Everyone preps for different reasons.
Your reason may be on a huge complex scale like prepping for the end of the world where you will need years of essential products stored away, or you could be prepping for something as simple as a three day power outage where a small food pantry is all you need to store the required elements to sustain life.
I for one have always said I am doing all this for "IT", with "it" being whatever "it" may be, large or small.
Last night the wife and I were talking about food consumption and how the money budgeted for food was not buying near as much as it was last year. It seams like we bring home less and less bags every trip but are still spending the same amount of money. She said with a fearful look, "This summer is going to kill us."
This it is folks, my "IT". Summer time, when all the kids will be out of school and at home. We stock up all year for those few super hot months in the summer where there is nothing else to do besides sit in the house and eat.
At the end, only dust will cover the shelves where the 50 cans of Vienna Sausages now sit. Empty wrappers of bread sticks, chips and pork rinds will litter the floor and will need to be cleaned with a street sweeper like the day after Mardi Gras. A lone cereal bag will get caught in the breeze of the fan sending it spinning across the floor like a tumble weed in a West Texas ghost town.
The fist day back to school the wife and I will survey the damage and debate calling in the Red Cross to help out in the recovery efforts. One dog will be missing, the others left in fear days before the event struck.
Wading through the aftermath I am sure it will happen. I will find what is left of my candy stash I thought I hid so well. I will grab the empty wrappers in each hand, will drop to my knees, shake my fist to the heavens and cry out "WHY, OH WHY"
There will be nothing else to do except rebuild.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
Glad that Kathi and I don't have kids. Course, It seems that I eat more in the summer. More time on the grill, than in the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteHow many bacon cheese burgers can a fellow eat in a summer?
Boredom is all I can think of Flier. Same with the winter months.
DeleteGiggle. Ours is winter. We eat more then. Summer means fresh foods picked and eaten right there. I still haven't told my youngest that the grapes are fruiting, I would like to make something out of them this year.
ReplyDeletePhelan, just like sugar snaps. I have never taken any in the house.
DeleteLol...this story made me laugh a little and yet shake my head in agreement. We are hardly to the point yet of even being able to do anything other than a few things here or there and I feel there is a real urgency to kick it in high gear. Even though the "recession" is almost over according to the higher ups I see it differently. I have 2 uncles that just got fired from their high paying jobs, another got laid off, 1 of which having to sell his house before it gets foreclosed on, 1 just lost their house and another is about to lose theirs(all within the last 2 months). Everything is going up and from what I am hearing this winter could be really bad(economy wise). I guess that is more than enough reasons to really get going on preparing for "it". :)
ReplyDeleteColey, What I wrote was a funny example of a real "IT" event. If we do not ration the food we have in an event, then in no time the pantry will look like a ghost town. I have also said that if you cannot replenish what you use by way of growing or raising it, then you are in bigger trouble.
DeleteI hate to hear about your family members who have lost their jobs and homes. I have been there and it suck.
Well you went off and made me smile. We remember the days of a house full of BOYS. Yes, we have three. One alone could out eat the other two. Thank God for sales back in those days and a freezer.
ReplyDeleteNow it is just the two of us and it is much easier on the food. Harriet can stretch meat out for five meals or more. She never stops amazing me.
We have noticed the reduction in products also. I pray our garden makes it this year. It sure does help having it. We are relying on it for sure. - Genevieve
G, I cannot do two years in a row without a garden. Being mine was burnt up last summer we did not get to put much by, that is why this year we planted early and added the monster shade. No it's time to see if we rolled the dice right. So far so good!
DeleteOh, and no lone likes my kind of candy so my stash is safe. - G
ReplyDeleteLucky you G. What kind would that be?
DeleteBottle Caps and Large Smarties
DeleteMDR - i hear ya buddy! that's why we are going into overdrive this year with our garden. and from the looks of all of the seeedlings that are already up and growing - we should be ok. we're like Phelan - during the summer we just graze all day on stuff from the garden. sometimes we bother to rinse the food - sometimes not. a little dirt never hurt anyone. but man - i know you got a house full of girls but for pete's sake find a better place for your stash - bahahahah!
ReplyDeleteyour friend,
kymber
Kymber, I actually thought about putting laxatives in place of my candy. That way I know who is taking it all.
DeleteNew name for you Red Neck Drama King....hahaha I feel your pain. 5 kids, 4 are adults. At lest they help with food.
ReplyDeleteDid you like that Rob? I bet you could picture it.
