

[GreenKitty]

Last year, parts of Tulsa were without electricity for up to 2 weeks. Hotels that had electricity were full, restaurants were shut down and roads were too hazardous to get out. This is a common occurrence around here in the winter. I also want to get a small generator, candles, plenty of flashlight batteries, charcoal, etc....

 

At the worst.........well, I feel better having some staples stocked up on. I live in the middle of a city. Tiny yards (minimal garden space), no livestock. If the stores run low on food.(or are out of electricity and close down)....we have nothing. I am going to put in a square foot garden, but we do not have enough yard space to grow any significant portion of our family's food and that won't do us any good until NEXT year.

 

Bottom line, it's a minor inconvenience that makes me feel better prepared.

 

Oh, ok. I know exactly what you mean. The winters can get pretty bad here also. Though I really don't have space to stock up on much at all. It is more like having full cupboards than stocking up.

 

I wonder if items could be stored in an attic?

 

:confused:

Edited September 30, 2008 by GreenKitty

[KS_]

I wonder if items could be stored in an attic?

 

:confused:

 

My grandma used to store stuff in her attic - I remember as a child on the rare occasions that I got to go up there, I was fascinated with all the stuff she had up there! It was mostly toilet paper and laundry soap - no food items that I recall - but there was a lot of TP and soap! :lol:

[kat19]

I don't believe it's necessary to stock up on anything.

 

:iagree:

[Alana in Canada]

You can store canned food in boxes under the bed or couch. You can put up shelves over the doorway to the bathroom and store toilet paper.

You can get pegboard and hang up anything--I did this once in a tiny appartment with no kitchen space at all. You can put the pegboard on the back of a door.

 

Flylady has an "Emergency preparedness" checklist you can look at, if you feel it is necessary.

 

We live next door to a Mormon family. I am quite impressed with their stock of provisions. There is just a tremendous security in knowing you have what you need.

 

Not to be a scaremongerer--but it is best to be prudent, right now.

There will be shortages. Even here. So much depends upon trucking, which depends on the Auto industry (did you know that many auto parts makers aren't getting loans? Soon, there won't be any parts if things break down.) Truckers also need oil and gas--and there will be shortages of that, too.

 

Then, of course, there's the stores--they need credit to purchase inventory. Without it, they can't buy food. Find your local farmer's market and get what you can, if you can, from there.

 

There's time. No need to panic. But I will be buying my Christmas Turkey this month.

[GreenKitty]

My grandma used to store stuff in her attic - I remember as a child on the rare occasions that I got to go up there, I was fascinated with all the stuff she had up there! It was mostly toilet paper and laundry soap - no food items that I recall - but there was a lot of TP and soap! :lol:

 

My grandma only had a basement and everything was always musty down their, but she had lots of room!

[SapphireStitch]

I hadn't seen anyone in this thread saying "Stock up now, the sky is falling!!!":confused:

 

It might be that talking about it right now is a natural reaction to the current financial news. But it's certainly something that people on this board have discussed in times past.

 

For me, having food and necessary supplies on hand is caring for my family. It's my job as a mother. I live in a region that gets quite a few ice storms in the winter. We almost always lose power during an ice storm. So you'd better believe I have not only a nice supply of canned food and things that don't require refrigeration, but I also have a camp stove, propane, lanterns, and other related supplies on hand.

 

Right now we are experiencing gas shortages in NC. It hasn't hit my city that much yet. Our car runs on regular unleaded and all the stations I've seen have plenty of regular, though many of them are out of premium. Now I have no way to stock extra gasoline...sounds dangerous, too! But by having plenty of food, TP, etc on hand so I don't have to go to the store it gives me essentially the same results.

 

Well, I could ramble on, but I'll stop. I know our security is not ultimately found in groceries.

Edited September 30, 2008 by SapphireStitch
rampant apostrophes

[PariSarah]

. . . but I can think of lots of reasons to keep a two-month supply of stuff you usually eat, plus a little canned stuff and bottled water.

 

People living in hurricane-, tornado-, earthquake-, blizzard-, flood-, etc.-prone areas have bigger reasons than non-disaster-prone areas, I'm guessing. People living far away from grocery stores--or who would have to navigate tricky terrain, like icy mountain paths or remote roads with hurricane-toppled trees or something, to get there--have bigger reasons, too. People with uncertain job situations. People dealing with recurrent illness. I find that it can be a reasonable money-saver as well. Even staples go on sale some times.

 

I suppose it's not strictly necessary. But if a hurricane hits my area (we've had two threaten but pass us by in the seven years we've lived here--my parents, two hours away, were hit really bad a few summers ago), I'd rather be the person with a full pantry that my neighbors can come "shopping" out of than the person who has to scrounge from my neighbors' pantries.

