# Who hoards food?



## 97guns

i am a prepper and the way things are going right now in the world ive been extemly active lately. i have lots of grains, pastas, beans, canned veggies and meats. i also have a garden that does pretty well, just wondering if anyone here buys and hoards food in preparation for an event or just trying to outpace inflation. also curious as to what kinds of foods you might be hoarding.


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## Kayelle

Nope, I don't hoard food.  I guess I should be better prepared for a disaster, but aside from having several gallons of drinking water, I suppose I have enough food on hand to last a couple of weeks if we were careful.
I think we all remember how crazy it got with the food hoarders when the year 2000 was near........
I guess I've always been an optimist.

Interesting topic though, and I'll be interested to hear what other members have to say.  Welcome to DC.

By the way, don't keep those dried beans for years.......they'll never cook.


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## Kathleen

I don't hoard, but I do focus more on local foods and being more self-sufficient.  It is more for health and eco-reasons though.

Like Kayelle, I'm pretty optimistic.


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## joesfolk

Hoard? Well, I never called it that but I do buy a years worth of canned goods when they go on sale in the fall and the freezer is literally overflowing with frozen goods, mostly meat that has been on sale lately. But I don't do it because of any expected disasters, I do it for the dollar savings.  I shouldn't have to buy anything but fresh stuff like produce and milk for the rest of the winter.


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## Zhizara

97guns said:


> i am a prepper and the way things are going right now in the world ive been extemly active lately. i have lots of grains, pastas, beans, canned veggies and meats. i also have a garden that does pretty well, just wondering if anyone here buys and hoards food in preparation for an event or just trying to outpace inflation. also curious as to what kinds of foods you might be hoarding.



Welcome to DC.  Good question.

I have a well stocked kitchen, but the only extras I keep on hand are just so I don't run out before I can go shopping.   If I had to live on what I have, I'm sure I could easily manage a month, but I live alone.


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## 97guns

Kayelle said:


> By the way, don't keep those dried beans for years.......they'll never cook.


 

how long will they keep? what about lentils?


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## babetoo

i could live on what i have in pantry and freezer for at least two months or more. i am always buying this or that to add to what i have for a differant dish. at the moment i have at least 15 kinds of cake mix. then all of a sudden i will have none. i have that many because i  bought when they were really low in price. most will be used in recipes rather than just a cake mix cake. i buy many times on the buy one get one free deals. that tends to fill up my pantry. hoarder, i don't think so, not enough room to be a hoarder. lol


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## Zhizara

babetoo said:


> i could live on what i have in pantry and freezer for at least two months or more. i am always buying this or that to add to what i have for a differant dish. at the moment i have at least 15 kinds of cake mix. then all of a sudden i will have none. i have that many because i  bought when they were really low in price. most will be used in recipes rather than just a cake mix cake. i buy many times on the buy one get one free deals. that tends to fill up my pantry. hoarder, i don't think so, not enough room to be a hoarder. lol



I certainly wouldn't think of you as a hoarder, you make cakes often, I noticed, so having plenty on hand would make sense.  

I don't have a lot of room either, but it works well enough.  I judge what I'm going to need between shopping trips, and because those trips tend to be scattered, I've learned to keep a spare of things like mayo, coffee, creamer, etc.  I like a variety of beans and pastas to choose from, but they get pretty well rotated.  

Whenever I get too much of something (like from the Commodities box), I take the box with the extras downstairs to the common room and just mark the box, "Help Yourself."  Someone will want them, and I don't end up with 8 cans of carrots taking up space in my cabinet!


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## Kayelle

97guns said:


> how long will they keep? what about lentils?



I don't know exactly how long they will be good, however we had a discussion here recently about how occasionally a pot of beans or split peas will never cook up no matter how long they are cooked.  The conclusion was that they were "too old".  How old is too old?  Beats me.  

And remember, canned goods aren't good forever either.


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## Barbara L

I don't hoard, but I do stock up on foods when I can get a good deal on them. I have a big freezer, so I can stock up on meats and frozen vegetables, as well as grains and flour. 

Speaking of meat, I sure hope they have some deals on meat at the store tomorrow. I had to pick a few things up tonight, and the meat cases were almost bare. Most of what was there was not very low priced.

Barbara


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## Silversage

97guns said:


> i am a prepper and the way things are going right now in the world ive been extemly active lately.



Maybe a little definition, please?  What do you mean by 'prepper'?  My  understanding is that people are preparing for nuclear holocaust,  famine, war, government takeovers, etc.  I could be real wrong in this,  but Google searches seem to support that preppers are survivalists  preparing for natural disasters and terrorist attacks.  

Is that what you're asking?  If we are hoarding in preparation for an apocalypse of sorts?


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## Love2cook11

Lol  I rather refer to it as stockpiling.  

I use coupons religiously so when I come across a good deal, I stock up.  I mostly keep processed foods that I normally wouldn't pay for and stock up when I can get them for free.  Right now I have chips (~8 bags), candy (~15-20), canned soups and veggies (15), hot cocoa (7), organic peanut butter (5), jelly (5), cereal (6), gatorade (~40) rice, bbq sauces, ketchup, salad dressings and a few other randoms (toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, tampons) I get free after coupons so I do have a drawer full of each.

I don't overdue it only because only 2 people in my household.  Although I must admit, when my family expands stockpiling like this makes more and more sen$e:











at one point I did have about 70 cans of cat food but lol Wellness is expensive and after coupons I was getting them for .25 a can...normally $1.25 so had to stock up!!  When I can get cat treats and Tidy Cat free, I buy as many bags as possible so I guess I stockpile that too. 

It saves me a lot of money *shrug*


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## Chef Munky

I've used my Dehydrator for beans and lentils that had been stored a while. They were just fine when cooked.

Like a lot of people I prefer to be prepared. But not hoard food to the point that if the freezer goes your stuck with bad meat. Canned goods that you can't eat. Or having food stored over flowing the cabinets that it's put on the floor. Attracting who knows what.. That's just gross.

Should things get that bad in the world. I suppose you could use your excess to barter with. Save the good stuff for ammo


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## PattY1

YES


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## PattY1

Chef Munky said:


> I've used my Dehydrator for beans and lentils that had been stored a while. They were just fine when cooked.
> 
> Like a lot of people I prefer to be prepared. But not hoard food to the point that if the freezer goes your stuck with bad meat. Canned goods that you can't eat. *Or having food stored over flowing the cabinets that it's put on the floor. Attracting who knows what.. That's just gross.*
> 
> Should things get that bad in the world. I suppose you could use your excess to barter with. Save the good stuff for ammo




I don't understand. What is the difference between the bottom shelve of the cabinet and the floor???? What would the food attract that can't make it into the cabinet?????


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## Kathleen

Love2cook11 said:


> Lol  I rather refer to it as stockpiling.
> 
> I use coupons religiously so when I come across a good deal, I stock up.  I mostly keep processed foods that I normally wouldn't pay for and stock up when I can get them for free.  Right now I have chips (~8 bags), candy (~15-20), canned soups and veggies (15), hot cocoa (7), organic peanut butter (5), jelly (5), cereal (6), gatorade (~40) rice, bbq sauces, ketchup, salad dressings and a few other randoms (toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, tampons) I get free after coupons so I do have a drawer full of each.
> 
> I don't overdue it only because only 2 people in my household.  Although I must admit, when my family expands stockpiling like this makes more and more sen$e:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> at one point I did have about 70 cans of cat food but lol Wellness is expensive and after coupons I was getting them for .25 a can...normally $1.25 so had to stock up!!  When I can get cat treats and Tidy Cat free, I buy as many bags as possible so I guess I stockpile that too.
> 
> It saves me a lot of money *shrug*



You are cordially invited to come organize my life.  Closets, cabinets, etc.    I need to seriously de-clutter.


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## cmarchibald

I think I walk the fine line between stocking and hoarding.   It's not because of fears of impending disaster, it's more to do with spending half my life living in a foreign country and the stores I shop in frequently running out of things for months at a time.  So if I see something I know I *might* need in the next couple of months, I'll buy it.   If I'm out of something I use somewhat regularly, I buy 5 or 10, so that I have them when I need them.


It may look like hoarding but it (mostly) gets used eventually.


