Sheer Curiosity: Did any of you stock up or "horde" on food, water, clothing, essentials, etc.,

[Mike03]

in preparation for the economic collapse we are now in?

I've been preparing for this for so long that many of my supplies are expired :blush:

Now what? Are you continuing to gather supplies, in the expectation that we face increased inflation or deflation, or is it time to rest and hunker down?

[tachyon]

1. I hoard for when the hordes come to pillage.

:D

[TlalocW]

48. The Viking hordes? Are you hoarding boards?

How many boards would the Vikings hoard if the Viking hordes hoarded boards?

TlalocW

[kwassa]

51. I am a serf, and this is my board. Therefore, this is a .....

serfboard.

for the horde.

[aquart]

65. My BIL hoards only outdated computer equipment and books.

But he does wear his horned helmet on formal occasions.

[TlalocW]

82. These last two were the worst tongue-twisters I've ever seen

:)

TlalocW

[The Stranger]

86. Don't forget the "whores." Who's hoarding the hordes of whores?

[TlalocW]

92. I think it was

The board which got bored and then whored out the hoarding of the hordes of whores.

TlalocW

[Art_from_Ark]

56. Just make sure you keep your hoards

hidden from the hordes!

[varelse]

2. nope

I dont' have the weapons to defend a "hoard" and i would rather be dead than use them against my neighbors anyway.

[sendero]

3. Yes..

... have been for years.

[OhioBlue]

4. I'm working on paying off my debt

My boyfriend is making an outdoor wood burner for heat b/c we can't afford the $600 - $700 a month propane bills in the winter.

We will put in a garden this Spring

but not hoarding anything.

[ixion]

5. I bought a small patch of land in the middle of nowhere

and have been paying off my debts as quickly as possible and buying camping supplies. I haven't really hoarded anything yet, although I'll probably start doing a bit of that over the next few months.

[femrap]

13. I want to buy some land and

build a straw-bale house on it...and get off the grid as much as possible. Solar panels, geothermal, garden, etc. It would be nice to have a community to do this with...a village of straw-baled houses. Maybe make the land a 'trust' with others. I don't know. But I do need to get busy on this before it's too late.

I have some extra canned goods...but not much really. I don't have the space to store much food. But I do hate the thought of a gun, but I think it's necessary. I got the certificate a couple of years ago, but never bought the gun.

[Arctic Dave]

6. not in the way you are suggesting

We usually keep a full pantry and such out of habit from when we used to live waaay out of town. But I would suggest, if you can, to do a little "hording". Just because there seems to be a lot of uncertainty about the near future.

[aquart]

7. Cashmere sweaters.

Just in case.

[NashVegas]

37. I'm Glad to See *Some* People Have Their Priorities In Order

Bless you.

[aquart]

64. I need soft things.

And $3.50-$7.00 for a cashmere sweater at the Salvation Army seems sensible to me. I have many.

[better tomorrow]

66. and they are warmer than others, too

[Dorian Gray]

81. LOL...

I've been hoarding diamonds. You never know when a bunch of rings may come in useful!

[NC_Nurse]

8. I always keep a pantry full of non-perishables.

Always have. Ya never know. :D

[bbinacan]

9. I have not stocked up

on anything. :wtf: Do we have a comet on a collision course with Earth that I haven't heard about?

[better tomorrow]

58. 2032? isn't it?

[Dave_Fl_50]

10. I have a gun. When things get REALLY bad I'll shoot and eat my neighbors

[lonestarnot]

14. Yack. I wouldn't wanna eat that pug next door.... He'd make me puke.

:puke:

[Dave_Fl_50]

27. I live in Florida. They're old, stringy and probably not a good source

of protein but they have pets that I can have for snacks.

[lonestarnot]

34. Ackety, poor birdies doggies kittens n lizards. I can't believe we are joking about this.

:9

[femrap]

15. Please make sure that they are the very,

very rich ones, OK?

