Just dug out yesterday for first heavy snowfall in a couple of years. Eight inches or so, was able to shovel out our three hundred foot driveway in morning before the plow guy showed up and cleaned it up. First time had it plowed in 3-4 years in ne Indiana. Anyway I’m always curious how crazy the panic buying gets these days. Have to admit we had plenty of food in the house but wanted more fresh veggies so I’m just as guilty. Curious if hurricane, storms, Covid and changing diet are changing ones staples.
Pre heavy snowstorm buying habits
- Thread starter lambert
- Start date
Matt Gottshalk
Resident Preditor
So many have been accustomed to food being available at "the store" that they have become lazy, IMO.
My grandparents canned food that would last a good year down in their cellar.
I have enough food and water for my family (and dogs) for 6 months, easy.
Also have a backup generator, stabilized fuel, and 3 cords of wood for the fireplace insert.
Ham radio for backup comms.
But I guarantee you I am one of my only neighbors (except for my friend across the street) who does.
My grandparents canned food that would last a good year down in their cellar.
I have enough food and water for my family (and dogs) for 6 months, easy.
Also have a backup generator, stabilized fuel, and 3 cords of wood for the fireplace insert.
Ham radio for backup comms.
But I guarantee you I am one of my only neighbors (except for my friend across the street) who does.
ahalpert
Major Contributor
s*%t that reminds me I should have loaded up on toilet paper just in case it's been hoarded off the shelves once I can leave home. I'm expecting a foot of snow over the next 24 hours.
Otherwise we just do a normal big grocery shop (about a week's worth). but our diet already changed to largely eliminate grains 10 years ago due to research. Currently we do a lot of meat/fish and fruit plus milk (lactaid) and white rice and some veggies. (We'd do more veggies but our 2 small kids don't tolerate a lot of veggies that well. Lots of gas and indigestion)
I do the stock up on bottled water thing tho I'm not sure why. And gotta charge my batteries for lights in case the power goes out
If we couldn't restock with food for more than 2 weeks, we'd be screwed but I'm not expecting that. Of course, we don't live in a remote area
Otherwise we just do a normal big grocery shop (about a week's worth). but our diet already changed to largely eliminate grains 10 years ago due to research. Currently we do a lot of meat/fish and fruit plus milk (lactaid) and white rice and some veggies. (We'd do more veggies but our 2 small kids don't tolerate a lot of veggies that well. Lots of gas and indigestion)
I do the stock up on bottled water thing tho I'm not sure why. And gotta charge my batteries for lights in case the power goes out
If we couldn't restock with food for more than 2 weeks, we'd be screwed but I'm not expecting that. Of course, we don't live in a remote area
Matt Gottshalk
Resident Preditor
"Dollar cost averaging", ie, buying a little extra (in our case canned meat and veggies) every time you go to the store is a good way to build up your stocks with little financial impact.
Ahh yes, I had a t-shirt made up; "I survived the blizzard of 78" from my days in the Chicago area. I don't remember if it was that blizzard, but one time I rode my bike to school on a clear day with no snow on the ground. The blizzard came in and dropped snow by the bushel. By noon all the kids were sent home. I tried to ride my bike, but the snow was so deep I gave up halfway home (1 mile) and had to lock it to a pole and walk the rest of the way in the blizzard. The next day, everything was at a standstill. No cars could move. Everyone went to the grocery store with sleds and toboggans only to find the shelves mostly empty.
In a way I miss that stuff, but no thanks. The one thing I do miss about the weather here on the coast is no thunderstorms nor lightning .... booooooring.
In a way I miss that stuff, but no thanks. The one thing I do miss about the weather here on the coast is no thunderstorms nor lightning .... booooooring.
I flew from LA to Milwaukee on Thanksgiving 1995. At about noon, I took a city bus to UWM because I wanted to check out their WWII section. (it's a huge library) At 8 PM, the library closed, so I called mom at home and asked if dad could pick me up.
"Your father isn't home. Bye".
Well, dad usually got there from work at about 5:30, so not having arrived by 8 was not a good sign. I peeked outside. It was about a foot of snow on the ground. I was wearing my Nike high cut b-ball shoes, a leather jacket and an LA Dodgers baseball cap. Fortunately, I had a neck scarf too. That I tied over my head and ears. It was very much an impromptu/ ad hoc arrangement common to a Landser on the Eastern Front.
But that wasn't the end of the story. I made it to the main city street, which had buses running to and fro our neighborhood. "Had" was the appropriate word. Until the street was cleaned by the municipal plows, the buses gathered together down the hill and turned off their engines. The resumption of service was not expected.
Fortunately, adjacent to UWM is a major hospital - St. Mary's. And friends and family of its patients occasionally took cabs. At one point, about half a dozen of stranded bus riders, myself included, decided to hail one as it passed by. Our house wasn't far and I made it back safely about ten minutes later.
Dad was sitting in the kitchen drinking a cold Corona. I asked for something stronger and warmer.
"Your father isn't home. Bye".
Well, dad usually got there from work at about 5:30, so not having arrived by 8 was not a good sign. I peeked outside. It was about a foot of snow on the ground. I was wearing my Nike high cut b-ball shoes, a leather jacket and an LA Dodgers baseball cap. Fortunately, I had a neck scarf too. That I tied over my head and ears. It was very much an impromptu/ ad hoc arrangement common to a Landser on the Eastern Front.
But that wasn't the end of the story. I made it to the main city street, which had buses running to and fro our neighborhood. "Had" was the appropriate word. Until the street was cleaned by the municipal plows, the buses gathered together down the hill and turned off their engines. The resumption of service was not expected.
Fortunately, adjacent to UWM is a major hospital - St. Mary's. And friends and family of its patients occasionally took cabs. At one point, about half a dozen of stranded bus riders, myself included, decided to hail one as it passed by. Our house wasn't far and I made it back safely about ten minutes later.
Dad was sitting in the kitchen drinking a cold Corona. I asked for something stronger and warmer.
Another is “copy canning”... ie, first make a food diary to see what you actually buy and use in a month. Then, each grocery trip, buy one extra of those things. After two weeks, you have a months worth. After three months, you’ve got 6, and midway through the year you’re set for the next major crisis.