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## cmarchibald

Love2cook11 said:


> Lol  I rather refer to it as stockpiling.
> 
> I use coupons religiously so when I come across a good deal, I stock up.  I mostly keep processed foods that I normally wouldn't pay for and stock up when I can get them for free.  Right now I have chips (~8 bags), candy (~15-20), canned soups and veggies (15), hot cocoa (7), organic peanut butter (5), jelly (5), cereal (6), gatorade (~40) rice, bbq sauces, ketchup, salad dressings and a few other randoms (toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, tampons) I get free after coupons so I do have a drawer full of each.
> 
> I don't overdue it only because only 2 people in my household.  Although I must admit, when my family expands stockpiling like this makes more and more sen$e:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> at one point I did have about 70 cans of cat food but lol Wellness is expensive and after coupons I was getting them for .25 a can...normally $1.25 so had to stock up!!  When I can get cat treats and Tidy Cat free, I buy as many bags as possible so I guess I stockpile that too.
> 
> It saves me a lot of money *shrug*








You could teach the grocers in the Philippines a thing or ten.


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## CookLikeJulia

It looks like a mini grocery! 

As for me, like Marchi. I buy things or food that sometimes are out for months. Produce, meats, poultry and dairy can be bought on a regular basis but, canned items can also be store but not a lot. 
I love fresh foods so, as possible i want to buy those are fresh only.


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## Cookbook Shop

I like to think of it as a well-stocked pantry.


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## Somebunny

Don't think I am a hoarder, but do keep my freezer and pantry pretty full.  That darn Costco ;-) I end up buying the super size of so many things! I imagine we could live for a couple of months on what we keep on hand, except for fresh fruit and veg, which we have from the garden in season.

Sent from my iPhone using Cooking


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## PrincessFiona60

I buy in threes...lets me get by for a couple of months on dry items.  Saves me money ans time.  I suppose we could survive for a couple of months with what's in the pantry and freezer.  But, I'm not a hoarder and not planning for impending doom.


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## Josie1945

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I buy in threes...lets me get by for a couple of months on dry items. Saves me money ans time. I suppose we could survive for a couple of months with what's in the pantry and freezer. But, I'm not a hoarder and not planning for impending doom.


 
This pretty much describes me, I keep the pantry well stocked. Have two freezers that are full. Have a garden and put lots of fresh veggies in the freezer. I use very little proccessed food. DH is diabetic and I try to use as much fresh food as possible. I buy meat once a month. I am not a Hoarder. I share stuff from the garden and the freezer. To me the glass is always half full. 

Josie


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## Andy M.

Love2cook11 said:


> ...I don't overdue it only because only 2 people in my household.  Although I must admit, when my family expands stockpiling like this makes more and more sen$e:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...





Holy mackerel!  If you have this much stuff for a family of two, you ARE overdoing it!

Can you manage to use all those items before their expiration dates?


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## Love2cook11

^Oh no I'm sorry I wasn't clear...that is NOT my garage...but if my family were bigger I could see the benefit and would try to get a stockpile around that size...using coupons most of that stuff was probably free or very cheap.

 FH would probably have me committed if I pulled that!


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## retiredguy

^ nice shelves!

My mom made us all preppers during the Cuban Missile crises.


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## Zhizara

Andy M. said:


> Holy mackerel!  If you have this much stuff for a family of two, you ARE overdoing it!
> 
> Can you manage to use all those items before their expiration dates?



Good point!


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## Kur

Whoever they are, they consume a LOT of salad dressing...


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## roadfix

No food, just plenty of ammo.....


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## 4meandthem

I try and keep several months worth of food on hand for an emergency. It could be a natural disaster,human or economic.

I also try and keep about 6 flats of bottled water on hand and rotate them.

I have a generator too that I had to plug my freezer into once when we had an outage.I bought it for my travel trailer we call the escape pod.I can have it loaded and on the road in an hour.


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## cmarchibald

Love2cook11 said:


> ^Oh no I'm sorry I wasn't clear...that is NOT my garage...but if my family were bigger I could see the benefit and would try to get a stockpile around that size...using coupons most of that stuff was probably free or very cheap.
> 
> FH would probably have me committed if I pulled that!


    

Okay now it makes a lot more sense!


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## n2cookin

Kayelle said:


> I don't know exactly how long they will be good, however we had a discussion here recently about how occasionally a pot of beans or split peas will never cook up no matter how long they are cooked. The conclusion was that they were "too old". How old is too old? Beats me.
> 
> And remember, canned goods aren't good forever either.


 
I have heard there are a few options with old beans:

You can cook and freeze.  Freezing helps crack the bean skin making it easier to cook until softened.

You can boil the beans for 2 minutes, then use 3/8 teaspoon of baking soda per cup of beans and soak.  Rinse before cooking.

Pressure cooking helps get old beans cooked in less time.

Or you can grind the beans and use as flour, or to thicken soups or sauces.  Cracked beans will cook in less time.


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## 97guns

thanks i will remember that, i just picked up another 50# of rice and 2 cases of canned corn and beans.


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## 97guns

Love2cook11 said:


> Lol I rather refer to it as stockpiling.
> 
> I use coupons religiously so when I come across a good deal, I stock up. I mostly keep processed foods that I normally wouldn't pay for and stock up when I can get them for free. Right now I have chips (~8 bags), candy (~15-20), canned soups and veggies (15), hot cocoa (7), organic peanut butter (5), jelly (5), cereal (6), gatorade (~40) rice, bbq sauces, ketchup, salad dressings and a few other randoms (toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, tampons) I get free after coupons so I do have a drawer full of each.
> 
> I don't overdue it only because only 2 people in my household. Although I must admit, when my family expands stockpiling like this makes more and more sen$e:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> at one point I did have about 70 cans of cat food but lol Wellness is expensive and after coupons I was getting them for .25 a can...normally $1.25 so had to stock up!! When I can get cat treats and Tidy Cat free, I buy as many bags as possible so I guess I stockpile that too.
> 
> It saves me a lot of money *shrug*


 

thats a very impressive stash, i dont care what you want to call it but it is defined as a hoard and you are a hoarder.


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## Zhizara

97guns said:


> thats a very impressive stash, i dont care what you want to call it but it is defined as a hoard and you are a hoarder.



In _your_ opinion.

When stocking up to save money and you have plenty of storage space, I'd call that thrifty.


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## licia

I don't call it that.  I just take advantage of the sales and bogos.


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## LAJ

My experience with peas and beans. I store them in the freezer to extend shelf life.


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## blissful

Hoarding has a negative connotation.
It has 'spin'.
Prepper also has a negative connotation. More spin.

I applaud the efforts of those that are frugal and plan ahead!


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## Nicholas Mosher

The largest volume we ever purchase in is a "Wholesale" sized package from BJ's.  So 3-packs of Ketchup, or 12-packs of paper towels, etc.

We probably keep 5-pounds of AP flour on hand, half a dozen boxes of pasta, and a couple pounds of 4-5 different types of rice.  A few pounds of cornmeal... basically enough to belt out 3-4 recipes based on a particular staple.

Meat and produce we almost always buy as needed for maximum freshness.  The exception is some preserved items such as jams and canned tomatoes which we might buy half a dozen of to have on hand (the jam we buy multiples of because it's only available a few months of the year from a local farm).

I think keeping a pantry is a great idea, but certainly anything can be taken to an extreme.


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## taxlady

I like to have some stuff stockpiled. I buy in quantity at Costco and when stuff is on special.

I remember the Cuban Missile Crisis. We sailed through with only milk running out. The shelves in the grocery stores were absolutely bare. My mum had a reasonable stockpile. Also, a friend of mine had to be prepared to go several weeks without shopping every spring. The river would flood her road. Luckily, she got milk and eggs helicoptered in because she had kids. But, all kinds of things can happen to keep you from getting food.

We bought this: 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



right after the 1998 ice storm. We were without power for eight days and our stove is electric. It uses propane, so we can use it indoors. It has come in handy a few times.


