Why are you stocking some items?

Marianne

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Okay, I'm curious...

If you are stocking up for a major crisis situation, why would you stock toilet paper? Wouldn't it be better to have a 5 gallon bucket, toilet seat, stash of rags and a plastic coffee can with a lid (for storage of used rags)? Little to no cost, less space used, etc.

Instead of buying gallons of shampoo, cases of cream of chicken soup, etc, wouldn't it be better to stock up on the necessary ingredients to make your own from scratch? I mean, at some point, all the shampoo would be gone and then wadda ya do? I think I'd rather have food instead of shampoo, even if I got it for $1 a bottle. Ditto for TP, paper towel, etc.

So that would mean stocking up on ingredients like baking soda, borax, vinegar, dry milk, etc. And printed copies of how to make soap using wood ash, etc etc.

I'm not trying to be snotty or anything, honest. And not criticizing if that's what you choose to do. But some of the stuff I've read on other forums as well as this one, has me wondering...

I think the one that really had me shaking my head was the gal that started her emergency stash with 34 boxes of Tide, bottles and bottles of her favorite shampoo, conditioner and her favorite shower gel. (slap, slap, slap)
 

freemotion

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I'm with you, Marianne, in my puzzlement. I will add to my puzzlement the stocking up of large amounts of food items that, if eaten, will leave one with severe health problems and I'm assuming that if a crisis of the proportions prepped for occurred, medical help would not be available. I'm thinking of the stash of food that I recently received for free from an ad on cl, from the foreclosed home of a prepper who ended up in jail, or so I was told. I have boxes and boxes and boxes of powdered non-fat milk, white flour based pancake mix, pudding mix, and there was some stuff that I wouldn't even feed to my pigs and threw out: dehydrated veg shortening and powdered orange drink mix which was just a mix of chemicals and sugar.

Oddly, the stash also contained a lot of organic whole wheat berries and cans and cans of baking powder.

Although I'm not prepping for anything, I just like to have my own food and I like whole ingredients at a good price bought in bulk. But most of my stash is stuff I made and the bulk of the storage is in canning jars and in the freezer and in jars, dehydrated.

I'm more interested in acquiring skills such as gathering wild yeast from the air and from wild grapes to make bread, or foraging what grows within walking distance from my home. Learning to grow a wide variety of food and herbal plants and using and storing them. Saving seeds. Storing milk by making cheese. You get the idea.
 

Wifezilla

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It would take a while to make these things right if all you have is a printed sheet of instructions. I consider my shampoo and soap stash "transitional items". Of course, I have already stocked up on the raw materials, but lack the time to properly experiment right now.

Abi already tested out the "no poo" hair cleaning method for all of us. A gentle scalp scrub with baking soda followed by a diluted vinegar rinse is working fine for her.
 

Marianne

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Wifezilla said:
It would take a while to make these things right if all you have is a printed sheet of instructions. I consider my shampoo and soap stash "transitional items". Of course, I have already stocked up on the raw materials, but lack the time to properly experiment right now.

Abi already tested out the "no poo" hair cleaning method for all of us. A gentle scalp scrub with baking soda followed by a diluted vinegar rinse is working fine for her.
I like the 'transitional items' way of looking at it! I sure haven't taken the time to try some stuff either, like lye soap using wood ash. At this point it's easier to buy bars and let them air dry to last longer. Going poo-less was pretty easy, I did that months ago. But making the soap? Well, I hope I don't have to. Experimenting by choice is a different thing, huh.

Oh, Free, I hope your wild yeast experience is better than mine was! I never did get the bread made as everyone thought I was trying to poison them (again). I knew it was going to smell sour, but boy, this stuff was strong and really nasty smelling, even if it did look the way it was supposed to (not moldy or anything).
 

FarmerJamie

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I see some this stuff could be "barter" items. Oh, you miss your jello? Trade you this jello for those....
 

BarredBuff

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FarmerJamie said:
I see some this stuff could be "barter" items. Oh, you miss your jello? Trade you this jello for those....
I like this line of thinking.......
 

ksalvagno

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Bartering is why we stocked up on some of the things that we did. Many people won't want to go without toothpaste, soap, shampoo, snack items, etc.
 

FarmerChick

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I stock because of price. I have tons of TP in the house, now almost got the stuff for free using my sales and coupons along with toothpaste etc. :lol:

yes I do stock items some might think not needed, but to me they are. My shampoo stock can last years literally. My toothpaste about a year, and still stocking on that item lol.....All purchased for darn near free.

Yes I also have scratch items for making products so I have both situations covered I guess.



Also I truly don't buy into the fact that 'something' is giong to happen that the world will not function as I know it and live today.

but if a monster emergency happened like no electricity for 5 years for everyone, or no food available for 5 years for everyone in the country, then heck almost all of us would be in the same boat after a time (of course SS types have the chickens for eggs etc...but believe me the situation would be dire for almost everyone if these things happened and it sure would be a different country. nothing would be the same)
 
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