Soni's post last week about her husband being laid off caused me to remember something my mother told me. Her parents, and later her mother, lived in a somewhat isolated area of MN. She said until the end of her life (mid-80s) her mother kept a pantry stocked with what she called her food hoard. There was enough there to where she alone could have lived on it for at least a month, and when company came, there was always plenty to choose from.

Although my situation doesn't warrant it, I do something similar. Although I would run out of perishables, such as bread and eggs, I estimate I could go for about a month without going to the supermarket. Maybe that last meal might be a can of greenbeans, but... Water isn't a problem since the spring is only about 50' from the mobilehome.

While I don't do it with the pantry, about twice a year I force myself to clean out the freezer compartment before restocking. Helps keep those chicken legs from sitting in there for a year.

Hoarding isn't difficult to do. Each supermarket trip just buy an extra can of this, bag or box of that, or whatever. Rice, pasta or a box of hamburger helper can make a pound of cheap hamburger go a long way.

I know some of you raise your own food, but some of us don't.

Surely I'm not the only one to do this.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), December 25, 2000

Answers

I try to keep as much food stashed away as possible!!! We do grow a big garden but I also try to keep other stuff on hand too....We had a grocery store change hands a few months ago and they've been running some really good sales. A couple of months ago they had Luck's canned beans on sale for 25 cents per can!!! So I bought as many as I could!

With Roy's work as a handyman now some weeks we have lots of money for groceries and then some weeks hardly any at all....My checks mainly pay the homestead payment and other bigger bills....

So having lots of groceries on hand is important to us....

Also. people nowadays never know what finances, weather, sickness, or whatever may cause....so it's just better to be prepared. (I even try to make certain we have extra food always on hand for all the animals too!!!) suzy

-- Suzy in 'Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), December 25, 2000.

Yes Ken, even though we raise most of our own food, I still stock up on things that I can't raise or don't raise. We also keep big storage buckets of "staples" like sugar, salt, whole grains and legumes. Have done this for a lot of years. When the dear one lost a job we didn't have to change our standard of living until a new one was found. In Michigan those of us old enough to remember 1967 tend to put a lot of extra feed in for our animals also (the big blizzard here that kept us in for 8-10 days depending on where you were) for y2k we put up months worth of feed for our animals (enough to get to pasture) and we liked the security so well that we did it again this year.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), December 25, 2000.

Ken, I do something similar with my 25 years of bachelor experience. I go "big" grocery shopping about once a month and "little" shopping every four or five days when I am in town. I usually have a couple month of food on hand just in case I don't feel like shopping. I have solved the "old" food problem in that once a year, around Thanksgiving, I box everything up and take it to the food bank. Then go to Phoenix or Vegas for a real BIG shopping trip. Note: For those that are going to tell me supermarket canned food may be a year old, I don't want to hear that. :>)

-- JLS in NW AZ (stalkingbull007@AOL.com), December 25, 2000.

Keeping a food store is something I preach about every chance I get. If you learn to prepare foods from basic ingredients, buy in bulk and "eat what you store, store what you eat" you will drastically cut your food bill and improve your health, as well as always having something to eat.

This doesn't mean living on rice, beans and powdered milk all of the time. What it may mean is learning to cook with dried beans instead of canned, and eating them a bit more often. It also means when something nonperishable that you do eat often goes on sale, buy it in bulk and store it. See if any stores in your area will sale stuff by the case at a discount. I've heard of stores charging a fixed per-case handling fee for pre-paid orders. Buying at a few bucks per case over wholesale can save a lot of money.

Date everything you buy and always eat the oldest stuff first. Figure out how much of something you will eat during its shelflife and try to buy in bulk as close to that amount as you can, or just above the next lower price-break.

Don't do like so many people did for Y2K and buy specially prepared emergency food in any quantity, unless you are going to eat it anyhow and rotate your stocks.

Of course this isn't limited to just food, but to everything you use on a routine basis. When toilet paper goes on sale, buy at least enough to last until the next sale, or see if you can get a better deal on a whole case. You'll use it eventually.

