# The "Urgency" bug and managing it



## TrinEire (Jul 23, 2012)

Disclaimer: (I haven't seen anything in the threads about this topic, so if there is, If someone could point me in the right direction ) 

I’ve been seriously prepping for 5 years now and back In my infancy stages of prepping, I experienced this sense of urgency to get things done. It was not a panicky, paralyzing fear.  It was a recognizing of my shortcomings and with it, a fire was lit under my butt to get moving, make a plan and shove off the mundane way of life and do something. I’ve never been the type of person to freak out in an emergency, I get more focused, more energized, complete the task at hand and move on when the crisis is over. It’s part of me and part of my job, and I’m prepared mentally and physically for it, but I’m wondering if anyone else gets this occasional “sense” or “feeling” of urgency and the “am I as prepared as I can be at this moment?” 

I don’t think that I’ve become complacent, and am in no way done with prepping. It truly is a way of life and I see things differently now than I used to. I prep so my family and I can live, thrive, and not be scared. So we can go about our day to day lives and not have the worry and what if’s hanging over our heads. Life is too short anyway, you have to enjoy it. 

So…………….. I have recently had the "Urgency" feeling creeping in. I don’t know why it happens, if it’s the constant reminders from our society that things are bad and getting worse, or if I see something or read something that strikes a nerve. I’m not a hundred percent sure why it happens, but more importantly what we do with this 'sense' is why I’m writing.

How do you combat the sometimes overwhelming feeling that I'm not doing enough or what am I missing for my preparedness to be sufficient?

What do you do when the “Urgency bug” hits you? (maybe for some it doesn’t)


----------



## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

When ever I feel the urgency creeping back in I review my current plans and situation to fit the most likely concerns. IF i see that there is nothing more to do then I just relax. But most the time I do find some weakness in my planning and I correct it. 

It has always worked best for me to write everything down and then sleep on it. It's amazing how sleep adds perspective to it. When I wake up I review the list and then do the actionable items that make sense. Sometimes I can rectify my situation by a trip to town to stock-up or it may mean making something in the shop.

Try to never have to make last min decisions, they are usually wrong.


----------



## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

I think our political news drives a lot of that feeling. I find the best way to deal with it is turn off the TV.

The folks who are most prepared have been at it a long time, sometimes more than one generation. I'm not one of those, but I recognize that unless you are super-wealthy there are limits to what you can do in a short period of time. I'll always be in a position of not as prepared as I would like to be, but more prepared than I was in the past.


----------



## Turtle (Dec 10, 2009)

TrinEire, I will make some assumption's based some things which you said, my experiences, and some dime-store psychology I have picked up along the way. 

First, I will assume that you have a somewhat "Type A" personality? Further, as you mention dealing with stressful situations as part of your job, can I make the assumption that you have some sort of public safety/public service job, such as police, fire, EMS, military, or ER? 

For me (and I would go so far as to say that the same could be said for most "preppers"), preparedness is somewhat cyclical: I recognize a need, I hustle to make sure it is addressed, and I am then comfortable with my situation until another need is identified. At that point, the cycle begins again. 

For those who have a touch of a generalized anxiety disorder, this cycle could seem slightly more manic. Add to this the tendency for many "type A" personalities to also have control issues, and you have the potential for a vicious cycle of stress. 

For some (such as my wife), organization is the key to handling those issues and minimizing the stress which is resultant. She makes lists of lists. Seriously. When she becomes disorganized and her systems fall apart, the stress builds until she can take a deep breath, snap out of the stress-induced panic, and get organized again. She is great under pressure, don't get me wrong; she was a field medic in the Army. But she can be a little OCD about her organization. 

Perhaps you would find that sitting down, doing a periodic assessment of your preps, and working from an established plan might alleviate some of your anxiety.


----------



## Lori64 (Sep 22, 2012)

I'm in that 'urgency' state at the moment. I have no idea what triggers it. It just happens every now and then. What makes this time worse is that DH is also in an state of urgency. 
I'm a lister so I review those, make adjustments and try to tackle a couple of issues. DH looks for something to buy.
We are getting closer and closer to whatever it is that is going to happen. We just don't know how close we are or how bad it might be. There's only so much you can do. I try to take advantage of these periods and sprint for a bit before going back into the pace of a distance race.


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

For me taking inventory, buying some new books and adding some more seeds to the seed vault help.

Taking inventory always makes me realize I have a bit more than I had thought. Knowing that is calming for a while.

Buying a few books give me (and the family) new skill sets or in site that again calm me for a bit.

The seeds give me the most relief.


----------



## mojo4 (Feb 19, 2012)

Usually the trigger for me is realizing I had overlooked some crucial items or equipment. But after attacking the problem from all sides I usually come to the decision that I can go without and make due with what I have. I have to keep reminding myself that you really don't need an RV or shipping containers full of supplies and you really can't take it with you if you have to leave.


----------



## Aliaysonfire (Dec 18, 2012)

I definitely feel the urgency bug as well. I am a type a personality no doubt. Fix things (everything) with a hammer. Sometimes good; sometimes bad. 
How I combat this.
Make a list of what I can do and execute it.

The energy is there. No amount of rationalization, thoughtfulness can combat that so I act on my energy. But I start with a plan and go from there. No use in making a hasty mistake but I do have to find a way to focus my energy. 

So I need seeds. My one seed vault was taken in "the purge"(what I call my now separated husband's gathering of crap so he could run back to mommy.)
I ain't got any money though: so I looked at ways of gathering real seeds from edible plants in my area and what stuff I could get from the local farmers market to dry out. 

I needed topo maps. Searched and searched till I found them online for free (from weogeo.com; it's awesome!) now I feel a lot better by taking some action.


----------



## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Depends on what caused the feelin. Some a the thins we can do sumtin bout, some we really can't.

When sumtin pops up, I take stock what we already got that'll cross over ta the new feelin. Then decide what would be needed fer the new occurence. Then do some research (shoppin on the web) ta see what it gonna cost ta satisfy them needs. Now, will this cut inta our other funds fer enjoyment, daily exspense, supplies? How likely this occurence gonna be? I don't rush inta thins cause that be a good way ta get off track a sometimes more important needs.

It be normal ta watch the news an go "good lord, I need ta do this, this an this", but ya gotta step back an look at the big picture. Also, with news ya need ta check multiple sources cause media ain't our friend. Media has become a tool a big power an sometimes all they wanna do be pull us inta "their" line. Ain't necessarily the right line.

