Stocking up?? How is everyone?

[mrbstephens]

We're doing nothing. We have no money to do anything. We're doomed......

There are things that we all can do that require very little money. Growing a garden, even if it is in buckets on an apartment balcony. At the very least you get a few vegetables that you know aren't sprayed with poisons. Plus you gain experience in growing things that may come in handy down the road.

Collect some recycled materials and construct a dehydrator. Dehydrated vegetables and fruit store longer and take less space.

Search through the messages here and pick other members brains for more ideas. There are many possibilities, and a lot of little things can add up quickly.

You mean, I can MAKE a dehydrator? How???

 

[k0xxx]

You mean, I can MAKE a dehydrator? How???

There are a lot of plans out there. Years back I made a screen box, that had slide in screen shelves. I put it in an old van that I had parked in the sun. It took a while but it worked.

But there are a lot of other ways. Here's one that uses a cardboard box and a light bulb.

Here's a web page that has links to several different homemade plans.

There's a lot of ingenious people out there.

 

[lighthawk]

A good friend and I were just just last week putting on paper the rough sketches for a pop can solar dehydrator. That is on my list of projects for this summer.

 

[okiemomof3]

i went out today and restocked up my coffee supply, salt (just four boxes because i plan on ordering 50 pounds of it on my next co-op order at the end of March), toilet paper, several 2 lb bags of pintos, lima, great northern, navy, and black beans because it is cheaper at the generic brand price than through my co-op.

i'm pretty good on my oats, steel cut oats, wheat berries, and rice. i have lots of pasta and sauces and canned goods enough to last a while till the next good sales, if we have any with the prices what they are.

 

[KevsFarm]

Friday is sale day at the local Walbaums (use to be A&P).I love the 10 for 10 sales, this past week i bought 10 jars of marina sauce for 10 bucks, they normally cost 3.69 each.Of course i'd never pay that high a price, but they are well worh a dollar each.
I use to can my own tomatoes, but have taken to buying the 10 for 10 deals when they appear.I figured out,by the time you grow the tomatoes,buy the canning jars and use the fuel to can, you can't beat the price of 1 dollar for a 28oz can of tomatoes.I still grow some tomatoes for fresh eating, and have may canning jars. When and if canned tomatoe prices sky rocket,i can easily jump back into growing and canning my own. Still, the cost of fuel for canning is an issue.Thats another good reason for an outdoor woodstove, canning amoung other things.
By me it cost $10.00 for a case of 12 qt. canning jars at walmart(mason ball).Thats .80 a jar...At this point, 10 for 10 cans of tomatoes with a 3 yr shelf life works for me.I can make chili, spagetti sauce, salsa, and many things from a can of tomatoes.I never pay full price, often sales dictate what i eat.I buy only cheese, OJ ,sugar, etc.when on sale, and stock up.
I get all the free chicken i can eat from the poulrty farm i work at,i get payed a bag of feed per hr.( I'm serious) and have my own flock of hens for eggs.I only work their a couple hrs a week, but it keeps me in fresh chicken and eggs.
I to am expanding my garden, i need more space because i have about 3000 heads of garlic planted that has take up most of my gardening space.I sell garlic at the chicken farm, people go nuts over it..!
Shop sales for short and longer term storage and can things i can't buy cheap on sale.I have a 36 bush blueberry patch, i can and freeze my blueberries.
I have saved so much money just shopping sales weekly,its amazing...!

 

[Damummis]

I did hit the local sale yesterday. Baking soda, baking powder, spices, olive oil, and butter.

How much is butter where you are? Not on sale it has gone up to $6lb.

 

[i_am2bz]

I did hit the local sale yesterday. Baking soda, baking powder, spices, olive oil, and butter.

How much is butter where you are? Not on sale it has gone up to $6lb.

What part of the country do you live in, Damummis?

It's up to $3/lb at Walley World (as of last Sunday), I thought that was bad!!

 

[CrimsonRose]

butter at walmart is 2.79 a lb... at aldis it's 2.49 but last week at sams club I could get 4lbs for 7.98 so less than 2 bucks a lb! but that is the cheapest I've seen it in a long while! My big thing is cheese! it's 3.30 a lb! and milk was 3.50 a gal last week... for around here that's high!

 

[Damummis]

I did hit the local sale yesterday. Baking soda, baking powder, spices, olive oil, and butter.

How much is butter where you are? Not on sale it has gone up to $6lb.

What part of the country do you live in, Damummis?

It's up to $3/lb at Walley World (as of last Sunday), I thought that was bad!!

Maine

 

[Pirtykitty]

Food Storage Calulator:

http://www.thefoodguys.com/foodcalc.html