December budget buster.....UGH, does it ever end???

[smiles&grins]

We had something like this happen to us before. I'm so sorry you have to deal with this right now. You did what you had to - made sure your family was safe. Sooner or later it has to get better. But I'm sure all the animals in your area are saying your the place to be for the good food!!!

 

[jstack]

I live about 10 miles from Washington DC and we got hit hard by the same storm. I feel really bad for you and think you did the right thing by getting your kids to a warm and safe place. I agree with the previous post, call and see if you can extend your truck payment. Good luck and let's hope we don't see any storms like that again this year!

 

[madge]

So the snow came down on friday December 18th. and kept coming down and down and down. It started at about 3pm that day and by 6 we had about 8 inches on the ground. Long story short, at 7pm we lost power, phone, and everything else you can lose to make your life crazy. By saturday morning we had 31 inches. 2 1/2 feet of snow!!! Anyhoo, it started warming up and the snow melted. it got up to about 45 degrees a few days....but we had no power, so it didnt do us any good. We had no heat and no food and no water and no phone so we had to leave our house. Luckily my Uncle had a generator and we went up there. But still, 9 days later, the electricity comes on and all our food is ruined. Im talking over $500 worth of food in my fridge is GONE!!! So now I have to find a way to start all over and I have creditors calling and wanting their money and I have to feed my family and Im just so stressed I could pull out my hair. so while I know there are others with bigger problems, we do now have power, phone and everything, I still have no food and have to decide on which is more important, feeding the family or paying a truck payment. UGH!!!

we lost power for a week in January, thanks to an ice storm ... Farm Bureau reimbursed us for food loss. It might be worth it to call your homeowner's insurance company!

 

[daleswife]

I live about 10 miles from Washington DC and we got hit hard by the same storm. I feel really bad for you and think you did the right thing by getting your kids to a warm and safe place. I agree with the previous post, call and see if you can extend your truck payment. Good luck and let's hope we don't see any storms like that again this year!

was a nasty storm!!!! the Trees just couldnt take it......and there are a lot of trees here!!!

Called the truck loan place and they arent extending payments at this time.....ugh. Called the insurance company and they are gonna get back with me....UGH.....I cannot wait until we can file our taxes and get some money to pay some stuff off.......

 

[disneymom3]

Good idea, but priority #1 was getting my kids safe and warm. Didnt even think about the food really, just gathered as much as I could and left.....

Yes of course, I understand. My suggestion about the garage was simply coming from the fact that I didn't grow up in MN and hadn't even thought of it until my DH acted like it was just a normal thing to do when we were without power. So, it's something I was throwing out just as a suggestion.

 

[wdwfan16]

I grew up where we got snow storms all the time. We learned to keep jugs of water in our freeze to prolong the time we had before thawing occurred. The jugs of water are like a fly wheel.

I have also lived through a hurricane. A hurricane and snow storm are very different. In a hurricane you need to get out quickly or ride out the storm. A snow storm you wait for the plows to come and then go out. So you have much more time to get what you need. No need to run out of the house. You collect what you need, fill the car and then wait for the plow.

 

[Suz D]

Thank you so much for understanding. I was just venting. everyone seems to think they know what they would do in this situation until it happens to them. I thought it would be cold enough to keep all my frozen stuff outside, but two days it hit 45 degrees and it all ruined. Animals getting into it and no I dont care if a bear comes into my yard, it happens. But its mostly racoons and Opossums and strays. When we did get power, my freezer was on 42 degrees and it would have ruined if I left it in there. Make a choice, take a chance in the house or put it outside and take a chance. I made a choice and it turned out to not work for me. but leaving it in the house wouldnt have worked either. it was a no win situation. did I buy the food all at once? NO I didnt and will it take a long time to put it back, Yes, it will, am I gonna buy it all at once, no I dont have that kind of money. but its a big budget buster to me and my family to lose that kind of food. When people out there have that extra pack of chicken in their freezer for those days between grocery trips for their families. I dont have that. but I did.....

I do understand why this is a budget buster. It isn't that you were going to eat everything in your freezer this week and now need to replace it. If you are like me (and its sound like you possibly are) you buy meat and things on sale and stick them in the freezer. Buying larger quantities on sale helps stretch your grocery budget instead of paying full price. Most shopping trips I buy fresh things, milk, cheese, bread, veggies for 7-10 days and then buy lots of sale items to stock up our food storage. We'd be in the same boat if we lost power.

