Inspired by "Winter storm.."

[C.Ann]

Was thinking about some of the replies on there - this whole "milk and bread" thing whenever the weatherman says there's even a "chance" of a storm - and was wondering what all of you run out to get at the store - if in fact you "run" out to the store..

I can understand the bread - pb&j sandwiches for meals could hold you over for many a day if need be - but unless you're going to keep the milk outside (in the event that you lose your power) it's going to go bad pretty quick.. (My Mom always had dried milk in the house for "just in case"..)

Also, unless you have a gas stove - or a camping stove - there's not much point in stocking up in canned goods like soup and such - unless you want to eat it cold or build a campfire in the backyard..

We always try to focus (if need be) on items that don't require "refrigeration" to avoid spoilage - or "heating" to be tasty..

That's not to say I haven't mentioned to my DD's DH the possibility of getting a camping stove and some propane cylinders "just in case" - but so far he hasn't shown any interest because we have yet to have a storm that required sandwiches for meals for a few days..

So what do you run to the store to get?

 

[TheGottis]

Also, unless you have a gas stove - or a camping stove - there's not much point in stocking up in canned goods like soup and such - unless you want to eat it cold or build a campfire in the backyard..

We have a gas grill that we always keep filled and ready to go... most of them now have the side heating element like a stove that you can use a pot on. We have also grilled food that we were worried would go bad...

 

[Jennasis]

Yup...gas grill is filled and we also have a generator. We have a water pump for our well and no electric means no water (for the house and our 18 or so horses). But when the manure-hits-the-fan, weather-wise, we buy canned soup, crackers, cereal (it's good dry!), peanut butter and jelly, bread, milk, eggs, canned vegetables, canned chili (notice a canned theme). Non-perishables are key.

 

[laurie31]

I personally don't run to the store to get anything, because I am one of those people who shops at Sam's and I have enough food in my house to last for a month at all times

However, I guess if we were low on something perishable, I would go get it. We drink a LOT of milk at our house (nearly a gallon a day) so if the roads were closed for a day or two it would be a big deal if we ran out.

We rarely lose power, but we can get "snowbound" due to the closed roads. I think that's what prompts the "panic buying." The idea that you'd be trapped in your home with nothing to feed your kids (or yourself - lol)

 

[freckles and boo]

Pull-ups and wipes for the little one. My spouse would vote for beer. I must have caffeine.

 

[C.Ann]

We have a gas grill that we always keep filled and ready to go... most of them now have the side heating element like a stove that you can use a pot on. We have also grilled food that we were worried would go bad...

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I gotta get after this boy! LOL.. I don't mind pb&j sandwiches, but if I can't have my coffee, I get REAL ugly!! As a matter of fact, just this Monday we had an ice storm.. I had a gut feeling that as soon as my SIL left for work the power was going to go out, so I quick got up and made myself a cup of coffee in my "one-cup".. (I have a "thing" about coffee that's been sitting for over 15 minutes or so..) Sure enough, just as I finished my coffee the power went out - and stayed out all day into the early evening.. I called my SIL at work and asked him to swing by Dunkin Donuts on his way home and get one of those "Box 'o Joe 10-cups of coffee to go" thingamajigs..

When he got home, he told me the conversation went like this:

SIL: "I'd like to get a Box 'o Joe.."

Girl at counter: "You don't really want that - it empties all our pots at once.."

SIL: "Yes - I do want a Box 'o Joe.."

Girl at counter: "Are you sure you want the Box 'o Joe?"

SIL: "Look - I'm on my way home.. My mother-in-law lives with us part of the year.. She hasn't had any coffee since 7:30 this morning.. I NEED THAT BOX 'O JOE!!!!"

Girl at counter: "Oh my gosh! You're right!! You DO need that Box 'o Joe!! I'm on it!!!"



Funniest part? By the time he got home, the power was back on - and I was sitting here enjoying my one-cup of Folger's - my "favorite"..

 

[arminnie]

-SIL: "Look - I'm on my way home.. My mother-in-law lives with us part of the year.. She hasn't had any coffee since 7:30 this morning.. I NEED THAT BOX 'O JOE!!!!"

Girl at counter: "Oh my gosh! You're right!! You DO need that Box 'o Joe!! I'm on it!!!"

That is SO funny. I can just see that counter girl hopping to it!