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## LAJ

I think you have alot of diapers but they are neatly stored. (Not what I would call a hoarder). My pantry is very very full of canned and bottled and boxed items. My fridge is full and my freezer is loaded. I am prepared for any type of food I care to cook. I love to go to the pantry when I decide to make a cheesecake or some Cuban steak or other homemade items. No trips to the store. Makes it fun and not a pain to rush out to cook for company too. When I travel, I pick up food items not available in my area. My pantry reflects that. Dukes Mayonnaise, Goya products for Cuban cooking and White Lily flour. (I cant find those items around here.) Nothing is outdated and that preparedness allows me to create whatever I am in the mood for in the kitchen.


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## chopper

I have to tell you, this was a fun thread to read.  I have a pantry in the kitchen, but had to build a pantry in the basement under the stairs so that I could buy in bulk at Sams.  I also baught a freezer for the same reason, and that is in the basement.  My camping gear (with camp stove, etc.) is also in the basement as is my spare bedroom suite.  My guests say that they could live down there, but no, I am not a hoarder.

By the way, love2cook11, you are not a hoarder because your things are too neatly stored.  Have you seen those TV shows about hoarders???


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## retiredguy

chopper said:


> By the way, love2cook11, you are not a hoarder because your things are too neatly stored.  Have you seen those TV shows about hoarders???



That's exactly how I feel about it too.


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## megamark

I think the only thing I hoard is beans and rice. I see them at whole foods and I always say that I will use them to make an awesome, nutritious dish. I never have time, therefore I have rice and beans all the time.


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## Claire

OK, I think I've looked enough to be sure that I haven't answered this before.  Now, when I lived in Florida, I was near 3 sisters, their husbands, my parents, and the children.  The married sisters had in-laws.  All were inclined to show up for a Sunday or holiday dinner without notice.  I kept a full-closet pantry and one wall of a two car garage (Looked much like the photgraphed one, except instead of bottles and jars of stuff, there were a lot of bags and sealed cannisters of things), and I had a chest freezer of meat that I'd bought on sale.  Now there are only two of us, and I no longer have a chest freezer, it is just the top of the fridge.  But still, hubby needs me to help him if he needs to go there.  You can take out one tray of ice cubes or one portion of a frozen meal, and ..... DUCK!  My husband, though, is in charge of the pantry.  It is a cabinet that is 13" deep, 55" high, and 40" wide, and partially built into the ground.  In the winter it is literally refridgerator-cold.  The bottom few shelves have canned and other packaged goods, the top shelf holds our Chinese rice china set.  When we have wine, it gets a half-shelf.  But, 'though I've never done it, I could safely use it as a fridge annex.  I can't store peanut or olive oil in it during the winter months, they solidify.  

Although I don't have as much food stockpiled as I did when I lived near my relatives, I'm still pretty well stocked.  I don't think I qualify as being an LDS person, we could, if we had to, feed ourselves for several months, and maybe help out a neighbor or three.

For some reason I hate it when I go to make a meal, and have to get in the car to get an ingredient.  So I try to keep a good selections of the basics on hand:  Frozen beef, chicken, fish, pork.  Cans of the stuff I consider basic.  Various types of pasta, both European and Asian.  A few sauces, relishes, etc.  I'm fortunate to have friends who can, and have several jars of relishes and sauces.  If my entire family descended upon me right now, I could feed them (and that's a lot of people).  My husband loves the luxury of being able to say, gee, Claire, I don't feel like eating this, can we have that?  I like the luxury of telling him in the morning, you have X, Y, Z choices for dinner tonight, what will it be?  all of this without having to get in the car, something I really don't like to do!


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## SherryDAmore

97guns said:


> anyone here buys and hoards food in preparation for an event or just trying to outpace inflation. also curious as to what kinds of foods you might be hoarding.


 
Y E S, but not because of inflation or in preparation for an event;  because I'm thrifty, because I live in the country, and it's a drive to the nearest store, because gas is expensive.  

I don't have the stockpile that some of you do, but I rarely run out of anything, and I always stock up on paper products.  The extra goes to the food pantry.


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## hamm4

I call it being thrifty. I buy when things are on sale. I shop for meat and fresh veg every day, but I like not having to pick the extras to cook with. I just go to the pantry and bam I can make a meal.


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## Hammster

We don't hoard food. However, DW just brought home 6 lbs of cranberries from Costco. Not so much to beat inflation or possible shortages or any kind of event, but because they are a great price, and have a limited availability, so I break them down into 8 oz packages to enjoy throughout the year in various recipes.


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## Timothy

hamm4 said:


> I call it being thrifty. I buy when things are on sale. I shop for meat and fresh veg every day, but I like not having to pick the extras to cook with. I just go to the pantry and bam I can make a meal.


 
That's what I'm saying! My pantry is always fully loaded. You name it, it's in there somewhere! I can find it!


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## Robo410

repper, hoarder, stockpiler?  no  But,  I do by certain staples at BJs and Coscos and there are only two of us in the house. So I do have well stocked shelves. I buy meat for the freezer if I can use it within 4 months.  I make my own stock and tomato sauce (because I like to and I like the results!)so that is also in a freezer. 

I have friends who have a family of 6 (all teens now) and they have a basement full of big box buys. It's the only way they can make ends meet.


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## 97guns

i just topped off my peanut butter reserves, better stock up before prices go through the roof. 

we are entering a possible hyper-inflation scenario where a loaf of bread will be $10 as well as a gallon of gas.

for me im ready for prices to go hyper, i have a good 3 years supply of food on hand as well as a nice garden for veggies.

whenever i see something cheap i stack it deep, im just now running out of $1 a jar mayonaise and im on the hunt for some on the cheap.


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## Timothy

97guns said:


> i just topped off my peanut butter reserves, better stock up before prices go through the roof.
> 
> we are entering a possible hyper-inflation scenario where a loaf of bread will be $10 as well as a gallon of gas.
> 
> for me im ready for prices to go hyper, i have a good 3 years supply of food on hand as well as a nice garden for veggies.
> 
> whenever i see something cheap i stack it deep, im just now running out of $1 a jar mayonaise and im on the hunt for some on the cheap.


 
I hear ya, 97guns! I love my Pantry! I don't have the stockpile you do, but I could last an easy 3 months on what I have on hand right now.

We'll see if our lazy leaders get off their collective butts and start earning all that money they make. I think things might start looking better next year. Nothing like an election to get them to actually DO something!


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## buckytom

i don't know about $10 bread ($4 is too high imo), but i just read an article that said food prices are up %13 to %15 from last year for thanksgiving type stuff. biggest one year jump in a long time.


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## joesfolk

I sincerely doubt that we will see bread at $10.00 a loaf any time soon, especially with an election coming up (the politicians would subsidize the price until after the election). But I do stock up in the fall when the stores have their harvest sales or when ever there is an especially good price on something. It's called being a good steward. If I am asked to donate a meal or if unexpected company drops by, or even if sudden expenses result in less money to buy groceries I don't worry, I know I can always put something together. It only makes sense.


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## jennyema

Hoarding food (or anything) is symptomatic of a mental condition that deserves treatment.


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## PattY1

joesfolk said:


> I sincerely doubt that we will see bread at $10.00 a loaf any time soon, especially with an election coming up (the politicians would subsidize the price until after the election). *But I do stock up in the fall when the stores have their harvest sales or when ever there is an especially good price on something. It's called being a good steward. *If I am asked to donate a meal or *if unexpected company drops by, or even if sudden expenses result in less money to buy groceries I don't worry, I know I can always put something together. It only makes sense.*




That is what I do. Last year when I knew that I was going to be laid off I stocked up on canned SALT FREE veggies and broth. Along with rice, dried and canned beans, sugar, flour ect. IMHO it its just an intelligent thing to do.


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## Aunt Bea

I tend to shop the dips and maintain a small supply of items to get me from one sale to the next.

Some of the posts remind me of when I was little.  We lived on a farm and in the fall we stored produce for the winter.  People tend to think that farmers always have the best of everything but that is not true.  We were always sorting produce and using the items that were about to spoil.


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## 97guns

97guns said:


> i just topped off my peanut butter reserves, better stock up before prices go through the roof.
> 
> we are entering a possible hyper-inflation scenario where a loaf of bread will be $10 as well as a gallon of gas.
> 
> for me im ready for prices to go hyper, i have a good 3 years supply of food on hand as well as a nice garden for veggies.
> 
> whenever i see something cheap i stack it deep, im just now running out of $1 a jar mayonaise and im on the hunt for some on the cheap.





have you guys bought peanut butter lately?