[hyphenate]

26. Oh, hopefully the "rich ones" will be gone, anyhow

They're all going to be "raptured away" from what I hear tell. ;) (Just another gibe at the rapture-ready crowd!)

[Dave_Fl_50]

28. Will they leave BMWs behind? this could be fun.

[hyphenate]

33. Oh, there will be plenty

of things to go around, from what I understand--cars, boats, houses, expensive toys....the only thing is you just have to watch out on the highways if a rapture happens and they're the drivers anywhere close to you when it happens.

Someone had made up a bumper sticker that says, "when the Rapture comes, can I have your car?" :)

[femrap]

42. Cool...in that case we can have all of their

food, clothing, houses, etc!!!! And GOLD!

[hyphenate]

91. Gold? Bah!

Let's get their diamond, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and platinum! (Jewelry really IS a girl's best friend!)

Actually, I'd settle for a mansion. Nothing really conspicuous, just a 10 room place overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. With a place on the beach for my helicopter to land! :)

[oldtime dfl_er]

11. Not really

I try to have three days worth of water for in case of emergencies (I live in earthquake country), and have a full pantry, but I certainly can't afford to spend a lot of money on stuff I'm not going to use. We're in a recession and a lot of us don't have much disposable income.

[better tomorrow]

59. buy water purification tablets

at your local camping supply store. much cheaper and easier to store. not real costly, either.

[sam sarrha]

12. yes.. buy lots of sale foods.. saves gas/money ..less trips

[salin]

16. no. But am trying to drive monthly costs down

and begin saving as much as possible.

If the economic meltdown is as bad as you imply (which it could be) hording would probably not work, as it would last quite some time and it would take a boat load of supplies to have horded to ride it out, and as you point out, things expire.

Trying to become more self-sufficient where possible to cut costs, and being able to live on less, imo is the way to go. Drive down monthly costs - and save the difference. If there is a severe downturn, then one has some reserves, and is already used to living on little; if the downturn is not so severe, one ends up with a greater reserve of savings which is never a bad thing.

[lonestarnot]

17. Anybody gets hungry they can come to my house until I run out.

:grouphug:

[CoffeeCat]

18. During this past year,

I have been buying things for my children, at the end of season. I usually get everything 75-90 percent off. They're set for winter
clothes, shoes, coats, jeans--for the next two years. I've purchased a size or two up--because they're in elementary school.

I'm a "couponer." I know this may sound nutty, but I belong to a coupon club. We all get multiple copies of the Sunday coupons.
I get 20-100 each Sunday. So, when Skippy puts their peanut butter on sale for 99 cents, and I've got 20 $1 coupons, I stock
up and get 20 free jars of pb. I get multiples of free things at the grocery store every day. I'm at the point, where I have
a grocery store in my house and I only shop the sales now. I only need fresh produce, milk at the store. Our grocery bill is
about $50 a week for a family of four and a cat. I've got an entire room of stockpile, plus I give tons to charity and I also
have 2 garage sales a year, and I sell some of my stockpile--mainly shampoo, pet foods, razors, toothpaste, etc. I usually
make a few thousands in those sales.

I highly, highly recommend that more people learn how to do this. It's easy. You just need to get your hands on multiple
Sunday coupons, watch sales and local grocery stores, as well as Target, Walgreens, CVS, etc.--and get online and find other couponers.

Also, Target has online coupons every week. You can combine their coupons with the Sunday coupons. I get free stuff at
Target every week. All Morningstar Farms stuff was 24 cents the past weeks, with the $2 off any Morningstar Farms Target
coupon + a 75/1 manufacturer coupon from the Sunday paper. I think I purchased 30 items for less than $7. String cheese
is also free at Target until 3/15--using the 50/2 Target cheese coupon. I just buy the 25 cent single string cheeses.

If anyone wants to learn how to do this, I can direct you to sites or explain further, if needed. I've been doing this
for about 5 years and I know there are other DUers who do this too!

