Comments on: Should We Start Hoarding Food?

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:15:38 +0000

Stocking up on food when it is plentiful is NOT ‘hoarding’ nor is it a bad thing to do. On the contrary, those who have stockpiles help alleviate demand during shortages because they don’t have to buy.

So there you have it: Stockpiling food is patriotic.

By: Jennyjenjen

Jennyjenjen — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:08:37 +0000

Look, I’m not hoarding food but I’ve decided to hoard honey. In Europe, our honey supplies are dwindling. My friend who has hives and is part of a huge honey bee enthusiast club, had to call off their honey show for two years in a row. I asked him about honey supplies and he said right now, it is catastrophic. He had a reduction of 50% at his hives and he said among his fellow beekeepers, they are taking loses of 75%. I hate to be like Winnie the Pooh, but I like my honey and there are certain varieties that are great. So, I’m stocking up.

By: Foamy

Foamy — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:27:53 +0000

There is a reason why squirrels do what they do. Whether it is by nature, or knowledge that winter is coming and the food supply will be low which causes them to hoard food, animals do what they do to survive. As mankind is supposed to be the most intelligent life form (debatable) in an industrial world we have gotten comfortable and have taken for granted the stability which modern society provides. Because things work and have worked for decades if not a couple of centuries, we wake up each day believing that the next will be for the most part the same. The trouble is that our stable dependence and sense of security and quite frankly our lack of understanding of how things work, has not only dulled our senses but has made us complacent and uninterested in the mechanics of the economy. The American economy can be summed up by point out that the government is broke, the country is broke, and the people are overly taxed, up to their neck in debt and broke. There is something wrong with the economic model. I will give you a hint. The answer lies in the fact that there must be a continuous stream of new debt that is created for the economy to grow. Seek to understand the Fractional Reserve model of banking, the Federal Reserve and try to understand that money is created out of thin air as debt. Once you understand this, you will understand why you need to hoard food now.

By: doomer

doomer — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:47:20 +0000

Well said Old Ant Geezer. If no one listens to you after that, then they know who to blame when they find themselves in the most dire situation

By: young 'un

young 'un — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 23:03:06 +0000

I think I’m one of those in-between hoarders. I do have food storage, but I don’t rotate it well. Also, I don’t use it as properly as I should. I just think of the food (mostly canned or boxed)as a cushion to help my twins and I during a tough time economically. I have established the food storage for many years, though. I tend to store extra junk food too, though. That is my “comfort food” that I can’t even think of being without. That’s where compulsive eating comes in. If I see a sale on something like Lucky Charms, I buy 5 boxes of it. We get through it, though. It’s just not as nutritional as other food. I think having food storage over a slow period of time is a good thing. Rushing out after an earthquake to get things that you should have stored already is irresponsible.

By: Really Old Ant Geezer

Really Old Ant Geezer — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:31:13 +0000

The difference between hoarding and being prepared is essentially that those who believe in preparedness acquire their long term food storage over a considerable period of time, store what they eat and eat what they store in rotation – all without creating waste or a shortage for others, as they do this during times of plenty. Such people are actually very few and far between as they make up the usual 2% that bother to do things like put anything away for a rainy day. As such they are no threat to anyone – in fact they should be an example to others.

A hoarder grabs everything in sight and squirrels it away at the last moment when faced with some sign of imminent danger and without consideration for the needs of others. Those who strip the shelves at their grocery store just before facing a head on strike from a hurricane are a very good example of hoarding. I don’t mean that everybody just simultaneously goes out to buy a few things at the same time and creates a shortage. When you see individual shopping carts piled up with an obvious excess of staples, leaving the shelves bare of certain commodities for other to purchase (including other hoarders) then you have a real case of panic buying aka “hoarding.”

Its the same old story of the ant and the grasshopper … the ants will always practice food storage … the grasshoppers will always fiddle around and procrastinate doing anything of the sort, then when disaster strikes, bitch to the authorities that the ants “have more than their fair share.”

