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Gift card to a game store? (sm) [2008-11-19]
You could hardly go wrong with that. Here we have one called Gamestop and that is always the birthday gift everyone requests.
Never had enough to open a store...sm [2008-11-19]
But have bought and sold on ebay for over 10 years. Love it.
I think I spend less at the store when [2008-11-18]
we eat out/order in. Of course, then our entertaining budget increases. But some things are cheaper to just order in. For example, pizzas -- I can get 2 large pepperoni pizzas from the local pizzeria for under $20. If I buy them in the store, I spend about $15 and then have to cook them and my kids don The frozen kind are also smaller.
I just got groceries this past Friday and spent $200. I had an entire cart full. In addition to the coupons I had, I also had a 20% discount on everything (one of those reward plans for spending so much the previous 2 months). I got value packs of skinless/boneless chicken breasts - buy 1 get 1 free -- $15 packs of chicken, breakfast sausage on sale, ham steaks on sale, plus my 20% off all that.
Overall, I think I spend somewhere around $150 a week on groceries. There are 5 of us -- me, my hubs, and 3 boys -- ages 6 to 11.
What I notice that I spend more on are school lunches. It costs $2.00 a day per child and I don I $2/day x 3 kids = $6/day x 5 days/week = $30/week x 4 weeks/month = $120 for lunch. YIKES!!! I think I can do better than that if I pack them.
You got this at a Walmart store or online?...nm [2008-10-23]
ss
We have the best Goodwill store in my town [2008-10-21]
Lots of rich people in my area who donate their clothes to the Goodwill store. Designer brand clothes still with tags on or worn maybe once or twice. I usually have better luck buying stuff there than I do at any retail stores. Most of the shirts, skirts, pants are $4 or $5. Bought my daughter a J. Crew hand-knit sweater there last year for $12, originally was close to $100. Don't think it had ever been worn. My daughter is a shoe-aholic and buys her shoes at thrift stores. That skeeves me out a little though.
Buy a bike, grow a garden, get rid of cable, take a second part time job [2008-10-13]
..
Yes...he tells me he is on fishing trips and that (sm) [2008-09-11]
there is no cell service there, so I can't call him, or reach him even if there was an emergency. And he does not call to check on us either.
If I see one more fat person at the store in a motorized shopping cart... [2008-07-30]
with the basket full of crap food....I agree that if you are unhealthy because of your diet, smoking or drinking to excess, you should pay more for your healthcare. Why should I pick up thebill for your high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, lung cancer, etc? Studies prove that a change in lifestyle can make a huge difference in the state of your health. Look at how many fat, unhealthy kids we see now tethered to the computer or playstation umbilical cord, eating crap, drinking pop all day and looking pasty because of the lack of sunlight!
I used to keep it in the garden tub! [2008-07-25]
The silly cat still made a mess, but at least the dogs couldn't get to it, even if they got past the baby gate in the hall.
I usually try the feed store first, [2008-06-16]
they used to carry something called yellow marlin, but I warn you, it is highly poisonous, a consideration if you have young ones about or curious animals inside. They carry a small jug like contraption you put water in to draw wasps and they can't get out, but I don't know about fruit flies or gnats. Good luck.
Large garden containers = excellent idea! :) [2008-05-31]
.
drug store [2008-05-22]
loved the fountain drinks, miss the five and dimes like Woolworth's.
I saw in the grocery store today Diet Chery Chocolate Dr. Pepper [2008-05-21]
and a lot of it for $1.99 a 12-pack. I could help out the poster below. If anyone sees Folger This is like taking crack away from a crackhead. Unbelievably hard and making me depressed to boot.
planting a garden [2008-05-12]
I have planted a garden this year. Also as other posters I am trying to plan my shopping around coupons and store sale ads. I live in a rural area so I am planning more day trips to get things done and not running out 2-3 times a week. If possible, its done in one trip on Saturday or Sunday. I am also planning on getting a laundry line outside because I have heard it can have a significant impact on your utilities if you dry clothes outside as opposed to the dryer and started letting my dishwasher air dry instead of heat dry. Every little bit will adds up these days. Not as many weekend trips being planned for this summer either. Those that are being considered are old fashioned tent camping.
garden, fewer trips to the store - sm [2008-05-12]
Watching the sale papers for really good deals and planning meals around those. Safeway and Albertsons usually have a few 10 for $10 sales every week. I will max out those sales on a couple items if we use a lot of them.