Urgency can be a good thin, just gotta learn ta temper it with good common sense an what works fer what yall prep fer an yer area.

Knowledge be one thin they can't take from ya yet. So read an learn lots. Be situationally aware. Many thins can be "repurposed" ifin the need arises. Kinda like the big rush folks got inta buyin a battle rifle after the threat a bans. Do ya really need it? Will the bolt action ya got do nearly as well? One thin bout a bolt action, it conserves on wammo cause ya don't just squeeze the trigger an go bang, bang, bang. Just my two coppers on it.


----------



## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I learned a long time ago to focus these energies. I am one of those multigenerational preppers. I keep plodding along till I get one of these urgency attacks. I do enjoy these attacks, perhaps the energy reminds me of my time on the ambulance. Whatever it is, I use it. After Y2K many were looking around feeling foolish. I looked at my preps and said, 'wow that was a great exercise'. 

I sit back after one of these attacks and look at what I have accomplished. I let myself enjoy that sense of accomplishment.


----------



## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

Caribou said:


> I learned a long time ago to focus these energies. I am one of those multigenerational preppers. I keep plodding along till I get one of these urgency attacks. I do enjoy these attacks, perhaps the energy reminds me of my time on the ambulance. Whatever it is, I use it. After Y2K many were looking around feeling foolish. I looked at my preps and said, 'wow that was a great exercise'.
> 
> I sit back after one of these attacks and look at what I have accomplished. I let myself enjoy that sense of accomplishment.


I like the point of view on Y2k. In the corporate world, the whole thing was nuts, but for a prepper it was an exercise.


----------



## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

Geek999 said:


> I like the point of view on Y2k. In the corporate world, the whole thing was nuts, but for a prepper it was an exercise.


When I first saw the title to this posting my first thought was someone was having a frequent diarrhea problem and had figured out how to manage it:jk: But in some ways it's like that in that it's a SHTF worry situation and if you stress too much you could end up with intestinal dysfunction. OldCootHillbilly pretty much hit the nail on the head. It's kind of like learning to act like the bad stuff is never going to happen but calmly preparing for the potential of it being the next day.


----------



## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

I have said before, sometimes that "small voice", sense of urgency can be a great thing to listen to. I have had times in my life when that sense of urgency precipitated a personal SHTF moment (Hubby got laid off, someone in the family needing the extra that we had put back, etc.) Follow the feeling, do what you can. Just remember to keep it in perspective and continue to have a "real life".


----------



## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I agree with Geek999, for a lot of people the media, blogs, forums, etc. can all drive the sense of urgency. I too have a type A personality (no really) but through the course of my life and experiences I have developed a strong tendency for rational thinking and emotional control. A big part of that was tuning out the media and other sources of sensationalized and fictitious / theoretical information / misinformation. Make a plan, put it into motion and see it through. If something comes up in the process; improvise adapt and overcome.


----------



## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

I don't like talking about this because I don't understand it, but a gut feeling is sometimes right-on. Here as one example, The week before the 9-11 (2001) attack I moved money out of equities and into bond funds. At the time, I did not have one clue why I did it. 9-11 happened and I made some very good money. I sold the bond funds a few days later and put the money back into stocks. To this day I don't know why I did this.

I have listen to my gut several other times and it is usually right.


----------



## TrinEire (Jul 23, 2012)

I would have to say that making a plan and reviewing that plan is extremely helpful when these times hit. Before I posted on this topic, thats what I did, went through my plan, made some adjustments and came up with another contingency plan. It just made me wonder what everyone else does. 

Also went through my supplies inventory and like Grimm said, realized I am better off than I thought. 

Thanks to all who responded and the suggestions.


----------



## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

I do find that it's a cyclical thing. For me, the trick is figuring out where a sense of urgency is coming from. I believe that God imprinted an urgency on my heart, back when I started all this (then I was a mom in the suburbs, now I'm a homesteading wanna-be in the country). Others might call it a push from the Universe, or maybe a gut feeling - I'm not trying to be faith specific here, just explaining where I'm coming from.

The trick for me, when I feel anxious or an urgency about something, is to figure out where that feeling is coming from. Am I getting a nudge from God? Or am I seeing what's going on in the world and (understandably) worrying that what I've tried to prepare for is imminent and I'm not ready? It can be hard to discern between the two.

I've figured out that when I have a sense of urgency about something specific - say, water supply - that's a nudge from God, kicking my butt to get me to do something that needs doing. So I work on that specific - work on water storage, water filtration, better ways of gathering and cleaning water, water storage for agricultural use, anything related to that specific urgency. And I'm always grateful for the kick in the pants. 

On the other hand, if the sense of urgency is generalized, I've come to learn that's probably from taking in a lot of information (both current events and reading history), and not understanding how this house of cards is still standing. I don't want to shut out current events entirely, but sometimes I could stand to minimize the intake.  And like a number of others have said, this is a good time to analyze things on paper - make lists and goals. It helps to see (reassure myself) how much has already been done, and it helps to have a direction on where to go from here. I find that goals change with the more I learn, and also with changing life situations, so it's good to use a general sense of anxiousness as an opportunity to reassess. Heck, maybe a generalized sense of anxiousness is actually the Universe giving me a kick in the butt to reorganize my goals... :dunno:


----------



## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

I was just thinking, in reading the replies here and I realized that it wasn't an urgency that I have felt but rather a feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop as the old, old saying goes. I guess when one adds up all the bad things going on you just figure it's going to equate to something happening and so it is that we may all have a certain anticipation for events to happen. I think one can dampen the feelings of urgency by constantly upgrading ones preparations and refining what you really need and eliminating what's not essential.


----------



## DKRinAK (Nov 21, 2011)

*It happenes*

I get that same feeling, 'When will the wheels come off?" sort of thing.

Part of this is due to the research I've done for my books, I've scared myself nearly to pieces more than once.

As others have noted - Turn off the telly. Take a walk. Go talk with a good friend.

Face up to the number one fact that everyone seems to know but doesn't voice.

You are not going to be able to prep for 'everything' or for most things, if truth be told.

So, put your time and money on some basics and hope for the best. Be ready to feed/shelter/warm yourself or family for a full week. Then try to make it two weeks, take it from there.

Good luck.


----------



## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I can't read this thread any more, I just had to make an emergency trip to Costco.


----------



## Resto (Sep 7, 2012)

That sense of Urgency Feeling, has saved my Life more than Once. Ive been feeling that sense a little more Lately, it lights a fire under my pants. I prep in Waves of Urgency and Burn Out. lol


----------



## readyprepared (Nov 18, 2013)

I, too, have bouts of preparedness malaise and have recently stopped watching the local and national news (don't subscribe to a newspaper) to help combat that unease.

