Is it nuts to be prepping for a food shortage?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am Indian American. I am not prepping for any food shortage, hike in food price etc because culturally, we always have a fully stocked pantry of shelf stable raw materials because most of us cook from scratch. We all will have rice, wheat flour, chickpeas flour, semolina, white flour, barley flour, millet flour, quinoa, dried beans and lentils (several kind), pickles, a hundred different whole spices, spice blends, tea, coffee, condensed milk, tomato paste, tomato sauce, olive oil, mustard oil, ghee, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, jaggery, raw nuts, raisins, dried fruits etc. And we can feed the family for around 8-9 months easily.

We also keep a whole lot of condiments and ingredients of other cuisines because if you can master Indian cooking (which is sort of complicated and long drawn) then other cuisines are not that hard - Italian, Chinese, Thai, Mexican, American - these are staples. And then we have multiple fridges and freezers because an Indian household and socializing pretty much revolves around food, food, food.

Thank you for posting!!

[Anonymous]

Pp again - I also stocked up at my local Bangladeshi market. Love supporting their family run business and they have great prices!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even without a serious food shortage, she has dodged the inflation bullet by socking away food a few months ago. Good for her.

Actually stockpiling causes inflation because it artificially concentrates purchases that would have been spread out over months. Thanks a lot grandma.

This is why inflation is a runaway train. People see a little bit of inflation and then they panic buy and cause an inflationary spriral.

You really think buying a case of chickpeas is going to cause the price of chickpeas to go up? This is is not why inflation is a runaway train -- it's because everyone got their stimulus checks and suddenly had money to spend.

You sound way more high strung and hysterical than someone stocking up on beans and rice.

Thanks for the insults. This is basic economics. Supply/demand. Google it. This concept is fundamental to the understanding of inflation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:6-12 months ago, people made fun of me for buying dry milk and egg replacers. One poster kept harping and telling me to stop posting and asked if I was advertising for egg replacers. Really hope she’s enjoying her $7 grass fed free range organic egg prices.

How many months supply could you realistically have? Who cares about saving a few bucks for a month or so when you will just have to run out and by more anyways. Do you expect inflation to subside soon enough that you won’t have to buy food at increased prices?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even without a serious food shortage, she has dodged the inflation bullet by socking away food a few months ago. Good for her.

Actually stockpiling causes inflation because it artificially concentrates purchases that would have been spread out over months. Thanks a lot grandma.

This is why inflation is a runaway train. People see a little bit of inflation and then they panic buy and cause an inflationary spriral.

You really think buying a case of chickpeas is going to cause the price of chickpeas to go up? This is is not why inflation is a runaway train -- it's because everyone got their stimulus checks and suddenly had money to spend.

You sound way more high strung and hysterical than someone stocking up on beans and rice.

Thanks for the insults. This is basic economics. Supply/demand. Google it. This concept is fundamental to the understanding of inflation.

Again, do you REALLY think someone buying a case of chickpeas causes inflation? If several companies all bought up all the chick peas available, then yes, basic economics means the price of chick peas would rise.

Someone stocking their pantry -- even 1,000 people stocking their pantry -- is not responsible for inflation. So ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

I can't really prep too much because I live in apartment and have no pantry but if this pandemic has taught me anything is that I have been unprepared in general. I used to stop by the grocery store almost daily on my way home for diner and now I'm just go once a week. No baby formula, toilet paper, wheat cereal, pasta, cream cheese, chicken breasts, chicken nuggets- these were hard to find during the last two years so people should indeed be a little prepared and expect the unexpected as we have learned that things we thought would NEVER, EVER happen have happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even without a serious food shortage, she has dodged the inflation bullet by socking away food a few months ago. Good for her.

Actually stockpiling causes inflation because it artificially concentrates purchases that would have been spread out over months. Thanks a lot grandma.

This is why inflation is a runaway train. People see a little bit of inflation and then they panic buy and cause an inflationary spriral.

You really think buying a case of chickpeas is going to cause the price of chickpeas to go up? This is is not why inflation is a runaway train -- it's because everyone got their stimulus checks and suddenly had money to spend.

