Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Preparedness - What do you have plenty of?

 We should all still be in preparedness mode.  Prices are going up and things continue to be hard to get in some areas.  I am thankful there are not really many shortages in my area (except canned cat food).  Prices have gone up a little here, but there is something to be said about living in the mid section of the country.  Our cost of living is much less than other areas and we seem to be the last place to experience all the crap!

What do you have in stock that you do not have to worry about at this point?  Is there something that you are super stocked up on?

My SUPER stock levels include:
salt - all kinds
dried beans - huge variety
rice 
pasta
oats
tomato products
jelly and jams
pickles
yeast (in freezer)
Jello
season packets - variety
bath - bar soap


My GOOD stock levels:
I then have a good supply of canned beans of all sorts and other veggies
I have a good year or two of laundry detergent and fabric softener (don't really use)
TP - good supply
spices - variety
wet wipes  - bunches and bunches
butter
antiseptic wipes - bunches
toothpaste and tooth brushes
Shampoo and deodorant
Sugar and baking soda
vinegar
pectin

WHAT do I need more of??
canned meats
fruit - canned or frozen
dried /dehydrated goods
probably more garden seeds (I do have a good variety)
flour
corn meal
cat food - supplies
canned/shelf stable & dry milk
vitamins and herbs

I know we all eat differently and have different wants and needs.  I can get by very simply.  I could actually eat beans, rice, pasta and tomato products for ages and be happy.  I have lots of other goodies to add to those things - so I am doing pretty good.  I also have my freezer. (I do have a great back-up for electric)
Years and years of prepping has paid off and I know what is important and what isn't (in my pantry).


I love having cookbooks and country living books on hand.  I have books on natural living and medical books.  I have books to read.  I have craft stuff I can do.


Life can throw us some curve balls for sure.  We need to be ready.
I know many don't have a lot of extra space for storage.  Folks, do anything and everything you can!!!!  Store under, behind, on top of - where ever you can.  Under beds, behind and under couches and furniture, floors of closets, on top of shelves, behind doors............................  get creative.
Add what you can - when you can.  

You don't have to spend a fortune all at once.  Get a few extra cans or bags when you shop.  Spend an extra $5, $10, etc. whatever you can each shopping trip.
Whatever you can get today and tomorrow is going to be cheaper than next month or in 2 months!
You future and that of your family is worth it.  It like money in the bank.

Do you HAVE to live with lots of variety or are you one that could live with the basics?  Simple or complicated?  
I know beans and rice could get boring - but I figure I can do boring a long time if it keeps me alive!

Do you know what you are set with?  What you need to get?
Get that inventory done now and shop for what is missing in your inventory.
Preparedness is your future!

32 comments:

  1. Our inventory is much like yours. I have some extra dog food and try to add to it, just to have a cushion. The Urban Farmer has a good supply of chicken feed, scratch and treats for his pampered chooks. I do like to keep extra bottled water, which we get at Big Lots. A clerk at Meijer told us that groceries will be going up. Time to get serious about prepping, folks!

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    1. Sounds like your animals are set for a while. I try to add canned cat food whenever I can find it - it is getting hard to find. I do have lots of dry.
      I think I am good for water.
      Yep - now is the time for us to all get busy!

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  2. We bought some more of our favorite Luck's Pinto Beans while we were in KY. I'm trying to use and stock up when I can. We like lots of variety and yep we have to use under the bed storage. We also store potatoes and onions at my daughters house in her basement. It's vital to check on those things more often though LOL!

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    1. Yes mam - stock when and while you can. I like variety too - but I could survive on less.
      Good going an getting the beans.
      It is amazing where you can hide things!!

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  3. I noticed on my recent trip to Costco that they had zero of the canned roast beef (which is delicious, by the way.) I found that odd...

    We are still mega-stocked in all ways, but I keep wondering if it is "enough"...turned one of the guest closets into another pantry...got great ideas from Rhonda at "If you do stuff..."

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    1. I'm interested in that canned roast beef. What brand is it?

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  4. I have a good supply of canned goods and pantry staples and I was thinking about donating most of it since I don't want to over do things. Maybe I should wait until the world calms down a bit before I get rid of it. I'm in the first year of my "Swedish Death Cleaning" if you've read the book, and although I will never be a minimalist I have accomplished getting rid of everything in my walk up attic and have gotten 8 tote boxes of stuff out of my basement so far.

