TSHTF list

Since I have 10 year shelf life on my food (M.R.E.'s), I guess I over-simplified my advice.

It would be a better idea for most people to wait on a large purchase, but in the mean time, you can keep a VERY full pantry of things you commonly eat, rotating the stocks as needed to keep everything fresh. If stuff starts to spoil, then you have too much.

Mre' taste like cafeteria food, not oo bad. Alot of tomato sauce but over all when combined with store stuff not too bad. variety is the key to food fatigue.

I think that the stores will have been emptied by people in the know in the days immediately before the general public learns of an H2H pandemic.

Even if it were safe to go to a store, I believe that many stores would not be open, and those that were, would have strict quantity limits.

And who knows if it would be safe to be in such a crowd of non-preppers, anyway....

My last minute buys will be for things like baking supplies (flour, sugar, baking soda and the like) and bottled water.  Maybe some more rice or pasta.

Hello guys. Newbie here. (very new) so let me first say thank you to all for the info here.  I've mentioned bird flu to several people this week and can you believe I got "bird flu, what's that?" more than a few times.   I told my family I bet Noah felt the same way!  No one around me seems to be the least bit concerned. I  won't stop trying to inform my family and friends though. I may not be much help here because I'm so new at this, but maybe I can spread it as I learn it. 

Thanks KatDoe. I'm realizing more each day I have a lot to learn...but I'm doing it each day, making list, and picking things up almost daily. I love garage sales, but I think when I hit them this year, I'll be looking at what I need to get in a whole different light.  Today I found a website on Kitchen Gardening, Growing Herbs, and  some pressure cooker recipes. At home now I have boxes of stuff that I had intended to give away to local churches. As bad as it sounds, I may need to go back thru the stuff and reconsider what needs to go...(including some old cookbooks).  Thanks again.

Thanks Ironstone. That makes very good sense to me. I may fill my 55 gal drum with water to make sure it's nice and clean since it's set up a while, and then use it to water my trees and shrubs after a couple months. I'll wait on filling my other containers...and thanks for the idea of hanging them from the rafers! 

Femvet,

BamSteve, would very much appreciate your thinking. Different opinions very much welcome.

Femvet,I heartily agree.

Get outta debt,this would seem a no brainer, but of course, you know people are materialistic and greedy, they borrow, spend, borrow, spend, borrow.

Advance payments does have an advantage, the money is safe somewhere. Good thinkin'.

The only survivors are people with no debt, owning a house, cash in hand, and an over packed cupboard, period.

BTW, if this plague hits hard, and folks start dyin' causing empty houses to flood the market, it will bring a downward spiral in the market. I'm selling my rental houses now and possibly my residence after hurricane season.

I have heard people say, don't worry if you can't make your mortgage, we'll all be in the same boat, the banks won't take our homes away. Well, don't be too sure about that. Remember, all rich investors need to put down is 10% and if noone wants to buy your house at it's present value, the bank will take whatever it can get, and that may be considerably lower than todays market value. Imagine losing all your equity. Someone buys your house for a song and you're out on the street. Don't say it can't happen, it did, it was called the great depression. My grandfather lost his home and his 11 children were on the streets until they found a much smaller house. My mom still cries when she tells the story.

Concerning inflation, I see first inflation, as supply and demand will increase prices.

But if the flu goes to a third wave and it's a super killer, then yes, it could become a deflationary market, but this of course would take time.
HOWEVER one would have to include the calculation of the monies/estates inherited from the victims of AF.

There may develop a deeper chasm between the haves and the have nots.

MK
    
    

  Ladybug you sound like you are in my home town Hattiesburg. We plan to be a lot better prepared, I'm looking into getting a hand pump well.  We bought 3 porta potties like the ones the construction guys use.  Picked them uptoday.  Our walmart is reopen 24/7 but it'hard for them to keep the shelves stocked.  I hate to see what's going to happen if and when the SHTF.

If chaos comes, I think there will be a huge run on banks and they wont be able to pay out as they have limited cash on hand. I was amazed to discover just how little cash a bank holds.
I asked about removing 80K and they said that might be a problem.

You have 80K???? Damn I'm in trouble. I live paycheck to paycheck with 7 kids to raise and not a farm animal in sight. I've been trying though $20 here $50 there. It's gonna take awhile but at least I've started.

Personally, if I had that much money saved up, I'd buy a house, or a small cabin up north if I already had a house.  I live in an apartment right now and if a pandemic hits, I'd probably be safer outside of the city than in it.  But a house would be more secure than an apartment (IMHO). 

80K, dang and I thought I was set with 500 bucks hid in my truck??????