There are 3 markets in which I shop in my local area:
Aldi
Dollar General
& Fricks Central (for meats) Regular grocer-not a discount store.
I’m doing my best to stock up on dry goods; pastas, beans, rice all of which I get at Aldi. In addition, their canned goods; veggies are running between .49-.85 per can; corn/green beans etc .49. Beets, Asperagus .85
Milk prices there keep rising and is up to $2.89 per gallon for 2%. Eggs $1.19 holding steady. Butter/Margerine: .99 holding steady Cheese: rising..$1.79 to $2.00 (cheddars)
Dollar General: Pet foods, Light bulbs (4) for $1.00
Central: All meats are rising. They carry only American meat.
In addition: Purchased Medical supplies (First Aid Kit) Peroxide. Still need alcohol.
Still to be purchased:
Soaps
Whiskey-anesthesia purposes
Fishing pole/tackle
Lamp Oil/Kerosene
More Matches
Water
Batteries
Wood
QUESTION FOR FREEPERS IN THE KNOW:
This may be graphic but here goes: It is my intent to bury waste (worse case scenerio). Has anyone else thought about how to handle waste and what the best way would be? I’m preparing in case ‘all’ systems; sewer, water etc. go down.
If it gets bad it is my intention though to grab my family and relocate to a vacant relative’s home about 40mi away. Spring, lake and acreage. Plus housing. But that may not be possible if highways are blocked off etc.
The Foxfire books have outhouse building instructions. A good supply of lime is advised.
I need to restock the peroxide and alcohol, too.
Clogged highways are what’s going to get most people. Get yourself a good map of the local backroads and plan out various routes. Don’t count on the gps to work. Check your local chamber of commerce or travel center. Here, they have free maps of each county that are very handy. I try to get updated ones every couple years and ones for surrounding counties several counties out.
You will need to build an outhouse, of course a long way from the house. If there are no privacy concerns just dig a trench. It needs to be deep but not real wide.
I was a child in the Florida Panhandle during the late 40’s and there was no electricity. We of course had an outhouse. With the sandy soil in this area the waste was consumed very quickly. Probably not so in other areas.
Mother always kept a bucket of water and a pan on the back porch on a board where you could wash your hands.
I once had to park my travel trailer, a 32 foot one on my parents property. This was only for a couple of months but I wanted to stay in it rather than in the house. My Father who was knowledgeable about such things told me to just dig a 5 foot deep hole and dump the tank in it every few days. He said to go ahead and use the commercial chemicals.
To my surprise it worked amazingly well. A day after dumping the tank, there would be absolutely nothing left in the bottom of the hole, just sand. Of course this would probably not work in other type soil.
When I left to return to grad school, all I had to do was fill in the hole.
Is there some reason your toilets aren’t going to work, provided you fill the tanks by hand?
I’m very experienced in alternative toilets. Remind me if I don’t remember to come back and describe methods.
Toilets work only if you have water. If you’re on city water and electricity goes out, no water.
If you have a well and electricity goes out, no water unless you have large holding tanks with gravity feed or a 12 v. water pump to get the water from the tanks to the house. Even still the holding tanks get used up, so how to get water out of the well.
If water is minimal or sporadic, proper hygienic methods of alternative toilets are absolutely essential.