Boy, what a difference this has made in my general sense of well being. This unplugging from the fear mongering media has enabled me to step back and re-evaluate.

With every event, namely hurricanes, I learn new things and adjust the plan accordingly. What was once seasonal, has become year round prep.

No doubt, this is some form of PTSD (and OCD).

Scott
New Orleans


----------



## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Scott, welcome to the forum. :wave:


----------



## readyprepared (Nov 18, 2013)

goshengirl said:


> Scott, welcome to the forum. :wave:


Thanks, goshengirl!


----------



## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

Thinking back, I did get that when I first started prepping. The holy crap I have NOTHING feeling. I did hastily gather a weeks worth of food and water and went from there. Little by little the feeling goes away, as you feel more confident in what you have and your ability to use it. You really can get along with much less than you think you can, if you use your head. For example, you don't need to store a few hundred gallons of water, all you need is a source to collect and filter rain water or creek water. If it is winter time, you do not need to heat the whole house, only a room to stay in. You just need a way to segregate that room and a small heat source. The old saying comes to mind, 'a white man makes a large fire and stands far away, an Indian makes a small fire and stays close', or something to that effect.

I have been seriously prepping since 2008 and still do not consider myself prepared for everything, BUT... I am prepared to handle anything that comes around with what I have. I do realize I am not prepared to handle every situation that could happen. I am prepared to handle the ones that I would think I can live through. If a giant volcano erupts a few miles away I know I am not prepared to survive it, I can live with that. If the economy collapses and chaos erupts, I feel I can handle that. Just relax, sit back and take stock of what you have. Most things you think you cannot live without, you really can live without.


----------



## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

Resto said:


> I prep in Waves of Urgency and Burn Out. lol


As opposed to waves of having money and none in our household.:gaah:


----------



## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

readyprepared said:


> I, too, have bouts of preparedness malaise and have recently stopped watching the local and national news (don't subscribe to a newspaper) to help combat that unease. This unplugging from the fear mongering media has enabled me to step back and re-evaluate


 Back in the mid 1970's while living in Colorado I had to stop reading the newspapers because I felt I was on the road to premature high blood pressure, I had a bad habit of reading between the lines and knowing what was really going on which led me to scream at what I was reading.


----------



## TrinEire (Jul 23, 2012)

Caribou said:


> I can't read this thread any more, I just had to make an emergency trip to Costco.


Oh Great....... See it's contagious.... :laugh: Well I just got back from Costco and Fleet Farm.


----------



## Mase92 (Feb 4, 2013)

Tweto said:


> When ever I feel the urgency creeping back in I review my current plans and situation to fit the most likely concerns. IF i see that there is nothing more to do then I just relax. But most the time I do find some weakness in my planning and I correct it.
> 
> It has always worked best for me to write everything down and then sleep on it. It's amazing how sleep adds perspective to it. When I wake up I review the list and then do the actionable items that make sense. Sometimes I can rectify my situation by a trip to town to stock-up or it may mean making something in the shop.
> 
> Try to never have to make last min decisions, they are usually wrong.


I think this sums it up right here. Nice post!


----------



## BillS (May 30, 2011)

I had the urgency bug when I first woke up. Since we're close to fully prepared I don't have it anymore.


----------



## UniqueOldGal (Mar 7, 2012)

:bump:
since this thread has been my theme for a month. Anyone else feel agitated to prep More after awhile of being at ease?

The whole deal of Calif drought making supermarket greens rare this summer and USA cattle being at 1950s herd level with our population Twice what it was then...not to mention tunafish going from .77 to .89 in 2 months where we buy............. I really want a YEAR's worth of Everything right now!!! 

I've done SO well in the last 4 years I have darn near everything I want at "Year" level and an intensive raised bed 40x90 garden with a mini orchard and greenhouse but there's always more to do. I always want another raised bed,another bucket,another bag of pet food........... Heaving a big sigh.

The thing is: 2013 blew by for me easy and 2014 I'm feeling like 2012 all over again! Well,not asking advice ,just chatting about "feelings". Thanks for being out there Prep Family!


----------



## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

UniqueOldGal said:


> :bump:
> since this thread has been my theme for a month. Anyone else feel agitated to prep More after awhile of being at ease?
> 
> The whole deal of Calif drought making supermarket greens rare this summer and USA cattle being at 1950s herd level with our population Twice what it was then...not to mention tunafish going from .77 to .89 in 2 months where we buy............. I really want a YEAR's worth of Everything right now!!!
> ...


Talking about price jumps, on Dec.21, 2013 we bought 28 oz. almond butter jars from Costco for $7.69, about two weeks ago the same 28 oz jar was $9.89. My wife checked the price at another "discount" grocery store for a 16 oz. jar of almond butter and it was $20+, Soylent Green is becoming more of a non-fiction movie for sure.


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Viking said:


> ... we bought 28 oz. almond butter jars from Costco for $7.69, about two weeks ago the same 28 oz jar was $9.89... at another "discount" grocery store for a 16 oz. jar of almond butter and it was $20+


They are tearing out all the almond trees in California where they can't get water

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/california-almond-farmers-face-tough-choices-22638091


> Alan Thompson of G&F Agri Service LLC, who leads the crew ripping out Baker's orchards, said the drought spiked his business by 75 percent. This time of year is typically slow, but Thompson, 31, said his heavy equipment operators start at dawn each day and works until sundown, removing orchards in short order.


----------



## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

LincTex said:


> They are tearing out all the almond trees in California where they can't get water
> 
> http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/california-almond-farmers-face-tough-choices-22638091


We didn't hear about this but figured it was going to happen. It's the reason we are planting as much fruit and nut trees as we can afford to do, we've seen this coming for a number of years. Thankfully fruit and nut trees are fairly easy to start and grow well in our acidic soil. We have five apple trees that started from scraps dumped in what was once a chicken yard, some seasons they produce hundreds of pounds of apples.


----------



## UniqueOldGal (Mar 7, 2012)

I didn't know the almonds were being torn out, but did read that almonds,walnuts and raisins would all be affected A Lot. 

I ordered some bulk from the co-op since I don't grow enough. My walnuts aren't producing yet and I only get a couple of cups of raisins (2 more vines in pots waiting right now for arbor DH won't get to for 2 months). 