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    1. YES keep it till things settle a bit. You just never know what may come down the pike. At this point in time I truly don't think you can over do it!
      Good for you on de-cluttering! That is great.

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    2. Good job Melissa on cleaning up...make more room for preps!!

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    3. Stacy I agree 100%. Sure not the time to get rid of preps at all. Stock more.

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  5. Costco's canned roast beef is delicious. What is your back-up for electric?

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    1. I have WM and Kroger canned roast beef and they are great!
      I have a while house generator that will run with natural gas. I am good as long as gas flows!

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  6. Lots of food for thought, here. I have finally got my "stash" to the point where I really need to only purchase perishables and replenish what I finish, so there is a back-up in the pantry. I have ample canned vegetables, pasta and rice, tomatoes for use in making sauces, and baking supplies. Paper goods are in good shape -- probably a six-month supply, if not longer (except napkins). And condiments? Don't get me started. When I was able to travel, rather than get some vacation trinket, I'd pick up a locally made mustard, vinegar, BBQ sauce or other spread or topping. For a household of one, there's enough for 10 years!!!

    Freezer space is limited, but I've got a good supply of ground beef, chicken breasts, and sausages on hand, and a few different cuts of pork. If push came to shove, I'd be OK for a good 6 weeks or longer.

    For the most part, I have plenty of cleaning and laundry supplies. And I'm sure I could fix up homemade, in a pinch.

    What's in good supply and could use a little back-up? I'll likely add another bag of flour and one of sugar, as well as another package of napkins, just for safe-keeping. I finished a bottle of toilet bowl cleaner in the master bath yesterday. Although I have others in the powder room and guest bath, I will stock up so I have all three bathrooms covered. Yes, I know I could carry the bottle from room to room. But, when I decide to clean one of the bathrooms, I don't want to have to cart supplies from room to room, and in my case from downstairs to upstairs and back down. And, it gives me back-up, just in case.

    What needs to be replenished? My Vitamin D tablets are exceptionally low and I've not been able to find them. I prefer chewable / gummies, and they've been in short supply lately. Meijer had them BOGO last week, but there was only one left, and it was kind of beat up. Need to check again, and if not there, will look at the pharmacies. And, I'll need to pick up a box of sugar substitute for use in my iced tea. About once a month, I grab a bag of dog food. As much as I'd like to buy the big bags, it goes stale and pup won't eat it. I keep it in a sealed bin, but after awhile ... Amazon is the cheapest for his dog food, and I can get it via Prime overnight delivery in a pinch. But that's one thing I do worry about, when looking at preparedness.

    Looking forward to being able to get some veggies and herbs in the deck planters. That will be a big help.

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    1. Sounds like you are doing good. You could always cut your consumption of meat back by half and make it go longer is need be.
      Cleaning stuff I could make myself or just scrub. It could be amazing what we could do without if IT hit the fan exceptionally bad!!!!
      Hope you find your vitamins! Yep home grown is always nice to have - even if it is just a little.

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  7. Anne---the roast beef is Kirkland (Costco) brand...it's in a 12 oz. can. I do have 16 stocked up...just noticed they were out. I don't see it on their website either.

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  8. Just looked on Amazon...they have the Kirkland canned roast beef...for $30+ for 4 cans...what a rip off!!! I didn't pay anything close to that!

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    1. That is pretty darn expensive. I didn't pay that much at WM or Kroger either.

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  9. I'm stocked like you posted. Two weeks ago when we went to the grocery store I noticed a LOT of holes in the inventory. They had most of what I wanted but seeing those empty shelves always makes me a little nervous.

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    1. I think everyone is getting nervous again. So many things happening all over the world - you just never know.
      Glad you are staying on top of it.

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  10. I am stocked but do need to get a little more crisco, and flour and sugar as I use those all the time.

