Author of Prepper’s Pantry and The Pantry Bundle PLUS
The supply chain shortages have gotten so real that there’s pretty much no way even the most fervent bury-er-of-one’s-head-in-the-sand can ignore them. A stop at nearly any store in the country shows bare spots on shelves that used to be stocked to the point of overflowing. So, what’s a prepper to do if they want to get ready for things to get even worse?
Going out on a one-day mega-shopping spree is a lot more difficult and expensive than it once was. However, I have some thoughts about how you can continue to stock up despite these supply chain issues.
If it seems like I’m pushing a strong sense of urgency, that’s because I am. Things really are that bad, and they’re going to continue to devolve.
Look at your budget
First things first, how much money do you have available to spend? You can stock up using just your regular grocery budget by reallocating your funds toward shelf-stable items and bulk purchases while eating inexpensive meals right now to help your grocery dollars go further. (See my complete strategy for that here in this bundle.)
Better yet, if you have some extra money or can make room in your budget, this is the time to splurge. I’ve always recommended buying the healthiest food possible, but at this point, I suggest you focus on calories and balance. Don’t get all carbs – be sure to get fruits, veggies, and protein too. We’re in a situation that you need to look at it this way: do you want organic stuff that lasts a month or conventional stuff to feed your family for six months. That is genuinely the price difference at this point. Hopefully, things calm down, but for now, just fill your pantries.
And this isn’t just about food. We’re facing supply chain shortages of darn near everything.
I rarely recommend buying things on credit, but if ever there was a time to look into financing, this is it. If you have expensive items that will soon need replacement or repair, such as appliances, vehicles, computers, or furniture, the time to get that done is now. The same thing goes for medical, optometric, and dental treatment. Don’t be frivolous, but get what you need.
Think outside the Big Box
You don’t have to get all your stuff brand new from the store. If you need electronics, clothing, or furniture, shop second-hand. Don’t immediately go buy things new.
- Visit thrift stores and yard sales.
- Check out the offerings online on your local Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.
- Consider refurbished electronics and appliances.
- Look on eBay.
Before heading straight to Walmart or Amazon for non-food items, take a moment to think of other places you might acquire the same goods for less money.
Shop specialty
Who can forget The Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020? It looks like we’re headed for another one soon, as stores are already beginning to ration toilet paper. I opted to get my TP via subscription from a company called Who Gives a Crap. You can get it as frequently or infrequently as you wish. During the TP shortage, they did not take on new customers to honor their relationships with existing customers. If this is something you’re considering, I suggest that you do it now while they’re still taking customers. It’s a bit more expensive than store-bought toilet paper, but it’s better than the phonebook pages or these other options.
This is not the only subscription product I use. I also grocery shop via Misfit Market and get a big box delivered to my door weekly. They carry primarily organic produce and meat, as well as pantry items. Often the foods you get are “ugly” and can’t be sold in stores, but they taste just fine. Misfit Market’s prices on most things are at or below local grocery store prices, and the quality is awesome. Customer service is fantastic. When a box of raspberries got squished in my delivery box, or I received a badly dented can, they asked for a photo and immediately issued refunds. They’re extremely easy to deal with. If you are in one of their delivery areas, use this link to get $10 off your first order.
If you spend some time searching online, there are all sorts of businesses that just sell one thing, like razors, feminine hygiene products, vitamins, and more. Subscribe to these now, and you can stock up while potentially ensuring you’re able to get the items when they aren’t available in stores.
Membership stores like Sam’s Club, Bj’s Wholesale, and Costco also maintained a more steady supply than places open to the general public, like Walmart or Target.
Shorten your supply chain
It is beyond time to stop relying on the global supply chain. You need to create your own supply chain. And it needs to be much shorter than the one to which we’ve grown accustomed. Aden’s article about creating free market networks couldn’t have come at a better time.
Locate people nearby with whom you can do business. Not only does this help small farms and mom-n-pop stores stay in business, thus helping your community, but it also helps you to have a better chance at an ongoing supply stream. When I belonged to a homesteading co-op in Northern California, we spent a couple of years acquiring nearly all of our food within 30 miles.