I do know the honey bees that pollinate nuts are way up in price. I got my first package of bees for $83.00 Last year for my first hive and This year they are $130.00! I'm sure glad my colony lived! I live close to the Calif border and I think the commercial bee sellers also had drought probs.

What's the best bet on almond species here Viking?
That's a tree I haven't planted. Don't know how I'd find room, but I want to try!  Apples in this region Are awesome! My two 4 year olds are up to almost 100 apples each already!


----------



## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

We bought two Garden Prince dwarf and two Hall's Hardy semi-dwarf almonds from Chet's Garden Center in Grants Pass. We are still waiting to hear from Territorial Seed Co., they are supposed to get in a shipment of two different Ukrainian bare root almond trees. These are all good for our locations. Here's three more nursery stores that our chiropractor gave me the names of that are in the I-5 corridor that supply fruit and nut trees for our soil and weather areas, Raintree Nursery, Burnt Ridge Nursery and One Green World Nursery. I checked them out on line and they all have good selections of fruit and nut trees.


----------



## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

my sense of urgency was driven by a realization that I wasn't able to point a stick at any kind of emergency food and water and say "that's my plan!" in case of a serious emergency. 

The triggers to get off my butt and do something about it included a variety of events... 

Obama election. Apparently a LOT of people had the same awakening experience, because up until that day, you could buy cases of .22lr Federal 550 Value Pak's all day long at ANY walmart for $11.83 NOW, *if* you can find it in stock, it's going to be $25 for the same box, and it may or may not be legal for small game hunting depending on how your states rules & regs are and whether or not you were able to get hollow points or not.

The FED mysteriously jacks the FDIC guarantee way up... from $100,000 to $250,000 in like, an afternoon. This was prior to the Obozo election, but it was a moment of "I know our money is pretty screwed up, but that seems like it's an important event, how come nobody is talking about it?"

We had firestorms here in CA and while my city didnt burn many around me did, and I was looking around thinking... "not really bright Dak... you can do better than this."

I also came to realize what folly and utter fantasy it is to think "I'll escape to the mountains and live off the land!!!" Yeah I could go on for months how that is just not going to work out. Gun fights with other people who are "protecting what they need" "gun fights/knife fights with locusts who will take what they need" dealing with yuppies that have never hunted before and pee upstream of/in the creek that feeds the lake... all game animals in the area takes note of all the 2 legged critters that shouldn't be there and they high tail it out of Dodge!

Like I said the very notion of that is fantasy.

Looking at what I really had, which was virtually nothing, a few guns, a couple boxes of ammo here and there, some boxes of this and that for food, but anything that resembles protein required a working fridge. It was making my head swim... I didn't have "nothing" but by the same token, I had very little that was going to let me survive much less thrive in any kind of a real SHTF event.

I start making lists. All kinds of lists!
Tools, training, immediate needs like water, food, shelter, defenses, and then I was going for the first product I could get cheapest that had some decent reviews and was available to buy... I was acting as if I had nothing and bad times coming were soon! And then before I realized, I had some tools, I had stopped worrying about storing water in 2L soda bottles and I had a couple 55gal blue barrels, I had food like stuff, MRE entrees, and I had costco ARK buckets and stuff like that. Not something ANYBODY in their right mind wants to eat, but it sure beats hoping to kill a rat with a pellet gun for protein!!

I've spent the last several years refining all of that, buying expensive toys to update my abilities and supplies. Canning food is now a way of life, having multiple options on water filtration is now a fact, being able to cook, clean, produce energy in a couple different forms without the grid, is... pretty doggone liberating actually!!!! 


Now the sense of urgency is lifted. I see something like Putin the butt-puppet invades Ukraine, and I think... Bastard, I hope one day you get yours! but the worst it does to me is I drop by costco and I grab another 18 lbs of ground beef to can. 

I'm in a crappy position, it's just me as opposed to people that have large very tight solid families that work together. But I am blessed with having a decent job, and I've had a lot of time to get my act together. I look around today and the house is too small for what I have, but I have what I need and everything else is gravy from here on out.

off to HAM roll call for me, (yet another thing on the list that was "ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED") comm's! 

See what I mean? the list just goes on and on and on. You need the tools and the training, you have to prioritize and start, and do what you can as you can where you can... and that's all you can do


----------



## readyprepared (Nov 18, 2013)

Self doubt about my preparations comes in waves, most likely tied to whatever I'm projecting onto my world view at any given moment and what my finances are. I try to stay grounded by tapping into my real life experiences of increasingly common weather events here on the Gulf coast. To prepare for civil unrest, beyond what has happened in my neighborhood in the wake of a hurricane, is just too overwhelming to contemplate. One has to draw the line somewhere and focus on living.


Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


----------



## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

Our urgency is getting enough food for 8. We have enough for 4 for 8 months but seeing how E's cousins react to a small snow storm, we will be bringing the kids to our house. Clothes aren't an issue because they are younger than Bub and our nieces and nephew and can use hand-me-downs but these kids never have home cooked meals. They love salads, but a dinner from scratch, they've never had and because it tastes so much different from take out, they don't like it. I'm not going to compromise my stores with junk but will be babysitting them as much as I can and involving them in cooking to get them used to/liking home cooked meals. 

Sent from my MB886 using Survival Forum mobile app


----------



## helicopter5472 (Feb 25, 2013)

I'm always on edge of still not being stocked to where I'm feeling "in the safe zone" and with more and more things happening all around adds to the "will I have time/money to get the remaining things bought/ordered/completed" I think I need to stop and smell the roses for a short bit... Whenever Spring decides to come, and garden operations can commence, that always seems more relaxing even though it's labor intense, like a new beginning...


----------



## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

As fer greens, I grow my own in the summer. In the winter I sprout em. Don't hardly buy any tall.


----------



## Padre (Oct 7, 2011)

Repeat after me--remember Oh man that you are dust and unto dust you shall return.

The man with ten years of food looses it all in a Tsunami, the man who is unprepared survives the same tsunami and lands in a good distribution center. We are all constantly at risk, we make plans and God laughs. We just have to trust, if we have faith, in God, or if we have no faith, despair, acknowledging that we are all going to die--eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.

We prep so that if God's providence wills it we can care for ourselves and others, to cooperate with God, realizing that we will never truly be prepared.




Sent from my XT1080 using Survival Forum mobile app


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Quoted for truth!



