Price increases and shortages

[ducks4you]

Here is something you Could do. Buy 25 pounds of flour. Since DD has been storing somewhat nonperishibles, w/expiration dates, I also have bought things. Like flour...which has an expiration date of 1 year from purchase. I bagged up and Froze my flour. I don't use it too much, BUT I am an experienced bread maker.
I am about to buy aNOTHER 25 pounds of flour. Where will I store it?
1) 2 Not used sun tea jars
2) 1 unused plastic pretzel jar
3) 1 large storage jar, currently housing ~20 yr old white beans
I thought to direct plant the beans and see what germinates. The 3 containers should hold 25 pounds of flour in my basement pantry.
I always wonder about the mice that run the gauntlet and try to get past my cats!~!~!

 

[Rammy]

I get 5 gallon mylar bags and food grade buckets at Lowes. Freeze the flour for about 4 days, let come to room temperature for another few days, put in mylar bags in the buckets, put in a 2000cc oxygen absorber and some bay leaves, seal with a hot iron.
Its important to take a lightly damp clothe and wipe around the top 2" of the mylar bag before sealing. Give it a few minutes before sealing to make sure its dry.
Leave about 2" to put the oxygen absorber in before the final seal. I squeeze out any air right before the final sealing with the iron. Get good lids too, not those cheap kind from TSC.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Yesterday I googled how can I use Norway spruce cones (there are so many falling from those 15-20 trees between our neighbor and us) and surprisingly learned that their young shoots and immature male cones are edible!

More than edible, they are drinkable, as spruce tea. There is also spruce tip jelly and of course, the soda so beloved by Canadians (and me) spruce beer.

A little closer to home (for you) young pine cones are the basis of at least two aperitifs; Alsace's Sapin de Burgos, and Austria's Zirbenz. Though, as I said, those are pine, not spruce.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

I've been buying containers at Goodwill. For food storage like flour, sugar and salt.

 

[ducks4you]

As we all think about rising inflation, it is great to be able to "window shop" pretty much everything we may want/need, instead of always have to drive to a store and look at it.
I am often asked about becoming a Notary Signing Agent, which is a "Mobile Notary Public," who is expected to have:
1) Computer
2) Internet
3) Laser printing capability
4) letter and legal paper
5) car that runs
I tell them to look up the cost of #'s 1-4 if they don't have these things, and consider whether the $investment before any income is worth it. I started it using DH's law office and printers and toners before upgrading from the lousy used machines we had in 2013, to those that I hand picked bc of durability/price.
While Obama ruled his own depression, I become a super fan of Staples. I would always get rebates with my business purchases, which I can write off on my taxes bc of my Schedule C business status.
They used to snail mail a credit card with my rebate. Now, the $ is printed on them, but about 8 years ago I had casually thrown one in my purse without knowledge of how much $ was on it. I paid for a $15.00 purchase.
Then the clerk asked me if I wanted to spend the $115.00 left on the card.
I said, sure!
I purchased a new leather office chair for myself, took the old one (still in very good shape) home for my Home Office.
Office chairs were, that week, 1/2 off. I spent $4.00 above what was on the card, and bought a new chair, that was, then, over $200.00
Still have it, at the new office.
Both atty's use it when they conference in the main room of our suite, where my desk is located. Looks like this:

https://www.staples.com/Staples-Mcallum-Bonded-Leather-Managers-Chair-Black/product_2710763

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

DD has a brother-in-law that lives in Hawaii and he bought a dozen eggs, but might have been 18, but I thought dozen for $7. I wrote prices down of food i think back in 2015 or 2016 and 18 eggs cost just a little more than 18 right now. I was surprised, but I know they probably will be very expensive soon.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

I sadly had to buy Wally's eggs yesterday, cus I missed some of the national chain sales. $2 a doz. I should go buy them locally for $4 from farms instead. I'm sure those would be fresher!

 

[ducks4you]

Good to conserve what you can, so you Don't have to buy this year.
DH and I went through all closed files before 2013.
See:
https://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/ducks4you-for-2022.24449/page-18, POsts #178-180
THAT year is when I started to remove all paper clips before closing each file. Yes, some are metal and rusted. Those will be recycled. But the plastic covered paper clips are ones we Won't need to buy this year. I reckon that we saved about 100. Maybe a few more than that.

CURRENT PRICES:
$5.00/pkg of large plastic covered paper clips

https://www.staples.com/jam-paper-colored-jumbo-paper-clips-lime-green-paperclips-2-packs-of-75-21830627a/product_24310516

$4.00/pkg of small plastic covered paper clips

https://www.staples.com/jam-paper-circular-paper-clips-round-paperclips-dark-blue-100-pack-2187134b/product_24364805

$5.00/pkg of micro binder clips

https://www.staples.com/Staples-Small-Metal-Binder-Clips-Black-3-4-Size-with-3-8-Capacity/product_831594

$5.00/pkg of small binder clips

https://www.staples.com/Staples-Small-Metal-Binder-Clips-Black-3-4-Size-with-3-8-Capacity/product_831594

$7.00/pkg of small metallic binder clips

https://www.staples.com/Staples-Small-Metallic-Soft-Grip-Binder-Clips-3-4-Size-with-3-8-Capacity-18-Pack-13725/product_657190

$4.50/pkg or $11.00/pkg large binder clips

https://www.staples.com/OIC-Binder-Clips-Large-2-Width-Black-12-Pk/product_79685

https://www.staples.com/Acco-72100-Binder-Clip-Large-1-06-Capacity-Black-Silver/product_669768

Yes, there IS a little brown wooden duck swimming with the clips.
It is important to have a duck at the office, for luck.

 

[ducks4you]

I guess, no mice or rats would have a chance in the house with our five security officers - 3 dogs + 2 cats.

Once there was a small family of mice under one of the chicken runs, and some weeks later, they disappeared. We still had no idea who ate them, the hens who watched over them all the time, or the crows or the magpies who need to raise their next generation on the trees nearby.

Several years ago (before my flock was dessimated by a weasel) neighbors across the street moved out. They had trashed their house and didn't have garbage pickup, choosing inSTEAD to pile up bags in their garage.
After they were evicted from the bank forclosure, I say that a family of rats had taken up residence UNDER my wooden coop.
I have dog wire fencing, so my kitties couldn't get to them. BUT, they were able to eradicate the rats anyway.
Chickens, also, LOVE baby mice and baby rats.
No surprise to me, at all.

 

[ducks4you]

Sorry about the photo--saved accidentally as a PDF and cannot change to a JPG.
BUT, Here are some of the short term non-perishables that DD has picked up. Although I still need to deep clean and organize my pantry, the ONLY room in the basement not organized Yet, I took the time to use a Sharpie and label the expiration dates on all products, with larged letters/numerals. Sometimes it's like a "Where's Waldo?" looking for them, but a good pair of reading glasses and a willingness to look everywhere on the package, and you can find it!'