Friday, May 13, 2022

Trying to Prepare for what is to Come

I think by now we all realize, wherever we live, that things are getting rough financially for so many of us. Rising costs on just about everything and shortages on things like baby formula and now disel, should scare you. The problems that led to the baby formula shortages we known about months ago, and yet the FDA has not allowed to manufacturing plant to reopen, even though the problems have been fixed. Meanwhile, there are pallets and pallets full of formula in warehouses down at our southern border for people who are crossing into our country illegally. I realize that the babies being brought in also may need formula, but what about the babies who are legal citizens of our country? Why are they deemed "not importantant enough" to warrent the same abount of concern? I just don't get it and quite frankly, it makes me angry! Jeff and I are very concerned about what is to come with the rising costs. I am a planner and want to have all my ducks in a row so to speak in order to feel safe. Jeff on the other hand will get overwhelmed with all that there is to do and is not fond of my list making and discussions about what all we need to do. He is more than willing to work on the projects that I have lined up for us, but with his new work schedule, there is less time in the day to do them and that is stressing him out. I am trying to get more things done to take some pressure off of him, and our Steven has been a wonderful helper to me. I think Jeff is now feeling what I have for most of my life, being totally overwhelmed by too much to do. It is like we are swithching roles in a sense and I don't think either of us are really thrilled about it. In trying to save money to put elsewhere where it is needed, we are doing some familiar things and others, that are not something that we have normally done. I did buy the capri leggings pictures above for $3.33 each, and they were brand new, at a yard sale a few weeks back. I needed a few extra pairs since that is what I live in during the hotter months of the year. I also found some plain colored shirts for $1 each at Dollar Tree, before the prices went up. I'm glad I got them then. Speaking of rising prices, I realized that the 50 pound bags of flour that I got for $12.00 a year ago where now $29.00 at Winco the last time I checked! They are only going to get higher too. I am so glad I bought an extra 50 pounds awhile back when the prices were at $19.00 a bag. The college students are leaving and at one of the colleges, WSU, many of the students just throw out their things. We were able to get a nice chair, which we will sell, some clothing, a door mat, and a metal headboard, which I will use as a cucumber trellis in the garden. I am hoping to go back and find more things. I know in the past we have found furniture and sold it, but it seems more people are now strapped for cash and are doing the same thing we do. With the pressing issue of the diesel shortages, I asked Jeff to please buy 2 more gas cans and fill them up today before he comes home. Diesel is needed to power the trucks that deliver the gas and we are already seeing some gas shortages in our area. I want to have at least 10 gallons of gas set aside just for filling up Jeff's little comuter car. I also want him to top off one of the ones that we have here already and have been using for the lawn mower. I do have a 4th can and that is just for the generator if needed. My big fear is that gas prices will either go sky high here soon, or we will not be able to find gas and that Jeff would not be able to make it to work. He commutes about 34 miles each way 5 days a week. Luckily his paycheck is a bit higher this time due to some overtime pay, so we can comfortably do this at the moment without it taking away from something else. Jeff is hoping to finish the greenhouse for me this weekend and I, if I am able since I am sick right now with a horrible cold that I think I caught from our Steven, want to get more seeds going in the greenhouse. I also need to do more direct sowing of some of the cooler weather plants. I have already started harvesting spinach and radishes from my first planting and the second planting is coming along nicely for the most part. Sadly, the pok choi did not come up and I have no idea why. I will try a second planting and see what happens. I've made a detailed list of things that we will need and are low on or that I just feel need to be added to what we already have. Yes, I started to read the list to Jeff and he kind of shut down a bit. That is when he told me about how he was feeling. I had totally forgotten that he had told me this before and I appologized to him. I will keep the list in my notebook and pick up what we need without telling him everything. My goal honestly is to have at least a year's worth of stuff that we use on a regular basis on hand. Jeff has his own list of things that he wants to have here and bills that he wants to get paid off. It is stressing him out to not be able to put bigger chunks of money on paying off some of the bills, and I understand that. Luckily for us, Summer is a time of being able to eat more out of the garden, so we will spend much less on fresh produce. Jeff has gotten really good about trying new things in his salads, so that is really helpful when it comes to nutrition also. I'm super proud of him for that. The laundry line, rain barrels, free buckets, and other things will all be used extensively to help save us money. Steven and I will be working the gardens like crazy and will be doing more succession planting. I'll be sending home fresh produce with him and also giving some to Chris and Heather, while still trying to preserve a bunch of it for us. Heather has said she will continue to provide us with eggs free of cost, so that is a huge help right there also. Be blessed all and try to stay positive in these unsettling times. By the way, this is not supposed to be all one big run on paragraph, but blogger is being strange and this is how it all came out!