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## Greg Who Cooks

Love2cook11 said:


>



My stockpile was about one of these shelf units, before I moved to temporary quarters (between houses). 

I don't hoard, and it doesn't have anything to do savings or prices or inflation. I just don't like running out of things and I hate to buy one bottle or one can of something. It makes my shopping list longer and takes more time to find each item at the store. I like to get several of any item I repeatedly use, and then I can just go to my stockpile when I need that instead of driving to the market. When I get low I make a note to pick up several more on my next shopping trip.

That changes the character of my market trips to buying fresh or fish and fresh vegetables. The rest of the stuff is already in my stock and my market trips are brief. I guess I stockpile for convenience and to save time.


By the way, I use a first in first out (FIFO) system. When I purchase items having a shelf life I write the month and year on the bottle, box or can (e.g. 0112 for Jan 2012) using a permanent marker, and then put the new items at the back of the shelf. This ensures that the oldest inventory gets used first.


----------



## buckytom

greg, have you ever checked the expiration dates on all of that stuff?


----------



## Greg Who Cooks

I buy lots of Asian goods and the manufacture dates or use-by dates are often obscure or missing, and even mainstream goods can be obscure or confusingly coded. I like my date code system because it's easy to read (even without glasses) and unambiguous. I can always guarantee that I'll use the oldest item in my stock first, that's my goal and it's good enough for me.


----------



## Dawgluver

97guns said:
			
		

> have you guys bought peanut butter lately?



We got 4 jars a couple months ago.  Haven't checked prices lately.


----------



## NoraC

I am a seasonal hoarder. In a bad winter, we can be snowed in for 3 or 4 days at a time, often back to back with limited stuff in the groceries, so I do load the house with stuff like extra milk in the freezer.  I keep a basic supply of rice and beans in sufficient quantity to keep body and soul together for a couple of months, That stays in the freezer and gets pulled out in increments. I have never had a problem  with them cooking up well, but it may be that I just use them up and replace them regularly.  I keep an unopened unit of my staples in a separate pantry, shop from it when I use the last of a staple, add the item to the list and usually have several weeks to find a good sale price. The only thing I "hoard" as in "consciously store in quantity against the possibility of disaster" is salt: 400 pounds isn't going to spoil and will go a very long way to preserving food and acting as trade goods. Idiosyncratic, but I selected it a couple of decades ago and it makes my happy.


----------



## Greg Who Cooks

You have 400 pounds of salt? Jeez Louise! I think 400 pounds would last me the rest of my life!


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## NoraC

Gourmet Greg said:


> You have 400 pounds of salt? Jeez Louise! I think 400 pounds would last me the rest of my life!


GG, I use about a pound of salt a year for seasoning (there are salty condiments involved, LOL). I expect this little bit of security to still be safely stored away in its ceramic crocks when my grandchildren move into the family home place.


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## Greg Who Cooks

I hope you have some gourmet salts in your stores. At my consumption rate (or yours, a pound a year) I'd hate to have to go 400 years with no gourmet salt at all. 

At least I hope some of your salt is sea salt.


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## NoraC

GG, the salts I use (as opposed to those I hoard) range from black to table and I select which to use with some thought.  ...and soy sauce or fish sauce or bean sauce or Worcestershire sauce or some other flavoring may have far and away enough salt so that no crystallized product comes out. 

BTW, only 20% of folks are salt sensitive as a health concern and you can find out if you are with a little salt challenge and blood pressure check, assuming you are in general in good health.  I avoid salt, fat and sugar, because they are cheap pleasures that crowd out the perfect balance of flavor you can get with skill. But I don't worry about my health if I occasionally am served deep fried Twinkies with ice cream salt.  A courteous bite isn't going to hurt me.


----------



## Greg Who Cooks

I'm in the majority who should just consume reasonable quantities of salt. I have no reason to restrict my salt intake other than not wanting to be sucked into the mass hysteria of over-consumption of salt. I'll be fine if I just live within the RDA guidelines. I'm worried that with so much salting of fast food and convenience food that I suspect it's easy to go over the RDA. That's a good reason I avoid fast food. Not so easy to avoid convenience food (e.g. microwave meals) with my present minimalist cooking facilities.


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## GiddyUpGo

97guns said:


> i am a prepper and the way things are going right now in the world ive been extemly active lately. i have lots of grains, pastas, beans, canned veggies and meats. i also have a garden that does pretty well, just wondering if anyone here buys and hoards food in preparation for an event or just trying to outpace inflation. also curious as to what kinds of foods you might be hoarding.



"Hoard" food, I've never heard it put that way!  

I "stock up" but I don't do extreme couponing or anything, in fact I rarely use coupons unless they can be put on my club card. But whenever something goes on sale that my family eats regularly, I do one of two things: 1) If it's non perishable, like canned foods or dry pasta, I buy a bunch of it. 2) If it's perishable, I will sometimes plan a meal around that ingredient.

I kind of have to do it this way because my family is so big, and we spend a lot of money on groceries. Of course I also am big on fresh produce, healthier cuts of meat etc. so I don't usually save more than about 35% on any one grocery trip. In other words, I don't make my family eat a lot of processed, crappy food just in the name of saving money.

The type of stuff I usually stock up on is pasta, rice, flour and sugar and staples type things. I also buy meat when it is at least 50% off, and if I can't use it that week I vacuum seal it and freeze it. I find it stays edible for a long time if packaged correctly. And I often double what I'm cooking (depending on how much room is in my freezer) and freeze it for a quick meal on busy days. In fact most of what I'm hoarding is probably ready-made stuff that I froze myself, like pot pies, chilies, soups, stews, curries and that kind of thing.


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## 97guns

so im at safeway friday getting my hoard on, ground turkey on sale 3# for $5 and as im loading up my cart i hear a "good lord", i look up and this middle aged lady is staring me down hard then darts her eyes to my cart and back at me again. i look at her cart and she has 1 pack of turkey in her cart versus my 6, i didn't comment or gesture back, just wheeled off, her eating my dust.


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## bakechef

I work in a grocery store, so I can be more subtle with my hoarding, a little every day.  Last week a chicken sausage that I like was on sale for $4.99 with a $3 coupon attached!  $1.99 for a $5.99 pack of really good sausage, heck yeah!  I have 10th packs in the freezer now......


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## Dawgluver

Got a great deal on whole boneless ribeye a few weeks ago, cut it up, froze it in steaks and stuff left over.  I love getting whole loins on sale and cutting them into chops, steaks, etc.  And it's just for the two of us.


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## Kujiraya

I wouldn't say I hoard. I collect, then I consume. But maybe, I collect more than I consume, because one of my worst fears is running out of quality ingredients. This is why I've ended up building up a treasure trove of dried foodstuffs, which include: abalones, sea cucumbers, shark fins, fish maws, scallops, pearl meat, katsuobushi, konbu, black moss, snow fungus, cloud fungus, bamboo fungus, matsutake mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, morels, porcini, smoked rice. Wines I've aged which are ready for drinking now, include: 1962 Penfolds Bin 60A, 1963 Mildara "Peppermint Patty", 1966 Penfolds Grange, 1967 d'Yquem, 1971 Penfolds Grange, 1978 Mount Mary "Quintet", 1986 Penfolds Grange, 1986 Henschke "Hill Of Grace", 1990 Clos du Mesnil, 1990 Cristal and 1990 Dom Perignon. Lately, I've sometimes experienced a nervous panic whenever I consider that my supply of 1962 Bin 60A, 1963 "Peppermint Patty" and 1978 "Quintet" will very, very quickly run out...


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## GotGarlic

Shark fins? Do you know how those are harvested?


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## Kujiraya

I'm not sure, but there's probably a lot of fiddly cleaning involved with stripping away the shark's skin and flesh and any thick, inedible spines that help keep the fins' shape in the water. I don't know at what stage, but the shark fins would be dried somewhere along the way, and also bleached, I believe.


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## Dawgluver

Kujiraya said:


> I'm not sure, but there's probably a lot of fiddly cleaning involved with stripping away the shark's skin and flesh and any thick, inedible spines that help keep the fins' shape in the water. I don't know at what stage, but the shark fins would be dried somewhere along the way, and also bleached, I believe.



