The Boston bombings have taught us many things. Some we already knew, such as the resilience of the human spirit, how easily ordinary people become heroes, and the strength of a community all working together. It also has taught us some other, more practical lessons, such as to always be aware in crowds, to report suspicious activity, and to be prepared for the unthinkable.
One of the many photos of that time that sticks in my head from the Boston bombings is the image of a police officer delivering two gallons of milk to a young family who couldn’t leave their home. Faced with hungry children and no milk, they were blessed by the actions of this officer. Elsewhere, other people had to make due. During the lockdown, schools and workplaces were closed, and residents were told to shelter in place in their homes. One Boston friend of mine went the whole day with only a sleeve of crackers to eat.
Fortunately, the lockdown caused by the Boston Bombings was not lengthy, but what if it was? What if the city was shut down for a week?
I’ve always advocated stockpiling as a way to save money. Because food prices can change, stocking up when the prices are at their lowest, rather than at their highest will save you money. Now there is an extra benefit to stockpiling. It can leave you prepared, if you can’t get to the store for a length of time, such as in a lockdown situation (or a winter storm).
To frugally stockpile:
Combine store sales with coupons
Buy generic staples when they go on sale (for example, boxes of past at 88 cents or less)
Practice FIFO (First In, First Out), which basically means that new items get put behind old ones on the shelf, so your stock is rotated.
Include both pantry items and frozen items
Use drug store reward programs for non-grocery items (such as baby wipes)