10 comments:

  1. one big long paragraph is just fine - however it comes out, I enjoy reading your thoughts. Oh my friend -- keep taking deep breaths. And it's weird to say, but I have found 'humming' in a deep deep hum to be quite soothing, one 'tool' I learned in my many classes this last year.

    I've been in crash mode all week. i tasked myself with reorganizing my storage locker and purging/culling things. I over did it but got it done over two weeks.

    the rise in the price of your flour is similar to what I'm seeing here. I'm being more careful in my choices -- going for food over convenience. For example, I've been buying cream of wheat in the packets for convenience. Today I bought the 'bulk' box and repackaged the cereal into ziplocks. I got twice as many servings doing it that way. win win. I also bought two bags of puppy-girls dog kibble the last time I was in the big box pet store because they were the only two on the shelf. crazy

    As for your poc choi -- I had to replant my peas 4 times. It's been crazy how the weather has effected the veggie garden. We're at least 6 weeks behind our 'normal' spring. Perhaps that's what has happened with the poc choi.

    I'll close here. Just know I appreciate all you're writing about. I've also been researching more food hamper type distribution places here. Time to start using those services. YMMV
    Hugs
    SJ in Vancouver BC Canada

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    1. Hello SJ and thank you for your kind comments. I'm sorry you had to replant 4 times...what a hassle! I am going to give the pok choi another try and hopefully it will work this time. Jeff is currently out working on the greenhouse and hopefully it will get done today before the storms roll back in. I may have to try to start the pok choi in flats in there. Give puppy girl some lovies from me!

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  2. Why do you need a year's worth of stuff?

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    1. Hi Summer and thank you for reading and commenting. I appreciate it. :) The reason for a year's worth of stuff is that prices keep going up and we live on a small income. I am hedging my bets against inflation and also, since we live in a very small farming community, it is half an hour for me to drive anywhere to shop and that also uses a lot of gas to do so. In the past, we have gone through really hard times when we had to rely on government assistance and food banks just to survive. I never want to be in that position again, nor do I want my kids, grandkids or close friends to go without something they need. :)

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  3. meant to say yesterday that I'm there for undies, socks, sweats and tshirts for a year's worth. if I had growing kids or grands, I'd be laying in some clothes in bigger sizes, ymmv
    SJ in Vancouver BC Canada

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    1. We think so very much alike my friend. I have been buying clothing for the grandboys in one size bigger since they are all growing so quickly! Isaiah, who will be nice in July is already wearing men's size small in t-shirts. Steven, who will be five later this week, is already wearing size 8 shirts and is super tall for his age. Jeff and I are still looking for that extra package of new underwear of his that he tucked away "somewhere". I remember getting it on clearance and he was not happy at the time that I bought it but now that he needs replacements, will be thrilled if he could find them. LOL!

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  4. I heard that the report and pictures of baby formula shipped to our border was a fake being pushed by a politician for political gain.

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    1. That is interesting. I'll have to do more research on it. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. :)

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    2. It's absolutely true. My nephew is a border patrol officer and this has been going on for months on end, right after the holiday's. Charity begins at home and sadly these poor babies are now ending up in hospitals. Many of these children are disabled, etc......Time for MSM to stop blaming everything on politics. Debbie you're one smart cookie for getting your supplies now. We're 4th generation farmers, it's not good it's down right going to be a nightmare. God Bless to All, Patti Ann

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    3. Border officials are required by law to provide basic needs to those in their custody-including food and other necessities (toilets, sinks, drinking water etc). This includes nutrition for infants. This is not new, started at least in the 1990s.
      The recall of several products along with the pandemic contributed to the shortages (my opinion).
      I feel for any parent with concerns about feeding their children. I hope this issue can be solved soon.

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