Nov 2010 Personal Preps

[Watchman]

Let all of us renew our efforts to protect ourselves and our families by preparing ------ NOW!

[WillyPete]

Once again, a little bit further along.
I just got back from picking up a few items. A place I use frequently lowered price on oil lamps and oil quarts, I got another lamp and some more oil, guess we won't be in the dark much when the lights go out.
I also picked up 55 pounds of charcoal briquettes for a fair cost to use for cooking fuel in the charcoal grills I got earlier. I picked up some more canning supplies; bands, lids and some more pectin packs. I also picked up some spices, more bullion cubes and some minor medicines; aspirin, acetaminophen and generic multi-vitamins.
There were some non-prep related items as well but, what are ya gonna do? Ya need it go get it.
Later on I plan to acquire more medicinal items and first aid materials for those uh-oh moments that will surely appear.

[Watchman]

COFFEE DRINKERS - coffee is expected to double in price over the next year. If you are a coffee drinker, now is the time to stock up on cans and jars! We found 39-oz (#10 cans) of coffee at Smith's for $3.99 and bought 24 cans. It definitely can be used to barter.

[WillyPete]

I don't drink coffee but, if it's gonna get outrageously expensive, I'll buy a bunch and keep it for sale or trade. Good idea Watchman, thanks!

[fern]

There are absolutely NO deals like that around here! I buy coffee every month from S&D out of NC and pack it away. That is the best price I have found. Even dollar general or ollies sell coffee at nothing under $8 and if you want columbian or any flavor it is $12. for $12 I can get 2 - 4 pound bags at S&D. At that price, I could come west and fill my truck and save money!

[fern]

I had not realized that I had been preparing this last couple of months until I started having trouble getting to my side of the bed or into the spare bedroom or sweep the house including the corners that were stacked with something. I took a peek and headed for Kame-apart to buy storage containers. In the end, I filled 13 storage bins and 11 three gallon containers. I was pretty happy! LG wasn't when he had to carry them all down to the basement.

In this area, you can only buy non recycled storage containers at Kmart. Chinamart, lowes, dollar gen, ollies, etc only have recycled and I cannot tolerate the stench that comes out of them. I guess I am just not that green. Kmart sells new containers for less than the recycled at all the other places. The three gallon food grade containers I have were obtained from a yard sale this summer. Purchased 3 piles stacked taller than I am at ten cents a piece. I purchased all of them. The homeowner has an ice cream business and had saved hundreds of the containers but no lids. I always buy buckets with lids and then buy the lids that can be unscrewed so I have a mountain of regular lids that have been taking up space. Now I have a good use for them.

I set up with a wholesale food distributor in Amishland a few months ago (takes a corp name and tax ID). They will deliver to this area if your order is $800 or more. Have been saving and will finally be placing my order this month. For that $800, I will have all the organic grains, dried whole milk, honey, and real PA maple syrup for a family of 13 for over a year. I checked pricing last night since everything is going up but it appears I will only have to pay an extra $48 so far. Want to get the order placed asap so I don't lose that pricing. What a relief! After we receive that order, I will be officially starting to work on year 3 food storage!!

[WillyPete]

Not that far along yet, but I'm working on it.
I did pick up several first aid items today and some minor medicinal treatments. Antacids, anti-diarrheal meds and some generic Emergen-C type meds. Raspberry flavor too!
I found boxes of this protein bar I've heard a lot about, CLIF bars. I bought a box of the peanut butter flavor and ate one bar. It's fairly substantial and quite tasty. There are other flavors available, didn't pay that much attention to them cause I really like peanut butter.
I've heard about them on another survival forum I visit where many members there recommend and use them in their BOBs. I'm going to add some to my GHBs as well as keep some in storage.
I bought all of this at TARGET today but, I don't have my receipt handy so I can't relate pricing just yet. I didn't spend much for all I purchased, that's for certain.

[Toepopper]

Spent the day indoors due to rain and decided to go through my medical supplies and take inventory. I found some things that had expired back in 1996 and 98! Some unopened liquid poison oak treatment had solidified as well as some old Calamine lotion and liquid antibiotics. Chucked them in the round file and need to replace them with fresh units. Also consolidated my gauze and bandage supply into a single storage bin. Found some old aspirin that smelled terrible so it is also bad. Rearranged some canned goods and inspected them for swolen cans, checked dates I had marked on the cans with a magic marker. Also located some bottles of cranberry juice I did not know we had and they are aspertame free.

[fern]

I am up in booneyville this weekend with my husband but after reading Watchman's post on cocoa, I drove to the nearest town and cleaned everyone out of unsweetened chocolate. I am not one of those people that can live without chocolate. Lucky though...the stores all had it on sale for holiday baking needs. And the Dollar General had 2 - 2 lb bags of brown sugar for $1 so I bought enough of them to fill a 3 gallon container. Wondered to a flea market and bought 5 ounces of mercury and roosevelt junk dimes. Couldn't figure the coin fella out though...he was selling dimes for $20 an ounce and any other junk coin was $27 to $30 per ounce. He did sell me 2 uncirculated morgan dollars for $20 each. Last stop was the army navy outlet where I got a couple more ammo cans and a many type powered base camp 2 way am/fm/noaa radio in camo to go with our hand helds. Don't know if we will ever use it but the price made me buy it since I just saw it in Cabelas last week for 3 times what I paid today on sale.

[WillyPete]

As long as you can keep them powered, those radios will be invaluable. Communication is a good thing!

[whitewolf]

Tractor Supply has Cast Iron Dutch Ovens 6 qt new for $15.00 I bought 4 and am giving them for christmas for birthdays to come for my 2 boys they are getting biometric gun safes kids are all getting bows and arrows to practice with .......
We bought 600.00 worth of food supplies the other day at a bulk food store ..lokking for boulion flavorings we noticed that they had beef and chicken but no pork so we asked manager and he stated that He remembered he did have some 3 pound canned hamhocks 3 cases that a customer had oprdered and not picked up ( about 260.00 worth of canned meat I offerred him 65.00 and he reluctantly accepted (Thank God )......2 alladdin lamps with parts missing at yard sale for 7.00 each (worth repairing)...

Whitewolf

[bbj101]

COFFEE DRINKERS - coffee is expected to double in price over the next year. If you are a coffee drinker, now is the time to stock up on cans and jars! We found 39-oz (#10 cans) of coffee at Smith's for $3.99 and bought 24 cans. It definitely can be used to barter.

Watchman, are you trying to make me cry?? Haha
If you all have access to a bjs, costco, or a sams club take a look at they're coffee, I just got a 5lb moisture sealed bag for 8 bucks... id say that a heck of a deal. AND it was dunkin donuts!!

Now if they could perfect and instant iced caramel macciato I would be very pleased.