This thread is categorized under "Preparations - General".

Some preps make sense to do later than others. Certainly, all of the basic and essential preps (shelter, water, food, etc) need to be completed first, including any supplies that are in a niche or tight market. If it makes sense to do some preps first, then does it also make sense to save some, deliberately, for last? Some may feel they need to complete ALL preps as soon as possible. Others may have a "last list". Most likely, this is a relatively short list.

For me, any prep item where expiration is an issue comes to mind as being a candidate for doing last. One thing I have seen that some are saving for the last list is filling up the gasoline containers, since even with stabilizers gas is best used within a few months, from what I have read. Over the months, I have also seen some remarks from various posters (without wells) indicating that they may wait to fill up their water storage containers  although this seems more to be related to the freshness of the water than any other consideration.

I know that last is a somewhat subjective and relative thing. Even so, there may be some preps that are deliberately being left for last by those of us that continue to prepare. I thought it might be interesting and perhaps of some value to ask: What about you - what preps, if any, are you saving for last?

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), July 20, 1999

Answers

Buying fresh eggs.

-- robert waldrop (rmwj@soonernet.com), July 21, 1999.

Keeping gas tanks full. Bagged dried fruit with expiration dates. Bread, adding any good expiration date items so that food can be rotated with those purchased 1st, used first. purchase additional of any items used, food or supplies.

-- Sammie (sammie0X@hotmail.com), July 21, 1999.

I keep my "last minute" list right by the 'puter. Topping the list are small jars of mayonaise, several cases of margarine, p-nut butter, pound pkgs of yeast,salamie, laying pellets for chickens, dog and cat kibble, bird seed for my two little parrots and rabbit pellets for my two mini rabbits. Alfalfa is already in from Texas for supplementing the local hay and pasture for my 8 mini donkeys. We will double up our order of 2 ton to 4 ton of whole corn for chickens and donkeys and people, this fall. Years worth of round bales of grass hay will be coming in next week. Parrots and rabbits and chickens (7) get lots of goodies from the garden. Parrots like their bird seed the least of all. Will get some crackers and cereals and more duct tape, and problably more TP and paper towels for bartering.

Taz....who keeps thinking and will be perusing this thread for anything I have missed putting on the list.

-- Taz (Tassie@aol.com), July 21, 1999.

Save for last the things that were hardest for you to think of. Others will have the same problem. Toilet paper will go first, because that's what people think of now, when you mention shortage. Camp stoves will run out early, but soaps will run out late.

-- bw (home@puget.sound), July 21, 1999.

chocolate

-- Gus (y2kk@usa.net), July 21, 1999.

I believe what Scary Gary has to say about this topic: "Buy FIRST those items that have the narrowest pipeline", meaning the stuff that is only available in "limited" supply.

These "specialty" items are things like generators, guns, 55-gallon barrels, water filters, 5-gallon buckets, ammunition and the like.

The "regular" stuff like food will be available the longest. (Probably easily into October) I waited the longest on the guns and ammo, and am now (somewhat frantically) trying to make those purchases. I received an email yesterday from someone who said that he had proof that ammunition sales will be stopped by the gov't on Oct 1st. He emailed me as he was leaving on a 2-week vacation, so now I get to wait to hear the whole story. In the meantime, buy ammo.

Food is indeed the LAST item on my list. I already have about 4 months' worth, but need more bulk stuff, pasta, canned goods, etc. Will be buying this stuff right along, "until..."

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), July 21, 1999.

Except for items with a short shelf life, I'm trying to get everything else as soon as possible now. I'm thinking that if a strong hurricane hits this season, there are going to be the usual nationwide shortages of all sorts of construction materials, like lumber and fencing, and accompanying high prices. Of course, for affected areas, there will be shortages of a greater variety of goods, such as generators, candles, batteries, lamp oil, etc., etc. Taz, living in Florida as you do, I know you've got this possibility in mind too.

BTW, I bought Hill's Science Diet Senior cat chow today, exp. date is June 2000. Funny--it's the same exp. date as the people chow I bought (bran flakes)! I'll be buying 20lbs of cat chow a week now until I have a good supply for the cats. The cases of canned food I got (Friskies) expire April 2001.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), July 21, 1999.

Caviar: can't go thru a birthday without it. It's a tradition.

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), July 21, 1999.

I already have bottled water from Wal-Mart, but I will wait to fill my large drums until December. Will wait to buy gasoline for cans until then, too.

The main "last minute" items for me are food products with a short shelf life. Mayonnaise, crackers, Velveeta, Cheez Whiz, etc.

Everyone in my family will get their teeth cleaned in December. The oil will be changed in the vehicles; all clothes, towels, sheets, etc. will be washed and dried. I, too, have a list of "things to do." I figure things may be a little stressful then, so better to have a list! :-)

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), July 21, 1999.

Well, Rob, this is a little different I guess.

I'm planning to empty my refrigs and freezers between Christmas and New Year's. This may not seem like such a big thing, but it's going to mean a lot of canning and drying (we'll have a pig or two in there by then, plus a lot of veggies) -- and this all assumes that there haven't been some glitches that halt electricity before then.

