List of Pandemic Collections, Must haves for the next one!

open mouth again and change feet...........................

 

Our pantry is pretty well stocked. Always reload it when items are on sale.

I'd stock up on -
Canned stews and chili. Baked beans
Canned protein - tuna, chicken...etc
More pasta
Paper products
Propane tanks for the grill and Coleman stove
Canned veggies. Various kinds.
Instant oatmeal/cereals
Baking supplies
Cleaning supplies, household and personal
Shelf stable milk

Excellent thread WeldrDave

 

I’m not sure this belongs in this thread. We are settling a relative’s estate right now. I thought this person kept better records but it apparent he didn’t. We are now making a list of our IRA’s, bank accounts etc. This list will be stored in our safe. If something happens to one of us or both our daughter will be able to find everything in one notebook.

 

That’s good advice, I remember what my mother went through with her father’s place.

 

Someone else brought this up in another thread and I thought it was a great idea!

 

Here is what we continue to be doing since moving in 1998 to the suburbs from our off grid lifestyle. It only stands out now among our citified neighbors, who seem to value their lawns more than being able to grow food.

But in the countryside we are from almost every one lives this way:

1. Build assets apart from financial markets, 401K, IRAs, and derivatives. This could be quality tools, knowledge and skill building, relationships with like minded people, barter, firearms, ammo, gold/silver, cash, land, seeds, canning lids, water purification systems, firewood, and 6 moths to 12 months of shelf stable food.

2. Produce, procure and preserve as much of your own food as possible. We need to establish the means to eat today, tomorrow and years down the road...and we need to have something productive to do day in and day out that enhances the quality of life. This means hunt, fish, garden, and learn to pickle, ferment, dry and can your food with both pressure canning and water bath canning Freezing food is not considered reliable and needs a back up canning plan for all your meats that would otherwise go bad in an extended power outage.

 

Yes. My grandfather was born in 1915. Lived through the depression however they could. Never trusted a bank like most people after that. My mother and her brothers and sisters knew there was stuff buried certain places. I never thought I would mine for gold and silver but we dug up coffee cans full of coins from the 30s 40s and 50s in the garage. He had a big old wood stove and a recliner in the middle of a maze of junk in there. Sat in the recliner every moment he wasn’t working. Had someone with a metal detector come and check things. Most of it was buried under that stove. Never let it out of “sight” is all anyone could figure. I guess those were different times. He worked his whole career for Ma Bell as a lineman and made a good living and squandered everything. Had a little farm that supplied most of what they needed.

 

One thing that ran out early here was dry milk. I went looking for it but it wasn't something easily found even before TP went flying off the shelves. I really don't care for dry milk but it's better than nothing when the SHTF. Dunno how well it keeps so it wasn't on our list of things to have in the pantry that we normally like to keep stocked with dry and canned goods in prep for a one or two week power outage.
Because some date codes on packages are rather cryptic and even uninformative we've taken to writing the purchase dates on cans and sometimes even the purchase prices.

 

This totally caught me by surprise. I didn't think anyone even knew how to use yeast and flour anymore!

 

Don't

I hope she has the combo to the safe.

Maybe post it on here just in case she forgets???


Seriously though, it is a good idea. A couple years ago, 99 lbs-ever ready to point out my shortcomings (of which there are many apparently!), let me know that my saving valuable stuff (usually old tools and memorabilia) is only going to make the event of my death more miserable for the kids as they will not hold the same value of such items as I do.

In other words.... "You have too much chit! Get rid of it! Nobody wants it but you!"

 

Hardware, such as screws, nails, lumber, etc. for whatever projects and repairs that you may need to do. I am building a pumphouse, and haven't gone to the store yet for supplies for that, it is all on-hand. Either left-overs or bought early. It has been nice to move forward on that.

Good dirt! It takes a while to build a productive garden patch. Where we have been working it a few years, we expect a good return this year. Where we expand into new areas this year, less so. It takes time.

 

Homebrew supplies!

 

It's supposedly a big thing on social media these days.
I'm envisioning a lot of bad bread out there and well fed wildlife. ( although bread really isn't good for most wildlife)
When the weather gets hot this will likely fall out of favor.

Extra bread flour and extra jars of yeast were on my early shopping list . Even grabbed some of those convenient 1/4 ounce packages even though that's an expensive way to buy yeast.

I'm not surprised at shortages and lines. I didn't expect (the degree of) TP hoarding though.

 

They don't care!

And dogs shouldn't eat chocolate either.... (add me to that list)

 

I wouldn't know ...

 

Another thing that caught me - I hold cash for emergencies. Great plan, right?! I haven't had a local bank for decades, literally. Holding cash, and replenishing as needed from an ATM or other means has always worked.

What I failed to think through is most bills are paid electronically! Some of that cash needs to be in a bank! Doh!

So when all this started, I opened a local CU acount (had to do it over the phone), deposited some cash via the drive through window, and transfered some to my "working" bank account which I use to pay bills.

So now, I hold cash $ (in case of bank/financial system closures), money in a local CU (which can easily be converted to cash, or transferred to the other acount), and money in my "working" bank account.