Padre said:


> Repeat after me--remember Oh man that you are dust and unto dust you shall return.
> 
> The man with ten years of food looses it all in a Tsunami, the man who is unprepared survives the same tsunami and lands in a good distribution center. We are all constantly at risk, we make plans and God laughs. We just have to trust, if we have faith, in God, or if we have no faith, despair, acknowledging that we are all going to die--eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.
> 
> ...


----------



## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

UniqueOldGal said:


> The whole deal of Calif drought making supermarket greens rare this summer and USA cattle being at 1950s herd level with our population Twice what it was then...not to mention tunafish going from .77 to .89 in 2 months where we buy............. I really want a YEAR's worth of Everything right now!!!
> 
> The thing is: 2013 blew by for me easy and 2014 I'm feeling like 2012 all over again! Well,not asking advice ,just chatting about "feelings". Thanks for being out there Prep Family!


Yea I've gotten the "urge" or push again to get more stocked. It keeps popping into my head " go to Pa and buy more wheat,sugar,and oats".
I've also been checking all the websites for the local grocery store chains looking for deals on canned meats and pastas (store in mylar w/o2).
I ordered more mylar and o2's the last time so I have about 20 bags now for the 5 gallon buckets.
I need to start looking for deals on compost locally. I have one raised bed that seems to have a "failure to thrive" problem no matter how well I test the soil and amend it. I'm going to dig about 6 inches of the dirt out and add compost and see if thats the problem ( no micro-organisms)

Last year I skated thru the whole year. I didn't even put a lot of energy into the garden and fruit trees. This year I can't afford to do that. I've already cut back the amount of meat we eat and added more veggies and meatless meals and more soups.
Hopefully some time this year hubby will be doing a remodeling job where there are 3 BIG skylights that need to be taken out and we plan on using them as cold frames.

I will also be experimenting with straw bale gardening with 1 or 2 bales to see how it does.

I don't think any of us can afford to rest on our laurels this year. Too many things are going wrong and are on the edge of toppling over. Now is not the time to stop.


----------



## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

[QUOTE

I don't think any of us can afford to rest on our laurels this year. Too many things are going wrong and are on the edge of toppling over. Now is not the time to stop.[/QUOTE]

Amen sister

Sent from my MB886 using Survival Forum mobile app


----------



## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

UniqueOldGal said:


> :bump:
> since this thread has been my theme for a month. Anyone else feel agitated to prep More after awhile of being at ease?
> 
> The whole deal of Calif drought making supermarket greens rare this summer and USA cattle being at 1950s herd level with our population Twice what it was then...not to mention tunafish going from .77 to .89 in 2 months where we buy............. I really want a YEAR's worth of Everything right now!!!
> ...


Relax, take a deep breath, relax. Look around at what you have done so far. Think of your co-workers who go out to breakfast, lunch and dinner every night. Take another deep breath, make a cup of tea. Yes, the desert areas of California they have been irrigating and calling a garden spot might be lacking irrigation water this year. I have heard for a year, maybe two (Memory fails me too much) that farmers there have been tearing down almond farms. So, switch to something else! Can you grow peanuts? Pecans? anything? What is local to your area? You will not physically die from lack of almonds. There are alternatives.

Greens for salads! Iceburg lettuce is not the end all of salads. You might lose the ability to 'buy' that perfect round, full head of nutrient missing lettuce but there are alternatives! Romaine, kale, dandelion, plantain... There are alternatives to Ice burg lettuce grown in an irrigated desert.

Tuna too expensive? Is there a lake by you or do you have access to the sounds? Even with Fukushima, there are 'tuna' alternatives to be had. I used to LOVE a good Delmonico steak!!! A nice marbled piece of prime rib is delicious. But, at almost $20 a pound, it ain't gona happen. I changed my sources of protein. No, not the same but it needs to be done.

So relax, still prepare but don't get over worked about it. Think back to the basics, water, food, shelter. Everything else is gravy on the potatoes.


----------



## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

We had rain at all the wrong time in the spring here last year. Fellers that could get out early got crops planted. Them that couldn't didn't have a crop cause by the time it stopped rainin it were to late ta plant either beans er corn. However, I talked with a couple a good sized farmers an they planted.........get this...........radish's! They had ta hire em planted an harvested, but they said they was gonna make darn near as much as ifin they had planted corn!

We used ta grow lots a vegies round here as well as sugar beets. Not no more, all be corn er beans. Diversity be a good thin an I wish the farmers in these parts would remember that.

There be a storm a brewin, but I ain't gonna get all riled up bout it. That won't help. I've been goin over what we got, what we need an try ta plan fer our shortages. BUT, I ain't gonna stop enjoyin life either. Life has gotta have some enjoyment in it. We took a financial hit bout a year ago, were still dealin with that, but, were still getting stuff done, not as fast as I'd like all the time, but it still be getting done. Were far better off then mosta the folk what bury there head in a hole in the ground. That be all anya us can do.

As a side note, I been gettin stuff gathered up fera pandemic. Just be onea the thins I see comin down the pike maybe sooner then later. The gear ain't to bad ifin ya shop round fer it.


----------



## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

Padre said:


> Repeat after me--remember Oh man that you are dust and unto dust you shall return.
> 
> The man with ten years of food looses it all in a Tsunami, the man who is unprepared survives the same tsunami and lands in a good distribution center. We are all constantly at risk, we make plans and God laughs. We just have to trust, if we have faith, in God, or if we have no faith, despair, acknowledging that we are all going to die--eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.
> 
> ...


I agree, a man who plans meticulously may lose everything to a tsunami, or an earthquake, a fire, asteroids, thieves or locusts.

I dont agree with the rest of that though...

Those who "eat, drink and be merry because tomorrow we may die" and they willfully spend thousands of dollars every year on overseas vacations, and not one cent on understanding how fragile our economic system, and our very way of life is, much less actually being prepared to ride out anything mildly uncomfortable like a mediocre earthquake... (I see this all the time at work with how they spend their money, and brag about it)

Hey, if they "wash ashore" at a nifty distribution center, does that mean their wife and kids made it too? How did that work out for Katrina victims at the Super Dome? Rape, Murder and Mayhem while lacking food water and toilets?

yes, we are all at the mercy of powers beyond our control, whether that is "God's wrath", natural disasters (same thing), spontaneous riots (Rodney King? Reginald Denny anyone?... anyone??? Bueller... Bueller...) or whatever else may happen...

I understand that. I also understand that there are things that make our "assumed" lifestyle a very fragile thing. Only in Western cultures is it "AUTOMATIC" to assume when you flick a switch, you will have light! When you turn a knob, there will be clean drinkable (HOT) water in the tap faucet, or there will be heat from an oven/stove, or that all your neighbors will behave gracefully when faced with facts that confront all of those fragile precepts and turn them upside down!