No shark fin!!!  Don't mean to harsh your mellow, but the procedure is: catch the sharks, cut the fins off, release the sharks, and the sharks die a slow and painful death, as they can't swim and bleed to death or drown.  A horribly cruel practice, akin to hacking off your limbs and throwing you in the water.  Please keep shark fin off the menu.

http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/


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## 97guns

bakechef said:


> I work in a grocery store, so I can be more subtle with my hoarding, a little every day.  Last week a chicken sausage that I like was on sale for $4.99 with a $3 coupon attached!  $1.99 for a $5.99 pack of really good sausage, heck yeah!  I have 10th packs in the freezer now......





i have a lucky's near me that puts $1 off stickers on their ground beef and sausage, have around 10# of various grinds in the freeze at around $1.50/lb

someone has country style pork ribs on sale this week for $1.49 and some of that is going in the freeze


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## Kujiraya

Oh dear! I have boxes and boxes full of top-grade shark fins! I think I'll still have to eat them all, but I won't be buying any more shark fins until they are harvested with more care and respect for the shark.


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## Dawgluver

Kujiraya said:


> Oh dear! I have boxes and boxes full of top-grade shark fins! I think I'll still have to eat them all, but I won't be buying any more shark fins until they are harvested with more care and respect for the shark.



Thank you. Not your fault, you didn't know.  Personally, I would donate them to the local aquarium center, or feed them to the cat. Just an FYI, as an added perk, sharks pee through their skins.


----------



## jharris

Kujiraya said:
			
		

> Oh dear! I have boxes and boxes full of top-grade shark fins! I think I'll still have to eat them all, but I won't be buying any more shark fins until they are harvested with more care and respect for the shark.



Thank you. 

Harvesting shark is not a bad thing in itself.

What I find abhorrent is the fact that only the fins are taken, the shark is cruelly maimed and returned to the sea in a mutilated state and  dies a slow death.

Better to kill the shark outright and harvest the meat along with the fins.

I've had shark steaks and enjoyed them very much.


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## Mad Cook

97guns said:


> i am a prepper and the way things are going right now in the world ive been extemly active lately. i have lots of grains, pastas, beans, canned veggies and meats. i also have a garden that does pretty well, just wondering if anyone here buys and hoards food in preparation for an event or just trying to outpace inflation. also curious as to what kinds of foods you might be hoarding.


 
I could probably feed the entire street for a year if there was ever a famine!

I do tend to hoard food although I do rotate what I have. I always start out with a list when I go shopping but it tends to get waylaid when I see something I hadn't thought of when list-making, or at a good price. I'm a sucker for three-fers and bogofs but only if it's a product I use. 

I go for things with a long 'fridge or shelf life, or cans (I have more cans of tomatoes and passata than Sainsbury's!) and stuff I can freeze either as is or after cooking..

I only use supermarkets for staples like sugar, flour, butter, cleaning products (yes, I horde them too - I was brought up on horror stories of wartime shortages of soap!) and go to the "proper" butchers for meat, the fishmonger for fresh fish and the greengrocer for fruit and veg. They may be more expensive than supermarkets but the quality is better and you get advice as well. You can't ask a supermarket display cabinet how to cook a cut of meat or how much you'll need to serve 10 guests! And when you're a regular customer you often get an extra apple or a discount on a steak or the shop keeper will suggest what is good this week.


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## Mad Cook

97guns said:


> how long will they keep? what about lentils?


Go by the "use by" date on the package or if you buy them loose the general advice is to use them before the new seasons pulses (beans, peas, lentils) come onto the market ie not more than a year at the absolute outside.


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## Mad Cook

Love2cook11 said:


> Lol I rather refer to it as stockpiling.
> 
> I use coupons religiously so when I come across a good deal, I stock up. I mostly keep processed foods that I normally wouldn't pay for and stock up when I can get them for free. Right now I have chips (~8 bags), candy (~15-20), canned soups and veggies (15), hot cocoa (7), organic peanut butter (5), jelly (5), cereal (6), gatorade (~40) rice, bbq sauces, ketchup, salad dressings and a few other randoms (toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, tampons) I get free after coupons so I do have a drawer full of each.
> 
> I don't overdue it only because only 2 people in my household. Although I must admit, when my family expands stockpiling like this makes more and more sen$e:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> at one point I did have about 70 cans of cat food but lol Wellness is expensive and after coupons I was getting them for .25 a can...normally $1.25 so had to stock up!! When I can get cat treats and Tidy Cat free, I buy as many bags as possible so I guess I stockpile that too.
> 
> It saves me a lot of money *shrug*


Heavens to Murgatroyd...and I thought I was bad!


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## Mad Cook

4meandthem said:


> my travel trailer we call the escape pod.I can have it loaded and on the road in an hour.


But where would you go if it was the sort of disaster/world war/end of the world scenario?

When we cleared out my grandmother's house in  the 1980s we found the emergency stash of canned food she'd put in the cellar at the time of the Munich crisis in 1938. Apparently she would never allow any of it to be used, "just in case", throughout the war and even in the extended period of rationing after the end of the war it had to be kept. 

Now THAT was hoarding!


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## Kylie1969

Wow, that is a lot of hoarding there 

If things are on a really good special, I will buy 2 or 3 of them, as long as I know we will eat them or use them by the use by dates


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## 97guns

that is an impressive pantry!!!, maybe a little heavy on salad dressing


boneless pork but was on sale this week so i added 50#, had a $5 off a $30 purchase coupon that i used 2X which brought the price down to $1.25/lb


been noticing potatoes have been pretty high, ive gone without for a month or so now. next time i see 10# for $1 im gonna try dehydrating some


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## joesfolk

Recent changes in trucking industry regulations may significantly increase the price of everything but especially food because it is heavy and often time sensitive to ship.  Not even the lawmakers are sure how these changes will affect the industry because there are so many different kinds of trucking.  But I have to believe that stocking up can't be a bad thing.  If price increases don't come to pass (and what are the chances of that?) then we will be well prepared to stay indoors well fed and warm this winter.  If prices do increase we will save some money eating out of our rotated stores.  Win-win.


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## CarolPa

I tend to shop by what's on sale rather than what I'm going to use for the week.  So I have a pantry in the basement that is pretty well stocked but no where near the picture shown!  I read the store ads the day they come out and make a list for each store.  I will go to one store on one day and the other store another day stocking up on the specials.  While I'm there, I also buy the normal things I need to buy weekly such as bread and milk, or something I'm actually out of and can't wait for a sale.  

When my step-children lived here, I made up a menu for the week and bought only the foods and amounts I needed for that menu.  Cooking for a family I could not afford to stock up.


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## cave76

Just found this thread! I prefer to think that I'm 'prepared' rather than hoarding.

My preparedness (ahem) started when we lived on a very remote ranch and going into town for a quart of milk involved a lot of driving on dirt roads, opening and shutting of ranch gates and I was able to have storage space and an extra fridge and a very  large freezer.

After moving from the ranch and into an urban area I became very ill with a chronic illness and keeping extra stuff around was de rigueur because I never knew when I would feel good enough to get to the grocery. (living alone).

But I do have to admit that I've probably carried it a bit too far! Being a pack rat comes naturally to me. I just wish I could keep things as neat as love2cook! My  small pantry and storage areas are a mess!


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## SherryDAmore

I also live in the country, and driving to get something I'm out of or need, is out of the question, especially with the price of gas.  I have two poly-type pantry cupboards in the basement and they are stuffed, I have a stand up freezer that is full and wire shelving where I store toilet paper, Puffs with Lotion and paper towels.  I also have aluminum foil, parchment, sandwich, and storage bags.

I match coupons with the specials, and get what is on sale.  Try to keep extra butter, bacon, meat, chicken, fish, veal, lamb and pork and  vegetables, also sugar and flour, and pasta.


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## CarolPa

SherryDAmore said:


> I also live in the country, and driving to get something I'm out of or need, is out of the question, especially with the price of gas.  I have two poly-type pantry cupboards in the basement and they are stuffed, I have a stand up freezer that is full and wire shelving where I store toilet paper, Puffs with Lotion and paper towels.  I also have aluminum foil, parchment, sandwich, and storage bags.
> 
> I match coupons with the specials, and get what is on sale.  Try to keep extra butter, bacon, meat, chicken, fish, veal, lamb and pork and  vegetables, also sugar and flour, and pasta.




