Spin off on stocking up - poll (I do love a poll.)

[Amy loves Bud]

Are you stocking up? I hadn't really considered it before, but now I'm thinking it might be wise to be able to manage for 1-2 months in case the supply chain breaks down for lack of credit. I'm not convinced of a need for the long term, and if the need is there, well, we're in more trouble than a bag of rice can fix.

 

So, I'm thinking of stocking our pantry and freezer to last us two months, with things we would normally eat, and then rotating it so it doesn't get old.

 

You?

[Parrothead]

I'm stocking up because I find it is easier and cheaper to shop that way. Before we decided to make a big trip to Sam's we were spending $250.00 every two weeks for groceries. We went two weeks ago and spent an outrageous amount of money at Sam's. Two weeks later (yesterday) we spent $75.00 to restock what we had used. So far I'm finding that we can spend half our grocery budget to restock, add to the stores and try new things - which is something we weren't able to do before.

 

I've got it broken down to $75.00 on restocking, $25.00 on new stores such as an extra couple boxes of canned goods, and $25.00 on trying something new from the freezer section.

[HRAAB]

My dh and I have always stocked up. Nothing to do with the economic situation. Just us. We have a large garden and orchard, so I can everything I can get my hands on. I stock the pantry with non-perishables including cleaning supplies and shampoo, etc. I like the feeling of self-sufficiency - it's a dream but those stocked shelves make it seem a little more real. The biggest payoff, is it keeps me out of stores. I'm very good at watching my money, but every time I get in the car, it costs.

 

I mentioned in another thread that a couple of years ago, my dh lost his job right at Christmas time. It was 3 mos. before he found work, and fortunately I didn't have to buy anything other than dairy and some produce. It really helped since unemployment doesn't go very far.

 

Janet

[Once]

I generally buy stuff each fall that we need to make our usual meals. I put away jam and pickles. The farmer I buy beef from sells in the fall...1/2 and 1/4 cows. So our freezer is fairly full. The only thing I do not stock up on is toiletries and paper products.....I might start that too, if only because I don't want to head out that way for just one thing.

I am presuming you saw the previous post about simplylivingsmart.com? It is a great site, I spent about an hour on it last night.

I am Canadian so stocking up is in my blood....it has fruitful benefits even without the economy so shaky.

[TraceyS/FL]

I voted i'd like to but can't afford to.

 

BUT, that isn't totally true - because i'm doing it as i can. A few things here and there each week....

 

I'm not sure how much actual food will would be able to stock up on - we run our freezer pretty lean these days because we can't afford to have months of food in there. I went a MONTH without going to the store in the spring! LOL!!

 

But i'm going to build a list of things i'd like to get as we have any extra money..... and work from there.

 

We also do most of our shopping at Costco/Sam's already.

[Nestof3]

Yes, I have begun some stocking up. We are very limited in space, though, which makes this difficult.

 

I grind my own grain, so I already have one 5-gallon bucket with wheat berries.

 

I also bought 50 pounds of rice yesterday. It was a sacrifice for me in that we always eat brown rice, but I have not been able to find huge bags of brown rice AND the storage life of brown is half that of white, so we will make do. I need to buy more buckets from Lowes and more special lids

 

See here:

http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_MS%20L702_A_name_E_[[ProductNameURL]]

 

We'll probaby get a couple of the water barrels as well.

 

I plan to continue stocking up, but we are also paying off debt like crazy so that we won't require so much money to live on. We should be debt-free in two years including the house and van. We closed all but one credit card account last night (we only use one now, and none of the others had balances).

 

Some things I plan to stock up on soon:

Pain relievers

bandages/ointments

powdered milk

propane

water purification tablets

beans

lentils

sugar

[Jennifer3141]

DH doesn't take a salary draw the first three months of every year so from now until December 31, I stock up on cleaning supplies and as much dry food and frozen stuff as possible anyway.

 

Jen

[PariSarah]

. . . which would generally last me a good two or three months, if it had to.

 

But between rising prices and diminishing time and organization, I've fallen way out of that habit. I'm trying to get back into it, although not necessarily because of the current economic situation.

[Maria from IN]

My son and I are on food stamps, and while that does not pay for everything we eat in a month (especially the organic stuff I have to get because of all the food allergies), I do stock up on things like frozen vegetables, chicken, rice, and ground turkey (it's cheaper than ground beef around here). Kroger's 10 for $10 sales are wonderful, and I take full advantage of them! Right now we have enough frozen meat and vegetables for about a month.