How do the sayings go?...

"The lord helps those who help themselves?"
"Fate favors a prepared mind"

and the joke about the woman who prays to win the lottery, and prays to win the lottery and finally the booming voice from heaven says... "BUY A TICKET!!!"

Just saying...

Having what you need at home is FANTASTIC... having extra supplies at a BOL is SWEET!!!!! having prepositioned caches between you and that location is something that probably only a small fraction of preppers have, so now they're truly in the minority...

Do what you think you must, but if willingly turning your family over to FEMA because it was convenient is something that ANYBODY welcomes and accepts without throwing up... well, they were not prepared for anything and deserve what they get. Ants and Grasshoppers, and all that...


----------



## Padre (Oct 7, 2011)

Dakine said:


> I agree, a man who plans meticulously may lose everything to a tsunami, or an earthquake, a fire, asteroids, thieves or locusts.
> 
> I dont agree with the rest of that though...


My point was not that we should not prepare, but that we should acknowledge that we are never prepared. Our preps may in God's plan be destined for distruction or even someone else's use.

If you are prepping to CONTROL for all risk you are going to drive yourself crazy. Prep because you love God and your family, not because you are afraid.


----------



## gabbyj310 (Oct 22, 2012)

It's not easy to know what you really DO need and have to "plan".Just about the time I THINK I'm on top and ok there is a major emergency.Daughter had a sever infection in her jaw(teeth) and cost 11,000(yes thousand) dollars to fix and keep her from getting worse.Lost her job and now ,I'm helping keep food on the table and the granddaughter in daycare so she can get/find work.In the mean time,all of my savings are gone and my poor "tin mansion" is still half ass fixed.But....... I've moved from the "city" I've planted a few fruit trees and I've even invested in a solar backup and a "Big Bertha" before all went by the wayside.I'm working as much as I can and want that darned place at least livable this year.yes I want my well dug and my shipping container underground for a tornado shelter and storage a nice greenhouse,and I want it all NOW,so off to work I go again and again and just hope that I can finally get organized to even make a list!!!Hmmm wonder if I play that darn Lotto I might just win??? Nahhhh  Just keep on shipping in hopes that I do have enough time to get caught up,since I'm almost homeless anyway


----------



## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

Funny I should see this post today. The past month I have had the feeling I am not doing near enough so I have been trying to stock everything I am lean in. The events taking place are really making me nervous. BUT, I learned my stepdaughter has been stocking up for at least 7 years and my daughter asked me last weekend to stock for her and she will repay me. There are still more to worry about, like my stepson who thinks someone needs to take care of him instead of doing it himself. I wish my next to youngest would get out of NY state. He knows what is coming and says he will head here. Anyway, I have been trying to stock all the tools and equipment we need while I am still working. I retire in December and the income will drop like a rock. Right now, my main concern is water.


----------



## dirtgrrl (Jun 5, 2011)

But ... while you are preparing for tomorrow, don't forget that you are still living today. 

What I never want my friends/relatives/other loved ones to think: " She never got to visit Ireland or Germany or England to finish her genealogy book ; she never spent much time at the ocean she loved; she never had time to learn to play the ukelele. But, boy did she have rice and beans stashed in her closet!"

My preparations will never be perfect, but they are almost always good enough.


----------



## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

For so many of us that come to the truth of what's really going on around us it's not an easy road. Some of us have seen our incomes drop, or at least what income we have get eaten up by inflation that the PTB say doesn't exist. My wife saves receipts from Costco for various purchases over the years and from 2012 to now on just a 28 oz. jar of almond butter the price has gone up $4.00, gasoline is up again and as it is we seldom leave the driveway other than to get things we need or doctors appointments. As to loosing things to storms or floods, don't you believe that God gave you the brains not to build where flood or storm would wash you away? Like a home built on sand? Proverbs talks about the virtuous woman, praised for taking care of family needs. It's not that we put faith in preps that they will "Save us", good grief if we are looking for that for salvation we certainly don't have our spiritual priorities right, but if you don't prep for bad things like floods, fires, earthquakes, or total economic break down and Jesus doesn't come down and save your skin what will you do then? Blame God. God didn't create us to blindly go through life doing nothing if we just say if the SHTF Jesus will take care of us. Truly, God helps those who help themselves. Seems to me the scripture mentions "Get wisdom" so what's wisdom worth if it's not used? Is not wisdom being prepared? I also remember the scripture saying that if you don't take care of your family that you are worse than an infidel. Padre, I think that those who are believers realize we're just "Dust", but if you're not concerned for your families needs by just saying by your faith God's going to take care of everyone do you not think you'll be judged for not doing what could be done to take care of them in time of need? Just saying, with what little of the 70+ years on this planet, the wisdom I have gained by the grace of God. Sorry but it sounded like with the "Repeat after me..." that you were religiously chastising us for not considering God in the formula of preparation and that's pretty scary territory in light of not judging others.


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

The most recent urgency bug has been about Roo and the pets. For Roo I worry I don't have enough education materials or clothing in bigger sizes. For the pets its not having needed supplies or food.

But I have to take a step back and realize if I blow every dime I have taking care of these things I'll never get the chance to take Roo to Disney World or even just to the zoo.


----------



## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

dirtgrrl said:


> But ... while you are preparing for tomorrow, don't forget that you are still living today.
> 
> What I never want my friends/relatives/other loved ones to think: " She never got to visit Ireland or Germany or England to finish her genealogy book ; she never spent much time at the ocean she loved; she never had time to learn to play the ukelele. But, boy did she have rice and beans stashed in her closet!"
> 
> My preparations will never be perfect, but they are almost always good enough.


Alright girly, which parts of Germany, Ireland and England? Cuz I got those on my bucket list too...

