I Can't Afford to Stock Up

So you say you understand the need to prepare for emergencies and stock up. “But I just can’t afford it! I barely have enough money to buy groceries now.”

I am going to ask just 2 questions:

(1)  Do you expect food prices to continue increasing over the next year?

(2) Do you believe your personal income is going to increase faster next year than food prices?

No one has answered Yes to the second question yet.

 This chart shows that food prices continue an upward trend – always! There are some peaks and valleys as prices go up 15 cents then drop 10 cents. The trend is always up. Income is not following the same kind of trend.

 Here we see similar information for fuel prices. Put simply, if you can barely afford to buy required food and gas right now, you will NOT be able to buy food and gas in another year. Simple math.

We must address what I call “Choices and Consequences” before we can make any real change in our situation. The premise is that every choice we make has real consequences – often a combination of good and bad stuff. Just as boaters are taught that they are responsible for their wake, and any damage that occurs from it, we must accept responsibility for any bad consequences that result from our personal choices. If you choose to drive too fast, you must accept the consequence that you may get a ticket/fine, or you may even cause an accident. There used to be a saying – don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.

This issue hit me a couple years ago when a young woman I worked with made the statement about not being able to afford to save or stock up on food. This was a woman who smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day and stopped for a big breakfast burrito on most mornings before work. Multiple sodas and snacks were consumed through the day. Oh, she enjoyed going out to bars at night and was able to save up for new tattoos and piercings. She is the extreme example of someone who could easily afford to begin building some reserves IF she was willing to make a change or two in her lifestyle. Changing just one of the practices I listed above would free up a little income to buy an extra case of canned goods each week. She could fully stock up for her entire family – if she was willing to make the choice. Her conscious choice was to prioritize all of the other activities. In so doing, she has chosen the consequence I described in yesterday’s blog: After a disaster they will find themselves huddled together in the dark; cold, hungry and scared. Choice / Consequence. And yes, they will be whining that the government and other groups are not trying hard enough to save them. End consequence: more victims and sheep.

You say you can’t afford to prepare for emergencies right now? Stop and ask what you can change – what conscious CHOICES you can make – to change the potential CONSEQUENCES. Either make those changes now, or sit down with your family tonight and tell them, “I am choosing to maintain my current activities instead of preparing for our family’s safety. In so doing, I am consciously accepting that we will all suffer the potential consequences of huddling together in the dark; cold, hungry and scared.”

Are you willing to actually say that to your family?