 

I have decided to start organizing the freezers better (there's the one in my kitchen, and a stand-up unit was in the garage when we moved in) in order to not only see what we have but to free up more room for fall. The Tall Bald Guy is renewing his gun and hunting licenses, and asked recently if I would mind keeping a deer in there should he get one this year. Didn't have to ask me twice!

 

I will have to switch my frozen-veggie habits to canned, or free up more room in the house freezer, but to not have to buy meat in the winter will be worth it. I just hope I can stomach deer meat--I've never tried it before!

:001_smile:

[Starr]

Deer meat if fine as long as you tell your taste buds you are not eating beef. Marinate it and try some new recipes.

[3lilreds in NC]

I tend to have lots of canned goods and such on hand, because we shop at BJ's for whatever we can buy there. But, I don't think I will stock up. I did buy a small box of powdered milk so that I would be able to bake bread; bread prices are outrageous!

 

I can be alarmist with the best of them, but I haven't felt the need to go there with stockpiling food. At least, not yet. :D

[Quiver0f10]

I am trying to stock up the best I can, but with food prices going up so much I am finding it hard to do with my budget being so tight. I really wish I could do more and it's bothering me.

[Amie]

Living on the coast, we've always had to stay prepared during hurricane season. Lately I've wanted to be more organized and consistent in this though, just to "be prepared for whatever", cut down on shopping trips, or at least avoid the dreaded, "oh no we're out of toilet paper!". Higher prices and a tighter budget have made this more difficult, but I am really trying--especially in light of this economy. Sometimes I worry that food prices will rise even higher (I have a feeling they'll go up before they go down).

[TraceyS/FL]

I need to buy more buckets from Lowes and more special lids

 

See here:

http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_MS%20L702_A_name_E_[[ProductNameURL]]

 

Thank you for this link!!!! I"ll print it and show DH. I need some badly!

 

Do you put the stuff in the buckets as is - or put some type of liner??

 

I'm soooo excited! LOL!!

[jojomojo]

Stocking up because of the economic situation :)

 

I've always wanted to, but either we never had the money for everything (storage equipment, bulk purchases, etc) or had a hard time justifying it. Now neither is standing in my way so I am getting it all taken care of.

 

My main reason for wanting to do this is to save money - as we use and rotate our bulk stores, as well as having inexpensive food on hand when prices go up. Should something happen to the food supply, we'll be okay, but that isn't my main concern.

 

So far I have ordered storage containers (I wish I would have taken a closer look at those gamma seal lids! I didn't realize they fit a standard bucket!), seeds for the garden next year, and some canned goods. I'm tapped out for now, but we should have more room in the budget very soon. I plan on getting a grain mill and start working on bulk food, toiletries, kids clothes (they grow like weeds, hopefully I can find some good deals!), and other necessities.

[Nestof3]

Do you put the stuff in the buckets as is - or put some type of liner??

 

No, I just wash my bucket first. The lids work really well. The outer rim seals, and then the inner portion unscrews to open.

[threetreasurs]

If nothing else, stocking up will stimulate the economy!!!!!!!!:D

[Amy loves Bud]

If nothing else, stocking up will stimulate the economy!!!!!!!!:D

 

:smilielol5:

 

But what happens to the economy when we're all living off our stores. Nose dive I tell you.

 

I know. It's cyclical!:lol:

[KidsHappen]

Slowly. Something that concerns me though is prescription meds. Our health plan requires us to buy maintenence drugs through the mail-in plan. We get a three month supply at a time. However, we can only get a refill one month before the previous prescription runs out. So there is no way to stock up. I would really prefer to have s six month supply on hand especially since I already have problems getting my refills on time. I run out of at least one prescription every three months.

[finding_sanctuary]

Thank you for this link!!!! I"ll print it and show DH. I need some badly!

 

Do you put the stuff in the buckets as is - or put some type of liner??

 

I'm soooo excited! LOL!!

 

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.

[KS_]

I've always stocked up on stuff . . . I'm not sure how I learned to do it, although my grandma liked to stock up on stuff, too, and I stayed with her a lot when I was little :) But it's just a habit for me - I always watch for things we use on sale, and if the price is really good, will buy multiples of whatever the item is. Or buy in bulk if it's something that stores well and is much less expensive or more convenient that way. So for me, it doesn't have a lot to do with the current economic situation.