Sent from my MB886 using Survival Forum mobile app


----------



## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Viking said:


> For so many of us that come to the truth of what's really going on around us it's not an easy road. Some of us have seen our incomes drop, or at least what income we have get eaten up by inflation that the PTB say doesn't exist. My wife saves receipts from Costco for various purchases over the years and from 2012 to now on just a 28 oz. jar of almond butter the price has gone up $4.00, gasoline is up again and as it is we seldom leave the driveway other than to get things we need or doctors appointments. As to loosing things to storms or floods, don't you believe that God gave you the brains not to build where flood or storm would wash you away? Like a home built on sand? Proverbs talks about the virtuous woman, praised for taking care of family needs. It's not that we put faith in preps that they will "Save us", good grief if we are looking for that for salvation we certainly don't have our spiritual priorities right, but if you don't prep for bad things like floods, fires, earthquakes, or total economic break down and Jesus doesn't come down and save your skin what will you do then? Blame God. God didn't create us to blindly go through life doing nothing if we just say if the SHTF Jesus will take care of us. Truly, God helps those who help themselves. Seems to me the scripture mentions "Get wisdom" so what's wisdom worth if it's not used? Is not wisdom being prepared? I also remember the scripture saying that if you don't take care of your family that you are worse than an infidel. Padre, I think that those who are believers realize we're just "Dust", but if you're not concerned for your families needs by just saying by your faith God's going to take care of everyone do you not think you'll be judged for not doing what could be done to take care of them in time of need? Just saying, with what little of the 70+ years on this planet, the wisdom I have gained by the grace of God. Sorry but it sounded like with the "Repeat after me..." that you were religiously chastising us for not considering God in the formula of preparation and that's pretty scary territory in light of not judging others.


Viking, I think some nuance of communication must be lost due to the internet. If you were to look at the body of Padre's posts on this forum, you would see that he most definitely believes in prepping (I don't imagine he'd be on this forum if he didn't believe in it). He is not only a prepper, but one of those rare New England varieties.  I don't know him, but I know from his posts that he is a deeply faithful man as well as a prepper, and from this thread I take it that he knows none of us may know God's will and intent in any given situation, and he trusts in God's will, but we do prep because we love God and our families. I believe he takes that responsibility very seriously, and that there was no religious chastising in his posts on this thread. You are both excellent contributors to this forum, and as the saying goes, we're all in this together. Perhaps you could reread his posts in a new light?


----------



## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

dixiemama said:


> Alright girly, which parts of Germany, Ireland and England? Cuz I got those on my bucket list too...
> 
> Sent from my MB886 using Survival Forum mobile app


Ah yes, the bucket list. I don't have one written down, just the one that floats in and out of my mind, of things I'd like to do in whatever years I have ahead. My heritage is half Norway with the other half divided between France, Ireland and the Sioux but the reality is that I am an American that hasn't seen but far less than 1/10th of this great country. I worry about my family, my community, my county, my state and all of the states. It hurts to see that the things our founding fathers worked so hard on and gave their lives for in the knowledge that this was a God given nation, being shredded to a mere shadow of what it could be. I don't want it to be said that I didn't give up without some sort of fight, that I didn't leave my earthly bounds without trying to make things better on the property in my stewardship, to at least have given of my knowledge base to help others do things that can get them through the troubled times ahead. Bucket list: wife and I want a 1965 Mustang fast back. I'd love to have a rat rod kind of like some I've built years ago, like my 1951 Ford pickup that I installed a 430 Lincoln, what a kick that thing was to drive. It'd be awesome to have a 30's, 40's or 50's hotrod. We'd like to be taking our motor home out on the deserts of Northern Nevada for weeks at a time, gold detecting, crystal hunting, smelling and seeing the beauty of the desert that people don't have a clue exists. Fishing for halibut and hunting for moose. Thing is we see the reality of what's going on, cost of food going way up while it's quality and nourishment decline. Freedom and privacy being stripped away by those whose actions should be consider treasonous. And so it is we go by the code of delayed gratification, there are things we'd love to do but the expenses are better spend on things that really count.


----------



## notyermomma (Feb 11, 2014)

A lot of people have mentioned the media factor in stoking anxiety. Perhaps I can offer some added perspective?

I was a broadcast journalist for about seven years. One thing about this industry is that there are very unforgiving deadlines. At the end of the hour, the day, or the week there is a certain quota of minutes or column-inches that MUST be filled. Behind the scenes, we jokingly call it "feeding the beast," because it's never enough. No matter how good a paper or broadcast is, you always have to start from zero the next day. The really frantic days are the slow ones. 

We always had days when there was nothing going on worth talking about. No town hall meetings, no scandals, no scientific breakthroughs, none of the things that are actually relevant. But the beast still has to be fed by deadline! That's when reporters scrape the bottom of the barrel by going through the police logs and dragging out all the meth labs and homicides. And taking non-issues and turning them into scandals.

I'll never forget the day my news director beat his head against the wall after digging through the list of actual relevant news going on. It had been a desert for over a week, and we were all desperate. A few days before, a sleepy suburb had sprayed a couple drainage ditches as a precaution against West Nile Virus. A complete non-story. My boss sent me to city hall in person to talk to the alderman from that district with instructions to turn it into the lead story for the day by any means necessary. "I want you to generate as much panic as you can about West Nile!" I went, but I reported it for what it was - a non-issue. I didn't last long after that; they called it insubordination. I called it journalistic integrity.

The moral? Every time I see a breathless report about an epidemic or other oncoming disaster I think back to the West Nile Panic. I only get worried if I research it independently and run the numbers. It's usually horse-hockey.


----------



## dirtgrrl (Jun 5, 2011)

dixiemama said:


> Alright girly, which parts of Germany, Ireland and England? Cuz I got those on my bucket list too...
> 
> Sent from my MB886 using Survival Forum mobile app


Germany - Bad Hersfeld just north of Frankfurt; Ireland - County Cork (?); England - Liverpool.

I have the most information on the German lines as they came over relatively late (1860s - 1880s). The English and Irish lines came over from the earliest settlers to just post-Revolution. Harder to find them because I have so little to go on.


----------



## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

All of mine were here way before the Revolution; Jamestown, Plymouth, Cherokee. A family legend is we descend from Vikings on one side so its possible I had a relative on Lief Erikson's journeys. 

Sent from my MB886 using Survival Forum mobile app


----------



## notyermomma (Feb 11, 2014)

As for the urgency bug itself, I sympathize. I'm also a type-A who tends to latch onto something that grabs my attention and get a little obsessive. My solution in terms of prepping is to be VERY slow and deliberate about it. Financial considerations force that point anyway, so I may as well.

That's why I'm taking such tiny steps ... I haven't even bought anything yet. Right now the preliminary goal is to clear off a single shelf in my home office. Then a second one. There are multiple benefits to this process so I'm okay with the slow pace. And it increases the odds that I'll really be organized and do it RIGHT.


