Disproportionate storage

[GillyBee]

As we seem to be special diet central round here I bulk buy the specialist foodstuffs that I can't see TPTB trying to provide if SHTF unless you fit the very tight medical definition of coeliac. Gluten free oats and buckwheat flour are cheaper bought in bulk which is my excuse for stocking up

[Omega]

If anyone can find an historical example of a situation where bread , potatoes and pasta have disappeared but bacon and butter have still been plentiful I'd be glad to hear of it.

A bit odd historical fact - I am from Central Asia and, during Perestroika, we could buy meat on the market because the country was a large producer of lamb, but flour, bread, butter, milk products, matches, tobacco, alcohol (except beer, but it was never available, as well as Cola) and soap were rationed. Some regions within the country had small European population and they sometimes had abundance of food made of pork because the majority of the local population was Muslim. Vegetables were very seasonal - we would stock up on potatoes, make jams, juice and canned tomatoes for winter

[Omega]

I see prepping more as a way to smooth over the bumps , in effect glorified can kicking , making the slow crash more livable and hopefully giving me more time to adapt to whatever comes next.

I seem to start thinking in similar lines. And buying staples in bulk to save money that also reduces trips to the supermarket and provides quite a large food inventory if SHTF
So, maybe then we had better arrange our storage (consume, consume, consume )

[grenfell]

If anyone can find an historical example of a situation where bread , potatoes and pasta have disappeared but bacon and butter have still been plentiful I'd be glad to hear of it.

A bit odd historical fact - I am from Central Asia and, during Perestroika, we could buy meat on the market because the country was a large producer of lamb, but flour, bread, butter, milk products, matches, tobacco, alcohol (except beer, but it was never available, as well as Cola) and soap were rationed. Some regions within the country had small European population and they sometimes had abundance of food made of pork because the majority of the local population was Muslim. Vegetables were very seasonal - we would stock up on potatoes, make jams, juice and canned tomatoes for winter

That's interesting and thanks for that so perhaps I should add the caveat " within regional variations" which in retrospect does now seem pretty obvious.

I see prepping more as a way to smooth over the bumps , in effect glorified can kicking , making the slow crash more livable and hopefully giving me more time to adapt to whatever comes next.

I seem to start thinking in similar lines. And buying staples in bulk to save money that also reduces trips to the supermarket and provides quite a large food inventory if SHTF
So, maybe then we had better arrange our storage (consume, consume, consume )

The saving money as a hedge against inflation and giving one the ability to still feed one's family during periods of severe weather , strikes or power outages , looking at it pragmatically , seems far more logical than trying to stock up half a years worth of food for a situation that is far more unlikely in my opinion.

[Omega]

Yes - money is the more fluid resource than food and equipment. And earning a big income that can weather various economic shocks is the best survival skill. What can be better than hoarding money, lots of money? . Unfortunately, there are too many people with the same thought .

[Frnc]

Agreed, on saving being the most important prep. You can suddenly get big expenses or a drop in income, and you could be screwed. I came a bit close with my roof needing to be done again. I managed to get a loan, but obviously that eats into my monthly money. I could pay more of it off, but then I'd have no cash available for emergencies.

[GillyBee]

One strategy I have used is that when my loan ended, I kept paying the same amount into a savings account. i was used to managing without the money andit let me start to build an emergency fund. I did the same for all pay rises. Of course this assumes that another disaster has not left you with the need for another loan immediately but has worked for me as a strategy.

[grenfell]

That strategy reminds me of my mother's practices. She would "pay" the same amounts when she didn't need to although the paying meant putting that money aside. For instance before they brought the house it was council owned and there were a number of rent free weeks per year. Mom would still have the money set aside but it went into savings rather than to the council. I seem to recall a similar thing with insurance I think. It seems a very simple and relatively painless way to save and it certainly worked as when they came to buy the house there was never any mortgage...