Mathew, how did you fare during the Great Texas Freeze this past February? I remember you post some pretty desperate things that would lead one to believe you were unprepared.
During the Great COVID Panic of 2020 as well as the Texas Freeze we didn't have to worry about T.P. or canned goods. Or pharmaceuticals (soap, sanitizer, etc.) Unfortunately, we had to hustle to keep a stock of things like frozen foods, convenience foods, and produce/refrigerated goods. Those things are hard or impossible to "prep", unless you start a full farm.
During the Great Texas Freeze, the biggest problem was milk. We normally buy 9 gallons a week. It requires refrigeration AND takes up a *lot* of space. I don't really have the buildings/infrastructure, nor the time & money to mess with dairy farming. You can't just buy a cow and put it on a leash attached to a stake somewhere in your yard.
For one thing, we have lovely green grass on our acreage -- several months a year. The rest of the year is drought, in which the whole land dries up, the grass turns brown and stops growing, and huge fissures (sometimes large enough to put your fist in) open up all over the land. This goes on for MONTHS. Every single year without fail. So I'd have to buy hay for any farm animals during those drought months. And guess what? When you need to buy hay, so does everyone else! So it's harder to find AND more expensive.
We live on the same kinds of foods as everyone else. And even when it comes to healthy natural foods, we're as spoiled as anyone else. I want avocados, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, etc. year round. Some of those things don't grow well in Texas, or in our soil. And normally each of those vegetables has a season.
Let's just say I'm not "so stupid I don't even know how stupid I am". I know so much about survival, I am
well aware how limited my preparations are. I am not able/willing to spend all day practicing and raising food. That is a *huge* time commitment. I also have too much going on to take the plunge and get farm animals.
When it comes to keeping enough food around, we're playing on "hard mode" because we're a family of 11. The more people, the quicker you go through things. We have some space for storage but A) it's limited and B) that doesn't go for refrigerator/freezer space. We haven't resorted to putting a freezer or fridge in the chapel or living room yet.