And remember, you’re not only building relationships. You’re building community. There could come a day when these types of exchanges are frowned upon or outright banned. That doesn’t mean they won’t happen, but unless you are an already trusted person, your chances of being able to get honey and eggs from a local beekeeper or farmer go down exponentially.
Work on self-reliance
Finally, you need to work on producing what you can. This might be difficult if you live in a tiny apartment like me, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. I got a late start but grew everything I needed for salad right outside on my little patio for the past two months. Now that cooler days are here, I’m drying the rest of the herbs I’ve grown, and I’m growing more. I have greens growing inside. I’m about to try my hand at sprouting seeds and growing microgreens. Indoor gardening is an option for nearly everyone.
You may have more space or even an entire room or property to devote to self-reliance. If so, check out hydroponics, aquaponics, Aerogardens, and get the right seeds for winter gardening in cold frames or greenhouses. And don’t forget foraging, hunting, and fishing as ways to acquire food.
Self-reliance isn’t just about obtaining food, either. It’s about using your skills to repair, mend, or make the things you need. Self-reliance is about learning how to take care of minor injuries or illnesses yourself. Also, it’s about buying a big bucket of wheat or flour and baking from scratch. Learn to maintain a sourdough starter, and you’ll never need to buy yeast again. Buy cloth napkins and bar mop towels, and paper products for those will be a thing of the past.
Get your pantry built before it’s too late
Whatever you do, please pay attention to the crazy things going on. Emergency food supply companies are saying they cannot meet orders anymore. The shelves in stores promise to become more barren as time goes on. Make a plan, acquire what you can, and get prepped.
I am keeping the sale on my Pantry Bundle Plus going for one more day. Until midnight, Oct. 11, 2021, you can get a $115 value for only $39.95. It includes a 12-week interactive course with a bonus lesson, an on-demand water-preparedness webinar, and 3 cookbooks. Check it out here.
While building a pantry is urgent and essential, please note it isn’t an entire plan. You must weigh other factors while getting prepared for the collapse of our supply chain and possibly even our economy. We’re facing a long haul. This isn’t a short-term emergency like a power outage after a natural disaster. It is a potential change to our very way of life, and it will take a lot more than a stockpile to thrive your way through it.
How will you combat the supply chain shortages?
Do you have some other ideas for combatting supply chain shortages? Do you agree or disagree with my recommendations? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
About Daisy
Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, adventure-seeking, globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites. 1) The Organic Prepper, which is about current events, preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty; 2) The Frugalite, a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived; and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com, an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. Her work is widely republished across alternative media and she has appeared in many interviews.
Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at Learn.TheOrganicPrepper.com You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Gab, MeWe, Parler, Instagram, and Twitter.
One thing people with sewing skills can get is a few yards of solid color flannel fabric. From that you can make handkerchiefs, cover feminine needs, or washable toilet wipes. When the TP shortage hit last time I sewed up some squares for handkerchiefs because facial tissue was out of stock too. Flannel is more gentle to skin than plain cotton.
No TP No Problem! That is why in the Marine Corps you have 2 sleeves on your T-shirt! Cut off as needed…use once (make disappear – and leave your blouse on so no one sees)…one sleeve to go!
Tracking you InTheBooniesTX!
But what does one do when ya spent 2 weeks “in the field?”
Show up for PT and your tee-shirt lacks those sleeves, PLT SGT is gonna look at you with THAT look!
True…true…but my battalion always had always had PT Shirts (Walking Dead) so we were safe!
Hmmm…two weeks in the field…first eat MRE peanut butter (aka the “stopper”)
Save all MRE toilet paper (aka “sand paper”) one ply MRE toilet paper…geez now I know why there is a wet nap! To think all those years I was not smart enough to have baby wipes! I really was a dumb grunt! Ok I might still be, but (no pun intended) I have thousands of those now just in case!
