Prep Genrl Are you still prepping?

[nomifyle]

This is not meant to pry, I'm just curious. Personally, I'm taking stock of what I have. I need to inventory what is in the she shed and the cabin, then there is that other leaky shed. I'm basically waiting for some cooler weather because checking those areas means I have to get out from under the ac.

I keep a running list at wm, checking and revising. There are only a few things on my list that I'm low on, I want to buy more beef patties, recently is the first time in years that I've even bought beef. Those angus beef patties from walmart are delicious. They make a delicious burger and hamburger steak.

If I think of something I'm low on from amazon, I keep a list and order occasionally.

 

[patriotgal]

Been prepping so long it's a habit. I do stock less since kids are grown and gone. But I am very accustomed to always having a backup. My mayo stash is getting low. My children have all recently confessed to stocking backups. When an ice storm was forecast for KC, grand immed started filling bathtubs and containers with water. And sourcing more wood for the basement fireplace. Other household members thought grand was crazy until power went out.
Have spent most of my life in the boonies and plan to keep it that way. I cannot easily run to town if I run out of something so there are plenty of somethings stashed.

 

[etdeb]

Judy are the patties fresh or frozen?

 

[alpha]

Purchased several hundred canning lids (Ball) and put up 24 pints of salsa and several quarts of green beans today. We harvested about two bushels of onions and one of garlic last month so they are all put away. About twenty pints of bread & butter pickles went in the pantry last month and we're still getting cucumbers so going to be doing a relish with them tomorrow.

The potatoes will be coming out of the ground this week since the weather has dried off a bit so they should yield about three bushels. Turnip, carrots, winter squash and pumpkins have a bit more time to go before harvest... they like to taste frost, and the dry beans are yet to ripen.

I'm on my second to last bag of turkey grower feed so that means that five of the six will be processed into breakfast sausage, ground turkey meat and cured turkey breasts. The sixth one hangs around until our Thanksgiving feast. Oh, the association between bags of feed and slaughter date has to do with the fact that when each bird has consumed 50 lbs of grower feed, they weigh between 18 and 20 pounds dressed out (6 birds = 300 lbs feed). Obviously the lucky survivor will continue to eat and gain weight.

We're trying to catch on to the cows cycle schedule to AI her, and the goats will be bred in October or November since I'm not into January or February kiddings. At this point in time we're planting our "Winter crops" in the high tunnel as existing crops are harvested out. Usually spinach, kale, carrots and radish are harvested up to December and then what doesn't get harvested this year will be ready to pick on about March/April.

Does raising up a new flock of layers qualify as "prepping" too? We've been doing this for so long now that it just seems like everyday "getting along" since I understand that the great depression lasted longer than a few months...

 

[nomifyle]

Judy are the patties fresh or frozen?

What I get is frozen. 9.96 for six 1/3 pound patties. We love them. I'm getting the large box next time.

 

[oops]

Given how close I was to the grans n gr grans...it's a way of life...they drilled the lessons they learned from various wars... pandemic...recessions n depressions...into most of the kids my age head...do they all follow the lessons...nope...some have maybe tonight's meal in the house because the store yadayadayada n family is always close by if it's more serious disruption...sigh...some days I swear you can hear them throwin fits as the spin in their graves...

 

[hiwall]

We keep topped off all the time and sometimes think of "new" prep things we can do.
Not really for us but our kids can use the stuff.

 

[Taco Salad]

Yup but we've always been short on space so it's just maintaining the level we're at. Keeping the panty properly stocked and rotated along with any tools and power equipment in good shape. I'll still pick up tools and whatnot at yard sales sometimes but they have to be a quality upgrade to what we have, fill a gap I've identified, or be a needed back up to something high use.

Actually sometimes not having much space is a blessing because it makes us really examine our purchases.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Been prepping so long it's a habit. I do stock less since kids are grown and gone. But I am very accustomed to always having a backup.

Pretty much this is where I am at. I still have three that I add to our preps - two still living at home and my older son who is single but has his own place - but what I prep has definitely changed and is changing even more as I have to address my own circumstances. I've also had to add in my parents. The freeze drier has helped with this enormously.

 

[connie]

Started in 1999. It's easier now with just 2 of us. Everything goes a lot further. I do have to remember to check things pretty often so they don't get forgotten. If I see conditions changing I would stock deeper.

