Managing the food stocks

Not only do I strive to be frugal in spending money and maximizing my savings, but I also make sure that the inability to access the grocery store is a minor inconvenience rather than a catastrophic event. Over time, I have stockpiled various foodstuffs in my pantry and my freezer, making sure I have an array of items that can be used in the course of creating meals or dealing with emergencies (e.g., storm knocks out power and disrupts travel). I keep potable water in gallon jugs in my basement, canned and dry goods in the pantry, perishable items in the chest freezer, at least two weeks worth of food for the cat, and a variety of items for personal hygiene, cooking and other uses.

However, the all these items need to be managed. Most canned and dry goods have an expiration date on them to indicate when to use them and items in the freezer do not keep forever. In fact, frozen food does lose its flavor over time. Thus, at least twice a year, I sort though my pantry and my freezer to ensure I am rotating out the older items and reassessing how much space I have for new items. Past due frozen items I make sure I use within a few weeks. Canned and dry goods, if unopened and within two months of expiring, are added to the pantry donation pile. This way, the food goes to someone who can use it and I use up the older frozen foodstuffs before the new.

I encourage you to check your pantry and see what you are using and what you might want to donate to the food pantry. And if something is still good and you are no longer interested in eating it, add that to the pile as well. Keeping your food stores stocked with items you will use and are likely to eat is more helpful than having that can of beans just because you feel you should use it.

The financial consequences of "just in case"

I am a cautious person who believes in being prepared. I save my money and keep some cash in the house and in my wallet. I have at least two weeks worth of food available in my pantry and basement just in case. I rarely let the gas tank gauge in the car fall below half a tank. I take my car to the mechanic twice a year to have it checked over, the oil changed and the tires rotated. I have several CFLs available in various wattages for when the incandescents or other CFLs in my home need replacing. I have at least one replacement for body lotion, shampoo, conditions, soap, razor blades, contact lens solution, cotton balls and Q-tips so I have a ready supply.

Why am I telling you all this? While you may be wondering why this strange, obsessive woman is roaming free in the upper Midwest, I will demonstrate the benefits to my behavior. The first reason: I like to have backups. I feel more secure that when that light bulb goes out I can change it, or the winter weather prevents me from going anywhere, I can survive on my backup water supply and full pantry for however long my life is disrupted. I find it gratifying to turn to my cabinet, pantry or basement storage and grab the next bottle of contact lens solution or container of deodorant without cursing that I forgot it on my last shopping trip. This means I do not have to make a single trip for one item and then end up buying six other things I do not need but decided I wanted.

Being American, I am dependent on my car for getting me to and from work. If I need to buy items or visit my family, I need to drive my car. For these reasons, I schedule semiannual maintenance of my car to ensure all systems are working well. This saves me time, money and aggravation. Why? By having my car looked over regularly, I am able to fix items before they become critical and leave me stranded somewhere. Regular maintenance is likely to reduce the total cost of ownership by anticipating problems before they become catastrophic.

However, this "just in case" mentality can also have its downside. I need sufficient space to store these extra items, which can add clutter to the house. This need for storage may increase spending because now I require another shelf in the basement to store all my back up items. Deciding to get an item may lead to buying more than needed. While I am thinking "just in case" as I buy my third wool blanket from the thrift shop, do I really need three wool blankets with one down blanket and three cotton blankets at home? I blame reading Sharon's blog for this particular weakness.

Whether being prepared and doing preventative maintenance balances out the expenses associated with greater storage needs depends on execution. Living in an area where severe winter weather can mean impassable roads and loss of power, and summer brings severe thunderstorms with a chance of tornadoes, stocking up seems prudent. I am shielded from temporary disruptions in food supplies with my pantry stockpile and can keep myself warm without power under all the layers of blankets I have. This security is worth more to me than a few extra dollars in my savings account.

Buying extra, just in case

One of my life philosophies is "always have a backup". Of course, this philosophy is not completely applied (e.g., I have no children to "replace" me) or taken to silliness (I refuse to admit how much shampoo and conditioner I have sitting in my cabinet), but in general, it has served me well. This is a philosophy I practiced when I was a laboratory researcher (having more reagent on hand meant I could do the experiment and not wait for my order to arrive) as well as in my home life.