I hate the city, and particularly the neighbourhood in this city, where I live. However, it is not a very large city (something like 300,000 I believe), and is surrounded by farming towns with commercial greenhouses (primarily tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers – Leamington, 45 minutes’ drive from me, is known as “the tomato capital of Canada”) There are also numerous apple orchards. To the extent possible, I have been buying most of my produce and eggs from local farm stands, and when I have opportunity, standing and chatting with the people running them. I am learning where the best deals and most reliable supplies are, and some small farmers are getting to know me. Enthusiastically making friends with their dogs doesn’t hurt either! I rarely buy produce from stores now, unless it is an item that the farm stands don’t carry. It is one way of sheltering myself from shortages in stores. Gardening has not been too successful in my extremely shady inner city postage stamp sized yard, but I have a very robust supply of microgreen seeds and 3 countertop sprouters, so I’m guaranteed a continual supply of greens. Other types of supplies are still in robust condition following my pre-covid stockups (except wine – I did miscalculate how quickly I’d get through that!) I just had my elderly car serviced and new tires put on, but I still need to get dental work done and get my eyes checked, and probably new glasses and contacts. There’s a great online place where I can get a reliable supply of contacts at decent prices.
I’ve been working to make my food supply chain local for awhile. This year, all my meat comes from my back yard. I’ve also put a system in place that in a month, the carnivores in my home will also have their food supply from the back yard.
My garden had a rough year, but I still have green tomatoes ripening in the house and enough winter squash stored in the useless garden tub to last us 5 months.
I have five tomato plants growing in the house under lights and a small hydroponic system that I am starting greens seedlings for.
Part of my grocery budget bought wheat and barley instead of snacks. I do think it’s time to weed out the unnecessary as much as possible. Things are getting very expensive and my low income needs to go further. I’ll be baking from scratch and popping pop corn for snacks.
One of my go tos for supplies are Azure Standard. They carry things you can’t get from stores like wheat. You have to weed through their website to find deals and watch seasonal things closely, but they drive through my neighborhood once a month.
I also discovered the Grove app during the last TP runs. I order natural cleaning supplies, TP, and some bath products from them. I was always able to get at least one package of TP from them when the last craziness hit.
It feels like pending doom. The headlines lately are looking like that shot you always see in apocalyptic movies when they try to figure out what happened and then come across a stack of old newspapers.
I did pretty good with the garden and preserving this year. I feel ok about our situation. I do have local resources, only took me 8 years to make that happen (small town policy)
I hope you enjoy the sprouting endeavor. I love mine and it’s the only fresh greens I have in the winter. It’s so much easier to store just the seeds. microgreens are ok but I never feel like I’m getting enough of a harvest. I have tried unsuccessfully to grow lettuce indoors so sprouts it is. One of my favorite quick breakfasts are buckwheat toast with sardines and sprouts (I hope I didn’t just make anyone gag)
My mission this week is to find a new phone and windshield wipers.
I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before but just incase, thank you for what you do. I can’t begin to imagine how many families are better off after taking your tips, suggestions and warnings. I’ve been one to prepare for as long as I can remember and yet I still need a kick in the butt every now and then.
Owt, do you make your own buckwheat bread? I’ve been looking at recipes for a healthy, preferably sprouted
grain easy bread.
Well lots of people don’t like Walmart…However they have A LOT in their warehouse in Bentonville, Arkansas…They have food, products made in the USA…They are producing and their trucks are running. I have seen some empty shelves in my WM but for the most part they have lots of food and are unloading it each week…So far they make it in Arkansas and their dozens of trucks deliver it all over the country…My store is good for now…And we have Food Lion and Ingles and I’m not seeing much missing in them either…Mostly what is missing is things that are being shipped in from China and other places overseas that must cross over the waters to get to get to the USA.