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

notyermomma said:


> As for the urgency bug itself, I sympathize. I'm also a type-A who tends to latch onto something that grabs my attention and get a little obsessive. My solution in terms of prepping is to be VERY slow and deliberate about it. Financial considerations force that point anyway, so I may as well.
> 
> That's why I'm taking such tiny steps ... I haven't even bought anything yet. Right now the preliminary goal is to clear off a single shelf in my home office. Then a second one. There are multiple benefits to this process so I'm okay with the slow pace. And it increases the odds that I'll really be organized and do it RIGHT.


You should take a look at the Food Storage Made Easy Babysteps Checklists. A new step is emailed to you every 2 weeks so it gives you plenty of time to complete the tiny steps before moving to the next on.


----------



## Toffee (Mar 13, 2012)

I second the FSME. Those gals really know what they are doing and they cover each subject extremely in depth. They actually sell a very informative binder, too.

Sent from my HTC One SV using Survival Forum mobile app


----------



## notyermomma (Feb 11, 2014)

:yummy: Thanks Grimm. I'll do that!

One thing I've noticed as I get started is that my prepping efforts are in direct conflict with my frugality. Why would I go to the grocery store when I already have all this food at home?  It's been a habit for a long time to want to stretch my resources as far as I can before I do any kind of shopping. I like the creative challenge, although it can be a source of amusement for the family. I would have made a great Depression-era farm wife.

I'm guessing a lot of people here live with the same paradox. I don't think the two practices are mutually exclusive, but I'll have to do a little negotiating to figure out an approach that satisfies both impulses.


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

notyermomma said:


> :yummy: Thanks Grimm. I'll do that!
> 
> One thing I've noticed as I get started is that my prepping efforts are in direct conflict with my frugality. Why would I go to the grocery store when I already have all this food at home?  It's been a habit for a long time to want to stretch my resources as far as I can before I do any kind of shopping. I like the creative challenge, although it can be a source of amusement for the family. I would have made a great Depression-era farm wife.
> 
> I'm guessing a lot of people here live with the same paradox. I don't think the two practices are mutually exclusive, but I'll have to do a little negotiating to figure out an approach that satisfies both impulses.


I also recommend Prepared LDS Family. Her monthly checklist is great to help give you ideas on what to pick up at the store and skills to look in to. It also helps with inventory.


----------



## UniqueOldGal (Mar 7, 2012)

notyermomma said:


> :yummy: Thanks Grimm. I'll do that!
> 
> One thing I've noticed as I get started is that my prepping efforts are in direct conflict with my frugality. Why would I go to the grocery store when I already have all this food at home?  It's been a habit for a long time to want to stretch my resources as far as I can before I do any kind of shopping. I like the creative challenge, although it can be a source of amusement for the family. I would have made a great Depression-era farm wife.
> 
> I'm guessing a lot of people here live with the same paradox. I don't think the two practices are mutually exclusive, but I'll have to do a little negotiating to figure out an approach that satisfies both impulses.


I can relate to this except my "be prepared" impulse overrode the frugal rather quickly a few years ago. Actually some things like getting way ahead on food Are frugal since prices just go up and up. :teehee:

I honestly don't "manage" my prep impulses very much anymore (within budget) so I'm not worried about "urgency" like the OP. "Urgency" to me is often an intuition I respect about myself and NOT a problem that needs to be subdued.

For me I feel SO good if I act on my sudden more intense impulses; I usually just do more for a bit and then relax again. For me it's turned into "fun" filling gaps in my stores and "accomplishment" and NOT Ever any sort of dumb being "frantic". Prepping is Not stressful to me,I Like it. It's more akin to "spring fever" when I go into "gotta do this" and "gotta do that" NOW mode. Mostly I'm transforming into a homesteader mode(within my location and land limits) and it's a wonderful process because I wish I'd been raised and always lived this way.


----------



## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

UniqueOldGal said:


> I can relate to this except my "be prepared" impulse overrode the frugal rather quickly a few years ago. Actually some things like getting way ahead on food Are frugal since prices just go up and up. :teehee:


Sometimes one has to just "Bite the bullet" so to speak, because each time you go to the stores the prices are increased and often not in any small manner. In some ways it can edge on panic, especially if you happen to be on a fixed low income and realize you have to do something NOW or you won't have enough when prices really get beyond being able to buy, if they are even available later.


----------



## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

2 months ago hams were on sale for .78 per lb, two weeks ago it was chicken at 1.98 per lb. and I do ground beef from costco not the local grocer.

If I was preparing to look at a single empty shelf and think I was going to fill that with something and call it a success, I'd jumpstart that plan, go to costco.com and buy a emergency food 5gal bucket and call it a day.


----------



## TrinEire (Jul 23, 2012)

I started working on skills to help suppliment my needs. Like so many have said in response, Limited budgets, limit amounts or kinds of supplies. I too have had to cut back due to job situations with my bride. I've been learning new skill sets to offset the money shortage, ie, canning, dehydrating, making tools and reclaiming wood and materials. Also I've been spending more time with my grandma and asking lots of questions about the depression and how they lived and survived, it made me start a notebook on her tips and ideas and recipes for cooking and storing food.


----------



## Moose33 (Jan 1, 2011)

I bounce between gotta get ready now and jeeze why on earth do I have all this stuff. I try to keep a reasonable balance. I rotate through my pantry, well ok, I did miss those 6 cans of tuna, but otherwise... I just don't seem to be able to pass up eighty eight cent a pound pasta.


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Right now I feel like I should be panicking since I am putting prepping on hold til after the move. I see all the space I am creating by purging junk and I want to fill it with new preps but knowing I will have to pack it, load it onto a truck then take it off the truck is keeping me from buying half of the dry goods department in Costco! :breath:

Hopefully I can keep from buying too much before moving day...!


EDIT
I am planning to buy more long term food storage when I get my deposit back after the move. Haven't lost a deposit yet! My latest shipment from Augason just shipped today (ordered it mid month before I got my 30-day notice!)


----------



## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

Good luck with the move.


----------



## TrinEire (Jul 23, 2012)

Grimm. How did the move go. Hopefully uneventful and can go to Costco and buy that dry goods department you were talking about. Lol. 


Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

TrinEire said:


> Grimm. How did the move go. Hopefully uneventful and can go to Costco and buy that dry goods department you were talking about. Lol.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


All that is left is cleaning the cabin before the final walk through.

I do need to go to Costco asap. I need the normal staples I try to keep in the house. I figured that buying perishables before the move was not smart.


----------



## TrinEire (Jul 23, 2012)

Good to hear that it is going well. Smart thinking on the perishables, never know what can happen. 


Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


----------

