Hoarding vs. Stockpiling

After watching the Extreme Couponing show last night I was struck by the differences in the people on the show.  I think that I have just realized what sets stockpilers (preparedness) apart from hoarders.

The first coupon shopper they interviewed had filled two rooms of her house with groceries and dry goods.  These two rooms were organized and attractive.  But she loved the "rush" of shopping so much that she couldn't stop; she was beginning to fill her husband's den with bags of groceries and was just piling them anywhere.  This room was completely disorganized.

She went on to describe how she will miss family gatherings and time with her husband in order to go shopping.  You could see clearly that she had stepped over the line from stockpiling to benefit her family, to becoming a hoarder.

To me a stockpiler is a person that shops wisely and uses coupons to build a store of groceries and dry goods for their family's benefit.  If the economy causes loss of income or a natural disaster hits, this family would be prepared.  The family can easily find the items they are looking for because the stockpiled groceries are so well organized.  In this case the family is put first, before shopping.

A hoarder is someone that shops in a haphazard manner; often on impulse.  When they get their items home there is no designated place for storage.  Often the shopping bags are just piled on top of other shopping bags that have never been unloaded.  This family is not able to use their home effectively and comfortably.  They are not able to find an item they need because the stockpile is so disorganized.

Just look at these two photos; it is easy to see the difference between the stockpiler and the hoarder.

God bless,
Pam

The Pantry: Food

The pantry locations have been chosen and shelves built; now it is time to start stocking it with food.  First you need to think about a few things to help you with your choices:  How long do I want this food to last?  How many people do I need to feed?  What do they eat?

In my county our Emergency Management Dept. suggests that we keep a supply of food that will last several days.  This is in case of a hurricane, but after seeing the slow response to hurricane Katrina I think that several months supply is more prudent.  But what if dear husband were laid off or one of us became seriously ill and our money supply dried up?  In this case, a year of food in storage sounds much more reassuring to me.

Now you need to decide how many people you will be feeding.  What are their ages?  Will it just be immediate family or will some long lost relatives come knocking on your door?  How about the elderly neighbor across the street?  Look at this hard and fast.  Are you willing to turn people away?

The best way for me to figure out my family's year long food storage needs is to use a food calculator.  This takes away the guess work, but you may need to tweak the list to meet your individual needs.  If your family never eats rice, but loves noodles, make a substitution.  Does an elderly relative drink a nutritional supplement drink every day?  Add it.  You get the picture.

If you are one of those people that wants to spend thousands of dollars buying a years worth of dehydrated foods in #10 cans, then go for it.  Most of us will be building our pantry supplies slowly, but surely, buying extra during sales and canning what we can grow and hunt.  With steady, economical purchasing you will have a pantry grandma would have been proud of.

God bless,
Pam

The Pantry

Pantries used to be common in American homes. The shelves were filled with baking staples and home canned foods. Families were ready for hard times or being snowed in for weeks; they could survive because of their well stocked pantry.

Well, what if you or your spouse lose their jobs, bad weather strikes or "fill in this space with the disaster of your choice"? Could your family live on the food in your house? A pantry can be just as important for us as it was for our grandparents.

So, let's find a location for our pantry. It needs to be cool and dark. Light, heat and freezing will cause foods to degrade quickly.

Most of us don't have unique spaces for a pantry, but let's get creative. How about under the beds, under a staircase, in a closet behind the coats, in a corner of the basement. Any little space will do. Think of having many mini pantries instead of one large space.

Start searching now. It's never too early to start preparing for the worst.

God bless,
Pam