If power's off for a couple days due to weather, I might empty before the Holidays.....

Not looking forward to it.

Anita E.

-- Anita Evangelista (ale@townsqr.com), July 21, 1999.

Anita: have fun. My meat freezer is filled with sockeye. If the power goes off before it's cold, we will have to live in the yard [forever]. So it seems.

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), July 21, 1999.

Old Git,

I will need to be stocking up on dry dog and cat food, too (expiration dates are too early yet-- this fall and next feb :-( ). Do you have any good suggestions about how you are storing the pet food so as to keep it from pests (insects/rodents) or other problems? Some discussion on the prep for pets thread, but still looking for good ideas. Thanks much.

regarding Rob's original question. Since I just GI, I guess by default (and inadvertently) I saved all my preps for last... What I'm prepping for as finances allow are food, and inbetween paychecks gathering as much info as possible to make decisions on best for my situation gear (water filter, water storage, ...) Seeing some great solutions that I can only dream about (alternate heat, solar power, generators, etc.) The rest of my family seem to 'GI' with exception of one, but not with the same sense of urgency. Sometimes I feel like I'm prepping alone-- or am being indulged/humored a bit. There was a great sale on kitty litter so I got a few extra bags (okay, so maybe it's "prep as prep can"). Sister's comment: "Y2-Kitty?" Yeah, I had to laugh, too.

-- winter wondering (winterwondering@yahoo.com), July 21, 1999.

Flour, hard candy, and other items that are traditionally on sale during the holiday season...and which don't store as well.

Gasoline (but not too late...).

Low priority items...

Items we can't afford now (oxygen kit, sailboat...).

Items which will probably be found only in garage sales (manual typewriter).

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), July 21, 1999.

Fruitcake LOL.

Bigger clothes/shoes for the youngun, good Christmas presents.

-- Mommacares (harringtondesignX@earthlink.net), July 21, 1999.

Treat your dry cat and dog food like rice, wheat, or pasta. Put it in a white food-grade bucket, and treat it with dry ice (method is on another thread). Being a Dog, I have done this with my dog's food. Us dogs gotta stick together you know... : )

snoozin'...

The Dog

-- Dog (Desert Dog@-sand.com), July 22, 1999.

Beer and Champagne. Y2K or not I plan to be tipsy at midnight.

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), July 22, 1999.

Just got a 1000 gal LP tank dilivered. MAN that was like pullin teeth! You wouldnt believe how hard it was to get a 1000 gal tank now a days. I had to swich gas companeys and pay $.02 more per gal. I thought it was worth it though.

The last thing I will buy is grain for the livestock. I think the prices will not go up only down.

Gas will go up.... I am waiting for as long as I can. Want to get it late in the year but not so late that the prices are outragous.

My answers are LP, Gas, Grain. Everything else on my list is done.

When I am completely done.....I will work hard at making more money. Going to through myself into my work and try to forget this mess, if just for a week or two. I am getting burnt-out. I went on a vaccation.....it didnt help.

-- bulldog (sniffin@around.com), July 22, 1999.

My preps are pretty well completed, but one last thing I plan to do as soon as the hurricane season is over (end of September) is to buy a bunch of the frozen items I normally use. My rationale is that I would rather stock up with enough to get me to 01/01/00, and hopefully not need to make many trips to the grocery store in November and December. If anyone actually wakes up this fall, grocery stores may not be my favorite place to be...

-- Bob (bob@bob.bob), July 23, 1999.

Oops - I should clarify that a bit. I didn't mean I was intending to stock up on a bunch of frozen pizzas and junk. I intend to buy a couple months worth of meat, frozen veggies etc. If the grocery stores become a nightmare late this year, I don't want to fight the crowds and bare shelves (seen enough of that a couple days before a hurricane), and I don't want to dip into my preps either.

-- Bob (bob@bob.bob), July 23, 1999.

Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr near Monterey, California

Hopefully, we will have prepared well enough so that when folks start rushing the stores, we'll be looking for stuff they're not. For example, while they're filling their carts with tuna, we can get our last batch of cheese to wax.

-- PrepDancr (addy.available@my.webpage.neener.autospammers--regrets.greenspun), July 23, 1999.

Bob,

That's what we tell folks. You don't want to go to the post office in the week before xmas, and you don't want to go grocery shopping in December 1999. People seem to understand that real quick. So stock for Y2k, and then stock an extra month for December.

-- bw (home@puget.sound), July 23, 1999.

Did anyone mention extra batteries?

Cold weather gear (got some, want more - need to outfit kids for 2 years rather than one).

Nuts, especially the unsalted variety (although I have some frozen ones now).

Skin creams.

Canned meats - although I have some, I've been concerned about the exp dates on them and plan to buy much more, closer to the end.

-- Tricia the Canuck (tricia_canuck@hotmail.com), July 25, 1999.

To the top, now that it's November

-- Libby Alexander (libbyalex@aol.com), November 04, 1999.