[Melissa in Australia]

I have always had at hand 2 months of food. It is just the way I have always shopped. I buy bread flour in 25 kg sacks, and I always like to have a spare one there. the closest big shopping center is 100 km away, and I don't get there very often. only every month or 2. I have to pay quite a bit more at the local supermarket, so try not to buy much there.

we grow our own veggies, meat, and milk. so are always stocked up on those.

[TraceyS/FL]

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.

 

I was looking at those. I'll have to show them to DH. Of course, he's grumpy since i had to go to the dentist and they wanted the last of the life savings to finish my work. UGH.

[Katrina]

Actually, I'm in the process of emptying my pantry because we're moving in two months, but once we get moved and settled I'd like to stock up a lot!

[Cindy in C-ville]

Actually, I didn't answer b/c I'm planning on stocking up. I'm making my list, but I haven't started buying things yet. And, it's less for the economic situation than just to be prepared to face a power shortage this winter. We typically have several power outages each winter. I also would like to have some supplies in the event of an emergency related to our proximity to D.C.

[Melissa in CA]

Well, after watching six seasons of The X-files in the last two months, and getting ready to begin season seven...guess which answer I picked? :w00t:

 

OK, on a serious note. I have not put a lot of thought into stocking up, especially after the whole Y2K scare eight+ years ago, but perhaps it might be a good idea to at least think about it some. I guess. If I must.

[wagnfun]

Slowly. Something that concerns me though is prescription meds. Our health plan requires us to buy maintenence drugs through the mail-in plan. We get a three month supply at a time. However, we can only get a refill one month before the previous prescription runs out. So there is no way to stock up. I would really prefer to have s six month supply on hand especially since I already have problems getting my refills on time. I run out of at least one prescription every three months.

 

This is on my mind too. I HAVE TO HAVE TO HAVE TO have my allergy meds. I am however banned for 25 more days from buying them OTC in California b/c I bought for myself, dh & dd and we now have laws against how much you can buy. I told dh I wanted him to go buy a few months worth so I can have a stash.

[Audrey]

Are you stocking up? I hadn't really considered it before, but now I'm thinking it might be wise to be able to manage for 1-2 months in case the supply chain breaks down for lack of credit. I'm not convinced of a need for the long term, and if the need is there, well, we're in more trouble than a bag of rice can fix.

 

So, I'm thinking of stocking our pantry and freezer to last us two months, with things we would normally eat, and then rotating it so it doesn't get old.

 

You?

 

Before people start getting all panicky and rush out to "stock up" on things, they might want to look into exactly how "stocking up" should look like.

 

It isn't something you just rush out and do. It's a lifestyle choice. Buying mega-bags of rice or whatever isn't going to help you if you don't know how to A) store it properly, and B) make good use of it.

 

Stocking up requires you to make a significant change in the way your family eats and lives. I suppose you could go out and stock up on frozen dinners, but the thought of that kind of gives me the heebies-jeebies.

 

But I digress... I'm not saying one shouldn't do it if they REALLY want or need to do it, but take the time to do a little research on what things to buy, how to store properly and how to use things properly (that means scheduling the use of foodstuffs mainly).

 

Here are a couple of good sites. Note that they're LDS sites, except the last one. If you know an LDS family, go over there, be as nice and lovely as you possibly can, and humbly ask for advice.

 

http://www.ldstreasure.com/personal%20development/food_storage.html

 

http://mormonfoodstorage.blogspot.com/

 

http://standeyo.com/News_Files/Food/bl.calculator.html

 

Don't want to read? Here's part 1 of a YouTube video series. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zjUttkGsW8

 

http://www.tips-to-organize-life.com/cooking-from-your-pantry.html

[Mamagistra]

Before people start getting all panicky and rush out to "stock up" on things, they might want to look into exactly how "stocking up" should look like.

 

It isn't something you just rush out and do. It's a lifestyle choice. Buying mega-bags of rice or whatever isn't going to help you if you don't know how to A) store it properly, and B) make good use of it.

 

:iagree: Great advice!

[Desert Rat]

It's normal to have at least a few months food and supplies on hand, at least the essentials. I try not to let my first reaction to public opinion be panic. It is an uneasy time we live in though and we do rely heavily on other countries to keep us clothed, clean and fed. Scary to think the chain could break.