Totally UNPREPARED

[Ldychef2k]

Dace, that is such good advice. I am very badly bitten by the prepping bug, as those who saw my squirrel entry can attest. I have changed my entire day around, working 4 hours AM and 4 PM, so that the middle of the day is completely dedicated to SOMETHING prep. There are weeks where there is no budget for produce to put up, so I do what you mentioned. I look around at what i already have and do something with it. I have regular pancakes and banana pancakes, muffins, breakfast sandwiches in the freezer and I actually use them ! Who knew?

I raelly, really, REALLY second the notion...do what you can do, and consider them baby steps.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

What about bookshelves? They have these nice simple shelves at wally world that fit pint & quart jars quite nicely. You can intermigle them with pretty stuff & cookbooks, so it looks like decoration. Do you have the shelves that run above your cabinets? Store food there. And tell the man, "Honey, it's not clutter if it's being used!"

I like sylvie's idea of building shelves into the walls. I live in an 1100 sqft mobile home, so we don't have studs like that. I'm eyeing the areas where our cathedral type ceiling turns into the normal flat ceiling, though.

On a side note, when I was at home & DH worked, I made the rules about where stuff got stored, how much we had on hand, when the clothes got washed, ect. Told him, when you do it, you can decide. Until then, I don't come to your workplace & tell you how to do security on a location, so butt out and let me do my job. So he did

 

[Dace]

Glad you agree with me

Another thing that I was thinking while I was out picking up the kids from school (my mind never stops) is that there are other important prep things you could be doing instead of buying food.

You could learn how to sew, learn how to can (if you have the equipment which you likely do not, but IF you did beans are quite cheap and good practice) learn how to make your own laundry soap, learn how to knit, plan your spring garden, collect manure to put down in your garden to rot over the winter, learn how to make your own flatbread or tortillas, make a solar oven, research and put together your own emergency prep list...so that when you do have a little extra money you spend it wisely, set up a small area where you can store your portable radio candles and some matches, make a contact list in case of emergencies and keep with your candles....you get it!

The idea is to scratch that itch by doing whatever is within your means now...even if that is only making some lists!

 

[Wifezilla]

Because I am single and perhaps explaining why, I don't like men who make these kinds of rules and put limits on the way their wives keep the home. Sorry, but it makes me very angry. Too bad he didn't hold the contractor as responsible for the lack of closets as he holds you for what you can store, how and where. Sorry...I am very outspoken.

I am not single and haven't been in ages...and I agree. If my husband ever said anything negative about me storing extra food for myself or my kids in case of emergency, there would be hell to pay.

When you are a woman with kids, you are vulnerable. That is just reality. Preparing for a bad situation is not only good sense, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. I can't even begin to imagine my husband standing in my way on something like this.

Even when he thinks I am being a bit paranoid, he still remembers the blizzards, the flash floods, and being without electricity for 2 weeks at a shot we have had to deal with over the years. He made a few jokes about my camping gear collection until that power outage. Now he just smiles and says "good job honey" when I build on our stash.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

Okay, hold up ladies, he's a good provider, husband, and father to our 3 kids. I have an unhappy tendency to sort of jump into projects without doing the real work, and I think he has visions of pounds and pounds of rotting food.... I HAD a small stash of food and drink stored, and he ate/drank it all... in like a weekend... So, I'm trying to go about this the right way, not like how I got into the whole chicken thing... when I bought 6 hens, and kept them in his office, then tried to build a coop, then gave up, and stuck them in the old outhouse... which I equipped with roosts etc... He's a bit older than I am, and is firmly entrenched in the military, wants things to be all organized and clean all the time, lined up in rows, and efficient, nothing wasted... so i think he just thinks I am off on another harebrained scheme... but really, I worry about this stuff! I love that you are concerned, but really, he's fine, just used to being the boss.

 

[Ldychef2k]

Both my grandfathers, my father, my brother and my ex husband -- all military. Wonder if that is why I feel the way I do ! LOL

Your description is exactly what I envisioned...

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

"Honey, it's not clutter if it's being used!"
On a side note, when I was at home & DH worked, I Told him, when you do it, you can decide. Until then, I don't come to your workplace & tell you how to do security on a location, so butt out and let me do my job. So he did

LOVE IT!

 

[Wifezilla]

I have an unhappy tendency to sort of jump into projects without doing the real work, and I think he has visions of pounds and pounds of rotting food

OK, this makes things a little clearer (and I do the same thing!!!). In that case, stick with dry goods that do not spoil (beans, split peas, lentils, dried veggies, etc...). Since he is Mr Military and wants things to be "squared away", you may want to get some MREs. Those damn things last forever!

Another thing you might want to do is comb your local craigslist for a Seal-A-Meal or FoodSaver. I found a Seal a Meal at a garage sale for $4. It works great and really reduces space requirements. Plus it makes the food look all professionally packaged and MRE-ish

 

[Ldychef2k]

Exactly. Do the preps in a form he can relate to and hopefully minimize his objections.

 

[dragonlaurel]

I built a bookshelf at my old place. Got gallon jars/ containers from a restaurant. They would have pitched them. I just said "can I have some". Filled the jars with dried beans, grains, rice, pasta, grits, etc. It looked nice and felt reassuring.

I used from the jars steadily and filled it back up when something was on a good deal. You could label stuff nice and line it up to make it look neat and organized to him.

When you get flour or other grains- put it in the freezer for a day or two. Any flour bugs or eggs from them get killed by the cold, so it wont get yucky.
After the freezer time, I put the stuff in the big ziplocs and stuff them in plastic totes. My totes were about $ 5.00 at Walmart or Family Dollar. You could put a tote or two in the attic. Most people don't go in the attic almost ever, and waste the space.

Good luck !