Trying to stretch a gallon of milk is getting more expensive too. Powdered milk is skyrocketing along with everything else but it still does make a gallon last a little longer so will keep doing that. We go through at least a gallon a day, sometimes more.
Telling the kids that I am not the local taxi service for their friends and cannot provide them transportation here and there all the time. My own kids will have to work harder to combine their schedules to cut back on needless trips too.
If one is one place and another somewhere else, I will only drop off or pick up ONCE.
Used to be that the kids would have me running 4-5 trips a day. No more. If they can't leave or be picked up at the same time, too bad.
Have always had a garden. Usually have (sm) [2008-04-20]
my menu based around what we have ready in the garden. Have green onions, lettuce and radishes now. Peas coming on soon and strawberries will be turning soon. As more stuff comes on I find I buy less and less from the grocery store and usually either can or freeze the surplus. My chickens enjoy any spoiled produce thus cutting down on my feed bills for them. I have always enjoyed these things, but this year I will really appreciate the money I will be saving as well.
Hope all of us have bumper crops this year.
We are also trying to get a garden going as well. [2008-04-18]
I am also been trying to plan my menu on what is on special.
Got 3 at the local party supply store. I LOVE them. [2008-04-09]
x
I worked at a grocery-type store and he delivered chips there... [2008-04-08]
He is 5-1/2 years older than me so I figured he was to old--LOL..Plus, I had a boyfriend at the time. But I broke up with my boyfriend, and my husband and I have been together for 11 years in July, married for 7 years in June...
A woman just hit me in a store! [2008-04-07]
I was at the cash register paying for my things, and the lady behind me dropped a piece of paper. I picked it up and gave it to her. She said thanks, and I turned back to the cashier. A few seconds later, SLAM! she had hit me really hard in my shoulder! She obviously wasnwith it. Something is wrong, but she shouted, I know you. Hi! I said firmly, You do not know me. Please do not hit me! I didn't make a big deal out of it, because she obviously had something wrong with her. I thought she looked a little like she had Down Syndrome, with very widely spaced eyes and the typical look. But she did hit me hard and left a bruise. And I'm 200 pounds. When she hit me, she had enough power to push me a couple of steps away. I have to say, I was a little scared. She seemed to be alone. The manager came over to talk to her, and I just said that I was okay and left, so I don't know what happened after that.
I may try a veggie garden this year too. [2008-04-07]
in the past i have not had time to keep up with one but i think i will this year while working at home for MQ. maybe you have tried everything for your garden eaters, don't know but I have heard you can sprinkle black pepper all over the garden and it will keep a lot of animals out bc they do not like the smell. you have to reapply with rain but it might be worth a try.
i normally have flowers galore! but i may do some veggies this year as you said they are getting SO expensive in the stores. i have had great luck with barrel gardens in the past and they look really nice on a patio.
Me too! My latest obsession are shoes from a store on e bay [2008-04-07]
They are called cutsey shoes and I get a pair or two with each pay period. I know it has to end, but they are so cute and not expensive. I am kicking the e bay habit but there's still always room for shoe bids as far as I am concerned. Though I never wear shoes at home and I am there most of the time because I work at home too. LOL.
Deer and rabbits especially think my garden is an outdoor diner. (sm) [2008-04-07]
Have tried multiple things, can keep rabbits out of green beans, peas and lettuce until they get larger and not so palatable by using chicken wire bent over the rows and pegged down. The deer seem to prefer to just rip smaller branches off the fruit trees and really seem to hit the melons hard.
One of the things that I have tried and works pretty well for me is Irish Spring tied in the branches of fruit trees. I suppose it is the smell they don't like.
Anything else you come up with, please share.
The produce in the store isn't going to do anything but get higher with strikes, etc.