My town is in the mountains and there may be 15K in the whole town including the countryside…Not sure what the future holds but I really do think that most of the shortage problem is happening in big towns and larger cities where there are MORE people…Would not live in or near a city for anything…Closest to me is about 90 minutes northeast…That makes me happy!!! No rushing here, NO big traffic jams, no pollution to worry about, fresh air, basically friendly courteous people here for the mot part. A crime rate that is rated A- and demographics runs about 88% white and the rest a mixture of black, Mexican, Asian and a few mixed (small percentage)…All in all good so far…
You do bring up a good point re: Made in USA. I would guess 80% of our country’s financial problems are caused by the fact that we have become a “service” country instead of a “production” country. We no longer make products, we buy them from overseas while we all work in service jobs. This is not a sustainable economic model. To dumb it down, eventually all of our money filters overseas and we are left with a failing economy where people can’t afford the services that employ most of our county’s labor force. This creates the downward economic spiral we are currently in. Unfortunately to fix this we as a country need to do some hard things. We need to be willing to pay more for goods made in USA, we need to invest in factories and trained employees, we most likely need to add steep taxes to imported good to level the playing field (in the USA labor is much more expensive). America needs to return to a production based economy if we are going to continue to be a 1st world country.
I know this isn’t practical advice worldwide, but if you are behind or only beginning on food, drygood and durable goods preps and are blessed to be within reasonable distance of Amish or Mennonite stores, go there now.
I spent four days last week in Ohio, the regular grocery stores and box stores were getting thinner, but the Amish stores were packed with nutrient dense healthful foods and durable goods. Of course this may not do some people much good, there aren’t any foods microwave ready in those stores…
Jim,
Excellent advice! People often overlook alternatives right in front of them. My partner and I do bulk meat orders twice a year from a Menonite butcher up the road. All the meat is local and they will freeze pack it for you. We also live smack in the middle of a huge Amish community, and we do lots of business with them. Another thing to consider are cultural/ethnic stores. I get some great deals on dried soup packets in the Kosher section of my local market. I also scored big bags of Bosnian coffee ( I developed a taste for it with the Bosnians I servec with in Afhhanistan). Cheaper and better quality than most other coffee. Also, couscous from Morrocco in the same aisle- 2 lbs for 3 bucks! Another are restaurant supply stores- good durable tools and bulk rice.
Daisy,
Just for giggles I tried the Misfit link and suprise! They deliver way out here! Getting my first box next week and spreading the word. Hope you don’t mind.
Totally agree on your local sourcing to create your own personal supply. I do live in a fairly rural area and getting information about locally sourced requires a bit more foot work.
Local Bee Keeping Associations.
Do have a lot of contacts because farmers contract with them for pollination services and they are also a good source of honey because a lot of the members are selling honey locally. Get your honety locally…read the label of the store bought and you will discover why – sourced outside the US and has “filler.”
Costco.
Great Maple Syrup, mixed nuts and other bulk items. Somewhat over zealous mask enforcement…ask my wife…she is deaf and has a really hard time reading covered lips! However, sometimes works to my advantage!
Farmer’s Markets.
I have been able to find numerous smaller “farmer’s markets” tucked away in just about every small town. Once you are there its a question of engaging the sellers in conversation about what they can provide and who they know for other items. So far I have been able to find sources for vegetables, fruits, honey, and meat (beef, chicken, poultry). I have been able to find organic, grass fed (beef) and/or free ranging (chickens). They also have eggs…
We do have access to larger Farmer’s Market’s in larger cities up to the one in Dallas, but I am not a fan of large urban areas; don’t want to get stuck in one.
I have also found a source for meat processing (in my case chickens). This was interesting because we have a more local processor, but after a few discussion it was clear why people were going elsewhere. There are also a lot of smaller processors too which we now have contacts for. Be prepared to spend time establishing yourselves with these people. A lot of social engineering here to make sure they accept you – give and take.
Azure Standard.
We have been buying a lot of items via their service. Yes it costs more, but we have been buying bulk grains to make our own chicken feed and to plus up on the Hard Red and White wheat, rice and black beans (which we are sealing in jars (rice and beans) with the “Food Saver” and oxygen absorbers – also buying these in bulk along with various sizes of Mylar bags)). Using food grade 3 and 5 gallon buckets with Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers. Have been getting these at Home Depot/Lowe’s/Atwoods/Tractor Supply. Lids for the buckets are getting hard to get. We do have a lot of “Gamma” lids, but they are getting really pricey. BTW the Ezekiel breads are to die for! (we freeze those).