 

That said, keeping a well-stocked pantry has been one of the things that's fallen by the wayside this past year. I just haven't been able to work up the energy to give that one even a C- job. ;)

Edited September 30, 2008 by PariSarah

[jmgconner]

Right now I'm stocking up on apples, well, at least peeling them, slicing them, mixing them with sugar for apple pie filling. :D I also have a stash of blueberries from earlier this year. I stock up on basics like sugar, flour, frozen veggies, rice and pasta. I also like to buy 4 or so loaves of bread and freeze them.

 

Why do I stock up? For any reason at all. :tongue_smilie:

- Unexpected company - it's nice to be able to throw together a little cake or pie for a visit with family/friends.

- Illness - if one of us is sick, it's so much easier to have things on hand. It's also much easier to throw together a meal for a sick friend if I have plenty of supplies on hand.

- $ - I try to stock up when the basics are on sale or in season. My regular loaf of bread went up to $2.75 at the outlet store. Since we buy lots of loaves at one time, I hadn't realized that the price had gone up on Labor Day. We've enjoyed a month's worth of "cheaper" bread before having to pay the higher price.

- Natural disaster/power outtages/ice storms/etc. - I used to shop daily. It only took one bad unexpected ice storm to teach me my lesson. Now I like to have at least something in the cupboards.

[Marie in Oh]

and they would tell you to stock up on water and all the basics. When something like that happens the store shelves empty out pretty quick and you are blessed if you have it in your basement. Water was quite the hot commodity- ice too. And hand sanitizer.

 

I am sure the people in hurricane country would say the same thing.

[Sara R]

Calmly putting aside a little extra food now, during a time of relative plenty, actually prevents panic when there are shortages. Hard times do come; being prepared makes sense. If you have some food in your basement, you won't need to go to the store when supplies are limited there.

 

The gas shortages in the southeast highlight the problems decreased inventories of gas can cause. Food is shipped from trucks that run on gas. Stores depend on just-in-time inventory. It wouldn't take much to disrupt the food distribution system.

[PariSarah]

If they're not tight for you, I would just buy double of what you normally buy (assuming it's something that will keep for a few months) for the next two or three weeks. That should get you at a two- to three-month supply without even having to think about it.

 

If you have to be more careful than that, I would buy what you normally buy, but buy extra of what's on a really good sale. It'll take you longer--maybe three or four months--but you can build up a reasonable stock without feeling it.

 

I wouldn't stock up on anything you don't use regularly, except maybe a few canned fruits and veggies and a little bottled water. A small selection of things that don't need to be cooked or don't need much water or power to cook is reasonable if you live in a weather- or disaster-prone area. Otherwise, just look at what you eat week to week, and buy extra of anything that actually can keep for more than two months.

 

What would be on my list, if I were keeping better track of it lately: flour, whole wheat flour, cornmeal, selection of rice, selection of dried beans, canned tomatoes, canned corn, some frozen veggies, and coconut milk. Maybe some dried or boxed milk for the baby, just in case. With that selection, we could eat very healthily, and with some variety, for quite awhile. I need to get back to doing this. Our stipends run out at the end of this school year, and with no end to the diss in sight . . . well, it could be a *cough* fun year next year.

Edited September 30, 2008 by PariSarah

[Sara R]

I'm a Mormon who has been storing food for the last 13 years. A friend of mine and I started a blog about it recently. If you're interested, check it out, share your experiences, and ask questions.

[terrylee]

I just keep my eyes open at Walmart and Staples. When I see a really good buy I might pick up a few of whatever is on sale. I did get a really good deal in August on copy paper.

[Kris]

Food is shipped from trucks that run on gas. Stores depend on just-in-time inventory. It wouldn't take much to disrupt the food distribution system.

 

Last time I bothered to check, it was three days. That may be even tighter now -- I don't know.

[Danestress]

To at least have a few weeks worth of food and essential goods on hand. I am in the burbs. We have no garden because we have no sun - just big trees and shade. I am pathetically dependent on stores. And actually, without a car, it's a chore to get to a store. I think the nearest gas station is about a mile. The nearest grocery is maybe 2 miles.

 

We are still experiencing enough of a gas crisis here that I can go nowhere. DH had enough to get to work and back for a few more days when we found a station open yesterday. So we are relieved. But without that, no library, no sports, no music lessons.

 

If the gas crisis were just a little worse and lasted just a little longer, I could see us in real trouble. I imagine neighbors would share food and rides to the grocery and such. But I have no garden and no chickens and no cow, but I do have storage space. I can stock away a fair amount of food in this house without too much trouble, so why not?

