I obviously am not old enough to remember the actual Great Depression. However, I can tell you what it was like from the mid 70's till now. By most of today's standards, I grew up "dirt floor poor." Not quite that extreme, but I can remember rationing food and going to bed hungry as a young person. I can remember, and I still do this, eating to survive...not the other way around. The whole fasting craze today, I learned that trick decades ago. Until recently, I lived on one meal a day, and maybe a snack or two during the day. These were the tricks I learned growing up without enough food in the house. To this day, I tend to forget to eat until evening.
Anyway, as we are seeing more and more shortages, hearing about more coming...it has me looking back to this time in History. I personally, do not want to caught with my pants down! We are being ambushed on so many fronts: fuel, food, baby formula, inflation, utility costs, decreased housing markets, decreases in stock values, grain shortages, decreased GDP. It's ridiculous how many fronts, just as during the great depression, we are getting hit. Think about just a year ago, how far your dollar went, or 2 years ago. I can tell you, 2 years ago, gas was $1.699, and you could grocery shop in the store with full coolers and shelves - for a family of 4, for a month - for less than $400. Today, at last check, our gas was $4.199, and my last grocery run for a month was pushing $800. Our last diesel barrel fill was around $700 for 300 gallons. IF we could afford to do this now, it would be $1590. This diesel is what our tractors run on, and this same 300 gallon would last us just over a year. This year, due to the prices, we can't fill the barrel so we will be having to use smaller cans to get what we can, as we can. This means the cost of mowing, raking and baling hay is going to at least double in price. This means those $45 big round bales of hay, are going to be closer to $100 per bale. I can't imagine if we were trying to put in row crops! The fertilizer prices have sky rocketed so badly, we couldn't even use commercial fertilizer this year and many farmers can't either! So, those row crops and hay fields are going to look pretty crappy!! We haven't even talked about replacing parts! IF you can get them, the cost is through the roof!! Worldwide, there is a 71 day supply of wheat. Folks, think about everything that uses wheat! Bread, cereals, snack bars, flour, to just name a few. The stock market has had 8 straight weeks of losses. This has not happened since 1929. The U.S. production rate is at a 75 year low. So, again...you need to be preparing like we heading into the great depression!!!
We have been very blessed in this country for many decades. However, what is staring us in the face, should be shaking people awake! We have been privileged enough to be able to go to a store and purchase most if not all, of what we want or need. Most have never had to decide how to divide out 2 hot dogs between 4 kids, or how to make due with 3 pieces of bologna for a sandwich for 4. Most have never had to worry if there would be food to eat. They've never worried about going to a store and seeing empty shelves or meat coolers. They've never had to worry about feeding their babies when the formula shelves are empty. Many have never had to decide whether to get life saving prescriptions or buy food to survive, or keep their utilities turned on. We've been lucky enough to be able to be picky or choose what we will or won't eat. I can tell you, if you are hungry enough, you will learn to eat what is available.
With this being said, planning, preparing and having many backups is necessary. I am not a fan of canned soup, ramen noodles, or most store bought items...but if I am hungry enough...you can bet your last dollar, that I will be eating them. Are they healthy, nope! Again, if I am hungry, I am going to be more concerned not starving to death as opposed to too much salt or junk in a store bought item. I will be thinking about survival for myself or my family. So, while I am stocking up what and as I can, I am thinking of the most nutrition possible, but also protein, vitamins, minerals and energy. I will be thinking about getting rid of hunger pains, and staving off starvation. Is this extreme...not in my eyes. In my eyes, my family is my number 1 priority, which means I have to think about the long term. Will I have gas to get to a town, will a store have food on their shelves if the trucks can no longer deliver it due to the diesel costs, will there be gas to refuel my vehicle if I travel anywhere, can I continuously feed my family for 8 weeks or more, what if a neighbor runs out of food...will I be able to help them, what happens if I can no longer get grain for our livestock, layer for my chickens, what if the hay is poor this year due to the crazy weather patterns, what if my gardens don't produce, what about the medications we need - they are already getting harder to find, will I have enough water to cook and drink, how will I keep everyone and all the critters cool if the power goes out, what about the items in the fridges and freezers if it does go out, do we have what we need to cook outdoors if necessary - cast iron, firewood, propane, do I have enough other items to protect my family and our home if necessary? Folks, this is a SMALL list of my planning. Could we survive a year, absolutely not. I am not in a position to store that much crap! Could we survive a couple months...probably. With that planning list, I also have to plan for the future. Do I have enough seeds to plant next year if I couldn't get more, do I know how to start seeds, etc. While many people are just going about their days, acting as if there isn't a catastrophe on the horizon, I worry for them. These are the people that will be forced into breadlines, they will finally see what I have been fearful of when they can no longer get what they need...let alone what they want. I pray, everyday, that something will change the path we are on. It is getting scarier by day, to those of us paying attention.
