apocalypse shopping

APOCALYPSE SHOPPING

I normally keep everyone appraised of my apocalypse shopping.  Usually, though, it is in the comments section, or used as another point of information without detail.  For instance, I’d say “I bought more ammo, about 10% increase in my total”.  Or I’ll say I got another $120 in 303 British as it was on sale for forty-five cents a round.  I don’t get too much into detail, not because I’m secretive but because I’m hazy on them after twenty years of shopping and moving them time and again, in effect hiding what I have from myself. 

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This is good of course, because the more I have hidden and forgotten, the more I buy replacements.  “I know I have that damn rifle bore sighter in here, where the heck is it?  Screw it, I’ll just buy another one”.  In the Hippie Van I know I have coffee.  I bought them on sale at $3.50 a can in 2004 ( ish ).  Since wheat buckets and other heavy items have buried them under the bed frame, I have no idea how many.  Well, I better just double up on what I think I need.  I THINK there is a broken shell extractor under there too, but I’m not positive.  Better buy another!

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You anal compulsive list makers and organizers are cheating yourself out of duplicates.  Disorganization can be your bestest buddy.  Today, just for something different, I’m going to go over my saved receipt from my last prepper shopping trip.  Then, I’ll throw away the list, bury the items under other crap, and forget I have them.  Then probably buying more, if I have time.  The “time” aspect is of course slightly worrying by this point.  Crap just feelz like its going to get real, yo.  I’ll expound on that.

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The primary reason for going to Wally was that I felt I needed more dry ingredients for home-made laundry soap.  I feel like Wal-Mart might be hiding something, what with its store closings and its ( in my view ) desperate foray into Grocery Pick Up Service.  I don’t just pick up onesiers and twosies there, I like getting $40 or $60 at a time ( invest and forget ).  And I know everyone else sells the Borax and Baking Soda Powder, but it is at a much larger mark-up. So I’m stocking up before bankruptcy.

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One thing.  Buy the Baking Soda NOW.  They were marked down to about half price, to $2.48.  Usually that means they are discontinuing that size and replacing it.  Usually with a smaller size.  I usually wait until I can afford both powders and all the soap bars at the same time.  So, for each Borax and Soda I also buy the seven bars of Zote.  Almost $20 per set.  Now, you might want to JUST buy the Soda powder, since this looks like a clearance item, then play catch up on the other ingredients.  The Zote soap already increased by 14% in one foul swoop. 

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So, $10 in soda, $18 in Borax and $28 in soap bars.  $56 so far.  Another $4 into the Antacid Stockpile.  Usually I buy The 400 tablets for almost $7, but they have been having empty shelves there.  Purple Pills, too.  At least half the time, if you have heartburn and go to Wally, expect MORE heartburn as they are wiped out.  But now I think they are just raising prices on the generic Tums.  This is the fifth visit without my regular, so I’m thinking the 90 for $2 will be the new normal. 

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Another buck in toothpaste.  I use the paste, then dip in a box of baking soda to get a much better and cheaper toothpaste than the Crest Pro-Health I used to buy for gingivitis.  I never let my stockpile get down, even by one tube.  $61 so far.  Next up was another ( quart ) case of canning jars for $10.  Right now, after over ninety cans of butter, I’m taking it easy and just stocking the jars a little at a time so I’m ready for whatever I decide to do next.  It will be a little less sticker shock.

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Next, very important.  I got another pair of slippies.  I swear by the one piece plastic shoes.  More slipper than flip-flop, also known as “soccer slides”.  I’m doing almost everything but bike riding in them.  After thirty years walking on concrete at work, they are comfortable as can be.  Plus, they last longer and are cheaper than all other shoes.  If I have to replace them yearly, I’m ahead of most other shoes or boots that cost $50-$100 and last six months.  And I don’t have to replace them yearly.  I’ve stocked up while I can.

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Any day now, the price shoots up and they start using a really crappy replacement plastic.  I have about six pairs of the slides and six of the Croc types.  The generic Crocs I wear in winter with wool socks, the sliders in the summer.  I bought another winter pair for $10, as I also use them on my exercise walks and the arch is getting thin.  Since I’ll be taking from my stockpile, this is a replacement.  First in first out, just in case they won’t store forever.  This brings us to $81.  Next up is Band-Aids.

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I had a blister walking last week.  On my feet for over twenty years at work.  Biking and breaking down and walking into town, up to two hours walking.  Never one blister.  I must have had the hole in my sock slip over my toe just right, rubbing the inside.  I didn’t know I was in trouble until right before the house, and damn, was it a huge nasty wound.  I had to stuff a wad of TP between my toes to separate them and hobble around.  I also finished off the week doubling up on the exercise bike instead of walking once a day, as it healed. 

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I’m sure I’ll hear “moleskin”, but seriously, I thought I had no need for it.  I thought my feet were bulletproof.  Let that be a lesson.  But, I knew I needed to start replacing generic with brand name Band-Aids.  When you need to add scotch tape to keep the bandage on, it is near worthless.  Another $6, total $87.  Sugar to stash, $3.  Cheating, I bought a bag of whole wheat flour on my Prepper Benjamin.  And then tax on most of it, to round out the $100.  That went fast!

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This is the very UN-sexy side of preps.  Everyday items, hundreds of them, you must stockpile, that if taken away from essentials would buy multiples of very sexy semi-auto battle rifles, or FLIR scopes or freeze fried mystery meat cans.  But as I said before, I’d rather have $60 in soap, 150 gallons of liquid soap, than two bottles of antibiotics ( I’d rather have both, but insofar as prioritizing purchases on a limited budget ).  Prevention is the best cure.  And shoes are no laughing manner.  You want hookworm from the warm and wet feces infused soil from the idiots surrounding you?

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You want a stash of toothbrushes and toothpaste, or some tooth pliers?  Again, you’ll want both. Thank you, China, for cheap tools.  But start with prevention.  $20 in nail clippers sounds like a waste of money, like it prevents you from buying another box of ammo.  It also keeps you from getting sick after running out of toilet paper and water wiping your ass.  Trimmed finger nails makes sure no solids are missed in your post-BM hand washing.  And in case you do get worms, make sure to have food grade diatomaceous earth.  Yeah, less fun and sexy than gun gear.  Reality blows.

( .Y. )

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