[Jennifer in MI]

We usually have a large supply of food on hand because I buy in bulk and store everything. I'm not doing anything different right now. But, we could probably live for a few weeks on what I have stored.

[Kris]

I hadn't seen anyone in this thread saying "Stock up now, the sky is falling!!!":confused:

 

This is a good point. Another thing to keep in mind is that we don't have to have a national catastrophe, or even a relatively local one, for the sky to be falling at your house. Unexpected illness, job loss, etc., etc., can happen to anyone at any time. While these things don't happen to everyone, and I'm sure there are families out there who have never had to deal with the unexpected, I learned a long time ago that ours isn't one of them. I would be fooling myself to think we've experienced the last of our difficulties -- no matter what the national climate.

[wagnfun]

Help me understand.:)

 

 

Really? You dont' stock up on ANYTHING? Why or why not?

 

I live in a VERY populated suburban area of Southern California. The city next to me had something wrong w/ the water and NO one in the city could digest the water for 7 days.

 

Ice in freezers was thrown out. Restaurants were closed. EVERY store in that city, and every store I've been in in MY city were out of water. I'm very glad I had water on hand as even filtered water was undrinkable. I sometimes stock not becuase I"m afraid of a national problem but a local situation, or local freakout from the people.

 

What if there was limited gas in your area like some are experiencing on this board, if I were them, I'd be glad I stocked up on basic supplies.

[Kate CA]

Help me understand.:)

 

I have always done this to one degree or another - sometimes the "stock" is pretty lean, :tongue_smilie: and other times it is full. I live in a city and have no access to anything other than what I have here should there be an emergency of any type. My father works for FEMA and he encourages everyone to have some stock of support should any major emergency happen to us. He said that *every* area has the potential for a major disaster (economic or natural) and I believe him. He works on-scene and has seen the damage wrought - even in areas that thought they were "safe."

 

I also know that if there *were* some sort of scarcity I would not want our family to suffer more than necessary. I think it is prudent we do this, not because we are living in fear, but because it is just wise to be able to provide for the five children we have. I think of it as smiling on tomorrow. Also, if we find some of our friends out of a job, food, housing, we will be better able to help them. We will be better able to help ourselves too if my husband loses his job.

[8filltheheart]

I'm considering it due to the inflationary worries of this big mess. I remember a WSJ article a few months ago stating it may be a better investment to do a little stocking up on food items before prices continue to rise than typical financial investments. But on the other hand, I'm wondering if this will actually be more of a Y2K type scare. Jacqui

 

I am not scared b/c financially we are secure. However, I am stocking up on food, cleaning supplies, and paper products. I have only purchased things that either don't ever expire or things that will last 2-5 yrs on the shelf.

 

Why? B/c either we face inflation and purchasing now ultimately save us money (for example, I only cook with imported olive oil. If there is a devaluation in the American dollar, the cost of the oil will likely increase.) Or, we don't have inflation and have just made it easier to avoid running to the store for something that usually ends up making me think of something else to buy and I end up spending more money simply b/c I am there.

 

As far as what, mostly grains, rice, oil, canned veggies, noodles, toilet paper, paper towels, laundry det, fabric softner, bleach, and other cleaning supplies.

 

Honestly, why anyone questions people bulk purchasing makes no sense to me. For me, we have 9 people to feed and live in an urban environment. Even in good times I make sure that we have lots on hand.

[klmama]

We just stock up on the usual stuff that doesn't go bad - TP, beans, rice, canned pineapple and applesauce. Soon, cranberrries will be ripe and I'll buy enough to freeze for the year. We buy meat by the 1/4 or 1/2 steer and freeze, so it lasts quite awhile. We hit Sam's Club once a month and buy our favorite cereal in bulk. Really, we aren't doing anything now we don't usually do. The only thing I think we really should stock up on that we don't usually have is bottled water.

[KAR120C]

I generally have at least a week or two worth of food around (and I try not to run too low of tp! LOL) just because I only do my grocery shopping once a week and I hate to run low. But if I were to stockpile much more than that (not using it in a timely manner, not having the place to store it), we'd have ourselves a nice big stockpile of pantry moths instead of food. I suppose if I really counted it up I could make a month or two out of the various beans and grains we have, but really the only reason I have those is because they come in 1# bags and my regular recipe rotation only uses a certain amount... kwim? So there's extra.

[Mekanamom]

I stock up regularly at Costco once/month.

 

Of course, by the end of the month, we are getting a little lean on some things. ;)

 

I've found I have about a month's worth of space for all the canned food and paper products we'll use. And it's about that time again.

 

My big containers of flour and salt and dried beans, etc. last longer. I just re-fill when they're getting low, with another bulk purchase from either Costco or Smart & Final.