We have extra of the staples, but we still have to get things like bread and milk about every 5 days.  We don't use enough to buy extra.  Of course, we can get bread and milk at the gas station mini mart 2 blocks from our home if necessary.  Otherwise, the grocery store is about a mile from my home.  I have never lived rural.  My DIL usually does her shopping on the way home from work so she doesn't have to go back out to the store.  They live out a bit from civilization.  LOL


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## CWS4322

I also live rural. I tend to have staples on hand. I make bread if I want bread. I rarely have milk in the house because I don't drink it and don't make "cream" sauces. I do, however, have a well-stocked freezer and have flours, yeast, dried beans, rices, etc. on hand. I buy yeast in 1 lb packages, flour in 25 lb bags, and beans and rice in as large of bags as I can find (usually 8-10 lb). I could probably not go to the grocery store for at least a month just eating what is on hand in the freezers and pantry. And, the girls provide fresh eggs every day.


----------



## CarolPa

CWS4322 said:


> I also live rural. I tend to have staples on hand. I make bread if I want bread. I rarely have milk in the house because I don't drink it and don't make "cream" sauces. I do, however, have a well-stocked freezer and have flours, yeast, dried beans, rices, etc. on hand. I buy yeast in 1 lb packages, flour in 25 lb bags, and beans and rice in as large of bags as I can find (usually 8-10 lb). I could probably not go to the grocery store for at least a month just eating what is on hand in the freezers and pantry. And, the girls provide fresh eggs every day.




My DIL does not bake bread.  In fact, she gets home so late from work that my step-son actually does the cooking.  I grew up in the city, but my mother made everything home made since she was a stay at home Mom.  My father was sick and was on disability so our income was just a once-a-month check.  She bought all the groceries at the beginning of the month to make sure we had food all month.  We didn't even buy milk.  She got powdered milk from the government program for low income families, so that is all the milk we ever had.  So she stocked up every month like you do, even though the store was in our town.  I can relate to what you do.


----------



## CWS4322

I don't stock up every month. With the garden, in the summer I eat mostly vegetarian because there is so much to eat. 

Often I just need a couple of things (fresh limes and lemons are most often on my list) so if I have to go into town, I will stop and get those. Usually I walk out of the store having spent less than $10. 

I also stockpile vinegars and oils when they are on special. I use a lot of both.


----------



## chrismcphee

We started checking the flyers when my wife got let go a few years back and were amazed by how much money we saved by just shopping around. When she got back to work we carried on the same way. There are half a dozen supermarkets within a 5km radius of us, so Saturday morning is flyer & food time.


----------



## CWS4322

chrismcphee said:


> We started checking the flyers when my wife got let go a few years back and were amazed by how much money we saved by just shopping around. When she got back to work we carried on the same way. There are half a dozen supermarkets within a 5km radius of us, so Saturday morning is flyer & food time.


When the market slowed down in 2008, my monthly income dropped substantially. I plan what I eat based on what is on special and watch for specials on turkey, pork, etc. at certain times of the year. Around Canadian T'giving, turkeys are on the list and put in the freezer (we eat a turkey a month from October until April/May). Pork usually goes on special in the fall and January, so we stock up then.


----------



## Rocket_J_Dawg

For us, it's impossible to hoard in a 900 sq ft condo. The only things we buy from the grocery stores are things like toilet paper, foil wrap, milk, things like that. Fruits and veg we get at the local Saturday morning farmers market and meat we get from a local farm. It may cost a bit more but the quality is better and we know what we're getting. Plus, we are supporting our local farmers.


----------



## CarolPa

chrismcphee said:


> We started checking the flyers when my wife got let go a few years back and were amazed by how much money we saved by just shopping around. When she got back to work we carried on the same way. There are half a dozen supermarkets within a 5km radius of us, so Saturday morning is flyer & food time.




That's why we check the flyers, too.  And I started going to Aldi's, a discount grocery that sells mostly off brands.  By trial and error, you find out which things are the same as the name brands and which aren't.  My husband eats a lot of oatmeal and says their off brand oatmeal is better than Quaker.  There are certain things that I always buy there.  For example, eggs, butter and sugar are $1 less there than at the regular grocer.  Also, they have great prices on fresh produce.  All these stores are within 2 miles from my home.  I think when you have lived rural all your lives you are used to shopping in such a way that you don't have to go very often.  Since I have always lived in the city, or in the suburbs, I am accustomed to having everything nearby.  I can be in the middle of making something and send my husband to the store for something I'm missing.  He's back in 15 minutes or less.  It's all in what you are used to.


----------



## Greg Who Cooks

I don't "hoard" out of any necessity like the rurals. I have Ralphs, Von's, Albertson's, Walmart, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market within short driving distance (all but the last two within 5 minutes drive).

I just like hanging around home. I see no reason to have to dress up and go out in public (even for 20 minutes) just to buy food. If I see a good buy on something I stock up. If it's something I use often I stock up. (If there was a shortage of toilet paper I'm good until at least mid October.)

I figure if it's something you use all the time, buy a bunch and put it on the shelf or in the pantry, so that you don't have to keep putting it on the shopping list and buying it again and again and over and over.

If it adds 1 minute to my shopping trip to buy 1 package of toilet paper, it takes 1 minute to buy 10 packages of toilet paper. Multiply that over all the repeat stuff you buy and I spend a whole lot less time in the supermarket than ordinary people.

Who likes shopping in supermarkets? My goal is to minimize my time spent buying food. Plus it's convenient and allows a lot of flexibility if you can just cook dinners out of your stores rather than having to drive to the store.


----------



## GotGarlic

Ordinary people? lol

I also stock up on good buys, but I don't hoard.


----------



## CarolPa

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I don't "hoard" out of any necessity like the rurals. I have Ralphs, Von's, Albertson's, Walmart, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market within short driving distance (all but the last two within 5 minutes drive).
> 
> I just like hanging around home. I see no reason to have to dress up and go out in public (even for 20 minutes) just to buy food. If I see a good buy on something I stock up. If it's something I use often I stock up. (If there was a shortage of toilet paper I'm good until at least mid October.)
> 
> I figure if it's something you use all the time, buy a bunch and put it on the shelf or in the pantry, so that you don't have to keep putting it on the shopping list and buying it again and again and over and over.
> 
> If it adds 1 minute to my shopping trip to buy 1 package of toilet paper, it takes 1 minute to buy 10 packages of toilet paper. Multiply that over all the repeat stuff you buy and I spend a whole lot less time in the supermarket than ordinary people.
> 
> Who likes shopping in supermarkets? My goal is to minimize my time spent buying food. Plus it's convenient and allows a lot of flexibility if you can just cook dinners out of your stores rather than having to drive to the store.




Most of the time I don't "dress up" to go shopping, but I do hide when I see someone I know.


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## PrincessFiona60

Thread has been sanitized, let's get back on topic about Hoarding/stocking up on food and staple items.


----------



## Zagut

One person's hoarding is another persons being prepared.

I keep a supply of foodstuffs on hand that will take me through power outages and heavy snows where getting out and about is impracticable.

Being prepared for disruption of our normal lifestyles isn't hoarding.

Now those who stock supplies for years on end is another story.

To each his own as they say.


----------



## Zagut

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Thread has been sanitized, let's get back on topic about Hoarding/stocking up on food and staple items.


 

Sanitized sounds so unwelcome. 

I'm glad I'm not a germ.


----------



## cave76

Zagut said:


> Sanitized sounds so unwelcome.
> 
> I'm glad I'm not a germ.



 

Back on topic------I antisepticize the shelves/cabinets where I store the foods that I 'hoard' or keep for preparedness on a regular basis. I use Lysol or weak bleach to do that.


----------



## Mad Cook

Greg Who Cooks said:


> . I see no reason to have to dress up and go out in public.... just to buy food.buying food.


And there I was, imagining you in the loo roll aisle in top hat, white tie and tails! 

My local store is used to seeing me in muddy boots and jodhpurs and the check out lady expresses surprise when I haven't got straw in my hair - "Haven't you been to see your horse, dear?".

