Went to the grocery store earlier today and spent over $100 on what I feel would have been $65 several months ago. Many struggle to get their head around all that is happening throughout the world. Many ignore it sticking their heads in the sand and basking in ignorant bliss. Oh well.
In the video below I show an example of a budget-friendly food storage project using commonly available foods.
Keep prepping folks.
Rourke
Start your morning like a true prepper with the Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids… and Coffee checklist mug. This isn’t just another cup—it’s a reminder of the essentials that keep you ready for whatever the world throws your way.
Crafted from durable ceramic, this mug is built for everyday use, whether you’re sipping at the homestead kitchen table, around a campfire, or stocking up in your prepper pantry. Featuring a bold checklist design, it highlights the classic preparedness trio—food, defense, and medical supplies—then finishes with the most critical addition: coffee, the fuel that keeps it all together.
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11oz or 15oz ceramic mug option
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Dishwasher and microwave safe
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Crisp, high-quality print that won’t fade
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A conversation starter in any kitchen or bug-out cabin
☕ Stock up—because sometimes the most important prep is in your cup.
 Food Storage Bucket){kind=link}
Snowing here now. Weather man has a new term for this “grapple” It is a mixture of ice and snow .
Oil man put in 300 gallons yesterday ( that is the minimum they will deliver now)
$5.38 cents per gallon $1620.55 I almost fainted. Could you please share what your costs are now ? This is upstate NY (where everything is taxed too high)
Look at every food item you like to eat and check and see if it has wheat as an ingredient then know it will be rising by 20% 30 % soon.
The same with barley ( some soups have barley in it)
Years ago I bough some dehydrated and freeze dried cans from Emergency Essentials and Mt House.I am glad I did because now a can of beef is $99. I could not believe it.
We are in for a rough ride folks. I am TRYING to stay calm and prep on and praying. Arlene
Arlene: You must be a tough gal for not fainting. I think I would have had a
Seizure and then chased the delivery driver with a baseball bat.
Our furnace and cook stove run on propane the price of which is up almost
200% and will continue to rise I’m sure.
We have a great wood burning stove(Pacific Energy) and several Eden Pure
electric space heaters,all of which allow us to cut down on propane usage.
Here in NW Montana we have two seasons. Winter and the 4th of July so
keeping warm and saving on propane is really important.
I’ve started doing a lot of cooking on a two burner and a single burner hot plate. Meals take a little longer to fix but it’s worth it to save on propane.
Our winter power bill runs between $180.00 and $200.00 per month. How
does that compare to your area?
Ohio Valley region: Heating oil currently averages $4.74 for 300 gallons; 5 cents more for lower quantities. To the best of my knowledge, they’ll still deliver 100-150 gallons. Several places let you pump your own into drums or cans, but I don’t know if they charge more for that.
Electric for a 750 sq. ft. house runs around $350/month during the winter (thermostat at 58), but I also have an all-electric furnace and really bad windows. During hot weather with the central AC going it should be under $125, even with inflation. My 80-year-old mother has a house about the same size. She uses 3 electric wall heaters, keeps the house at 70, has new windows and doors, and pays closer to $450/mo.
Changing food prices at Walmart: Canned cabbage has gone up 10 cents in the last 20 days. Individual burritos, Manwich sauce, and table salt 20%. Canned diced potatoes up 16 cents. Hanover green beans & potatoes 4 cents. Canned asparagus 50 cents. Keystone canned meat up $1.99. Bruce’s yams 5 cents. Bumble Bee oysters 25 cents. Bread 16 cents. Bagels 20 cents. Red Star yeast has nearly doubled.
I bought some industrial shelves for my kitchen, arranged my food nicely, and the first relative to see it said “Well, now that everything’s organized, you can start throwing away some of your food.” As I stood there speechless, with my mouth hanging open, they followed up with “Well, it’s not like you actually need all this food.”
For emergency survival, if you may have to carry your food, you can’t beat the mylar packets of freeze dried food sold in backpacking stores. NOT cheap, but they are light and all you have to do is add boiling water and eat it right out of the mylar pouch. Kind of salty, but if you are working hard, that’s OK.