Food shortage

I have limited storage as well. I suppose i'm lucky in that I don't eat too much, but it would be a very scary thought. We would have to eat as little as possible to make the food last as long as possible. Hopefully there would be some nice people to help us out

If a disaster struck, you and your neighbors wouldn't come together to help each other out? I have lived in such areas. I'm glad to now be in the area where I'm at. My neighbors and I would help each other out if some sort of disaster befell this area. Plus, there is our religious community, which is filled with people who help each other out. Community is important. If we don't work together, we shall fail separately.

We always have extra food. There is always an emergency every year up here. Sub-zero weather every year is the usual emergency. Power outages once a year. Hopefully they're not both at the same time. So we always have extra food. My husband has a good job and that's why. He lived in the mountains where roads were often closed due to bad weather and sub-zero so bad that no cars would start, minus 30 degrees with 20 mph winds making wind chill minus 50 or more. So we have cans of stew, soup, veggies, meat ahead. People who have very little money where we live buy seeds and grow food on window sills. Out dollar store often had 10 packages of seeds for a dollar or 8 for a dollar or 6 for a dollar, whatever, in the spring. Radishes, lettuce, green onions or little scallions grow very well in the spring and fall on a windowsill. If the apartment is heated well enough, many veggies can be grown in pots. If it's not heated very well or the windows let in lots of cold air, then only winter garlic and winter onions will work. If you can put a table next to window, you can grow things in bigger pots. Like soy beans, green beans, yellow beans, etc. You need a huge pot and tons of room for potatoes, broccoli, etc. Some people will go to food shelves at the end of the month and they get that food to eat, but buy some rice and beans for an emergency. We have lots of buy two for the price of one this time of year (sometimes they mark everything up and that's not true, you have to be careful). They use one and put the other away for an emergency. So what would I do, just go down cellar and get our extra stew, soup, and canned meat. If we had electricity, use our extra rice and beans. Where we live, every year, there is a time when people run the risk of not having food, so we stock up. We use coupons on double coupon days to try to cut the price of food. We let our situation be known to relatives with more (someone like us) who give food for the holidays like a food basket. My brother was in trouble one year and we had him go pick out food from the basement. Another time he couldn't come so we just grabbed some food and brought it to him. Other times, relatives have given money cards for groceries like a Price Chopper gift card for $25 or a gift certificate at a local store. We had the ice storm here and we couldn't get out where I lived for two weeks. They tell you to have a three day food supply, that's in case it takes FEMA 3 days to get to you. But I can tell you from experience, two weeks was average during that ice storm, there were people with only a few days and others 3 and 4 weeks. I hope something I wrote helps you. If you have room under a couch, under a bed, etc. Look at the food coupon people, they use food as a room divider and put it behind doors or anywhere. A tote bag flung in the corner of a closet. I always hope that no one goes hungry during an emergency. During the ice storm, people on snowmobiles took orders and bought people food. People gave them extra $ for gas and oil. I was asked, but I was fine. I had a cupboard full of food. Heat was what I needed. Eventually, I did get a generator so I'd have heat.

I've not thought of it but I suppose I'd first go to a food bank, or if nothing else try to share whatever food I could with friends and neighbors. Whomever was still around and not seeking another shelter, I'd try to make up meals with their help. I'd include family from other parts of the area as well or maybe just them? I suppose we don't really think of what we'd do, assuming we'd have enough to get by. We don't have any food saved up for if we can't get out etc, and that is one thing we need to work on here. I fear this winter will be harsher then normal and we won't be able to get out as much. Though I work for a grocery store, I fear that I may not be able to get to work all the time and end up losing my job.. That's going off subject though.

I hope u never have to go through something like thaty. I stay pretty well stocked up on things. I put alot of veggies, fruit etc. in the freezer this summer so i could eat awhile on that if i had to.It is a hard job for me to go to the grocery & get things in the house so i usually buy quite abit so i don't have to go as often as some folks do.