Yes - weekend camping trips much closer to home. nm [2008-04-01]
,,
Gas prices hinder my trips, nope, got 3 planned for this year [2008-03-31]
Had planned 1 by air about 3 months ago and 2 others by chartered bus the end of the year so nope, prices are not hindering my traveling.
Has anyone ever made any extra...sm [2008-11-19]
money selling things on ebay? I have went through the closets and have a lot of things I need to get rid of. I am posting them on ebay. After selling those things I may open an ebay store with things I may buycheap and resell. I even thought about making little throw pillows and throws and things. I can make pillows. My mom is great at sewing and I can sew some things. Just a thought. Anything to make some extra cash.
Has anyone had success selling on ebay?
We have been spending less than 100 [2008-11-19]
And we are starving. DH took over going to the grocery store from me (He thought I spent too much when I would spend about 150 a week.) It has been months since we do not have a bare cupboard. I am not complaining. I understand we are broke and he needs to pay the creditors. But the one person who has pretty much stopped eating is me. I am home all day and there is never bread to make a sandwich and I often pass up supper because I am tired of eating junky stuff like mac and cheese or spaghetti with meat sauce. He and our 11 year old son, on the other hand eat thirds of whatever meal it is. I get kind of annoyed. Our littlest boy and middle girl eat very little. All 3 take their lunch to school. I say to DH either stop eating so much (for him and the older boy) or buy more. He flips his eyes at me. We even stopped getting microwave popcorn which used to fill them up. So, now I am hoping to work extra to go to the grocery store myself and put an extra 100 a week in myself, but I keep running out of work.
You see, this all started when we started running out of work in transcription about a year ago this fall, and my DH took over the bills. Apparently food was the first to be cut. And, BTW I don't ever go anywhere because there is no gas in my car, and it has 2 flat tires. We live by the school and I borrow DH's car to take the kids but it is always on empty. We seem to make it every time. Oh, well. No need to complain. Just cutting back. The family is lucky I work at home, don't use gas, barely eat. But I do have to pay 10 bucks a month for nerve pills, because it is hard doing without. Like I said, when work picks up transcribing first place I am going after I get gas for the car is to the food store. Eventually I can repair my flat tires.
We eat out an average of 4 times a week... [2008-11-19]
linch and/or dinner. We usually spend about 20-30 for lunch and 30-50 for dinner. We vary our restaurants, donjust drenched in a different gravy or sauce. We used to like Olive Garden several years ago, but that is so non-Italian now it's not worth it, just your average pasta drenched in some too cheesy, fattening sauce. We have a great Japenese sushi/steak house near us, a great prime rib place, a vegetarian restaurant that I love.
The other poster is correct.... [2008-11-19]
I think it was on What Not To Wear or one of those shows where I heard if you have that problem it is because the cup size is not big enough for you. With that size naturally I wouldnpush up because those have a lot of extra padding to give the push. Maybe go to a store in the mall and talk to them. Surely they will have a suggestion for your size and style interest. Doesn't mean you have to buy it there, just get the idea and then go to Target or someplace and buy what you want a little less expensive.
Ambrielle [2008-11-19]
I was really impressed with the feel of Ambrielle in the store but I cannot wear it for more than an hour without it irritating my skin. I'm not sure if it doesn't breath well or what the problem is but it becomes very uncomfortable and itchy. Of course I bought 3 of them at the time and can't return them now that I wore them and threw the tags in the trash thinking that they would be great, until I wore them for a length of time. I'm sure this doesn't happen to everyone but I would just suggest if anyone buys them to hang on to the tags a week or so to make sure.
I also didn't care for the straps as they are fabric over a small string and they tend to twist as the day goes on and bunch up if you have to adjust them more than an inch or so.
Your welcome! Don't forget to [2008-11-19]
check the theater website for coupons or a frequent visitor card. He probably wouldn't fill one out himself but you could fill it out and include it in with the gift card. Usually you can get free drinks, etc. and it will really stretch the gift card.
We did a movie pack for my brother-in-law and sister-in-law last year. I found a plastic popcorn bucket at the $1 store and wal-mart had candy in the boxes (like at the movies) for a $1. Turned out to be a very cute gift if I do say so myself. We through the giftcard in there instead of buying a $3 card to go along with the giftcard.