[cap]

36. how do you do it..

I dont buy a lot of brand stuff ... I buy mostly staples and it seems that the coupons are directed at things I dont buy.

Let me know how you do it and maybe I'll see stuff I can use.

[CoffeeCat]

41. The trick is to combine a coupon...

...with a really good price. I never buy generic, because it is so expensive compared to the prices I get
when I combine a coupon with a good sale.

All grocery stores have weekly "loss leaders"--products priced very low that are designed to get you in the store.

So, when Healthy Choice soup goes on sale for 99 cents and I've got 35 cent coupons--I buy 40 cans. I stock up.

With couponing, you keep doing that--and pretty soon, you have a great stockpile.

To do this, you must first get multiple copies of the coupons that are in the Sunday newspapers. Many people
get theirs from recycling centers. Some centers will let you go through the newspapers and remove the coupon
inserts. There are a couple of convenience stores in my area, that allow me to remove the coupons from the unsold
Sunday newspapers--late Sunday night. Even if you start out with 5 coupon inserts, you can get a good stockpile
going.

Does that help at all?

[AnotherMother4Peace]

49. Good info - Thanks! Some stores double coupons, so $1.00 turns to $2.00 and if

the item is on sale, I can often get name brands for free or under a dollar. I don't think I've ever paid more than 50 cents for toothpaste or shampoo/conditioner. I like your Target ideas, I'll be trying that.

[CoffeeCat]

53. Yes, I live in the land of no double coupons...

That's awesome that you can take advantage of double coupons. I can only dream about that!

Yes, Target coupons are really awesome. You can get them from their Website. However, you
can also go to this site: www.afullcup.com

Click on "Target Coupons" and you can scroll through all of the Target coupons, select the coupons
you want and how many you want to print. You can print as many as you like.

[ekelly]

54. I've been shopping that way for over a year now .....

and I have a well-rounded stockpile. I rarely pay full price for food (even name brand food). I basically shop from my own pantry now, only going to the store for fresh produce, milk (I'd freeze it, but can't get past the texture) etc.....
Plus I get so many things for free each week it's insane! Double and triple coupons are my friends :)

Family of four and two cats = $45 - $60 per week now.

[CoffeeCat]

83. Awesome!

It's always nice to meet a fellow couponer.

Do you have a Walgreen's or a CVS in your area. I end up getting
most of my health/beauty items there for free or for pennies. I wish
we had a CVS. It sounds like people get really good deals there.

Can I vicariously live through the double and triple coupon days that
you experience???? Not one store in our state has doubles.

Great to hear from another couponer/refunder!

[Generic Other]

93. is this a full time job for you?

Cause it kinda sounds like a lot of work. You ever hire yourself out to other people?

[better tomorrow]

60. and don't forget Winn Dixie has B1/G1 all the time lately

we buy when on sale and split the things and repackage. Eat real well lately.

[femrap]

19. Everytime I go to Aldi's, I buy

some more cans of beans and tomatoes. I should stock up on chocolate!!!!

[Neecy]

20. I've only been hoarding one thing...

I follow the coffee market and I think we'll see another big upturn in price fairly soon as transportation costs increase and some coffee-producing regions are probably going to face a downturn in production due to drought.

I roast my own coffee and buy it unroasted, or green. It's very good for the first year, okay in the second and not great but drinkable for the third. I've been stocking up while I can still get it for under three dollars a pound and have about 150 pounds in my stash right now. I'm going to try to get it to over 200 pounds this summer so I can pass it around to friends and family when the price crunch comes.

I guess that isn't hoarding for a coming economic collapse but for a spike in the price of a single commodity. But I think that spike is gonna be pretty intense.

[THUNDER HANDS]

21. seriously?

why would anyone do that?

[hyphenate]

22. Can't say as I have

Can't do much more hoarding than I already do, but that's because I was part of a large family, so I buy and make things in bulk even when it's only myself.