Grain Mills.
We have three mills; impact for fine flower, SHTF mill (Bosch – “arm killer”), and the “chicken feed mill” (larger hopper – large grains for making chicken feed). I have solar so power is not an issue. The impact mill by far makes the best flour for bread. Have to re-grind in the “arm-killer”
WinnCo. Hit or miss and the website is problematic! Just better off going to the store.
Butcher Box.
Yes its pricier, but not much different than organic grass feed or free range at the larger stores. This probably stops being viable based on the supply chain taking a dive, but so far we can still get it. We added the unlimited bacon and hamburger so we get extra bacon and hamburger every month. Base price has went up $10.00 per month. They did stop taking new customers earlier this year?
Augason and Honeyville.
Lots and lots of “Out of Stock.”
Rainy Day Foods”
Use to be our go to, but shipping cost was bad. They are out of Montpelier Idaho. Use to be the best source for bulk grains. Prefer the freeze dried versus de-hydrated, but dehydrated are good for soups and stews (vegetables – lots an lots of soaking!)
WalMart.
Good for bulk stuff and are carrying a lot of organic can goods. They do get wiped out a lot lately so it can also be hit or miss, even the organic, but generally they have it because people can’t afford the organic. I get… Rice and Beans, bulk aspirin, Motrin, Tylenol, bandages, Walmart branded Nyquil, allergy meds, Castile soap, Fells Naptha soap, Arm and Hammer Baking Soda, Epson Salt, White and Red wine vinegar, Dawn Dish detergent, Zip Lock Qt. and Gallon Freezer Bags (usually get at Costco) and other general first aid stuff.
Don’t forget the hot sauce, Worcestershire, ketchup, mustard, Pace Picante, bulk sugar (for the bee’s), Rotel, Wick Fowler’s Chili Mix, etc.
Essential Oils.
They work really well! I was skeptical, but “Thieve’s” is my go to for any cuts and scrapes and other ailments. Not sure who sells the best ones…Young Living is where my wife gets them (we are not selling any of them…just getting the discount).
Blue Water Barrels.
I get them for $15.00 or $20.00 dollars locally. They had red wine vinegar in them so they need to be washed out a lot! I made a siphon stick out of PVC and a hose fitting to make it easier to use with my transfer pumps (Harbor Freight). Yes I have a Berkey Filter (Aqua Rain), life straws (Amazon), and a clever water distiller so I can distill water for my batteries (and for drinking)
Get what you need now…
InTheBooniesTX,
Great post!
If you need another option for essential oils, take a look at BulkApothecary.com. I also buy herbs from them (the ones I still can’t get to grow in my garden!!) I have used BA for years. The products are excellent quality & the prices are great.
One point I would like to address is method. IMO it’s not wise to buy shopping carts full at any one location, as this draws attention and begs unwelcome questions. It might be better to spread things out if that’s possible, by visiting several stores and/or ordering online from a number of locations. OPSEC 🙂
Not quite so attention drawing depending on what time/what day you shop. Know what the big shopping day is for the store in which you’re shopping. One more full shopping cart doesn’t draw much attention. Dress like the other shoppers. While I prefer to pay cash, paying with plastic can be used to blend in (though what you bought is likely to get on a list). I’d also caution what vehicle you drive as again, blend in.
Prepping is not so much an issue if you have plenty of disposable income. And if you don’t, time spent putting a list together is time well spent.
A company that I have been doing business with this year is BettyRoss.com
They are primarily an institutional provider (nursing homes, small hotels, etc.), so they have a lot of bulk items, but they also have many items that are available in small amounts. The selection offers many prepper oriented items for individuals as well as groups. Personal hygiene products such as pre-moistened bath wipes and shampoo caps will be useful in a bug out situation, power outage, to keep in your car, are just an example.
They’re a bit expensive for some items, but they have a really good range of products and prices. Shipping is steep, but they usually ship within 24 hours and product arrives within a few days. Overall, I was pleased.