How far have I extended this philosophy? I am completely covered in the personal care products. I usually purchase two or three deodorants at once, just bought enough razor blades to last at least a year and purchased two additional bread makers so I do not have hunt one down if my trusty Toastmaster TBR2 gives up the ghost. How foolish, you are thinking, having TWO bread makers in the basement? Ah, I declare, wait until you hear my story!

A total of four bread makers have passed through my hands: the one I own and use weekly, one that I gave to my sister when she got her own apartment and the two spares in the basement. I paid $20 for my bread maker in October 2006 after responding to an ad on craigslist. On a local electronic classified site, I found my sister's bread maker (horizontal loaf as all of mine are) for only $10. It came with a manual (unlike mine) and was even made of metal--the entire body! I thought it was a great deal as I had not seen a bread maker for under $20 on craigslist (usually $30-$50).

Then, I was at the local thrift shop and found another horizontal loaf bread maker and lo and behold, it was only $9.50. Not only was it a good deal, I thought "I should have a back up in case of breakage". Since I only occasionally see the bread maker style I want, purchasing a spare would prevent me from having to hunt one down in my hour of need.

About a month or so later, I was doing my weekly shopping at the local thrift store and found yet another bread maker. Not only was it the best price I had seen to date ($6.50), but it was the revised model of the one I am currently using. The footprint was smaller and the TBR15 with its horizontal loaf pan could serve as parts replacement. Thus justified, I bought another bread machine and lovingly stored it in my basement for the future.

The three bread makers in my possession worked well when I decided to make pizzas for the family dinner I hosted. Actually, I only needed two to supply the pizza dough, but I did not know until the end of the meal.

In addition, my mother borrowed a bread maker to see if she wanted to make her own bread. Some of her coworkers were talking about using bread machines and she wanted to try. This way, she did not have to invest much money into the effort and I could have sold one to her if she wanted it. (She does not.)

Furthermore, a friend mentioned she wanted one as she gave her old one away so next time I see her, I intend on giving her one as a very belated housewarming gift. Afer this, I will still have one spare bread maker. I could give one away without feeling any pain since I had a backup and a spare. I like being prepared!

(Side note: I did run across a craigslist posting where someone was giving away a bread maker for free. I resisted contacting the poster.)

Emergency preparedness

Yesterday, my area was hit with all sorts of precipitation: snow, sleet and freezing rain. As my mom clearly reminded me, ice-coated power lines can spell trouble for people as enough weight can bring them down. She recommended I take a shower while there was still power and to stash water for use. Electricity runs many things in my house including the furnace, lights, DSL modem and stove. So are you prepared for a few days without power?

Since there was ice coating things last night, I brought out candles for lighting and make sure I knew where lighters and flashlights were. I did the laundry during the day to ensure I had plenty of clean clothes to layer if need be. I have a down comforter on my bed and plenty of blankets to add if the cold was an issue. The cats and I could also lay next to each other and conserve body heat. In addition, I filled an empty gallon jug with water and left next to the toilet to ensure it could be flushed. My pantry (and refrigerator) had food that could be prepared without heating so I would not need to worry about a stove or using my charcoal grill. Thus, I could get through at least one day if not two without power.

I have very slowly started to gather an emergency preparedness kit. I have three gallons of purchased drinking water in the basement along with a couple gallons of tap water to be used for cooking. I have some bandages in my stash, but that is about all. My cats drink distilled water so I usually have two gallons of that for them along with a reserve of their food. I also make sure I have a few days supply of my medications so I do not have to worry about running out. My emergency kit is not currently portable, but I plan to rectify that in the future.

Would you be able to survive two or three days without electricity? The FEMA web site has a list of items that should be part of an emergency survival kit. Keep your pantry stocked with food that is edible without heat. Granola bars, canned fruit and veggies, or even MREs (meals ready to eat) would be useful. If your emergency may involve leaving the area, not only have a packed kit, but make sure to have copies of important documents like birth certificates and property deeds to bring with you. Have cash available for purchases during emergencies. A mix of large and primarily small bills are likely to be useful for most emergencies. Since I use my credit and debit cards for nearly every purchase, I tend not to have much cash and will need to start a stash for emergencies. Without electricity, access to accounts using a ATM or debit card is gone.