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I got to thinking about this topic early this morning as we were finalizing the packing for our family camping trip. Anyone who knows me even a little knows that this family, mainly yours truly, is always preparing. There is always more to learn. I don’t share much with casual acquaintances, mostly because I really don’t like talking to anybody all that much, but especially people I don’t know well. I’m a hard-core introvert.
But the thought came to me this morning, what if I saw someone in the grocery store who looked like she were starting to panic over the looming challenges? (And I wrote she because I would be far less likely to engage in conversation with a strange male.) What would I say?
First off, she needs to take a deep breath. It is late, but putting some food by is still not impossible today. Now here is what to focus on:
1. Remember, in a crisis food situation, calories are king. Most prepper-types emphasize rice and beans. Those are great, but they’ll get old PDQ if you have nothing else. Even with no understanding of making bread, it doesn’t take much skill to make pancakes, tortillas, and biscuits. Before moving on to any other foods, be sure to cover the calorie-dense grains/flours, beans, sugars (like granulated sugar and honey), and cooking oils.
2. While calories are king, nutrition is queen. Whole grains are wonderful if she can work with them. If not, pick up a few cases of vegetables, including tomato sauce. Variety in the spice of life. In addition, if the budget allows, get some multi-vitamins to cover potential dietary deficiencies.
3. Consider history as you make your choices. Cooking oil was the most valuable food commodity during and following World War II in Europe because it could make even the least desirable of foods palatable. A single quart of oil could be traded for 3 bushels of apples or 300 pounds of potatoes. Honey was much more valuable than sugar (right now, I’d still rather have sugar). Johnston’s Army paid the Indians $5 per pound for salt in the late 1850s when their own supply was destroyed. That was when gold ran $20 per ounce. So one-fourth of an ounce of gold bought one pound of salt. In today’s money that would be $450-500 for that little carton of salt at the grocery store. Salt is that valuable. And when you are making your own bread and beans, you go through it quickly.
4. Learn about expiration dates on packages and cans and what they really mean. Most foods are still good and edible far past those dates stamped on by the manufacturer. Even dairy products like sour cream, butter, and cheese can be good months past those dates.
5. Don’t be suckered into buying emergency storage foods guaranteed to last ten or more years. The emergency is right at our doorsteps. You’ve got to focus on making it through the next couple of months (yeah, I know, but you don’t want her to have a meltdown right in front of you). Regular grocery store nonperishables will see her through.
6. Don’t fall for the nonsense the mainstream media spews. The government always tells people not to panic right before prices rise. All is not well. The food situation is and will be dire. You have nothing to lose by preparing, and because of massive inflation buying food now guarantees a return on investment better than anything the casino/stock market has to offer.
7. And finally, point her in the direction of PrepSchoolDaily.blogspot.com. The information here is all free, all the time, in fun-size portions or the mega all-you-can-eat buffet.
Links to related posts:
Food Storage and Learning from History
Calories and
Recommended Food Storage Amounts
Where Do I
Begin? What Exactly Should I Store?
Maximizing the Amount of Calories and Food You Can Store
“Best By
Dates”—What Those Numbers Really Mean
Jennifer, as usual, your advice is spot on.
ReplyDeleteAs a "canary in the coal mine" indication of exactly where we are as a society, some people I have urged for quite sometime to take serious preparedness steps without much result, are now laying in serious provisions in anticipation of worst things to come in the short term.
It is frustrating, however, to realize just how many people are still more concerned about who is doing well on "America's Got Talent" than are preparing for bad things to come.
Darwin smiles.
Is that show still on?
DeleteI'm glad some in your circle are starting to prepare seriously. Wish I could say the same, though I do see a few more people in the grocery store that look like they are preparing for the worst.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteExcellent article and advice! There will be many who totally meltdown when the SHTF. They are the people who now think the government will take care of them and continue to max-out their credit cards…
ReplyDeleteThe alarming thing is that the government has even been telling people that they need to store some food. And then what happens when they've maxxed out their cards and they have no credit and no money to buy food? Or gas to get to work? I think the supply chain issues we have now are nothing compared to what will be.
DeleteI feel that a bigger problem will soon appear - what happens when the people that rely on food banks find them running low on food to give out? I can imagine what can happen. Things will get ugly real quick. Thankfully I live in a small town and have learned to be prepared,
ReplyDeleteSomething I found in my Grandmother's stories.
ReplyDeleteThe Tax man and the Bankers ALLWAYS got paid.
Folks lost their homes and farm on the courthouse steps to Bankers guarded by the Sherriff.
Aside from Weimer Germany's "The Mark is the Mark" changing from the gold Mark to the paper Mark All debts were "adjusted" as so the Bankers ALLWAYS got paid. for the entire debts.
DEBTS are deadly in a Greater Depression.
Michael
There is so very much I would like to say, but will limit it to 2 thoughts. If your family can eat it, peanut butter is the best prep food in my opinion. High calorie, high oil, long easy storage, able to eat by the spoonful, no cooking fire required, usable in recipes, and we love it. I often have to reblend older peanut butter back to creamy. Second, hide your food and be quiet. If we do get to rationing, get your rations even if not needed. There are always people to give food to. Just don't stand out. Be slim when everyone is slim, and dirty when everyone is dirty.
ReplyDeleteneed to be careful about being a Mr/Ms Know It All >>> tipping your hand about your amount of knowledge on surviving SHFTtimes makes you a target - same thing about being medical acknowledged >>> plenty of damn savvy sheeple that'll be looking for that misstep - put 2 +2 together that prep supplies would go hand-in-hand with the knowledge .....
ReplyDeleteWhile bragging about how well you're doing during an economic disaster is a BAD IDEA (tm) facts are people remember and when bellies are empty are quite observant.
ReplyDeleteHungry people become angry people and get sneaky-violent pretty fast.
You can and should blend in as best as you can, but those close to you will know your skillsets and have a pretty good idea of your capabilities.
As I've seen in 3rd world countries, GROUPS that stand together tend to do well BECAUSE non-crazy folks look at the chances of losing even more trying something nasty to them.
Crazy and druggies are dangerous as in rabid dog dangerous. Can show up as a sweet young lady with a baby looking for help. One should ASK yourself how such a situation COULD Occur and be wary. An Unlocked door and sharp knife is a real problem at O dark 30.
Medical Isolation is a GOOD IDEA. First even a simple flu from being so kind to her can have much of you disabled for a long time. Also, devious-crazy folks stories fall apart after a while.
We've discussed Medical Isolation before Jennifer.
The let's hide in the wood's folks, let's get real. I am a grandpa to a scout troop, and we pick up trash from slobs everywhere we wander in the white mountains of NH.
There is NO hidden, nobody goes their places.
Lone wolfs are a paradox in nature and history. Successful ones are completely myth driven stories. PR stories do poorly when even a simple slip of the foot = you're a CRIPPLE for quite some time.
The term outlaw came from Norse communities where being declared "outside the wall, out side the law" troublemakers were driven out of the group.
They generally died either from revenge killings as they were NOT protected by family law or exposure to raw mother nature.
VERY FEW redeemed themselves by reckless heroism in battle defending their clan to be restored as a freeman within the community again. Norse Legends come from them.
I'm not Beowulf and I doubt you are either.
Got trusted friends and trusted family to ride out the storm? Sadly, even families will have untrustworthy elements or gotta let in my boyfriend troublemakers.