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  11. I, too, love beans and rice...a complete protein. Your "super" stock items look just like mine; and most of your "good" stock levels. Lately, I've been learning how to cook Asian noodle/ramen dishes and they're so quick, good and inexpensive. Bok choy has become a new favorite veggie around here ;) I love what you said about getting creative about storage space. Totally agree. Under the bed, behind the couch, and all the other spaces you mentioned. You could even store stuff under end tables with cloths over them...or use a large (clean and lidded) trash can with a pretty cloth over it to store lots in. Decorative tins and hat boxes hold things besides hats, LOL. Becky at Frugal Measures has some fun storage ideas, too.
    Our entryway coat closet is a pantry now.
    PetSmart has lots of canned cat food...not at cheap prices, but still, if necessary.

    Stay well :)
    Mary in SD

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    1. Beans are just a great protein. I really like all types.
      Asian noodles are a good thing to have. I love stir fry dishes - they are just so easy. My favorite is Lo Mein
      Your storage ideas are all great! So many options - it just takes getting a bit creative.
      Thanks!!!!

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  12. We are very well stocked here. I have around 150 pounds of all types of flour but since we bake all our bread that is constantly restocked. We have two bags of sugar on our list but other than that it is pretty much all perishables that we shop for and just watch for the deals for pantry building. We don't grow a big garden here because we live in the woods so we watch for the deals to can and this is the week for green beans if they look good when we get to the store. At that store I will also stock up on our favorite grits since they are the only ones who carry them.

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    1. Good for you!!!!
      Thanks for sharing that you can/freeze things you buy. Not everyone can have a garden - but there are ways to put your own food up. I love that.
      We all need to keep our eyes open for deals!

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  13. I love that you are stressing the point of stocking up. I can't begin to say how thankful I am that I'm always well stocked on everything. We didn't need a single thing when the pandemic hit (even though we were one of the first states to be hit hard). I've slowly started replenishing things that we've used a lot over the last few months, but need to go do another big shop since the CDC wants our state (Michigan) to lock down again.

    I've seen many items no longer stocked at Sams too, like their frozen ravioli, drinking yogurt. I'm upset, because yogurt is a staple in our house and Sams had the best price.

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    1. Thanks. I was good as well when all the shut downs happened. There was no panic in my home.
      You are very wise to replenish and continue to stock. No matter what happens - and it could be anything - we need to prepare.
      Good luck

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  14. We're stocked up on the things we couldn't find last year at this time which are toilet paper, hand soap, alcohol and clorox wipes. I remember being so panicked last year at this time when we couldn't find these things. We literally have TP piled all the way to the ceiling in our spare bedroom and our spare bedroom closet stocked with hand soap, alcohol and wipes. Our pantry is pretty good but we want to replenish some staples over the next few weeks. Don't wanna be paranoid but did we think we'd be hunting for common household goods last year at this time and not finding them? Best to be prepared. Thanks for all the reminders to be prepared. Keep on reminding us, we appreciate it. Stay safe!

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    1. Glad you stocked up - those things will be the first to go again if things get worse.
      Regardless of what the world brings our way (not just the pandemic) it is best to be prepared.
      No, we never thing the shelves will empty - but learned a valuable lesson.
      Gentle reminders are needed about lots of things. We all need them!
      Have a good one

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  15. I have been adding canned tuna to my pantry as it is a protein I like that is good from a can. My list is quite similar to yours. Over time I have thought about the things that make life good and I never want to be without. If for some reason you cant clean your teeth or wash your hair as you usually would you find out oh wow I cant live without these! Just yuk! Hot water. Razors. Nail files. cotton buds. Power or dry shampoo is a good one. Food wise... I keep a heap of herbs, spices, bullion etc as they could make the boring seem more interesting. Cocoa and custard powders, tea... I would never want to run out of that so I keep at least a years supply and keep a close eye on it! Basic OTC pain killers and first aid... I like to keep plenty. I also like to keep vitamin D, Zinc, C etc. Then I have stashes that are not for myself but for family... some hidden tins of baby formula, pads and tampons, even items I could gift or trade. We are trying to have many supplies in the form of something ongoing like chickens to lay eggs and the garden beds full of edibles. It is a lot to think about but good to pause and assess what we have and what we should add. To see someone else's list is really good as we see options we might not have thought of.

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    1. There are so many things we take for granted each day - and just don't think about. Those are the things we need as well - you are so right about that. All those things you mentioned just make life easier and would make a day brighter if things get bleak.
      I keep alcohol for a barter item and a few other items. CASH as well is something we should all have on hand.
      Thank you for more ideas -I just love hearing what everyone is doing and what items they think of!

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