We always have so much food here that I rarely "need" to go to the store for a storm, but sometimes it is just my regular time to go shopping, and I see all of the lines.

Our power hasn't gone out (yet) although my sister who is only a mile away has lost hers for as long as a week during an ice storm.

We are at the top of a very steep hill - it's small circle of a street with almost no traffic. No road clearing for us -even just the kind that comes from multiple cars driving through. I don't mind snow, but ice is just too treacherous. I have visions of getting to the bottom of the hill, sliding through the stop sign, and right into the front door of the house that is across the street.

 

[Jpgirl]

Don't do the winter store runs anymore. I did go to the store Sun (before this supposed ice storm hit Houston) but only because it was a regular shopping trip. Now for Hurricane Rita here's what I did. Had all the cars filled with gas (used to do this for winter storms too), generator gas cans all filled, bought charcoal for the grill. Already was prepared from the hurricane list. The day before the storm hit we went to the store and bought beer, wine, junk/comfort food and bakery goods-only because the store was trying to get rid of perishables and we paid pennies for bakery goods. If it ever happens again I'd get more junk food-I really craved it during the whole storm. Nothing like Oreos for breakfast while you're playing poker with the kids (they're adults). Sandwiches and canned goods get old when the electricity is out for more than a day

 

[ZachnElli]

Well, I do stock up on milk. It doesn't go bad quickly unless it's been opened and even then you got a week. My dh and kids love milk and we go through a ton of it. I also have an extra frig and put the milk in there. I also get plenty of toilet paper and kleenix. I did stock up this past time because there was a chance we could have gotten a lot of snow plus subzero temps. I can do subzero temps and alot snow, but I don't do good when we get them at the same time!

 

[CEDmom]

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I gotta get after this boy! LOL.. I don't mind pb&j sandwiches, but if I can't have my coffee, I get REAL ugly!! As a matter of fact, just this Monday we had an ice storm.. I had a gut feeling that as soon as my SIL left for work the power was going to go out, so I quick got up and made myself a cup of coffee in my "one-cup".. (I have a "thing" about coffee that's been sitting for over 15 minutes or so..) Sure enough, just as I finished my coffee the power went out - and stayed out all day into the early evening.. I called my SIL at work and asked him to swing by Dunkin Donuts on his way home and get one of those "Box 'o Joe 10-cups of coffee to go" thingamajigs..

When he got home, he told me the conversation went like this:

SIL: "I'd like to get a Box 'o Joe.."

Girl at counter: "You don't really want that - it empties all our pots at once.."

SIL: "Yes - I do want a Box 'o Joe.."

Girl at counter: "Are you sure you want the Box 'o Joe?"

SIL: "Look - I'm on my way home.. My mother-in-law lives with us part of the year.. She hasn't had any coffee since 7:30 this morning.. I NEED THAT BOX 'O JOE!!!!"

Girl at counter: "Oh my gosh! You're right!! You DO need that Box 'o Joe!! I'm on it!!!"



Funniest part? By the time he got home, the power was back on - and I was sitting here enjoying my one-cup of Folger's - my "favorite"..

Thank goodness I wasn't drinking anything as I read this .

I don't make a special trip when we're going to have a storm. We have enough food here and honestly we don't have power outage issues so cooking isn't a problem. We have gas anyway.

 

[Laz]

Can't forget to stock up on the toliet paper! I would hate to be snowed in without that!

 

[UrsulasShadow]

I'm married to the milkman...I don't have to run out for anything, except my soymilk (we're all lactose-intolerant here in the milkman's family).

 

[jonestavern]

Since I'm a stockpiler--we live in the sticks--don't really have to run out to get anything. I do fill up buckets so we can flush--we have a well pump & that takes electricity --Flushing is such a lovely thing, really. We do have chamber pots just in case
Topping off the kerosene for the portable heaters is a must. I have plenty of Sterno, candles & oil lamps. We have lots of anti-freeze in case we have to drain the water pipes~
All said, I'd love to have a generator to run the heat & well pump!

Jean

 

[jonestavern]

I'm married to the milkman...I don't have to run out for anything, except my soymilk (we're all lactose-intolerant here in the milkman's family).

Oh no!

Jean

 

[C.Ann]

In all fairness, SIL is looking into purchasing a generator - to power the fridge, stove, 1 light, the furnace, and most importantly, my ONE-CUP!!