This type of a plan does take space. Learn what type of storage each item needs. Many things can be stored in an unheated shed. Others would benefit from a basement or root cellar. Avoid buying frozen foods in bulk, unless you have a backup power system.

==>paul

-- paul (p@ledgewood-consulting.com), December 25, 2000.

When I first moved out on my own, I thought I had it all covered. Utility and security deposits, rent payed, just forgot food. Begged enough credit from a little convience store to by a bag of beans, a dozen eggs, pack of bacon, can of coffee , box of tea bags and 5 lb of sugar. Payed the man back out of my next paycheck and started building my stores 4 cans a week. 3 yrs later when I moved out of the apartment to a house, we moved 600 cans of food stores and We still maintain a walk in larde, only now in addition to store bought cans from Kroger and Sav a Lot, we have home canned and dehydrated and always keep at least 2 smoke cured hams and a side of bacon.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), December 25, 2000.

The four of us could live for about a year on what I have stored back now. It is just a way of life. The future is always uncertain. You never know if there will be a major disaster of some sort that causes shortages and/or price increases, or if your personal economy will go belly up. It's just prudent to be prepared. Remember the wise and foolish virgins.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), December 25, 2000.

Ken, I have a large dehydrator that I use every summer to dry large quantities of vegetables and fruit. It's not hard to do and you can store a lot of food in a small area.

-- Betty (Mich) (brolffs@voyager.net), December 25, 2000.

I grew up in a very large family, way out in the sticks. My Mom always made sure there was plenty to eat. I have always tried to keep a full pantry, like my Mom did. Funny how, until I found COUNTRYSIDE, I thought I was strange and different from "regular" folks because of it. I live alone, but I always buy in bulk. I could go a few months on what I've hoarded. Recently, my sister and I found ourselves putting together a couple of boxes of food for a friend who was very down on his luck. I asked her what she had so far, so we wouldn't duplicate. She had mostly prepared box mixes, and a few canned goods. I looked in my panty and storage areas, and although I saw lots of food, (dried grains, beans, flours, dried fruits and vegetables, etc.) I realized that this fellow would not have a clue as to what most of it was, let alone how to prepare it. (That's how I eat!!) I felt a little uncomfortable, because it showed me once again how I need to maintain a strong, solid connection with my CS family. I'm not a misfit, I'm just not like most of mainstream Amerika!! I love you guys, and am very grateful to have found you all. Happy Holidays!

-- Cathy in NY (hrnofplnty@yahoo.com), December 25, 2000.

I have said it before, and I'll say it here--we were really glad for our Y2K stash when Hubby tore his chest muscles and couldn't do steady work this summer for 6+ weeks. And I am building up my stash again...like Ken says, a few extra cans or packages of things here or there. I don't know that I would call it hoarding, though...maybe the word "storage" is better. Hoarding has conotations of grabbing and hiding selfishly, when supplies are low at the stores. They aren't low--there's plenty to go around (at least for NOW). Kinda like canning the extra green beans or tomatoes in the summer...you store them, against the time when the garden isn't producing anymore. That way...if suppliess do get low, you CAN share. Food storage is enabling generosity, if the need arises!

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), December 25, 2000.

Several years ago (surely not THAT many years) my girlfriend & I sold the pigs & chickens and went to Mexico and stayed till the money ran out. We got home 4 months later with about $5 between us and no jobs - but I've always "hoarded" food, so there was plenty of flour, beans, rice, honey, pasta, etc. in the house. We were not in a mood to worry and didn't need to. We did some VERY CAREFUL shopping and extended our vacation a while before going back to work. This was when I got in the habit of baking bread regularly. So keeping supplies on hand is not just for emergencies....

-- Sam in W.Va. (turnip55a@yahoo.com), December 25, 2000.

We've always lived in the country and most always had a garden.So, I grew up thinking everybody stored for winter with gardening ect. Kinda sheltered I guess. Storing food does take a little room but you sometimes need to be creative. A case of canned goods fits most anywhere, under a bed,in a closet, ect. Anyway, it sure is nice when the money runs low, or weather or whatever keeps you from making it to the store, you still can eat. It's also a good idea to have canning lids on hand in case a freezer quits or the power goes off providing you have other ways of cooking than electric. You all stay warm

-- Darren in Idaho (darrencindy2000@yahoo.com), December 26, 2000.