Living on a "Small Island" as Bill Bryson put it, with a fairly temperate climate, we tend to forget that there are people elsewhere in the world who can't just nip out to the corner shop for a bottle of milk (in fact we can still have it delivered to the door!) due to the distance from "civilisation". I have a penfriend who's married to a sheep farmer in Australia. For her a trip to the shops involves a small aeroplane and until a few years ago they had a house cow for milk. Her food store room is phenomenal - like a small Sainsbury's!

The winter climate in parts of the US must make a good store of food and essentials vital.


----------



## Mad Cook

CarolPa said:


> My DIL does not bake bread. In fact, she gets home so late from work that my step-son actually does the cooking. I grew up in the city, but my mother made everything home made since she was a stay at home Mom. My father was sick and was on disability so our income was just a once-a-month check. She bought all the groceries at the beginning of the month to make sure we had food all month. We didn't even buy milk. She got powdered milk from the government program for low income families, so that is all the milk we ever had. So she stocked up every month like you do, even though the store was in our town. I can relate to what you do.


Shopping once a month makes sense in that there is less opportunity for impulse buying but it can be a bit of a shock when you get to the check out and you do tend to miss bargains on things you use regularly.

Which reminds me I must stock up on the dried fruit and rum and whisky for the Christmas puddings and cake before the seasonal price hike.


----------



## CarolPa

Mad Cook said:


> Shopping once a month makes sense in that there is less opportunity for impulse buying but it can be a bit of a shock when you get to the check out and *you do tend to miss bargains on things you use regularly.*
> 
> Which reminds me I must stock up on the dried fruit and rum and whisky for the Christmas puddings and cake before the seasonal price hike.




That is why I read the circulars every week and make sure I at least buy the items on special.  Then while I'm there I get the bread, milk, eggs, that I buy every week.  It is what works for me.  My mother had to shop once a month because she only got money once a month.  Also, we did not have a car and she had to get the bus to the market.  When it was time for her to come home, we would meet her at the bus stop to carry the bags home.  Sometimes she would get a taxi home.


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## SherryDAmore

Well, it seems everyplace in the world is having some natural disaster.  I'm originally from Southern California (earthquakes, fires) to here in the Northeast, where there are blizzards, floods, and ice storms.  1991 Rochester Ice Storm drive - YouTube

People were out of electricity and heat for weeks and months!


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## CarolPa

SherryDAmore said:


> Well, it seems everyplace in the world is having some natural disaster.  I'm originally from Southern California (earthquakes, fires) to here in the Northeast, where there are blizzards, floods, and ice storms.  1991 Rochester Ice Storm drive - YouTube
> 
> People were out of electricity and heat for weeks and months!




In cases like this, hoarding food does not help unless you have food that can be eaten "as is" and doesn't need to be cooked.  What would you stock up on in that instance?  You could buy canned meats that are already cooked, you would just have to eat them at room temp.  What else is there?


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## PrincessFiona60

I have plenty of precooked rice and pasta in the freezer, they just need warming up and I have a propane camp stove that can do that.  If I still had my Weber it would be kept going for heating up food and water, too.


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## CarolPa

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I have plenty of precooked rice and pasta in the freezer, they just need warming up and I have a propane camp stove that can do that.  If I still had my Weber it would be kept going for heating up food and water, too.




That's a good idea.  Do you freeze rice and pasta on a regular basis?  How long does it keep in the freezer?  Even for someone who doesn't normally do this, it's a good idea to think about when you hear from the weather forcast that a storm might cause a long power outage.


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## cave76

CarolPa said:


> In cases like this, hoarding food does not help unless you have food that can be eaten "as is" and doesn't need to be cooked.  What would you stock up on in that instance?  You could buy canned meats that are already cooked, you would just have to eat them at room temp.  What else is there?



Although I (a rural resident) never had to go weeks with no electricity ---- four days was the max-----we had propane for the stove. If only an electric stove, (as happened another place/time) we drug out the camp stove and the propane canisters and were able to cook very simple meals and boil water for coffee.

We placed it on the useless stove but always made sure there was good ventilation.

Having a camp stove and a supply of canisters would probably be a good idea to have around even if a person never went camping----- in case of any emergency.


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## Zagut

We've been weeks without power.

Cooking the food isn't usually a problem. 

There is always the charcoal grill and in the winter the woodstove is usually fired up.

Keeping the frozen stuff frozen is the hardest part.

The generator works but it's an annoyance and the expense adds up.

Guess I need to look into canning. 

Hoarding is buying more then you'll use or need.

(Well except for toilet paper that is.) 

Being prepared for the unexpected and taking advantage of sales is just common sense and the way I was raised.


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## Andy M.

CarolPa said:


> In cases like this, hoarding food does not help unless you have food that can be eaten "as is" and doesn't need to be cooked.  What would you stock up on in that instance?  You could buy canned meats that are already cooked, you would just have to eat them at room temp.  What else is there?



Gas stove burners would still work.  Ovens would not.

Gas and charcoal grills also can provide cooking options.


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## PrincessFiona60

CarolPa said:


> That's a good idea.  Do you freeze rice and pasta on a regular basis?  How long does it keep in the freezer?  Even for someone who doesn't normally do this, it's a good idea to think about when you hear from the weather forcast that a storm might cause a long power outage.



Only when I have extra.  It goes into the regular rotation with meals since I don't cook on days I work.  I do make extra going into winter since it's possible to be snowed in for a few days.  But we've never lost power here for more than a few hours.


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## CarolPa

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Only when I have extra.  It goes into the regular rotation with meals since I don't cook on days I work.  I do make extra going into winter since it's possible to be snowed in for a few days.  But we've never lost power here for more than a few hours.




We haven't either.  About 10 years we saw a good price on a generator and we bought it.  DH has it hooked up so it's wired directly to our furnace, with a heavy duty extension cord going upstairs.  Don't you know we haven't had a power outage of more than 1 hour since then?  LOL  The same with the snow blower.  We never get more snow that a couple inches anymore.


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## PrincessFiona60

CarolPa said:


> We haven't either.  About 10 years we saw a good price on a generator and we bought it.  DH has it hooked up so it's wired directly to our furnace, with a heavy duty extension cord going upstairs.  Don't you know we haven't had a power outage of more than 1 hour since then?  LOL  The same with the snow blower.  We never get more snow that a couple inches anymore.



Yeah, I put the snow shovel in storage, a broken old broom takes care of the steps.


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## Mad Cook

CarolPa said:


> We haven't either. About 10 years we saw a good price on a generator and we bought it. DH has it hooked up so it's wired directly to our furnace, with a heavy duty extension cord going upstairs. Don't you know we haven't had a power outage of more than 1 hour since then? LOL The same with the snow blower. We never get more snow that a couple inches anymore.


So it isn't global warming that's affecting the weather after all


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## CarolPa

Mad Cook said:


> So it isn't global warming that's affecting the weather after all




No, it's not, but don't tell Al Gore!


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## 97guns

got my hoard on yesterday, 14# of instant mashed potato for $2, i was checking out at lucky's and right in front of the register they had a display, 4/$1


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## Mad Cook

97guns said:


> got my hoard on yesterday, 14# of instant mashed potato for $2, i was checking out at lucky's and right in front of the register they had a display, 4/$1


I have to say that if these are anything like the instant mash available over here, there are some bargains that are not a bargain.


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## 97guns

just used some last night for a shepherds pie and used them again tonight, coated some chicken breast with it and pan fried them, both were yummy


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## CarolPa

97guns said:


> just used some last night for a shepherds pie and used them again tonight, coated some chicken breast with it and pan fried them, both were yummy




When I met my husband he was a batchelor and he always ate instant mashed potatoes, but when I started making homemade he would no longer eat instant.  I always have instant in the house for emergencies, though, and he is back to eating them occasionally.  They are useful for coating chicken, as you did, and also as a thickening agent.  I also use them for filling when I make pierogies.  They have improved them since they first came out.


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## Roll_Bones

97guns. How long have you been a prepper?


