6 Reasons You Should Stock Up

The “preppers” are often seen as extreme. Who needs 300 rolls of toilet paper and 400 dehydrated meals in the basement? Who needs a ton of stuff we’ll never use.

Here’s a thought – if you’ll never use it, don’t stock up on it! Having a case of refried beans if I don’t  like refried beans doesn’t help when I want something to eat. Is it better than nothing? Certainly. But why not stock up what you like?

It’s important, too, to have it protected and accessible. Adjoining to or in a storm shelter, for example. If it’s upstairs and the home is destroyed in a tornado, it doesn’t help you. If the freezer survives, is full of food but you don’t have power, how will it stay cold? Stocking up considers many factors! Consider dehydrated or canned foods that don’t need power.

Here are six situations you’ll be glad to have the comforts from stocking up.

1. Unexpected company. Things happen – and with a reserve supply, you can easily add a little more to the meal for a one night unexpected, or have enough for a relative needing a place for a week or so. This doesn’t cut into your immediate budget, but will need replaced.

2. Summer weather – tornadoes, hurricanes – we’ve seen disaster after disaster. For those in Oklahoma – including a cousin of ours – some damage to the home and loss of the freezer and refrigerated food is a financial hit as well as immediate disaster needs hit. Excess heat can be a strain on power grids, leading to blackout situations where there is no power.

3. Winter weather – you’re snowed in for a week – what do you do? If you’re stocked up, you bundle up, keep the critters fed, snow off the roof and continue on – you have enough in your pantry without running to town to get dinner.

4. Unemployment. Things happen. Companies face hard times, bosses get laid off, and the house of cards could land at your desk. While we hope it doesn’t happen, it’s been a sad reality for millions – if you have months of food stocked up, precious funds can be used for keeping a roof over your head.

5. Illness. What if you – or your family breadwinner – got sick? Maybe it’s a persistent flu or maybe something more serious, such as a surgery where you need 6-8 weeks recovery time. Having basic household needs covered can give a peace of mind and allow you to treat it as the speed bump it is, not a brick wall.

6. Accident. None of us know what tomorrow brings. A car accident, a fall at home or a variety of problems that we may not foresee but are prepared for if there’s sufficient food and household goods on sale.

I hope none of our friends, family or customers ever face an F5 tornado, or a life altering accident. But if it happens, I hope that you have not just savings and insurance in place, but your personal insurance in stocking up food and necessities.

It may be more valuable than you know.