It's just a matter of convenience. I remember years ago seeing a friend at store. She had 6-8 containers of dishwasher detergent. Brilliant. Why hadn't I thought of that ?! Now I stock up cleaning stuff too.

 

[nomifyle]

I can remember back in my 20's trying to keep a full pantry, looking back it wasn't all that much but it was the beginning for me. There was an Italian grocery store on Rampart called Puglia's that had wonderful foods. The one thing I remember was Progresso foods. Not soup but food. My favorite was zucchini and tomatoes. I mixed it with ground meat and it was delish. At the time Progresso was a local to New Orleans company. Sadly they sold out to general mills and the resulting product has steadly gone down. For the longest time their green pea soup was quite good but now its barely etable.

 

[Hfcomms]

Constantly prepping. Two is one and one is none.

Its a lifestyle and not specifically event driven or I would of quit after Y2K or 911, etc. Not a week goes by where I don't do something. It might only being picking up two extra cans of coffee for the stash but it's always something. This past week was electrical preps and I picked up an extra 50' of 12/2 Romex ($69....retch!!) along with a few extra outlets and switches. I even have extra circuit breakers and grounding bars for my electrical panel. You might want to add an outlet or repair a circuit and you need stuff to do it with.

I've thought about all the stuff in the house that could break or go wrong when there is nobody that can help you or no supplies at the local store and work back from that premis. There are myriads of things we just don't think about until we need it but the time is coming where you can't get it so that is what motivates me to keep on keeping on. It's not just food and stuff.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Started in 1999. It's easier now with just 2 of us. Everything goes a lot further. I do have to remember to check things pretty often so they don't get forgotten. If I see conditions changing I would stock deeper.

It's just a matter of convenience. I remember years ago seeing a friend at store. She had 6-8 containers of dishwasher detergent. Brilliant. Why hadn't I thought of that ?! Now I stock up cleaning stuff too.

1999 was the real start for us, too, but being raised on a huge farm, until Cary swept me away, I guess I've always had a prepper mindset. On the farm, we hardly ever went to a grocery store. When we did, it was just to buy the basics that we couldn't raise, butcher, or grow on the farm.

I'm at a level in my prepping, now, that I only replace what I use on a monthly basis. Just maintaining what I already have. I go through all my preps on a regular basis, rotating, cleaning, and checking. Like you said, Connie, should conditions change, I would build my pantry even deeper, but not until then. Sometimes, one has to say enough is enough and stop adding to it. I'm at that point, now.

Our prepping doesn't just consist of food. We have survival gear, camping gear, etc., everything we need to survive that we can possibly think of. If the grid and water go down, we have it all covered, except emergency medical stuff. I do have a stock of antibiotics, some medical equipment, medical books and some with home remedies for just about everything, and OTC med's. I was a licensed CNA in years past, so I have a little knowledge of medical care.

 

[connie]

Thinking back, before 1999 I would stock up on canned goods etc when there was a semi annual sale or such.
Guess I thought of it as bargain shopping rather than prepping.

 

[phloydius]

It is a lifestyle.

 

[connie]

I do the same SB. Constantly checking my stock including meds and other household.Always have an ongoing shopping list.
Keep a bin of supplies that would only be needed in true emergency.
My husband can build or fix anything too..

 

[school marm]

As others have stated, it's a way of life. Something is going on every day, whether it's stocking supplies, growing or preserving food, learning new skills, or teaching others. Right now I'm prepping for an emergency preparedness in town where I am presenting on the myriad of ways to use powdered milk--along with providing samples because most people do not believe powdered milk can be made to taste good.

 

[patriotgal]

This reminds me that I need to get more boxed milk.

 

[Firebird]

Yes, but not to the level I used to

 

[Milkweed Host]

electrical preps and I picked up an extra 50' of 12/2 Romex ($69....retch!!)

The problem with 50' rolls is waste and extremely expensive.

Next time compare the cost per foot of 100' rolls to 250' rolls.
It will surprise a person.

 

[Genevieve]

I do my usual 4-6 cans of food every time I go to the grocery store.
And we just bought an extra 5cu.ft. freezer so I can take advantage of the meat sales that the store has been having. I just got chicken parts for 49 cents a pound and stocked up.
Also chuck roast for $6.99 lb.
Once a month I hit walmart and buy large packs of paper products, any meds we're low on (vitamins, naproxsodium,etc), any canned foods that they have a better price on and my large sugar and cornmeal (my local store doesn't carry them). Also, their frozen veggies which I dehydrate.