At certain stores in MI, s/m [2008-11-18]
They will double coupons up to $1. I do this a lot with toothpaste and stockpile it. A lot of times it is 2/$4 or 2/$5, so I either get it free or for 50 cents a tube. A lot of the $1 coupons are for new items and our local store here is pretty good about having those on sale a lot during the first few weeks it is out to promote it, so I get the new things relatively cheap as well. You just have to be careful about not getting things just because you have a coupon.
When I coupon shop, it can take me 3 hours because I compare all the prices with brands to coupons, etc. You also have to really know your prices as compared to other stores. I have one store where I get my meat and I don Where they double the $1 coupon, I don I'm really careful about it and belong to an internet sites to help me as well.
I think I spend less at the store when [2008-11-18]
we eat out/order in. Of course, then our entertaining budget increases. But some things are cheaper to just order in. For example, pizzas -- I can get 2 large pepperoni pizzas from the local pizzeria for under $20. If I buy them in the store, I spend about $15 and then have to cook them and my kids don The frozen kind are also smaller.
I just got groceries this past Friday and spent $200. I had an entire cart full. In addition to the coupons I had, I also had a 20% discount on everything (one of those reward plans for spending so much the previous 2 months). I got value packs of skinless/boneless chicken breasts - buy 1 get 1 free -- $15 packs of chicken, breakfast sausage on sale, ham steaks on sale, plus my 20% off all that.
Overall, I think I spend somewhere around $150 a week on groceries. There are 5 of us -- me, my hubs, and 3 boys -- ages 6 to 11.
What I notice that I spend more on are school lunches. It costs $2.00 a day per child and I don I $2/day x 3 kids = $6/day x 5 days/week = $30/week x 4 weeks/month = $120 for lunch. YIKES!!! I think I can do better than that if I pack them.
I used to use coupons a lot [2008-11-18]
& had one of those little wallet things with tabs for organizing them. I haven't done that in years. Maybe I should get back to it.
There are 2 markets up here, a vons name brands are very expensive in that store. But the produce is always a lot cheaper than at vons.
It's actually something like a second job to get the bill that low. [2008-11-18]
I spend a lot of time studying sales and clipping coupons (doubled and sometimes tripled in our area). And I use bonus cards and shop at places like Aldisauce I just use olive oil, salt and pepper, GOOD cheese, maybe a little bit of chopped ham or dried sausage as a flavoring. Add some sauteed spinach or escarole, a little salad from whatever veggies looked good at the market. Add some beans to the salad to boost the protein, and we're eating very fine! I also haven't bought canned soup in .... probably ever. I save up chicken carcasses or buy the backs to make stock. I also make veggie stock and buy beef soup bones and make my own beef broth. The home-made stocks make all the difference when cooking from scratch.
I keep the grocery bills low by planning my shopping expeditions and cooking from scratch. It depends on how far you want to go with it. I love to cook. It's a creative outlet for me, so I find it relaxing. Someone else may not, in which case, buying convenience foods would lower their stress level and would be worth the extra expense.
I have a tracfone - sm [2008-11-18]
the minutes do not expire per se. Your service plan does though. I buy mine one year at a time, $99 for a year of service, then you buy minutes. Granted I buy a service plan and minutes together, and have the double minutes for life plan too. You can rollover minutes when your renew your service. You can get service either every two months or yearly I believe. I can text with my phone which is one of the Motorola flip phones. I used to have an old dinosaur Nokia but upgaded to a new phone for $10 or so at the Dollar store, phones are a lot cheaper there. If he is a yakker then it will get expensive fast, texting is a bit cheaper but he gets into the habit of doing that all the time his units will disappear fast. It is a good phone to have for the occasional call, etc. I would not use it as an everyday general use phone though. My old model phone actually worked better and got a signal just about everywhere, my new one is good but does not work everywhere my old one did, but I like it much better as it is smaller and lighter.
eating out of the [2008-11-18]
Colorado - we buy a half a grass fed beef for the freezer and that lasts a year. We buy a lot of the vending snacks at Sam's because we have teenagers that need food for their back packs or they will eat out because they are gone all day. We do not ever eat out unless it is a birthday and then we spend $100.00 on a nice restaurant. We have a garden for herbs, onions, garlic, etc.
