I hear you. We live in Central NY which is no stranger to snow and BAD driving conditions.
It's astounding the number of people even here who seem to think that SUV alone is enough. I have an SUV and put the best snow tires I could find on it. I don't expect to get stuck ANYWHERE this winter, but also know better than to tempt fate and go out when conditions are too bad. You respect the weather, not drive like you're invincible.
Heck, in parts of CNY, even the snow plows have gotten stuck. Up near Watertown when it has happened, they had to get a tank from Ft. Drumm to pull it out.
That's why I'm well stocked with anything. Just in case we have a bad winter, I'm not having to run out for toilet paper or bread.
You don't mess with bad weather.
The first of that family's mistakes was thinking they could ignore the bad weather. No yellow line, snow so deep it's stopping your vehicle and at some point you pass the snow plow or it leaves you. Buy a clue. They should have had the sense to turn back long before that or not even have left the hotel that morning.
“That’s why I’m well stocked with anything. Just in case we have a bad winter, I’m not having to run out for toilet paper or bread.”
Agreed. I have been blessed with God’s providence, and with life experiences and forsight to never have (in my adult life) to live in a situation where I could not afford the basic necessities of life. That having been said, I could never, ever, ever, imagine going throught life without having enough food to make it through a “storm.” In a vehicle is one thing, but in your own house!? I see the people on the news who rush to the store for a storm, and I don’t understand how they can be without food for a few days. Seriously? A ten dollar bag of rice (25 lbs), will easily feed a grown man for 10 days, and that’s if he’s eating a nearly 4000 calorie diet. Buy two, and add a bag beans for about the same cost, and you have a month worth of food for 30 dollars (4000 calories, mind you). It may not taste great, but spices aren’t much either.
Now, I’m not advocating to live off of beans and rice (Most of the world does!), but surely people could have a reserve even on little income. It’s about priorities for the most part. I realize this is a tough economic time, and that the cost of stuff is rising, but I find it hard to believe that a family who cooks their own meals could not have money to have a bit of a reserve. It’s not my place to tell someone how to live their life, but I certainly can see prudent choices, and advocate some guidelines.
That having been said, I’m with you. What’s a years worth of toilet paper cost? Not much. Our household uses about 2 rolls a week. Or, 100 rolls a year. 9-Packs of mega rolls, cost $6 this week at the store. So, about 75 dollars, I can buy a years worth of toilet paper, and then just spend 20 or so dollars every 3 months, and never have to worry about running out of toilet paper again, and at any given time, be ready for about a year if needed. I know that you’re well stocked, so I’m just saying for anyone out there, use your head. It may seem like there’s no money now, but you can usually find some place to cut back. You get the added bonus of not running out on the week that it’s 15 dollarsa package, or whatever it will be in the remainder of the depression.
I’m getting off on a tangent, but, for example, an internet phone, for instance, is 3 dollars per month. A phone number with it, can all be had for about 80 dollars per year. That’s one 80 dollar charge per year, with free long distance, sometimes to multiple countries. Most house phones cost over 35 dollars PER MONTH, with all of the federal taxes added on. I’m just encouraging people to be creative. Sure, it may be a little ding for the moment, but then you have a whole year of savings. I used to pay 60 dollars per month for a cell phone. I switched to prepaid, that has just texts (for convenience) and 10 cents per minute if I really have to use it (like for emergencies). Then I got an internet phone and paid 30 dollars for 3 months (it’s cheaper if you pay for a year). So I am able to have my cell, and a house phone for 25 dollars per month, and save 35 dollars a month, or 400 a year. That can be used for other things, etc. Anyway, metmom, I know you probably know all this, but I really hope that people start to be more self reliant. It’s important that people learn to live with an eye to tomorrow and not just fly by the seat of their pants. Take care, God bless, and have a very Merry Christmas.