Thanks to the poster for the suggestion of freezing water jugs. I had heard that, but had forgotten it.

I hope you hear from your insurance company soon and that the news is positive!

 

[seashoreCM]

>>> 500 meatballs
>>> 35 lb. chicken

To avoid having to thaw out the whole thing, take what you need, and refreeze the rest at the cost of a loss in flavor, saw off what you need and leave the rest frozen. (You can use an ordinary carpenter's hand saw.)

It would be nice if there were cold storage facilities that could be put into service to keep people's frozen food (on a hockey rink and covered with a blanket?) But tampering and food poisoning and liability enter into the issue so providing this service would be difficult.

 

[daleswife]

I grew up where we got snow storms all the time. We learned to keep jugs of water in our freeze to prolong the time we had before thawing occurred. The jugs of water are like a fly wheel.

I have also lived through a hurricane. A hurricane and snow storm are very different. In a hurricane you need to get out quickly or ride out the storm. A snow storm you wait for the plows to come and then go out. So you have much more time to get what you need. No need to run out of the house. You collect what you need, fill the car and then wait for the plow.

The plows weren't coming. There were electrical lines down everywhere and trees down everywhere and they just could not get through. It was at least three days before the plows even started coming through cause it took that long to get all the trees and power lines up off the road to get them through. We had to ride an ATV up to my uncles house. My DH took my son, came back and got my DD, then me. its not like I had much choice. For three days everything was shut down. Ive lived through hurricanes too and a snow storm that dumped two and a half feet of snow and no power is a heck of a lot worse than a hurricane....mainly cause during a hurricane the weather is warm and power may or may not be lost. in a snow storm, the weather is freezing and no power cause of trees and power lines down is a lot worse. I hope none of you have to go through this. If you dont live here in WV you will probably never understand. We dont have resources like most of you have.

 

[wdwfan16]

The plows weren't coming. There were electrical lines down everywhere and trees down everywhere and they just could not get through. It was at least three days before the plows even started coming through cause it took that long to get all the trees and power lines up off the road to get them through. We had to ride an ATV up to my uncles house. My DH took my son, came back and got my DD, then me. its not like I had much choice. For three days everything was shut down. Ive lived through hurricanes too and a snow storm that dumped two and a half feet of snow and no power is a heck of a lot worse than a hurricane....mainly cause during a hurricane the weather is warm and power may or may not be lost. in a snow storm, the weather is freezing and no power cause of trees and power lines down is a lot worse. I hope none of you have to go through this. If you dont live here in WV you will probably never understand. We dont have resources like most of you have.

So you did have time while your DH was out with the ATV. Also you could have come back.

We got 2 feet in that same storm. They had us plowed out my mid-day Sunday.

 

[merekc]

So you did have time while your DH was out with the ATV. Also you could have come back.

We got 2 feet in that same storm. They had us plowed out my mid-day Sunday.

Wow. Just Wow.

OP. Most people realize you were just venting in the original post. We can always look back with hindsight because there is usually someway of improving. But we also can't keep beating ourselves up over things. (and don't take it personal that others keep kicking a dead horse).

Hope things start looking up for you and you have a safe and happy holiday.

 

[luvsJack]

So you did have time while your DH was out with the ATV. Also you could have come back.

We got 2 feet in that same storm. They had us plowed out my mid-day Sunday.

Why are you choosing to be so judgmental?

She was venting about the money she lost on the lost food. Its not like she was asking for a handout or something!

Things happen, power is lost and freezers and fridges full of food is lost. It is frustrating and it costs money.

 

[kellyg403]

OP, I feel for you. We live on the coast of NC and if we even got an inch of snow it would be all over for us. No snow plows, no one can drive etc. I couldn't imagine having FEET of the stuff.

I agree with others, keep up with the insurance company. Depending on your deductible you might be able to get something there. Back in 96 when we had back to back hurricanes, we lost power for over 15 days. Because the weather was SO warm we lost everything within the first two days. At that point, when you are cooking on the grill and trying to get by it really does make you unhappy. We had USAA and they were able to send us a check. We actually lost our fridge totally because when the surge came through it fried the fridge and the whole one side of the kitchen. Total mess.

Good Luck to you OP. I hope that you are able to get things in order again soon. I will be thinking of you!

Kelly

 

[kellyg403]

And I also agree with others...hindsight is twenty twenty. You did the right thing for your family. Every year I think I have enough stuff to get through a hurricane, or have a plan in place but who knows how bad it will be? You can do everything right and it still NOT be enough.

Kelly