Texas. Another lesson not learned.

[OldWiseGuy]

Didn't we just go through a period of panic buying and hoarding, cleaning out stores of everything? It's happening again in Texas.

I live alone and so don't need a large stockpile of food and sundries, but after the recent panic buying, mainly of paper goods, I decided to 'stock up' on the stuff I use and foods that don't spoil. I don't fill my shopping cart to the brim but add two or three 'stock up' items each time I shop. Over time I find that I only have to shop about half as many times as I used to, and that for the few perishables that I need. I'm in and out in minutes usually with fewer than a dozen items. I'm going to refine it more as time passes.

The long and short of it is that our homes should be the "store" for most of what we need, not the local supermarket or a warehouse somewhere.

 

[GOD Shines Forth!]

Agree. I quietly "panic buy" in off times (early morning preferably), building my stores over time as you do.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Agree. I quietly "panic buy" in off times (early morning preferably), building my stores over time as you do.

If you have a cat you'll need more TP.

Cat destroys toilet paper - Bing video

 

[timothyu]

The long and short of it is that your home should be the "store" for most of what you need, not the local supermarket or a warehouse somewhere.

What amazes me is the lack of preparedness for power failures and the like. This has occurred on a major level in Texas multi times before, four major weather events in the 80's alone. Yet the younger folks say this has never happened before (I guess nothing counts outside their immediate time frame). One woman on the news was near hysterical saying how thirsty she was... while standing in a life giving snow drift. People need to stock up on anti-denial meds and ready themselves for their futures. Dependency on what is 'always there' is foolishness. There is also more to life than hurricanes and tornadoes. God humbles 3/4 of the continent with sub-zero temps every year.

 

[Nithavela]

We have about two weeks worth of food in the house, including several days worth of food that you don't need electricity to store or prepare, like canned meals, plenty of bread and spreads, as well as canned vegetables and fruit. Also, enough water/diet soft drinks for the same time period.

We are by no means preppers.

 

[Darkhorse]

Having lived in California for 44 years, we had to prepare for earthquakes. Even now in Virginia, we stockpile essential and desirable supplies on a continuous basis. It's a beneficial lifestyle.

It constantly amazes us how many people run to the store and gas station every time a major storm is forecast. We call them "the bread and milk crowd". What did they do before weather satellites?

It's helpful to know the difference between "essential" and "desirable":
Water is essential; toilet paper is desirable.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

What amazes me is the lack of preparedness for power failures and the like. This has occurred on a major level in Texas multi times before, four major weather events in the 80's alone. Yet the younger folks say this has never happened before (I guess nothing counts outside their immediate time frame). One woman on the news was near hysterical saying how thirsty she was... while standing in a life giving snow drift. People need to stock up on anti-denial meds and ready themselves for their futures. Dependency on what is 'always there' is foolishness.

I melted snow for drinking water once. Tasted terrible but I guess you could survive on it (maybe mix it with KoolAid).

I also have enough firewood on hand to heat my house and the second floor apartment for probably a month. I can also cook in the fireplace if the gas is shut off.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Having lived in California for 44 years, we had to prepare for earthquakes. Even now in Virginia, we stockpile essential and desirable supplies on a continuous basis. It's a beneficial lifestyle.

It constantly amazes us how many people run to the store and gas station every time a major storm is forecast. We call them "the bread and milk crowd". What did they do before weather satellites?

It's helpful to know the difference between "essential" and "desirable":
Water is essential; toilet paper is desirable.

I think toilet paper is considered a prime bartering commodity. I would rather have extra food and barter it for toilet paper.

 

[timothyu]

I melted snow for drinking water once. Tasted terrible but I guess you could survive on it (maybe mix it with KoolAid).

Clean white is not racist.. but a better blend than yellow or grey.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Clean white is not racist.. but a better blend than yellow or grey.

That reminds me of describing a guy's eyes after a night of drinking as "two 'pee' holes in the snow."

 

[timothyu]

That reminds me of describing a guy's eyes after a night of drinking as "two holes in the snow."

 

[Joyous Song]

What amazes me is the lack of preparedness for power failures and the like. This has occurred on a major level in Texas multi times before, four major weather events in the 80's alone. Yet the younger folks say this has never happened before (I guess nothing counts outside their immediate time frame). One woman on the news was near hysterical saying how thirsty she was... while standing in a life giving snow drift. People need to stock up on anti-denial meds and ready themselves for their futures. Dependency on what is 'always there' is foolishness. There is also more to life than hurricanes and tornadoes. God humbles 3/4 of the continent with sub-zero temps every year.

We fill large containers (empty milk, juice etc) with water because our water a pump that needs electricity. We kept these in our mudroom that normal heated above freezing, but had several weeks of unnatural cold such that those jogs froze and broke! Now we need to get new ones.

Still where we are power outages happen often enough that preparing for them is common sense. City folk though see them far less often so they prepare far less often and get caught unprepared when they happen. A few years ago when this happened those from the country drove n with generators and helped these folk cope.

That's another way to prepare, those that do help out those that usually do not have to.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Ahhh, my kind of woman (back in the day).

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I edited that to "pee" holes.

 

[timothyu]

I edited that to "pee" holes.

Logical once we get older.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Logical once we get older.

Logical because I don't want the Mods to come down on me. You can help by editing that word in your post. Thanks.

 

[timothyu]

Thanks.

I went overboard to make up for my tardiness.

 

[hedrick]

It’s hard to stockpile power and heat, short of having a generator. If I had my own house I think I’d get a generator. In an apartment that’s hard.

 

[timothyu]

Look on the bright side. They used it as an excuse to put the price of gasoline waaaay up.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I went overboard to make up for my tardiness.

Thanks.