When people start talking about preparedness we need to understand the context. I want to be ready for the Zombie Apocalypse as much as the next guy, but is that really the challenge I’m going to face in the near term? Probably not.
In 2020, I bet one of your main concerns was how you were going to wipe your butt.
This simple concern is a far cry from fighting off zombie hordes, but it sure did affect a lot of Americans.
Toilet paper.
Supply Chain Woes
People learned how fragile our supply chain is over the past couple of years. I’m still amazed when I walk into the grocery store at how many random sections are just empty.
Don’t get me wrong, my local Kroger has a lot of food on the shelves. Sometimes, there is no beef. Other times half the cereal aisle is bare. It’s just weird and it feels like a crap shoot.
Throw in a product recall, and you might not see that product for months.
Buy in Bulk
I didn’t prepare for the great toilet paper shortage of 2020, but I never ran out of toilet paper. Why?
I never “stockpiled” toilet paper, but I didn’t buy the four-pack either.
I buy the largest pack of toilet paper I can buy. You can get 18-24 rolls at a time. Economically, it’s a big upfront expense, but you are getting more toilet paper for less money per roll. When you are halfway through that mega-pack, go ahead and pick up another 18-24 rolls.
Most of the challenges we are going to face in the 2020s are going to be supply-chain related. So you need to build a buffer.
We live in a Just-in-Time World
Almost every retailer in business today uses a just-in-time inventory model. What you see on the shelves is what they have in stock. Any disruption in the supply chain isn’t going to be resolved overnight. It’s going to take weeks or months to get products back on the shelves.
Jiff peanut butter was a great example of this cool little phenomenon. A recall of this popular brand of peanut butter due to salmonella concerns caused this popular brand to go MIA from the store shelves for months.
Jiff being one of the major peanut butter brands took up a lot of shelf space. When it was gone, consumers had to shift to the other smaller brands that didn’t have the inventory nor the production capacity to fill the void left by Jiff. There wasn’t a “run” on peanut butter, but the supply could no longer keep up with demand.
If you are buying your groceries and consumables in sparse quantities from a supply chain that has no inventory in the back; when that product is gone from the store shelves, it’s going to be gone from your pantry. You will not be able to replace it for the foreseeable future.
Wholesale Warehouses
If the stores you shop at are using the just-in-time inventory model (which most of them are) then you better keep some inventory in your home.
I’m not talking about “stockpiling”, but having a reasonable amount on hand to weather supply chain shortages. This is going to be dependent on the size of your family.
If you have 10 kids, keeping 10lbs of rice on hand isn’t going to cut it.
This is where wholesale warehouses help to keep your household inventory topped up. They tend to sell products in bulk and make it more economical to buy a little extra. You can get most of your food staples from these places.
It costs you a little extra on the front end to get started, but it will save you money in the long run.
Alternatives to the Staples
One of the other things I observed in 2020, was that people panic bought the food that others were panic buying. Good luck finding black beans and white rice back then.
The funny thing was that you could buy split peas, black-eyed peas, farro, black rice, & quinoa. Oh, and just about all the fresh veggies you could have wanted.
You need to be thinking about alternatives to the everyday staples you buy. I love quinoa and wheat berries. They are a great alternative to rice and can easily be substituted for rice in most dishes. Polenta, grits, and other cornmeal products can create some pretty hardy dishes as well.
Experiment with these alternatives and incorporate them into your everyday menu. The next time there are no rice and beans, you will be able to grab one of the alternatives without missing a beat.
And don’t forget to grab some more toilet paper!