Been learning which veggies will grow here in my micro-climate in the valley, and been saving those seeds. Its been trial and error for the last 3-4 years, but I'm getting there

I've been adding to my wish list on amazon with first aid supplies, like large boxes of gauze pads and wrap. Compression wrap for the wrist and different ointments that I can't find here in the stores.

 

[moldy]

Its a way of life, not really a hobby. Its the way i was raised and the way I tried to raise my children.

 

[Wildwood]

Purchased several hundred canning lids (Ball) and put up 24 pints of salsa and several quarts of green beans today. We harvested about two bushels of onions and one of garlic last month so they are all put away. About twenty pints of bread & butter pickles went in the pantry last month and we're still getting cucumbers so going to be doing a relish with them tomorrow.

The potatoes will be coming out of the ground this week since the weather has dried off a bit so they should yield about three bushels. Turnip, carrots, winter squash and pumpkins have a bit more time to go before harvest... they like to taste frost, and the dry beans are yet to ripen.

I'm on my second to last bag of turkey grower feed so that means that five of the six will be processed into breakfast sausage, ground turkey meat and cured turkey breasts. The sixth one hangs around until our Thanksgiving feast. Oh, the association between bags of feed and slaughter date has to do with the fact that when each bird has consumed 50 lbs of grower feed, they weigh between 18 and 20 pounds dressed out (6 birds = 300 lbs feed). Obviously the lucky survivor will continue to eat and gain weight.

We're trying to catch on to the cows cycle schedule to AI her, and the goats will be bred in October or November since I'm not into January or February kiddings. At this point in time we're planting our "Winter crops" in the high tunnel as existing crops are harvested out. Usually spinach, kale, carrots and radish are harvested up to December and then what doesn't get harvested this year will be ready to pick on about March/April.

Does raising up a new flock of layers qualify as "prepping" too? We've been doing this for so long now that it just seems like everyday "getting along" since I understand that the great depression lasted longer than a few months...

I agree on those kidding dates. If your human kids aren't showing them and need them to hit the ground early, my question is why breed them to kid so early? It's hard on everyone.

 

[Wildwood]

My back is out so no heavy duty gardening. DH had to take me to the city to restock my antique booth...it was way overdue. It's been at least fifteen years since my back did this so I'm not complaining too much. Meanwhile, DH is trying to get me to take it easy lol.

The food will have to ride for a while, we had an opportunity we couldn't pass up for a piece of land we desperately wanted/needed...time was crucial. We pulled the trigger and until finances are equilized in a month or so, we are only buying weekly groceries. I'm taking this opportunity to clean out the freezers as my back allows and do a yearly inventory of them and the pantry. I'll admit old habits die hard so I did sneak in several boxes of our favorite iced tea today because it's usually out of stock any more and today they hand an abundance. While we were in the city, I topped off my flour...our WM does not carry it.

We are still prepping and I do have some canning I want to do when my back is better but it's not garden stuff. We need more beef on the shelf. I did buy a couple cans of the Keystone meat today and we will try them this week. I can't buy the meat and can it that cheap...taste will be the deciding factor. Our store has the regular beef, ground beef and turkey. I wish they had chicken.

 

[nomifyle]

I wasn't raised this way but I think there may be something in the genes. My sister was raised by our paternal grandparents and as she calls it she has a "bunker mentality" too. I remember my great aunt's canning pantry and how my uncle dried fruit on screens in the sun. I was impressed.

 

[Wildwood]

I wasn't raised this way but I think there may be something in the genes. My sister was raised by our paternal grandparents and as she calls it she has a "bunker mentality" too. I remember my great aunt's canning pantry and how my uncle dried fruit on screens in the sun. I was impressed.

I agree. My mother always had plenty of food on the shelves and canned a good bit too. My father hunted and we ate a lot of game. If they were in a spot where they could, they always raised a garden. It wasn't always possible since my father was career military and we moved from pillar to post every year or two.

My father's parents were about as self sufficient as you could get. They raised everything in the way of meat and vegetables and even grew sorghum for their sweetnin'. They bought flour, salt, coffee and tobacco and whatever else they needed and couldn't raise. This is why I will raise just enough sorghum every few years for a fresh seed crop. I have no desire to go through all the work for sweetnin' if I don't have to but I want the option.