You sound way more high strung and hysterical than someone stocking up on beans and rice.

Thanks for the insults. This is basic economics. Supply/demand. Google it. This concept is fundamental to the understanding of inflation.

Again, do you REALLY think someone buying a case of chickpeas causes inflation? If several companies all bought up all the chick peas available, then yes, basic economics means the price of chick peas would rise.

Someone stocking their pantry -- even 1,000 people stocking their pantry -- is not responsible for inflation. So ridiculous.

Yes. REALLY. 1000 people is a bit of an undercount, no? And you do realize that these same people are buying many many items months in advance. Like cars for example. Seriously, spend some energy educating yourself rather than arguing with random internet guy.

[Anonymous]

My good friend in Vermont is now a prepper. Don't forget your water purification tablets.

She has backpacks for each with the basics to flee, and a full basement (bunker) in case of shelter-in-place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even without a serious food shortage, she has dodged the inflation bullet by socking away food a few months ago. Good for her.

Actually stockpiling causes inflation because it artificially concentrates purchases that would have been spread out over months. Thanks a lot grandma.

This is why inflation is a runaway train. People see a little bit of inflation and then they panic buy and cause an inflationary spriral.

You really think buying a case of chickpeas is going to cause the price of chickpeas to go up? This is is not why inflation is a runaway train -- it's because everyone got their stimulus checks and suddenly had money to spend.

You sound way more high strung and hysterical than someone stocking up on beans and rice.

Thanks for the insults. This is basic economics. Supply/demand. Google it. This concept is fundamental to the understanding of inflation.

Again, do you REALLY think someone buying a case of chickpeas causes inflation? If several companies all bought up all the chick peas available, then yes, basic economics means the price of chick peas would rise.

Someone stocking their pantry -- even 1,000 people stocking their pantry -- is not responsible for inflation. So ridiculous.

Yes. REALLY. 1000 people is a bit of an undercount, no? And you do realize that these same people are buying many many items months in advance. Like cars for example. Seriously, spend some energy educating yourself rather than arguing with random internet guy.

I have no idea how many people are stockpiling food, but I have enough for about 3 months and I bought that during COVID, before inflation was a thing. So, not sure how I tipped the scales. Also if only prices of shelf-stable foods were going up then you might have a point, but actually cans of beans are the same price they were 2 years ago, while fresh food is way more expensive now. So still not adding up.

[Anonymous]

If you think hoarding doesn't cause shortages/inflation then please explain toilet-paper-gate in early pandemic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you think hoarding doesn't cause shortages/inflation then please explain toilet-paper-gate in early pandemic

Toilet-paper-gate was a result of the toilet paper production being split between paper suitable for businesses and for home use, and the demand suddenly jumping to 90% home use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you think hoarding doesn't cause shortages/inflation then please explain toilet-paper-gate in early pandemic

Actual preppers have been doing their 'thing' since well before COVID, so its's not like this is a new phenomenon. They accumulate/rotate supplies over a long time typically and aren't the one's suddenly buying up all the N95 masks or toilet paper.

Prepping is an fairly big time investment and expensive rabbit hole to go down, and the typical prepper doesn't just wake up one day and suddenly decide to buy $300 worth of toilet paper. These are not the people making sudden bulk purchases of common household supplies and foods.

[Anonymous]

Also, most preppers stockpile mostly long shelf stable/life foods, as in 5-10 years, which rules out about 95% of grocery store foods. They typically have some short shelf life foods that they rotate into their cooking as they approach expiration and then replace - like pasta sauces.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, most preppers stockpile mostly long shelf stable/life foods, as in 5-10 years, which rules out about 95% of grocery store foods. They typically have some short shelf life foods that they rotate into their cooking as they approach expiration and then replace - like pasta sauces.

Exactly. These folks store food themselves in cans and mylar bags with oxygen absorbers hoping it lasts 20-30 years

[Anonymous]

What is everyone buying? Don’t worry I’m in California and won’t affect your shopping! Would appreciate some prepping help.