We have pretty much consumed last years Y2K supplies including household item, paper goods, soap & cleaners. We do still have plenty of vinegar, salt pepper and other spices, the rice has held up well. Our canning garden did not do as well this past summer but we had enough to last. We like to keep plenty of food and supplies on hand and buy by the case when case sales come along or we make it to COSTCO which is 65 miles away, it is 25 miles to the super market.

-- Hendo (OR) (redgate@echoweb.net), December 26, 2000.

I also have a large dehydrator that I used every summer to dry large ammounts of fruits and vegetables.

It's called an S10 pickup with a black interior parked in the sun.

We major grocery shop AND do laundry, once a month. No we don't stink,well not too much,I guess.OK maybe I'm just used to the smell.

No,we just stock enough for that long a time,including undies and socks.We do however pick up any food perishables locally,when we go for the mail or something,once or twice a week.

It works out pretty good.

-- sharon wt (wildflower@ekyol.com), December 26, 2000.

Hi Ken,***I sure enjoyed all the responses to your thoughts on Storing Food ahead. And, as you have found out, you are not alone in this habit.***To me, it has just been a way of life. I raised a big family and we just naturally canned and stored a "lot" of food each Fall. I had enough back then to feed a small army.***So the habit hasn't left me and I still keep about a month's supply on hand. I think it is just being practical. One never knows what unforeseen circumstances will befall them. Sickness, job loss, getting snowed in or transportation problems, helping neighbors, foodbanks, or inviting 10 people over for a special "feast".***I don't "can" foods much now. Just a little something each year or two. I buy food on sale at stores too. It is great to find some of your favorite foods on sale, however, nothing replaces the "taste" of fresh foods from the gardens, orchards and berry patches. I do freeze some fresh foods as well.***Another habit I got into is that of freezing my own pie crusts. I never did like making pie crust, so, I made several at a time, rolled them out, put wax paper in between each crust, put them in the freezer. A person can fold them with waxpaper in between folds also. I also made whole pies and than froze them. So, anytime we wanted pie, they just had to be baked, fresh. With my gang, time was of the essense. Sometimes I bake a pie for a sick friend. It is always appreciated. ***Around here, in the late summer, there are apples all over waiting to be picked (free), also various kinds of plums. Neighbors give apples and other fruit away happily. So, just look around, you may see a nice abandoned apple tree in a patch of woods, in a back alley, or see people with apple or plum trees, (or cherry) just loaded with fruit. If the worms like them, that means they are very good. :-) Usually you can tell if the neighbors don't use them much. Don't hurt to ask. I make a lot of apple butter and jellies ahead. Too expensive to buy here.*** I am temporarily living in Montana, but plan to move back to West Virginia, (ALMOST HEAVEN) soon as possible.****Well, I've been sittin' here too long,,the dog wants in and got to get the punkin' out of the oven....Love all you countrysiders,,,,my kind of folks!

-- Pat J. (salomepj@hotmail.com), December 29, 2000.

We keep about a years worth on hand for our family plus a little (no, Im not a Mormon). Perishables are not an issue as we keep pretty extensive staples like flour and grains and we shellac eggs for when the flock pretty much shuts down for the winter. The old grain, flour, powdered milk, etc gets mixed into the animal feed when we get around to replacing the pantry store. We keep a small amount of long term storage food on hand that I eat when Im home alone or we take camping and when that gets to be about a year old (of its 5 year life) then we donate it and have the accountant write it off.

Some of our friends and relatives chuckle at the "grocery store" off of our kitchen...they're the same ones who were whining about "nothing good to eat" in their house during our recent snow storms.

These are the same people who cant figure out why my garden is about an acre and a half or where I get all the money to "buy" all those fresh gourmet type vegatables that their eating...

-- William in Wi (thetoebes@webtv.net), December 29, 2000.