Well this makes me feel better [2008-11-18]
We tend to eat out quite a bit on the weekends, although we never intend to. We usually eat out on Friday night, then sometimes on Saturday for lunch and dinner, then usually cook on Sundays...if I feel like it and we've had a chance to go to the store. Anyway, it's nice to see we're not the only ones who do this...
I'm embarrassed to say this, but [2008-11-18]
we usually eat out at least 3 if not 4 nights a week. Always eat out on Fridays and Saturdays and then usually Tuesday and Thursday nights.
I generally cook a large family meal on Sunday with enough leftovers to last through Monday. Tuesday night we either order in and Wednesdays we have breakfast for dinner -- my kids love that one. Thursdays we usually order in because it
We usually eat out Friday nights because we go to get groceries (I don Saturday we
We When it was a 15-minute drive to town, I planned our meals ahead of time and usually only ordered once a week or once every 2 weeks and we only ate out on Saturdays. We seemed to have picked up these extra 2 nights of ordering in out of convenience (a nicer word than laziness).
Oh the cost -- I have 3 kids and a hubby. On the nights we order in, we spend about $25 to $30 (saving because of no drinks or appetizers). When we eat out, the bill is usually around $50. So altogether, I guess I spend about $155 a week on eating out -- WOW/YIKES! Thanks for making me realize that. I think it
I can't imagine affording all those meals out, but I have some suggestions sm [2008-11-18]
I usually cook from scratch. My idea of fast food is a can of lentil soup, and I have that about once a month, occasionally twice. I make crockpot soups a lot because I am busy.
I will tell you, there is a place that is sort of between a restaurant meal and home cooking. I used to have kids at home, lots of them, and I would get too tired to cook. My answer was to hybrid the dinner, so to speak.
You can get Stouffer's lasagne which is good. You can pickup some ready-made stuff in your grocery store deli or freezer case. We liked the frozen Banquet chicken back in the day. I might get that, a box of flavored instant potatoes, potato salad or ready-made mashed to go with it. We might get a bag of salad too. Fresh fruit cups were nice if they were on special. You know, make a nice meal you don't have to 100% cook, but isn't going out.
These days, I see that you can get beef tips in gravy, or sliced beef in gravy and other prepared stuff at the store. It just takes looking. It is more expensive than doing it all yourself, but it is much cheaper than going out.
You can try another thing that is NOT everyone's cup of tea, and that is OAMC or Once A Month Cooking. This is my favorite website:
http://snider.mardox.com/plans.htm
I donmini plans using what is on special in a given week. They have breakfast plans, muffin plans, potato plans, chicken, beef, pork plans, ground meat plans, even some dessert plans. With planning, you can do this in bits and pieces. From people who have done far more of this than I have, they tell me that with soup already made, no chopping or messing, they are more likely to make fresh rolls, salad and even a quick dessert...round out any meal because the work is done. Obviously, it saves money.
Mexican Chicken soup [2008-11-18]
Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium rib celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 cups chicken broth, low-sodium canned
1/4 cup canned green chiles
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can posole, drained or frozen corn kernels
4 canned whole peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup cooked skinless shredded chicken breast (about 4 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, chili powder, and cumin, and cook until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat slightly, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the green chiles, posole, tomatoes, and oregano and cook for another 5 minutes.
Pull the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chicken, cilantro leaves, and lime juice. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
I normally buy 2 of the already roasted chickens at the store (Wal-mart) and eat most of one chicken for dinner and then use the leftovers as well as the next chicken for the soup, I know that is more chicken than what is called for, but it just really makes for a wonderful soup. I don't always have cilantro on hand so I usually leave that out. Also, for the whole tomatoes, I usually use a large can of crushed tomatoes. Sometimes the soup is a little to thin so I might throw in a handful of instant rice. My family can't get enough of it.