Another option is Walmart.
(Duh, duh, duuuuhhh…..)
They’ve been very good filling my orders, have a good amount of shelf stable foods as well as some dehydrated and freeze dried left, but those are going very quickly and I would suggest that you have second and third choices lined up.
Also, Walmart takes EBT cards, and shipping is free if your order is over $35.00. I know that a lot of people think “food stamps” are a dodge, and usually soapbox on the subject. We all know who they are and to them I would say… “There are a lot of people who legitimately need help through no fault of their own. Maybe even yourself someday, so please stop pissing on people you don’t know. It may make you feel superior, but it tells the rest of us otherwise.”
To everyone else, carry on.
I have Walmart +. Stuck with it after the free trial. Its pretty handy, and you avoid the crowds
Could you furnish the link to BettyRoss? I have searched and can’t find it.
Thanks
T.C. I had the same issue – I found The Betty Mills Company, which offers medical supplies and equipment. Their site is bettymills.com . I think that may be who M.K. Outre’ meant? I hope that helps somehow. Best wishes!
Look for Mormon Bishops Storehouses throughout the USA and Canada. They sell to non-members. https://providentliving.churchofjesuschrist.org/food-storage?lang=eng
Definitely buy local whenever possible. Not only that, but ask the sellers about how they are doing. If you engage in friendly chat, you may hear that they have a problem that you can help them with (rarely) or that you know somebody who can help them (much more often). It’s the best way of building community.
Just read a report stating food production companies like Kraft Heinz, Nestle, and PepsiCo, will have to pass rising costs on to consumers.
Finding alternative means of acquiring food is going to become more and more important in the coming months if not years.
Be expected to spend more of your take home paycheck on food, and less left over for non-essential items.
We may be looking back on this year as when things were still “good.”
Get command of you finances, get out of debt, dont go into debt (especially just because it is Christmas), make a budget and stick to it, and if you have to buy something, pay with cash.
We primarily shop at our local farm share and the farmer’s market. I go to our local grocery store once a month when it opens and get things I can’t get locally.
I finished Christmas shopping for our 7 grandkids a few weeks ago at our local toy store. Mostly building bricks, books and craft supplies. We give our kids and their spouses cash. Presents are all wrapped and I’m feeling very smug. ????
Hubby is currently working on what looks to be our 2nd credit card hack in 2 months. ???? Both times it is a $10.54 charge to Am*z*n music. We just got new credit cards following the first hack and now we will be doing it again.
Be vigilant about checking your cards folks! From what I understand the hackers sneak in a small charge to see if it gets challenged. If it does not get challenged they go for bigger ticket items. I save all receipts and check with Hubby about charges each month.
Hubby would rather shop online (until now that is!).
I’d rather go in person and pay cash. He may be leaning my way now.
We live in a delightful small town where we know many of the storekeepers and farmer’s by name.
Good advice in this article. Keep your supply chains short, avoid crowds and have a blessed day.
A few months back I saw an ad on TV for a company called “Boxed”.
I checked it out and found they sell some “bulk” items.
I’ve bought big boxes of oatmeal, grits and the like.
Also cases of refried beans, chili and soups and vegetables.
The prices are OK. I live in a very small town and the nearest WalMart is 54 miles away (one way) so I do most of my shopping since Covid here at home. We have one grocery store that stays fairly well stocked but the prices are higher than WalMart.
However, now that gas is going higher, eliminating that 108 mile round trip saves me money. And, I’ve found the prices at Boxed are less than the hometown prices.
I checked out Boxed but once they required an email address, off my list.
I haven’t found a single company that a person can order on-line from that doesn’t require an e-mail address.
I can honestly say I haven’t had any trouble with Boxed.
Shipping is free if you buy over $49. Ships in a couple of days (so far anyway).
You can sign up for something called “Boxed Up” and get some deals and freebies, but I don’t sign for any “membership” deals from any site.
local sourcing your food to create your own personal supply is definitely the way to go. I personally live in an area that has local farms so its a bit more easy for me to do.