My husband was not raised that way but he lives it now and appreciates it...thank goodness.

 

[packyderms_wife]

Prepping for us is a lifestyle, if not then you’re doing it wrong.

 

[nomifyle]

My mother had a big garden, a true green thumb. She did not teach me and not being an outside person due to allergies. She had me do the grunt work, consequently I do not have a green thumb. DH is a master gardener, but has issues with the sandy soil here.

 

[Wildwood]

My mother had a big garden, a true green thumb. She did not teach me and not being an outside person due to allergies. She had me do the grunt work, consequently I do not have a green thumb. DH is a master gardener, but has issues with the sandy soil here.

Sandy is the worst. We have it too. I've never understood why anyone thinks it's great but they do.

My mother was not a teacher either and the sad thing is, she took a ton of knowledge to the grave. There's no telling what I would give for a couple of her recipes that were never written down. Us girls were the potato pealers and dish washers lol. My main job was making corn bread and tea and staying out of her way.

 

[ivantherussian03]

I am working on my residency. Learning to do more. I watched a video on YouTube to take apart my sink drain, and clean it all. It was crazy how much dirt came out. I cleaned the drain plunger and elbow in a citric soap, and used brush. I wadded a paper towel into wet ball and pushed it down the drain. It pushed a bunch of dirt down the drain pipe from the sink into the bucket. I put it all back together and no leaks. Now three more sinks to do, then my mom has three sinks, that need it.

Next I will tackle dishwasher install.

 

[anna43]

I think I've always been a prepper even when I lived in Des Moines. We lived in the Four Mile area where there was no public transportation, and I did not have a vehicle during the week so always had to shop only once a week. When I escaped the city and started gardening, I planned for a year's supply from home grown. The year's supply has been a constant since 1999 whether home grown or store bought. Now that I'm alone, I have let things get old so realize I was buying too much and am currently working on revamping my purchasing. I want enough for a year, but not so much that I end up throwing stuff out. I recently cleared around 25 pounds of seriously old stuff from the bottom of my chest freezer so now have room to store flour. I have more cleaning and organizing of the freezer to do. I've also been going through my shelves of food and reorganizing and have emptied 17 buckets. Empty shelves now exist!!

Both my late dh and I loved beans but now he's gone, and I have dietary restrictions and cannot eat beans, so I've been purging those from my pantry. It's important to keep making changes as life happens.

 

[ivantherussian03]

I have been using my preps to cope with inflation. I needed a few clothes so I went through storage.

 

[ejagno]

Just moved into my new home a month ago and doing my very best to hold back until the end of hurricane season to restock. I am however getting my "Preservation Hall" as I call it all set up and ready. This 8' x 20" outdoor building was my husbands temporary office and now that we are in the house he has moved his office and the building will now be home to my freeze dryer, dehydrator, back-up fridge/freezer, back-up stove, sealer, commercial sink, and all of my canning jars and equipment.....thus the name preservation hall.

 

[nomifyle]

Just moved into my new home a month ago and doing my very best to hold back until the end of hurricane season to restock. I am however getting my "Preservation Hall" as I call it all set up and ready. This 8' x 20" outdoor building was my husbands temporary office and now that we are in the house he has moved his office and the building will now be home to my freeze dryer, dehydrator, back-up fridge/freezer, back-up stove, sealer, commercial sink, and all of my canning jars and equipment.....thus the name preservation hall.

Every time I see a post from you my mind says "God bless her", all the things you have gone through weather related. The shed sounds perfect. I started setting up something like that on my camper porch but haven't followed through with it, I'm old.

 

[nomifyle]

wrong thread

 

[Jeff B.]

It does become a lifestyle. Your pantry evolves as you determine what you use and need. Having a spare on hand isn’t stocking up, but being properly provisioned.

Of course there are the deeper storage areas and items that vary from person to person based on need, location, storage, funds and even interests.

Our pantry has provided an example to our kids and they’ve slowly been getting the idea and setting up their own.

 

[wvstuck]

We don’t even think of it as prepping anymore. We are just constantly growing, raising, and acquiring things and stuffing, storing and preserving in everything we do. We have some modern ways of doing things, but at the end of the day we are living more like our ancestors did. Keeping a good stock on hand was and is essential to survival.

 

[Kewpie]

I guess I would say yes? But the last 2 years it’s been more about learning new skills and creating community, making contacts, getting to know our neighbors.