Although there's nothing wrong with that if it's what you prefer.
I'm no expert, but I'm willing to share what I know and hope you'll do the same.
As you stockpile food in case of supply chain problems, remember that if you or your family won't eat it, it's not a great thing to stockpile.
All the freeze-dried, nitrogen packed food in the world won't do you any good if it's not something you're willing to eat.
Sure, if you get hungry enough you'll eat it. "Hunger is the best seasoning." But imagine trying to feed a picky eater stuff she doesn't want to eat. Do you need that added stress in an already stressful situation?
Before trouble hits, taste test what you plan to stockpile. And get foods you normally eat, which will store long-term, to have on hand. Most canned foods, if kept cool-ish, will last for years past their "best by" date. Dried stuff will last for years if you keep it dry and keep pests out of it.
I would suggest you learn to garden and stockpile seeds. Make sure the seeds you stockpile will also produce seeds that are true to what you planted. Not all do in this hybridized world. Heirloom seeds can prevent this, but you can also experiment as you go, saving seeds from this year's crop for next year. Save the seeds that work, change what you plant if it doesn't.
Learn what edible plants grow naturally in your area, and notice what wildlife might be hunted nearby in an emergency situation. In a bad enough situation, you won't be worrying about game laws, but will do what you need to.
You may need to find creative ways to stockpile food. Be sure to rotate cans as you use them-- use older stuff first.
I have an old entertainment center made for an old-style TV. It is really deep, tall, and fairly wide. Bought at a second-hand thrift store. I put more shelves where the TV went. I filled the drawers with spices and other stuff. It makes a great second pantry, holding almost as much as the main pantry in the kitchen.
I also store canned food in my cellar-- which gets too warm in summer to be an ideal place, but I'm working on fixing that issue.
You might also use boxes under beds or other furniture. Don't forget to rotate your supplies!
Stockpiling food also helps if you lose your job, have an unexpected expense, or are cooking something and realize you're missing an ingredient and the stores are closed for the night. Just remember to restock whatever you use at your first opportunity!
If you go hungry in a SHTF situation it's because you didn't plan well today. Don't let this happen!
One of the more fun things (to me) that qualifies as prepping is stocking up on ammo.
While prices are better now than they have been in a while, I was still having to travel an hour and a half to find prices that made sense. Locally, ammunition was 2 or 3 times the price that I could pay in the bigger city 90 miles away.
Fortunately, that situation has recently changed, but I found a great way to deal with it before the change, and I'm sticking with it, too.
It's a business called Ammo Squared. You sign up and subscribe for a set dollar amount and they set up an ammunition account for you. Then you can have it shipped to you.
If you use my link-- https://ammo2.me/dullhawk --and spend at least $20 in the first month, both you and I get $25 in free ammo. That's a pretty good deal. Then, after you've set up your account, you can share your own link with your friends and both of you can get free ammo the same way. It's kind of awesome.
If you wait until you have an account value of over ...
Every little bit adds up.
Due to medical situations, I've found myself without money to spend on larger projects such as firewood-- which might be a problem-- but there's always something you can do to prep.
A recent project for me was getting all my oil lamps ready to go. That's not the only alternative lighting I have, but it's my favorite.
I checked and changed the wicks (where needed), cleaned off any dust that had accumulated, and topped off the kerosene. You may prefer liquid paraffin since it stinks less, but I have gallons of kerosene on hand. I only broke one chimney, and I had a spare. (Note to self, keep an eye out for more chimneys at thrift stores and yard sales.)
I also decided to try to address a minor problem with the lamps. If you have oil lamps that you don't use all the time you'll know that the oil evaporates. This time I did something I hope will slow that process.
I covered the wick slot (don't know the technical name, but look at the photo) with aluminum foil I had...