Thanks! [2008-11-17]
I really can't afford to go to the doc, but I didn't realize you can get diabetes tests from the store. Maybe I will try that just to rule that out. I had thought that it could be a possiblity as well. (And I have trouble staying away from sweets.)
My car is foreign...sm [2008-11-17]
I have always owned foeign cars. I currently drive a new Kia Spectra. I just bought it in May of this year. I am quite proud of it. It gets great mileage for me especially on road trips. I drove a VW New Beetle before I got the Kia, and I currently have it up for sale right now. It was a 99 model. Before the VW, I had a Toyota Corolla. Those are great cars. Before the Corolla I had a Toyota Camry. Before the Camry I had a Mitsibishi Eclipse. My first car was a Toyota Tercel. I don't have anything against American I just always like the cars I picked.
Tonya, perhaps you should be checked sm [2008-11-15]
Tell the doc or get a diabetes test from the drug store. My MIL did this and had a sugar problem which was solved with diet. I hope not, but save yourself some worry; caught early, most problems can be solved with diet alone.
Tonya, perhaps you should be checked sm [2008-11-15]
Tell the doc or get a diabetes test from the drug store. My MIL did this and had a sugar problem which was solved with diet. I hope not, but save yourself some worry; caught early, most problems can be solved with diet alone.
What I 'used' to do [2008-11-14]
They had a store in my area where you could buy canned goods without labels by the case. That was nice. The store is no longer there.
If there is astore that have off-brand names, buy there. For example,I bought 16 ounces of extra virgin olive oil from Italy for $4.99. There is also a store in my area that have name brands but they are close to expiration. I haven't been there yet, but you can buy Hamburger Helper at 4 for $5 every day.
Buy store brands instead of national brands. When there is sale, buy more than one and use coupons whenever possible.
Two other stores have sales where you can buy items 10 for $10. Examples of the items are Betty Crocker Specialty Potatoes, canned tomatoes, tuna, pasta, Pregoor Hunts spaghetti sauce, ketchup, etc.I stock up then.
Canned and dehydrated items are good items to stock up on, as are canned meats (good for casseroles). Butter and cheese is a bit tough to store. They say you can freeze butter without much of a problem, and I tested cheese, but it crumbles when it thaws.
If you have a farmer's market in your area, buy tomatoes and freeze them. They're good for casseroles and soups. Peppers and onions freeze okay for the same reason. I don't like frozen green beans, but they freeze well, as does corn.
Root veggies keep well in a cool, dry place for a few months. A book I have said you can keep them for a few months if you put them in a box andcover withsawdust (I haven' t tried this). They supposedly also keep well in the ground itself if you cover with large bales of hay. If you live in a city, that could be a problem.
Survival [2008-11-14]
My first suggestion is if you don't know how to cook from scratch, learn.
My stockpile consists of lots of dried beans and blackeyed peas, rice, dry spaghetti, flour and cornmeal along with ingredients for making bread such as baking powder. You can freeze these things of they will last a very long time if stored in air tight containers.
Lots of people say they don headed, I expect lots of people will think they're quite tasty when they're hungry.
If you have any kind of yard, invest in seeds and grow your own garden. You don If you don Fruit trees take a few years to matureso start planting fruit trees instead of decorative trees. Fruit trees make good decorative trees anyway. Learn how to can like your grandmothers and great grandmothers did. Those who will be hit hardest are those who live in apartments but, again, pinto beans and rice, even if you think you don ike it, will taste very good if you don If anyone is interested, I They can be a delicacy if properly prepared. Everything you need to make plain old beans a delicacy can be stockpiled and will last just about forever.
I always buy generic. [2008-11-14]
I oftentimes laugh when I am shopping at my local store as I know when a meal or baking is done what the problem could be in doing this as doubt anyone can tell or if there is a difference that I made this with generic eggs for say 1.29 a dozen rather than those fancy eggs with a little stick-on at about twice as much. Doubt it.
Find a local closest to home discount grocery.
Stock up on staples and store them appropriately. If you bake, store brown sugar with a piece of bread in it to keep it soft, replace it if you need to. Lots of items can be stored in freezer bags of the appropriate size, spaghetti, macaroni, etc. Better than the bag it comes in. Get those generic too.
I buy all my paper items in bulk - much cheaper to buy a 12-roll of TP on sle definitely than not. Just make sure its not single-ply!!
Before you push the panic button sm [2008-11-14]
This is a recession, quite possibly the mother of all recessions. It may turn into a depression, but it will run a very distant second to the Great Depression, IF it does.
Pre the GP (Great Depression) you several things going on that are NOT true today. We had come out of WWI not that long before. It had been a very bloody war, the first war with mechanized destruction. What the Doughboys witnessed was for them what we saw on 09/11...unimaginable death and destruction. It changed how they viewed America.
When these boys came home from the war, they came back to the farm, by and large. We were an agrarian country and with the exception of east coast, there were hardly any factory jobs and most people worked the land. Plenty of places all over the country people worked on shares and they were not all in the deep south and they were not all black. There was not nearly the land/home ownership that there is today. Most of these dirt farmers lived in poverty and barely scraped by enough to eat twice a day. When the great Dust Bowl came through Oklahoma, it took the enormous clouds of dust eastward and dumped it into the Atlantic Ocean. This was a man-made disaster and the story of the Joads in the Grapes of Wrath centers on the Dust Bowl and the farming habits of families, like the Joads caused them problems. It was their fault that the top soil blew across FDR's desk in the Oval Office.
There was no infrastructure to speak of, in those days. There were roadways, but not the spider web of paved roads there are today. Goods were carried on the rails, not over the roads. You didnin town and the Sears-Roebuck catalog. If you couldn't find it there or could not afford it you either cobbled something together or did without. You can look the Coal Miner's Daughter about being so low-down dirt poor it is unbelievable. That movie is quite cleaned up and Hollywood presentable. You could look at the sparse surroundings of the ranch house in Broke Back Mountain where Ennis goes after Jack dies, and while the time frame is more modern, the very plain, only the very basics of life appear in that ranch house. They are both a bit sanitized, but reasonably realistic.
Today, Americans live extraordinarily different lives than we did 80 years ago. Most people have a vehicle. Most people have more than a dirt floor shack to live in. We, have thanks to the Great Depression and FDR's recovery plan, electricity, roads, water, sewage and other sanitation. We take these things for granted, but we should not. The GP did bring some food shortages, not because of the depression, but because of the lack of infrastructure combined with people on the move to find work to subsist. The food shortages you are thinking of came with WWII and rationing...another problem secondary to lack of infrastructure and subsistence farming where there was not enough food produced to meet the need.
If you are going to stock up on food, let be for more common sense reasons. If you put your money in the bank, you will make 2% or 3% return on $500. If you put that same amount into nonperishable food (think canned goods), you make a better return on an investment. You don't earn 2% or 3%, but you can end up leveraging against future price increases that will meet and exceed what interest you make from a bank, which is nothing right now. You will need food whether you buy it now or buy it later. Squirreling away extra under the bed or whatever place you can find room, is a wise investment...financially and in peace of mind.
Has This Ever Happened To Any Of You Here? [2008-11-13]
This was unreal...I had made a trip to the store for cat food (before I became cat food LOL!) and while slowing down behind a car that was turning, I got hit in the back. No real damage, just a scruff on the bumper of my Subaru Forester, and a bit of a blow to my ego, but the dang kid who hit me was texting her boyfriend while driving and obviously not paying attention to the road. She was only 19 years old! Holy cow!
I got out, she got out...still texting. She said, Wait a minute, and continued texting. I couldn't believe it. I have that hands-free voice-activated cellphone setup in my Forester that DH set up for me, so I got back in and called the police department. If she hadn't been so rude, I might have let it go, but when she pulled that, I decided to teach her a lesson.
She was horrified to learn that I called the cops while she was texting. She actually yelled at me, saying, My Dad and on and on. I just stood there and looked at her.
The cop got there, threw the book at her: failure to yield, following too closely, texting while driving (it's a law here now -- you can't do that) and she has a nasty fine and her insurance is definitely going to go up. She was horrified.
Maybe she'll think twice before texting while driving again...before she causes real damage and people get hurt.
So thatHang up and drive!
Has this ever happened to any of you?
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