Why do you store food?

[me&thegals]

I feel dumb having to ask this, but I keep reading about people storing enormous quantities of food in buckets with gamma-ray lids. I guess I really don't know why.

Are you worried about shortages? Money becoming worthless? Crop failures?

It didn't really make me think too much about it all until I just found out there has been a rise in food theft (as in breaking into someone's house and stealing their food) in our area, ammunition is impossible to come by, and further lay-offs look likely.

So, would someone mind shedding some light on this for me? Also, what kinds are you storing?

thanks,

me&thegals

 

[PamsPride]

I wouldn't say I store food but, I try to stay stocked up. I mostly like to keep a lot of food on hand because my family eats a LOT of food and I hate running to the store all the time! I wish I had a store house of food though!

 

[miss_thenorth]

Some people have the WSHTF mindset. Those who do tend to stockpile in case the S does HTF (hit the fan).

i myself tend to be a bit of a hoarder. i buy LOTS when stuff that i use is on sale. I also feel a bit of security knowing that if we were unable to get to the store--we would be okay. And also, to definitely reduce the number of trips to the grocery store.

 

[gettinaclue]

I store food because my family consumes mass quantities of it!

Also, I despise going to the store all the time. And I'm finding that the quality of the produce is going down in my local whole sale store. I can't always get to the farmers market, so I'm going to learn how to can this year and then I don't have to stress out about making it down there.

On top of that, if DH ends up losing his job, we don't have to worry about not being able to run to the store for our monthly stock up.

 

[MorelCabin]

Well I don't go as far as stockpiling wheat and stuff in gamma pails or anything, but I do like to make sure we always have at least two of every food item we like to eat, and alot more than that if it goes on sale. I hate having to run back to the grocery store so when we are on the last can of something I will make sure I buy 6. I hate the drive to town, and line ups at cash registers

 

[me&thegals]

So far, I'm with you. I buy in bulk, try to reduce trips to the store, put up my own food, etc. I guess I'm wondering about the gamma-lid pails and serious stocking up for....what?

I am not in the least bit being critical here. Just trying to understand it. I'm concerned I might like the grasshopper in the fable of the ant and grasshopper

 

[TanksHill]

I am guilty as charged. I have buckets and gamma seal lids. I think the reasoning is based on several things for me. I like to buy in bulk, it's less expensive. A 50lb bag of anything at my local health foods store is 10% less expensive. I like to keep these items fresh and stored properly. Hence the buckets and lids. I like the convenience of shopping my pantry instead of running off to the store all the time. My family was rather poor growing up and many a times I heard my mothers woes. I don't want my kids going through that. I am aiming for the exact opposite. I want them to know I am repaired and can take care of them no matter what. Like a couple years ago when San Diego had all the fires. We didn't leave the house for a week. It was unsafe to breathe the air outside. I know others around here suffer through tough weather, ice storms etc.. This is a good reason to be stocked up.

When trying to be SS it's good to know if you need something, you already have it. Just my .02. g

 

[farmerlor]

I do belong to some survival groups and those people will scare you into stocking up I'm not kidding! But I'm also a natural hoarder. Mom was a child born just after the depression so she got scared if there was a gap anywhere on the pantry shelf. We used to live out in the middle of nowhere when I was young (a lot like now) and we'd get snowed in for weeks at a time and I'm not exaggerating here so we had to have a lot of stuff put away for those times. I still just feel safer knowing that I could survive if anything happened that I couldn't get to the store for awhile.

 

[justusnak]

Like many of the other posters, I too live a bit from town, and hate to make the drive more than once a week, if possible. I also grew up....well...just plain poor. My mother was a single mother of 5 in the late 60's, and we struggled. We always gardened, had a few animals,(untill they went to slaughter) and knew we were loved....but food was almost always an issue. I raised 4 children, and swore to myself...mine would never worry about a meal. So, I tend to be a bit of a hoarder I guess. For us....we grow what we eat, and eat what we grow. I rarely need to go to the grocer...unless its for fresh veggies in the winter or staples. I ABHORE going to the store...so when I DO go, I stock up. 25 lbs of sugar,flour, extra coffee, creamer,tea,salt,vinegar...stuff like that. Am I scared about what will become of our country? Sure...It would be silly NOT to be worried...but I refuse to panic. We have a good system here on our place...and as long as we stick to it...we will be fine.

 

[SKR8PN]

Are you worried about shortages?
Yup!
Money becoming worthless?
Yup!
Crop failures?
Yup!
Not to mention all food production shutting down or all the trucking companies not being able to afford fuel to run the trucks because of a total monetary collapse.

Ammunition and firearms are no longer a problem in this house.