Yeah, I need to restock TP again. I had a lot before the move, then used up a bunch because moving it 2300 miles while it was still affordable seemed silly.
And U finally get to work on skills now that I’m a country girl. My little gardens are flourishing! I love living where things grow ;)
But I still have so much more to learn. Ibwas saying to a veterinarian friend that her medical skills and my husband’s skills fixing things will be invaluable, while I will just be a burden. She very kindly, if not completely accurately, said my cooking ability will be needed. And deductive reasoning as well.
I need to learn about raising chickens, raising goats, making cheese, ... more than I can even remember at the moment.
Well, one of the keys to prepping (at least in terms of grocery-store food) is: NEVER buy anything unless it’s on sale AND you have a coupon.
The neat thing about this is that after a few months, you don’t need to buy anything unless it IS on sale - and you have a coupon :-) Depending on your budget, those first few months can involve some modicum of ‘self-denial’; but in the end, you’ll be glad you put yourself through it. (It’s really nice to wake up on a rainy Saturday, not feeling like going out - and know that you don’t HAVE to go grocery shopping!)
We’re not obsessive about it; but we slowly built-up to where we have enough *stuff* that we never really need anything; all we have to do is buy what’s a good deal; and we can choose what is useful or necessary. We don’t pay full price for anything unless it’s fresh vegetables (we live in the suburbs, and don’t grow anything.)
It seems to me that this is smart just in a ‘home economic’ sense, all apart from ‘prepping’.
There are all kinds of skills; and in difficult times, a good, nutritious, home-cooked meal is not to be ‘sneezed at’! Women have known that forever. Sewing is also not an insignificant skill. (I can’t tell you how many men in my circle have asked me how to fix a zipper, darn a torn pocket, make simple curtains, or even stitch a button back on - LOL!)
I’ve never raised chickens, but I’ve worked with them and know people who raise them. Keep them very clean (in my experience, ‘cleanliness IS next to Godliness, when it comes to the caretaking of animals!) and take good care of them, and they’re possibly the easiest and most inexpensive livestock to keep for food. Study and find the breeds that work best in your climate and ‘deliver’ what you want - whether meat or eggs. Check for temperament, as well, when you’re deciding what types to raise; that can matter a lot when you have to take care of them. I would start with laying hens, first.
(If you want to make cheese at home, fresh mozzarella or ricotta are great, easy places to start; you’ll learn about the chemistry, even if you move on to other types of milk and cheese. There are lots of resources on the Web, even kits you can buy to get you started learning.)
-JT