Kinda on a different topic, i have been sourcing free prepping and self reliance books online and i came across a site called ardbark. I was able to get some excellent material on there but wanted to know if anyone else has used it and how legit it actually is. The site is ardbark.com
Sorry. Didn’t put the full link https://ardbark.com/
Gosh Daisy. I’ve been passing attention, hearing your warnings and stocked back up and bought another couple emg food buckets. I’m in Minneapolis/St. Paul and on a shopping trip to target (not my usual grocer) I notice MANY empty shelves and left with a lot of items still unfulfilled from my list. I was in a panic. Luckily, my more regular grocer was way better and the next day I was able to find everything else I was shopping for but you better believe I bought extra anyway. Today, I went to Sam’s club (which I typically do about once a week) and got a creepy in the pit of my stomach feeling. There wasn’t much straight up gone that I saw but some first choice items were, like more cost effective store brands were gone and only name brand remained. I think the biggest thing was I just noticed like-minded people…I even exchanged a brief conversation with one couple confirming we were doing the same thing. I’ve noticed a major decline in the quality and longevity of produce lately so my main focus today was canned goods, with an emphasis on fruits and veg I don’t typically buy in cans. I have a horrible feeling this is going to be a major pain point in a way it wasn’t last year. I’ve been hoping for the best and preparing for the worst but today I feel it. I felt March 2020 in the air again. Still a little time here before it fully hits but I feel it and see it coming, like last time. Winter is coming…
It looks like Walmart may have hoovered up lots of the Augason Farms inventory? I searched “Augason Farms” in the WM search engine and found quite a few items that all appear to be in-stock. Walmart’s company supply chain is enormous.
TheReadyStore.com is another option to try for long term food if that’s what you want. Their supply is currently limited. Just looking at the #10 cans, Ready Store had 13 different ones in stock today.
Thank you for the great information, Ms. Daisy. I just subscribed to receive the TP.
I’ve started using Misfits Market also – them and my local organic supermarket (Natural Grocers). They have pretty decent prices and try to shop locally where possible. I am also trying to grow potatoes, who knows? They may not die! I have terrible soil. Also go to the local supermarket of course but it’s good to have alternatives.
Another place people might consider is if there is an agricultural school nearby, they sometimes sell meat products and things like that.
For small tears or holes in clothing, there is a product called Fray Check. It binds the farted fabric and prevents further damage. I’ve used it for years on kids’ clothes. It’s sold at fabric stores and, occasionally I can find it at Walmart. For those who sew or are learning, don’t forget machine oil and compressed air for the sewing machine and an extra vent or two if you have a treadle machine.
I found this site by mention from Mike Adams Brighteon page. “Situational Awareness” and “Health Ranger”. I hope you consider posting regularly there also. I already really like this site! I did eco soil consulting back in the 80’s working mostly with Amish and Hutterites. We felt like we were way ahead of our time back then but, Oh, Lawdy to have known then what I do now – and have the internet resources! I sure look forward to being a part of this group!
Since it will be difficult to grow very much food were I live I have been stocking up on as much freeze dried and shelf stable foods as possible.
My wife hates it but I knew this was coming at the beginning of the year so I have been packing as much daily necessities as possible. Currently at 2 years+. If everything ran out we would be ok for quite a while.
A few months ago I asked Daisy when is enough enough!
We both thought I was good but now I’m not so sure that even at two years that’s good enough. I guess we will see.
For those prepping on a budget don’t overlook the Ramen noodle’s available from outlets such as Sam’s club. For $8.88 you can buy a case of 48 ( .19 cents each), the collage students delight! Each one containing a decent meal of 380 calories which can easily be improved on with the addition of a little dehydrated/freeze dried vegetables and or meats such as canned chicken or spam to bring each meal up to 500 or more calories. They would have a good shelf life of 2 or 3 years which in today’s fast paced collapsing world can be considered long term storage.
Thanks for all the wonderful words that help us preppers, & the great links. So sad doggie passed, No more pain but wonderful memories.
have a great weekend.
keebler. in va.