Deletechoose your "summer stash" wisely...went to the base commissary a few days ago and wow! i usually do this about twice a year to fill up the deep freezer with meat, fish, chicken etc.. and it is enough usually to get us through most of the year...i dont know how these young military families can afford the commissary these days and i bet many of them are having to use food stamps too... meat is about eighty cents a lb. less than off base grocers, but the canned goods prices make up the difference big time.. staples are good price and a little less that regualar grocer (flour, sugar, beans)...but wow, canned goods were waaaay up there... lucky for me my summer snack stash is growing just outside the kitchen door and from the looks of things i will be grazing all summer long.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong Anony, We do pick from the back yard when it's supper time, it's all the little meals in between when the kids are all home is what kills the pantry.
DeleteTake for instance the goldfish. A huge drum will be gone in a matter of minutes. It's like nothing I have ever seen, they don't even chew. I am afraid to say no, it might be my hand next time.
lots and lots of ramin noodles on hand and mac and cheese
DeleteI probably have 200 of those, each
DeleteHAHAHAHAHAH thiss is soooooooo true! And sad. haha In the summer we eat like boys. Hopefully this summer we stay a little busier ;)
ReplyDeleteDid you see the record high for yesterday in that one city? 111 degrees. Already. I think you planting early was a great idea.
The town was where my old deer lease was. It is getting stupid out there. I don't know why it has to be so hot all the time.
DeleteThis is so funny because its true. Lol. You reLly need to write a book ir something. That was great!
ReplyDeleteThank you SFG, Maybe one day
DeleteJust found your blog and LOVE it, this was funny! I homeschool so my kids are here all year round eating away :) They have to wait for me to make something usually though as I don't buy snack type foods so if I do not make any treats they have to grab an apple or carrot stick haha!
ReplyDeleteWell Thank you for Finding MDR, PTRADAAT. Glad to have ya.
ReplyDeleteBeing all my kids are older now, I would prefer to have the little snack foods here and there than them cooking their own meals. I have seen the devastation left behind from their cooking adventures. At one point I found the wife curled in the corner, rocking gently in a fetal position and uncontrollable sobbing after one of those cooking events. The kitchen was quarantined for days and FEMA was called in.
Not a pretty sight.
Seriously though, the snack foods are part of my food preps and are there for that reason.
Thank you for stopping by.
Curious do you ration at all? In the past when I tried to build up storage and DID buy snack stuff and even several bags of dried fruit stuff my family just ate it ALL in a 1 month time frame, it was like watching a Charlie and the Chocolate factory movie! It left me in the same end of the month empty cupboard syndrome!
DeletePTRADAAT, I am not an expert prepper by no means and I always say everyone's way is their own unique way and if it best fits their family's needs then it is the right way. I never say my way is the right way.
DeleteSaying that, we only ration long term storage foods. I have tried a inventory system but with five in the house and one room dedicated to the food storage it is impossible.
What I do is, I have a Min/Max on all the foods on our shelves. Lets take Vienna Sausages for instance in the snack food section, My max on those is 75, my Min is 20. Every two weeks I walk the isles and count. If I see I am getting close to the Minimum on hand, I will put it on the list.
Snacks (Each Kind)- Min=20, Max=75.
Canned Veggies (Each Kind))- Min=24, Max=48
Condiments(Each Kind,Mayo,Ketchup,etc)- Min=12, Max=24
Some months when the weather is bad and I cannot work, we live off our food storage, other months we add to it.
Every two months I reevaluate my Min/Max on each type of food. I may up the Max on a certain group like Pasta in the summer time because we love Macaroni salad from Max=30 lbs to Max=50 lbs. This in turn will add to the egg noodles, spaghetti, shells and what ever else in the that food group but I look at it as an investment because with the rising food costs, buying now at a lower price is money ahead when you eat it six months down the road.
Winter months changes some things as well.
As far as snacks, everyone knows if they eat it all there will be no more until the next shopping trip and even then that is not a given.
I would rather them snack on the cheap stuff like gold fish and bread sticks than cook full meals and have too many left overs in the fridge going to waste.
I hope all this answered your questions.
I would be more than happy to share some of my reeses peanut butter cups with you if you want to sneak over sometimes lol
ReplyDeleteYou know my weakness Mom. I will be over tonight to get the trailer.
DeleteThanks for the comment mmasse. The noise maker jars would just incite the beasts and make them angry. Good thought though.
ReplyDeleteYou're a hoot, thanks for the laugh!
ReplyDeleteShar