 

I also try to use as many-reuseable things as we can so we're not constantly running out and buying more. Cloth napkins, microfiber cleaning cloths... so if we run out of paper towels before my next shopping trip, that's ok.

 

I can also save money and containers and storage space by buying 2 big jugs of vinegar from Costco to make my own cleaning solution instead of buying many little bottles of cleaner every month. Stuff like that goes a long way.

[Colleen]

Last year, parts of Tulsa were without electricity for up to 2 weeks. Hotels that had electricity were full, restaurants were shut down and roads were too hazardous to get out. This is a common occurrence around here in the winter. I also want to get a small generator, candles, plenty of flashlight batteries, charcoal, etc....

 

At the worst.........well, I feel better having some staples stocked up on. I live in the middle of a city. Tiny yards (minimal garden space), no livestock. If the stores run low on food.(or are out of electricity and close down)....we have nothing. I am going to put in a square foot garden, but we do not have enough yard space to grow any significant portion of our family's food and that won't do us any good until NEXT year.

 

Bottom line, it's a minor inconvenience that makes me feel better prepared.

 

I can see why people have extra things on hand in case of weather disturbances, so that part of what you're saying makes sense to me.:)

[Colleen]

There will be shortages.

 

In your opinion.:) And I'm not saying there's any reason for you not to react to that belief. Just noting that "There will be shortages" incorrectly implies it's a matter of fact.

[Colleen]

I understand better now.:)

 

I have always done this to one degree or another - sometimes the "stock" is pretty lean, :tongue_smilie: and other times it is full. I live in a city and have no access to anything other than what I have here should there be an emergency of any type. My father works for FEMA and he encourages everyone to have some stock of support should any major emergency happen to us. He said that *every* area has the potential for a major disaster (economic or natural) and I believe him. He works on-scene and has seen the damage wrought - even in areas that thought they were "safe."

 

I also know that if there *were* some sort of scarcity I would not want our family to suffer more than necessary. I think it is prudent we do this, not because we are living in fear, but because it is just wise to be able to provide for the five children we have. I think of it as smiling on tomorrow. Also, if we find some of our friends out of a job, food, housing, we will be better able to help them. We will be better able to help ourselves too if my husband loses his job.

[Colleen]

Really? You dont' stock up on ANYTHING? Why or why not?

 

No, I don't. Don't feel there's a need for me to do so.

[Remudamom]

What's not to get about stocking up?

 

Taking advantage of sales, making sure if there are shortages they won't be at your house, having meals planned and the food to make them.

 

Or my personal favorite......stock up on everything when I go to town so I don't have to waste another afternoon going again to buy something I forgot.

[Ria]

I agree with Colleen. I see no need to stock up on anything.

 

That said, I like to keep a good supply of flour on hand, as well as sugar, chocolate chips, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla.

 

Priorities, you know. LOL.

 

Ria

[Ria]

What's not to get about stocking up?

 

Taking advantage of sales, making sure if there are shortages they won't be at your house, having meals planned and the food to make them.

quote]

 

I don't shop sales...truth be told, I don't have the time or the gas for it. I shop at Wegmans (where I work) and BJs (three stores down from Wegmans). Shortages? As in the global market supply? Or shortages in my own home? Global market supply isn't on my radar. I plan a menu for 3 weeks at a time, and could easily stretch it to 5 weeks in an emergency (dried beans and rice, you know). My "stock" has nothing to do with "stocking up"...it has to do with "having it available when I need it." I have lots of Nori seaweed sheets, for example. Not what one would think of as emergency rations, but certainly important when the sushi bug hits, lol.

 

Ria

[Melissa in Australia]

I shop once a month. and I usually have 2 months of basics, like sacks of flour, toilet paper and soap at hand. it is just the way I grew up. I have to drive 100 km to a big shopping center, and when there I buy a lot of food.

we grow all of our own veggies, meat and milk so I never stock up on those things. the freezer is always full of meat, the milk comes every day. and the weather is mild enough to grow food all year round, though we eat according to the season and what is in the garden.

[elegantlion]

Having been through two hurricanes in three weeks, including an extended evacuation, I can say I am glad we stocked up on food and water.

 

We use our old juice jugs to store water. We have about 30 gallons stashed in the kitchen and had to buy no water during the hurricanes.

 

We don't keep a huge stock of food, but it was nice not to worry about eating after the hurricane. I went to the grocery a week later and supplies on the shelves were still low.

 

We were fortunate and didn't lose power or water so we could still cook, but we would have been prepared if we had.

 

We have a grill that takes the small propane tanks, we keep a supply of those handy as well.

[Colleen]

That said, I like to keep a good supply of flour on hand, as well as sugar, chocolate chips, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla.

 

Priorities, you know. LOL.

 

Definitely!:tongue_smilie: