Stockin' up!

Been reading some really awesome blogs lately....mostly about how to become more self sufficient. That's not the easiest thing to accomplish not only because we live within the "city-limits" but also because we have lived such a "gotta-have-it-now" generation!!! So, anyway back to the stockin' up...hubby & I went to the "city" (which means we had to travel 100 miles to the nearest place large enough to have any amount of stores to actually shop at) and stocked up! Stockin' up several years ago meant buying enough groceries to get us through a whole month, but in light of where our country seems to be headed it now means "stockin' up" on some real basics. Today we stocked up on flour, sugar, pinto beans and rice. Just as a little side note....I am praying to our great God that I will not have to survive on only these items, but if we do? Well, we are now stocked up...or at least as much as I know how. I mean.....when hubby asked me how much flour, sugar, bean and rice would it take for us to get through a year? All I could really do was take a "stab in the dark"! We've lived our entire 40+ years with EVERYTHING at our fingertips, sure throughout the years there have been spikes and extreme lows, but never has there been a time where any items where not available to us! I don't know about the general population, but with the rise in commodities, I do fear a shortage.....or at least prices to spike so high we simply cannot afford it or even our local stores not handling those items. Hubby & I both have great paying jobs and can handle a spike in rising energy costs....to some extent anyway, but what will we do when it is everything? Lights, heat, gas for cars, down to the basics of life meaning foo? Not so sure we can handle EVERYTHING! So...we've decided to stockpile, cut back and make due to the very best of our capabilities. So...I've decided to make due with what we have as much as I can. Kinda like the "Chose to Thrive" blog I follow. Instead of running out and buying something...look around, is there something you have that you can make work or something you can re purpose? Just this last weekend found I can re purpose coffee cans (the plastic type) to storage containers for my dried goods, with the help of some shelf paper, a awesome Christmas gift of a "Cricut" and a small amount of time I made a storage container for pinto beans and rice!!!
What happens when we see such a rise in energy costs that it affects the amount of family budget for food? Our electric bill for the month of December was almost $500! Yup, I said almost $500....$483.29 to EXACT! HOLY COW!!!! I almost had a heart attack....I mean COME ON!......our house is over 2,000 sq ft, but REALLY??????? Anyway....hubby & I got to talking about what it would take to survive a whole year without the ability or resources to purchase the basic foods. We are so not there.....but, after today? Well, let's just say we've made a dent in what it will take!