Stormy Weather Market Zealots

The recent snow storms have reminded me of something. They’ve reminded me how important it is to live on the bare necessities. Why? Because having all that you need may still not be enough.

To elaborate, we all know what happens when bad weather is predicted. People run to the market in droves. They’ll get off work early or even car pool to the market. All day there is steady flow of people in and out of the store just to pick up (typically):
• Bread
• Milk (sometimes people who don’t even use milk buy it just in case)
• Toilet Paper

The checkout lines are hellacious, sometimes running the full length of the aisle. Of course after you finally survive the shopping experience, you still have to make it out of the parking lot. Shoppers make it home and feel that they have all they need.

Then the unthinkable happens: the power goes out.

Power is restored sometimes in 5 minutes or 5 hours. But it could also take 5 days or worse. No one thinks about it when they’re in the market but what will you do with all that food. (Most households placed the food outside in the natural freezer.)

Less is definitely more. The benefits:
• Less time at the market and in line
• More money in your pocket (and not thrown out with the food that spoils in the powerless refrigerator)
• An opportunity to be creative in the kitchen with what’s left in your cupboards

So next time a snow storm is predicted, don’t let fear guide you. Just be calm and don’t go to the market…crash at a friend’s house and eat their food!