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Saturday, December 20, 2008

Business as usual

Well, I guess I'm not doing a very good job getting my ideas out to people in my area. I spent 45 minutes in Sam's Club today buying a few preps(yeast and spices I don't grow very well or can't) and I was deeply disappointed by what I saw. The items being purchased around me were flat screen TV's, and high end electronics, etc. The grocery side of the store was almost completely empty of people. I saw 2 older couples besides myself purchasing food.

Marion Illinois is a decent sized city. Across from Sam's is an indoor mall with the parking lots packed with cars. Just as many cars driving around as there always has been full of people that complain about being broke. The Ryans buffet parking lot looked like they were giving something away free from all the cars in it.

I don't understand this at all. Thousands of people right here in southern Illinois are a breath away from car reposession and mortgage default and they're running around burning gas like it's free and eating out? Spending money on big screen TV's and jewelery?

Oh, the cashier at Sam's gave me the wierdest look and asked me if I was out of all those things at home. Of course, par for my personality, I was just mildly rude and said "Ya think?" Geez, I just bought 7 items, it's not like I had a cart full or something.

So, I have officially passed the 9 month mark on my food prep. I can continue to cook exactly like I do now for 9 months for my family of 4 without any other source of food like the garden or the livestock, just counting what I've prepped. I'm feeling pretty good about it.

Nobody tell hubby, but I have a couple extra dollars saved up, I'm going to buy a pound or 2 of gloria Jeans flavored coffee for Christmas. Now, don't get all excited, I love my home grown Arabica, but I'll kill over a cup of Chocolate Carmel Truffle coffee from Gloria Jeans! I'm gonna surprise him with it Christmas morning :) Of course he'll be pleased but he'll say something like, "where's the Arabica?" just to mess with me....

7 comments:

  1. Sounds like you have done a very good job on your preps. And you grow your own coffee? Now that's a post that I would like to read. Never grown coffee before here but I would like to. I know what ya mean about people spending like crazy, my neighbors, who make it clear that they are on the brink of bankrupcy go to a fast food joint everyday.....Crazy!!

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  2. Now, EM- you know that it's illegal for a prepper to do something against the Prepper Laws, don't you? Is someone gonna have to report you for buying some Chocolate Carmel Truffle? Golly- you're livin' dangerous, Darlin'.
    ;) Shy
    Merry Christmas to you and yours.

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  3. HEY I LIVE DOWN BY SHAWNEETOWN,IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THERE ARE LIKE MINDED PEOPLE AROUND HERE!! GOOD LUCK IN YOUR PREPS.

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  4. Hello Scavenger, yup, I grow a type of Arabica, it grows bushy and doesn't mind the direct sun or crappy soil. I roast the beans in the oven but am gonna try the popcorn popper method here next batch.

    LOL Shy, I picked up some Mudslide and some Vanilla Carmel too!

    Welcome Shawneetown, I'm up by Thompsonville.

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  5. It is amazing to see! You would never know that the economy is in trouble by watching people at the stores. Lines are longer than ever to buy T.V.s and the newest cell phone, but I don't see anyone who is actually prepping for what is to come.

    It really is amazing how people just continue to spend themselves into a hole.

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  6. I was reading that you grow your own coffee. I'm over in NE Ohio and everyone told me that I can't grow coffee up here. After reading that you do it, it seems I should be able to as well.

    I'm also going to try my hand at growing my own tobacco as well. I started rolling my own and smoking my pipe because its so much cheaper than buying cigarettes. Its good to know that someone else out there is doing it!

    Thanks for helping a small homesteader and individualist out with that!

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  7. Hello OGS, thanks for stopping in! Yah, it is amazing, scary really.

    Hey Farmer, I've heard the old timers say that for here too but there's more than one type of coffee and tobacco. It's grown successfully in Canada so we can do it too. 100 years ago there wasn't some big agri-business controlling it all and people grew it all just fine :) Good luck to you!

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Comments always welcome