Wow, what a tough situation you are into. I hope you can manage to have even just enough food. I thinking if you can borrow from your neighbors for some that you can replace for those stuff eventually. You may also contact some of your nearby relatives, if you have any, and ask for their help. I can really feel where youre coming from. I hope everyting will turn out fine there, I pray. Thanks

Do you know what I find most sad, is that forty or fifty years ago neighbours and friends would have all helped each other, to ensure that no one went without and everyone had food in their bellies, people were kinder, more sympathetic and more helpful back then, it was mostly during the war, that people pulled together and differences forgotten. Nowadays people don't care, and we have become a self-centred nation. If you were down on your luck you wouldn't expect help from anyone and you would be left to your own devices.

I have food stashed in lots of places in my house. I like sales when I can get them or I buy in bulk. In a disaster water would be where my shortfall would come.I have not planned well for that yet. I have food we can eat without heat, and we have a smoker and grill on our patio if we needed to cook. I think dried beans are good to have to stretch the budget as they take little room to store them. there are racks you can get that hang over a door that you can keep quite a lot of canned food and dried goods on. If you knew that you would have to stock up or do without, you would manage. You would store it in the clothes closets or where ever you had to.

we don't always have a lot of extra money for food but we do have enough to last for a few days as well as bottled water. we live in a condo so we have the room, but just not always the money to buy much extra food in case of emergencies.

Situations like this are sometimes hard to overcome. Have you checked with local churches and outreach programs where you could get meals and food? I tend to stock up a lot on canned foods, even if it is something like spam. It's small and lasts for a long time. I keep frozen vegetables in the freezer. Is there a friend or two that might have you over for dinner one or two nights a week if you were able to help with the cooking or cleaning up? I hope things only get better for you!

I am so sorry that life is so tough for you. It must be so difficult to manage. I am frugal but I always haver enough canned food and other stuff for at least a week in case we have a hurricane and lose electricity etc. I honestly think that you need some kind of help to supplement what you are receiving. Perhaps you could do more investigation to find out if you can get help from either gtovernment organizations or charity organizations? I do not know your system so I am not much help

You know what, that condition of yours comes the issues of having a job....yes, I have a job but I don't have savings which can purchase foods if ever a catastrophe happen...my only advantage is that I can owe money to someone or from the government which they would lend me because they can actually run after me because I have a job.

Wow, I should say you are a special woman whom I have seen. You are worrying about something which you never need to worry about. If there are some emergency happend in your area, you need to wait for the government's help. If hte government couldn't give any help to you, then you need to think about this. But there are only three women in your home, even if you have enough food for you, you will also be robbed by other people. So your annoyances are helpless. Anyway, having a nice day!

I'm sorry to hear that times are so tough for you. I hear stories like that on this site all too often with the way the economy has been. If I was ever in that situation where all the food was gone I'd first go online and order food. Then I'd start looking for local programs to help the people in need. In the face of disaster they're many public operations to aid victims. Also where I live they have a local food bank. They give goods to hundreds of needy families. I'd look to see if your community has a program like this. Also are you eligible for food stamps or any other sort of government assistance. There is nothing worse then worrying about life necessities.

I think it is recommended that everyone have at least a three days supply of nonperishables on hand in case of emergency. Surely you have room for that amount? It will take the three days for emergency services to be up and rolling for any given area....Salvation Army, Red Cross, power companies, etc.

thought of it many times and as you know from reading all my discussions, with 5 adults here living in the house, 3 of them my adult kids, we would likely be up the creek also before the others moved in we had a bit of a stock pile but now even if you try to stock pile veggies, if someone dont have money to go out and buy food they need they just open a can and heat it and eat it even ramien noodles get used up at times altho that likely what everyone would fall back on as i have lots of those stock piled at times for months.

I have never thought of it and really don't think anything would happen like you said. I do have a pantry in my apartment but I store other things in there. No food. I am not going to worry about it. I have to much stress as it is! With the holidays coming up,stress at work,my acid reflux is really bad lately and thinking if I stock on things for a disaster i will turn into a hoarder! Am so stressed out right now I am not a happy camper!

I would be more on my knees to beg God to have mercy on my family and me, because He is the one that is our provider,I'm not kidding this is the only way to survive ask for God's help. I wish that every single one of those that lives in the city could have their own piece of dirt to make their own gardens. Wish you well.God Bless you.

I hate to hear that. Hope things get better for you there. Have you ever thought about trying a food bank for help? I knew several people when I lived in vegas, and they would go once or twice per month for help with food. Good luck to you there.