So, I have expanded my garden, twice, this year...and I'm not sure I'm done yet. I have added some berries, but not as much as I had hoped. It seems there is either a lot of others seeing the troubles and planting like I am, or the plants/bushes/trees were just not grown this year. I am canning up everything I possibly can. I am getting meat out of the freezers to can, and hope to ward off issues there if we have the projected power outages. I'm canning left over meals - french dip, soups, etc. I have replenished my seeds and added to them. I am learning a new skill every week...new cooking ideas, recipes to make food stretch, canning options that I had not thought about, I'm following market reports and economist reports, I'm trying to share, as often as possible, on my social media how to do things and videos of my thoughts. No one may care and no one may pay attention...I suppose it is what it is. However, I have had a few great remarks about how something I have said or done has helped a few, and that is my ultimate goal. Help everyone possible to survive whatever chaos seems to be thrown at us. Help my family and our neighbors in times of need. I truly believe that is our mission on Earth. To help each other, to use our heart and intuition. To teach each other skills that they too can pass on to younger generations. So much of what our grandparents, great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents knowledge was not shared. Each generation has worked to make the lives of the next generation better but, I truly feel we have made them weak. We need to reverse this. We need to teach life sustaining skills, financial sense, and to "Waste not, want not."
Life has become so disposable anymore. Absolutely nothing is made to last anymore. Divorce rates alone are pushing 50%. Family units have been divided and tossed by the wayside. There is no respect for anything anymore. Children are not being taught the value of hard work, working towards a goal or learning anything of value. This is no different in my own household. My kids have had it made in the shade! Mom handles everything. Mom is the one stressing over making sure my family won't starve or go without, Mom is the one planning/planting/weeding/preserving the vegetables and whatever else. Until recently, Mom was the one to do all the laundry, cooking, cleaning and dishes. Recently, the Mom card has come out, and although they are not happy....everyone is starting to pitch in or Mom, stops! I am guilty of wanting my kids to grow up with more than I had. I never want them to feel hunger pains, or have to decide they "aren't hunger," because there isn't enough food for everyone. I have made it my adult life goal to give my kids everything I wish I had had when I was growing up. While that thought is noble, it's also not good for them. It's like everything else, you have to find a balance.
I'm going to get busy today, but please get you some back ups in your pantries. Do everything you can to prepare for the worst, while praying for the best. Never stop learning! Get out there and plant some things...in a garden or in containers! Start rationing where you can; whether that be making a single trip to get everything you will need for a week, or making a stop after work. Start setting aside some cash if you can...even if it's just a few dollars a week. Teach your kids to garden, preserve food and waste not, want not. Help someone in need. Whether you do it anonymously or not. Pay attention to these Momma's that are struggling to find baby formula...help them if you can. Help an elderly person struggling with these increased prices. Some are too proud to ask for help. Above all else, take care of your family! Make sure you have what they will need!
God Bless,
Salli
No comments:
Post a Comment