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I've been through two ice storms where we were without power for days - and still don't run out and grab things for a bad forecast - with the exception of videos to hunker down with if we can't get out to do the usual stuff. The weather forecasters are usually wrong here anyway - can't panic everytime they issue a warning....

and even with the ice storms - while homes were without for a long time - busineses were up and running soon enough

they are forecasting lake effect for Fri and SAt - and I am only worried about getting out to get the weekly stuff I had planned on before the sale ends - not stocking up on anything out of the ordinary...

then again we use rice milk that is sealed and lasts forever - we buy it by the case anyway....we have stuff left over from camping to cook on....I try to keep stuff stocked (I have emergency stuffed stocked all the time...for Bird Flu or just in case - really don't want to get in one of those discussions) so we are good for the usual stuff winter could hand us.....

coffee: I usually have espresso powder - a little hot water and I have a good enough coffe substitute!!! - well, for a few days anyway

 

[Laz]

In all fairness, SIL is looking into purchasing a generator - to power the fridge, stove, 1 light, the furnace, and most importantly, my ONE-CUP!!

Your Fridge sucks the most power. I was also told that you have to consider surge as well as just running power. When something like a fridge kicks on, it pulls more power that it does when it is just running. You also must consider the cords you use to plug it in. They must be able to handle the capacity.

I got one a couple of years ago that has 5500 watts with 8500 surge. It runs the basement and 1st floor lights, Refrigerator, gas furnace fan, and 2 1/2 horsepower sump pumps. I had a hard wire and seperate circut box connected to the main board with a switch to disconnect from the electric service. I did not want electricute the technician trying to repair the electricity. I still have enough power left to plug in some other things if I need to

 

[C.Ann]

Your Fridge sucks the most power. I was also told that you have to consider surge as well as just running power. When something like a fridge kicks on, it pulls more power that it does when it is just running. You also must consider the cords you use to plug it in. They must be able to handle the capacity.

I got one a couple of years ago that has 5500 watts with 8500 surge. It runs the basement and 1st floor lights, Refrigerator, gas furnace fan, and 2 1/2 horsepower sump pumps. I had a hard wire and seperate circut box connected to the main board with a switch to disconnect from the electric service. I did not want electricute the technician trying to repair the electricity. I still have enough power left to plug in some other things if I need to

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Yup - my SIL is "up" on all of this stuff - this type of thing has been in his line of work for years.. Monday you culd hear generators running all over the neighborhood! We got lucky though - not days and days like those poor folks out west..

 

[Nicolepa]

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Yup - my SIL is "up" on all of this stuff - this type of thing has been in his line of work for years.. Monday you culd hear generators running all over the neighborhood! We got lucky though - not days and days like those poor folks out west..

I'm assuming your talking about us in the great powerless state of Washington!

One plus we have out here is that a lot of homes have gas stoves and water heaters. So during out power outage we weren't too bad off we. If the temperature hadn't dropped into the 30's we would have been great.

On day 1 I managed to score a 12 cup coffee maker that's made to go over a gas camping stove. I took the grate off my stove and we had coffee. I was also able to supply coffee to all the neighbors who needed it. I seriously made coffee for a couple of hours each morning. Dinner every night was spaghetti, because I couldn't let homemade sauce from the freezer go to waste. Lunch we had grilled cheese, soup, eggs. Breakfast was pancakes, eggs, oatmeal, cereal.

We did have a generator, but had never wired it to the house, so at the end of day 1 dh finally ran extention cords into the house and fortunatly we were able to get gas on day 2. I put everything that could possibly be frozen into the freezer and we ran the generator a couple of hours in the evening (from dark to kids bedtime) to keep it cold.

Day 3 my house got into the 40's and my daughters asthma started to kick in so after a visit to the ER dh put a plug on the furnace and then was able to plug it into the generator. Of course as soon as he did that the power came back on.

We were lucky because on day 4 we were leaving for Disney.

Also after Katrina dh finally got freaked and started our emergency preparedness (earthquake), so we had a radio, lights etc. I grew up poor so I always overstock in the food department, that is never an issue in our house. Well actually it is now because of the outages, then the snow storm we just had. I haven't been able to work on my stockpile. These food emergencies keep happening!

 

[DaisyD]

We don't run out for anything. My mom goes out and gets the bread and toilet paper which I never understood. If we need anything we just wait til it snows and then go out. No one is every in the grocery store after the snow falls.