Clothes? Got a lot of tee-shirts, but most of my jeans are getting tight on me, but not much else in way of clothes.


I've always been of the mind that if there were a nuclear war I'd be too dead to care much, and after seeing the 2006 (?) version of War of the Worlds, I think I would most emphatically prefer to be disintegrated or kill myself rather than be captured. That goes double for almost any other kind of disaster. I live in New England, so a tornado is rare, an earthquake is unlikely, and while we've had hurricanes, they're nothing compared to one in the South. Blizzards are also passe in March, though not unheard of. Although I did live in SoCal for 15 years, none of the earthquakes we had while I was there affected my area very badly, even though the aftershocks of Northridge rattled me because I was at work when they happened.

Economically, I fall amongst the poorest of DUers, so it's sort of like I'm not going to lose anything if it happens, because I have very little to lose to begin with.

[sendero]

23. Storing food is tricky..

.... you have to store things you EAT. Because they get old and you have to rotate new stuff in and eat the old.

The other thing we've found is that once dried beans get much over a year old, you can boil them for days and they will not get "done". :)

So now, we're planting all our old beans and buying more canned beans.

I've made extensive preparations, hopefully they won't be needed. But once I was watching a TV show where they had all these folks who had made extraordinary disaster preparations, bunkers, alt power, etc, etc, etc.

When the interviewer asked one guy if maybe he was overdoing it a little, the guy said (paraphrased) 'I'll tell you what I tell my friends. You all have to be right every day, I only have to be right once'.

I haven't gone to quite the lengths this guy had, but a detailed list of the things wifey and I have done to prepare would most certainly raise some eyebrows :)

[BlooInBloo]

50. "You all have to be right every day, I only have to be right once'."...

... While that "logic" might sound impressive to idiots, in reality it's completely sterile. According to that "logic", I should also prepare for a burrowing space frog invasion - after all, you have to be right every day - I only have to be right once.

The issue isn't being right on any given day. The issue is expectation - a mathematical concept. (And therefore unknown to Americans.)

[Mojorabbit]

55. Well, I lived in the same neighborhood

off and on in central florida for over twenty years and never got hit by a hurricane. Then I got hit three times in six weeks. I was always prepared and it paid off. The experience showed me some gaps I did not realize I had in supplies and I have plugged them.

[better tomorrow]

61. I remember those hurricanes.....

but on a changed note....I wrote an article on Charlie and Frances and Jeanne and how the weather was manipulated to wipe out the Dem. vote. Now that we have had snowstorms in Ohio and tornadoes in the Midwest during primaries and caucuses....well, you deduce.

I say, stock up before the election. I'm sure there will be storms in nothing else then....and it will come right up the middle of Florida once again!

[LostinVA]

85. You're joking right?

You can't really believe Republicans are screwing up the weather to mess with elections, right?

[sendero]

79. Uh..

... a few years ago the chances for an economic upheaval comparable to the Great Depression happening within 5 years was probably in the 1% range.

Now, it's in the 20-40% range.

I'm not innumerate, maybe you are. If you don't know what it happening here you'd best familiarize yourself quickly, there isn't much time left now.

[BlooInBloo]

94. Go squawk to someone else, Chicken Little.

[Mike03]

24. The one thing I don't have is a gun.

I know so many people here think that I'm retarded for not doing this, and they are probably right. For some reason, I just have been unable to purchase a gun.

[BlooInBloo]

25. Nah. I'm not a big believer in chicken little end-days-ism....

... I also don't that a race war is just around the corner, and a whole host of doom-and-gloomer bullshit.

[BulletproofLandshark]

29. No

Anything I could hoard wouldn't be nearly enough to ride out what's coming. I don't worry about myself. But I have 3 nieces, ages 4,7, and 12. Not a day goes by that I don't think about how they can be okay when it all goes down.