Not true … food storage takes place during times of plenty, when everyone, including the grasshoppers, have an equal opportunity to see to their own possible future needs.

You couldn’t apply the grasshoppers philosophy to anything else, such as your saving account … would it be truthful to say that because I had worked hard and put money into my savings account, while the grasshopper fiddled his money away at Disney World and in other diversions and materialistic things, that I now “have more than my share of money” in my savings account ?

There are certain segments of our society that do need help during hard times and disasters. Generally speaking they are those that are truly in need of (temporary) welfare assistance due to circumstances beyond their control, or those who need permanent subsistence (charity) in order to sustain their lives.

Again, generally speaking, you will not find those among the needy being sustained by the grasshoppers of the world, who will most likely be found unashamedly standing in line right along with those far more deserving, trying to muscle in and get what they figure is “their share of the freebies.”

Its the ants that you will find that not only store for their own future security, but are out there contributing of their time, money and means to others who are despirately in need. You probably don’t even recognize them because they are not prone to “do their alms in public.”

Quite to the contrary, they do such things as pay their tithes and offerings to the church of their choice. Contribute to humanitarian efforts at home and abroad. Have not only food storage, but a certain amount of of their monthly income set aside for emergencies, don’t use credit cards, stay out of debt, and have provided for other contingencies such as dental and medical needs, life, home and auto insurance, retirement investments, and even burial policies.

If you are lacking in any of those areas, it might pay to go look in the mirror and see what’s looking back at you – it ain’t easy being green – especially if you have no food when you are hungry, no money when you have emergency repairs on home or auto, no coverage for health and welfare, no way to pay your rent or mortgage, no way to support your widow and children should harm befall you, nothing to live on during your golden-green years, and leave the very burden of your death and burial upon the backs of others.

Nope, let’s leave the ants out of this. Lets look truth and reality squarely in the face and see if the solution to the problem of “hoarding” might not be to become more like them instead of just being critical of them because we lack the same fundamental wisdom to put something in the cupboard for any hard times we might face in the future.

Eating is fundamental to our strength, health and well being, if we wish to survive … going to Disney World and then relying on the great government nanny to fulfill all of your needs should disaster strike is not “a plan” … it is merely a burden on others to do for you what you should be doing for yourself.

Shape up grasshoppers … and leave the ants and the government out of it.

Old Ant Geezer

By: Kathy

Kathy — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:10:11 +0000

I think now it’s obvious that there is going to be a huge price increase in food; perhaps shortage as well. It’s wise to put some food aside and also some jugs of water, at least in my opinion. Liked your comment, Old Geezer!

By: Old Geezer

Old Geezer — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 06:23:55 +0000

Well, well, well.
Hoarding-if it turns out you do not need it after all.
Sound planning- turns out you need it , eat it, and tide over bad times.
Sounds like predicting the future is a unknown quantity after all.
Visited my son in his new half million dollar house, and he was short on food and complained about the cost of things.
Maybe he could eat one of his two motorcycles, or deep fry his Mc Mansion for breakfast- any suggestions?

Frugal is in, cheap is king. Old Geezer

By: B.R.

B.R. — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:36:50 +0000

I think that the difference between hoarders and prepared people is in the mix. If you’ve got 2 years worth of rice, but only a week’s worth of anything else – you’re probably hoarding.

If you’ve got 12 months of food and supplies that you’re rotating and using – you’re just prepared.

I grew up with a full pantry, and generally have about 2 months supply of everything normal, with an additional couple of months of the basics. (wheat, sugar, milk, honey, chocolate, Bailey’s Irish Cream…)

By: M.Mc

M.Mc — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:27:56 +0000

You have to be rational, but also have enough insight to look around and see what’s going on. Hoarding and stocking up are two different things. It might well be a good time for stocking up on things you can afford to, know you will use, and won’t spoil easily. I’m old enough to have seen more than most and was raised by parents who were children of the Depression. So recent situations have concerned me. While no one should panic that only makes things worse. Life can be hard. Even harder if you’re unprepared.