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## 97guns

buy it cheap and stack it deep..... who has 70# of pork chops in their freeze? i do, local store had 10# boxes for $9.99. bought 4 and got a coupon for $5 off my next purchase so i went back for 3 mo






Roll_Bones said:


> 97guns. How long have you been a prepper?




not a prepper, a bargain shopper that knows the price of food only goes higher and it has been at a quicker rate


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## Roll_Bones

97guns said:


> *i am a prepper *and the way things are going right now in the world ive been extemly active lately. i have lots of grains, pastas, beans, canned veggies and meats. i also have a garden that does pretty well, just wondering if anyone here buys and hoards food in preparation for an event or just trying to outpace inflation. also curious as to what kinds of foods you might be hoarding.





Roll_Bones said:


> 97guns. How long have you been a prepper?





97guns said:


> *not a prepper*, a bargain shopper that knows the price of food only goes higher and it has been at a quicker rate



This is why I asked.  You are the OP.


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## 97guns

changed my stance since starting the thread, the name prepper gets such a bad rap. im no longer a hoarder either, i merely buy cheap so dont come and take my food

Federal Anti-Hoarding Law | eHow


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## Roll_Bones

97guns said:


> changed my stance since starting the thread, the name prepper gets such a bad rap. im no longer a hoarder either, i merely buy cheap so dont come and take my food
> 
> Federal Anti-Hoarding Law | eHow



I also buy cheap and I also stock up on stuff thats on sale.
I have eaten instant mashed and I have had some that were pretty good.
But I would never consider buying instant mashed in those quantities.
Are those designed for long term storage?


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## 97guns

Roll_Bones said:


> Are those designed for long term storage?



no, actually rolling through them pretty quickly, gave a box to my brother and a neighbor, had some work done on my house and mad a shepherds pie for the work crew

they keep well in the spare refrigerator


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## Bookbrat

Not a hoarder. Not a prepper. I just live 15 miles from a grocery store and hate to run out of things. We have always grown and frozen/dried/canned what we can because it tastes better than storebought....GMOs and pesticides aside. 



97guns said:


> Federal Anti-Hoarding Law | eHow



Nobody better come and try to take my pig, 4H lamb and grass fed side of beef.

Maybe I am a hoarder...


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## PrincessFiona60

I'm a pack rat...


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## Mad Cook

Bookbrat said:


> Not a hoarder. Not a prepper. I just live 15 miles from a grocery store and hate to run out of things. We have always grown and frozen/dried/canned what we can because it tastes better than storebought....GMOs and pesticides aside.
> 
> 
> 
> Nobody better come and try to take my pig, 4H lamb and grass fed side of beef.
> 
> Maybe I am a hoarder...


That's not hoarding, it's common sense. 15 miles to the nearest grocery store is not a gentle stroll down to the corner shop when you run out of bread.

Surely the federal hoarding law is about hoarding food in a crisis and causing and profiteering from shortages, not about someone having 3 more cans of tomatoes than they can eat in a week.

I like to have the wherewithal in my cupboards and freezer to rustle up a meal when friends and relatives drop in unexpectedly or to make some cakes for a bake sale when I want to. without a dash out to the shops. And I only live 15 _minutes_ from the grocery store. I don't consider that sort of readiness hoarding.

The tins of ham and salmon that I found  in my grandmother's cellar after her death in 1984, bearing the label of a company that had gone out of business when its factory was bombed in 1940 - now THAT'S hoarding!


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## SherryDAmore

Bookbrat said:


> Not a hoarder. Not a prepper. I just live 15 miles from a grocery store and hate to run out of things. We have always grown and frozen/dried/canned what we can because it tastes better than storebought....GMOs and pesticides aside.
> 
> 
> 
> Nobody better come and try to take my pig, 4H lamb and grass fed side of beef.
> 
> Maybe I am a hoarder...



I'm 12 miles from a grocery store; about 25 mile round trip;  I'm also an old hippie.  I try to be self sufficient, but I do have a stash.  I am a passionate (but not extreme) couponer.  I have quite an HBA/paper goods stash.  Running out of TP would be a crisis.  Right now, we are cooking through, to restock this summer/fall.


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## Jamie212

I can't say I hoard food but, my pantry of jammed and pickled items my beg to differ. I am however a big fan of pastas and aged cheeses. So, I have no shortage of either.


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## BlueMoods

I ama , I guess soft prepper. No I don't expect everything to to hades in my lifetime but, I do have food stores in case of natural disasters. Here we have tornadoes, hurricanes and, occasionally earthquakes (only small ones ever recorded so far.) We also have some sever storms that take down trees and, since I live 20 miles form the closest store of any kind, it's smart to have enough for 2-3 months on hand at all times.

Most of that is beans, rice, flour, sugar, salt, dried venison and, dried fish but, I also have a good supply of home canned produce and meat, and two freezers (one chest one upright) full of food. I have a generator and fuel to keep those going for six months without outside power. By then I can eat the food in them or, preserve it in  a way that does not require electricity to store it safely.

I raise my own rabbits and chickens, a family member nearby raises the beef. I hunt and fish and, have a good garden so, very little is store bought and, what is is mostly bought as a treat and eaten the week it's purchased. (dry goods listed above excepted.)


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## Greg Who Cooks

I'm too busy to hoard food. I decided if things get bad it's easier to just roll over and die. Or arm myself and go shoot somebody who was smart enough to hoard food and too stupid to hoard guns 'n ammo.


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## PrincessFiona60

...until you run into the person who was smart enough to hoard food, guns AND ammo...


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## Cheryl J

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I'm too busy to hoard food. I decided if things get bad it's easier to just roll over and die. Or arm myself and go shoot somebody who was smart enough to hoard food and too stupid to hoard guns 'n ammo.


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## Cheryl J

I usually have enough to last about 6 months or so at a time, with the exception of perishables. Most of my grocery dollars go for fruits, veggies, and dairy. I stock up on meats when they are on sale, like yesterday chicken thighs were .88/lb. I picked up almost 10 lbs. for less than $8.  That's when I really love my foodsaver.  I always have at least 3 or so cases of water at one time.


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## CarolPa

I am the same as your Cheryl.  A week or so ago I ran out of boneless pork chops and had to buy a pkg of 3 for $4.90.  I thought that wasn't too bad, under $5 for the meal for the two of us.  Then they went on sale and I got a pkg of 9 for $4.65.  When turkey breasts were on sale I bought 3 of them.  My freezer is always full and so is my pantry, but I don't usually have more than 3 of any given item.


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## cave76

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I'm too busy to hoard food. I decided if things get bad it's easier to just roll over and die. Or arm myself and go shoot somebody who was smart enough to hoard food and too stupid to hoard guns 'n ammo.





			
				PrincessFiona60;1367686[B said:
			
		

> ]...until you run into the person who was smart enough to hoard food, guns AND ammo...[/B]



Yep!


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## Zagut

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I'm too busy to hoard food. I decided if things get bad it's easier to just roll over and die. Or arm myself and go shoot somebody who was smart enough to hoard food and too stupid to hoard guns 'n ammo.


 

You'd better arm yourself now because you might not find the arms and ammo you need at the time you need them. Just like the food they will be snapped up first. And most of those who were smart enough hoard food were probably smart enough to hoard guns and ammo.
I sure don't want  things to get that bad but I won't roll over and die. I'd also like to have a nice last meal if they do.  

I won't say I'm a hoarder. But you might call me a prepper. I stockpile enough to get me through severe storms or unexpected hard time like lack of income for awhile. Ya just never know what's coming down the road and I was raised to keep a supply on hand for those times you might need it. And it has been useful when we've gotten 18" of snow and the power out for a week and a half.


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## Mad Cook

PrincessFiona60 said:


> ...until you run into the person who was smart enough to hoard food, guns AND ammo...


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## Mad Cook

Having said I'm not a hoarder we did have a power cut a couple of winters ago which put all the street in the dark for 2 days and I was able to keep 24 neighbours in candles for a couple of nights until the gang had traced the fault! 

I didn't actually _hoard _ the candles. They were the left overs from several Christmases.


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## Greg Who Cooks

PrincessFiona60 said:


> ...until you run into the person who was smart enough to hoard food, guns AND ammo...


  I got a good laugh out of that, but you are right! But I live in a liberal paradise. Lot more people hoarding food and see weapons as artifacts of the Devil.  I'll join forces with those with the guns & ammo.


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## rickysmith

I don't like hoard, but i do focus on local foods and being more self-sufficient. It's more for good health and co-reasons though.


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