[jwirr]

30. We have some, we will continue to build our supplies.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

31. I always keep extra food on hand, because I'm self-employed, and there is

the occasional dry spell. At any one time, I generally have enough on hand for two weeks. It has actually come in handy at times.

[Lorien]

87. Same here; self employed with occational dry spells

I've taken to stocking up on housewares and office supplies (trash bages, packing tape, envelopes, cleaners, soap, shampoo, etc.) and some frozen and canned foods. I just wait until Costco sends me a coupon book that includes items I use the most, then I buy as much as I can stash away. Art supplies are getting VERY expensive because most are imported from Europe, so I'm stocking up on what I can and I've bought a Cintiq which I'm teaching myself to use Corel Painter on-that way if I can't afford the art supplies at all I'll still have a way of doing full color illustrations.

[blues90]

32. All we have done is cut down on everything

On a fixed income we can't but much let alone land or stock up on food . We have cans of stuff we could get by on for a month at best .

But there is no way for us to stock up on anything unless we use two backpacks we got years ago and hit the road and train our cats to follow us .

[DemReadingDU]

35. The problem with stockpiling food at my house

My spouse finds it, and eats it!

:P

[wtmusic]

38. When I see posts like this

I want to pour everything I have into the market. "Doomsday anticipation" is a great time to buy.

[frylock]

39. ammo?

:hide:

[dysfunctional press]

40. nope. and you illustrate exactly why i haven't/don't/won't succumb to hysterical doomsday thinking-

"I've been preparing for this for so long that many of my supplies are expired :blush: "

IF it happens,it happens- and we'll go from there...right now, there are half a dozen grocery stores within 10 miutes of my front door, and they are ALL stocked to the gills.
if things get THAT gruesome- you'll need a LOT more than a few cases of canned vegetables and some spam.
as it is- we pretty much ALWAYS have at least a month's worth of food in the house- although the menus might get a little...freaky...by the 4th week.

[AngryAmish]

43. Why should I? I know where your house is.

[Mojorabbit]

44. I have six months

worth of food in my pantry and I rotate it out. It is like money in the bank as the prices keep going higher. It just makes sense. I buy on sale and in bulk. I have a solar freezer because after I got hit by three hurricanes in six weeks I swore I would not be without ice again. We camp so I have everything I need to get by with out power. I can stretch what I have another couple of months so I am good.

[better tomorrow]

62. where do you get a solar freezer???

that sounds like something I need....

[Mojorabbit]

68. This is the one I got

http://www.sundanzer.com/Home.html
It was not cheap after adding the panels and battery but it works like a charm. I will never forget trying to help my hubby as he had the chainsaw cutting so we could get out of the house as so many trees had uprooted and blocked the doors. It was miserable work clearing a path in 90 plus degree heat and humidity and no a/c nor ice when what we had melted. It took us months to get it all cleared out and cut up.
Like Scarlett, "As God as my witness, I'll never go without ice again"

[better tomorrow]

71. thanks. never heard of one before....

might be a good investment.

Yeah, we lost our roof shingles and garage door. (Had 20,000 damage.) We have underground utilities so were only w/o electric 3 hours. Spent three nights in the school maintenance shed where my husband works but the electric company restores power to schools and hospitals first so we were not w/o much and were real safe. But, you learn what is valuable and all. Now, we seem to be having more problems with tornadoes. Can you spell HAARP?

[Kali]

45. Are you kidding me? I have three near-grown kids in this house.

Now if they all three were gone for 24 hours at the same time it might LOOK like we had a good stash, but as soon as they got back it would be empty shelves again.:P

All the Mormons have basements - need to stash a crapload when you have that many squids.:rofl:

[angrycarpenter]

46. I have always kept enough food for a week

If things hit the fan the last thing you would want is to be tied to one place guarding food. I have nothing that it would bother me to leave behind,jump in the car and haul ass or walk if there is no gas. I live in a small isolated town surrounded by a state park and a national forest . I could go out in Tates Hell swamp and survive for quite a while. I have stocked up on 3006 rounds and fishing equipment.

[ben_meyers]

47. Nope, but I remember cleaning out

the fallout shelter and throwing away expired supplies back in the 60's. Then we had to get rid of the 2 55 gallon drums of gas that my old man was hording in the 70's, who knew gas went bad.

[better tomorrow]

63. ha, I remember hoarding gas in the 70's too....

or, rather my Dad did. I was in my late 20's but he kept some for me just in case.....ah, the good old days.

[Retrograde]

52. Earthquake supplies

a week's worth of water, canned soups and stews which can in a pinch be eaten cold. Candles and matches. Whatever's in the garden.

[kineneb]

67. pretty much the same thing here

I am not too worried about the water part... there is this big lake within walking distance, you see. If we get really desperate, there are plenty of wineries around.

I do like to keep canned goods and other staples around; the tourists, locals and large trees tend to take down the power poles occasionally, leaving us with nothing but the burners on the range for heat. The last large tree fall had our power off for 15 hours... took out a half-block worth of live wire and snapped the pole off. And it was raining; the PG&E guys earned every bit of their overtime. Kind of makes me wish we had a woodstove.

[better tomorrow]

57. Gosh, I have enough of a time hoarding when the hurricanes come

each year. But, as they start once again, I guess I had better stock up and this time stock up double. Florida, when is that tax free week again????

But, I do keep a supply of water purification pills on hand...and the thyroid uptake pills, too, just in case.

[magellan]

70. Starts June 1, doesn't it? Beginning of 'cane season. n/t

[better tomorrow]

72. yes and

I am sure it will run through November this year. Election day, gonna have one, you bet'cha.

[magellan]

73. For a moment I thought you were saying the tax-free week would last through Nov

...and I was ready to elect you governor. :)

Please don't start predicting hurricanes yet. I require the full six stress-free months from Dec-May to regrow my fingernails from the last season.

[better tomorrow]

74. gee, I'd take it when Charlie Crist joins McCain.....

no, I meant the season. But, this year, I'm taking advantage of tax free. Do you think there will still be one?

[magellan]

75. I don't see why not

The economy may be stinkin like 1000 backed up septic systems in 100 degree heat, but the Repubs are in charge here and they will insist on their tax breaks.

[better tomorrow]

76. and they probably still have a supply of

duct tape sitting around somewhere...or bottled water that now has those hormones in them....or.....a few FEMA trailers left over....

[Critters2]

69. I own too much crap as it is. nt

[Manifestor_of_Light]

77. I'll start an artist's commune and we'll all learn to farm.

And can, from our friendly county extension service agents.

[El Pinko]

78. Doing what I've always done - living frugally

hoarded food only lasts so long and then you're back to square 1 - and you need fresh foods to be healthy, not just canned crap and grains.


Even if there is a massive depression, I suspect most of us will manage to eat, one way or another. I could always move into cheaper digs - I don't have a house to cling to.

[Dorian Gray]

80. No.

[Javaman]

84. Hording is short term thinking. Start a garden. Get rain barrels.

shop at CSA's. Get to know your neighbors.

these are the simple things that will help you overcome the recession/depression/realignment of society.

[earth mom]

88. Because of DU, I've known this storm was brewing for years now.

But I just haven't stocked up as much as I should have.

Hubby and I have ordered our Heirloom seeds and plan on having a big garden this year and we'll can, freeze and dry much of it.

And after reading several threads like this one yesterday, I spent a few hours last night looking seriously into coupon clipping so that we can get a 6 month or longer stockpile in.

I think the Great Depression 2 is just about upon us.... :scared:

[slackmaster]

89. I'm always stocked up in case of earthquake

Shake it!

[librechik]

90. I spent yesterday throwing out expired stuff

and refreshing my supplies. There's nothing like having a lot of rice and beans on hand.