A news announcer comes on and says for about a week straight that food is going

We are already having small shortages, but nothing too drastic. A shelf might be missing one brand of noodles or one kind of cereal that they're temporarily out of. But there are so many brands of noodles and cereals that a person can just change to another brand or wait for the item to be shipped and back in stock. But we've been reading how in some countries where they only have one supplier of something, they're really hurting. So for every small spot on our shelves with a missing item, another country wouldn't have any at all. We're fortunate to have many suppliers. You said you aren't doing the shopping right now. Ask your husband when he goes through the aisles if he sees any spots where the shelves are bare, esp. if there are signs saying temporarily out of stock. In Haiti, they had an article about how people are eating dirt cookies. Cookies made out of dirt and grease because that's all they have to eat, they can't afford much else. In Egypt, for awhile, parts of it, the government called out the guard to make bread for the people. Lots of news articles about how people are suffering from shortages or can't afford the price of the food they have on the shelves. In Mexico, some places people can't afford corn anymore. In NY State, many people are getting food stamps and HEAP for fuel that never got it before. The middle class is sliding into poor. They raised the limits for food stamps. My brother was denighed twice, but they called him and gave him some for 6 months. After 6 months, it will depend on the economy. Here, people are getting hunting and fishing licenses that have never gotten them before or haven't bothered to get them in years. People had gardens this year that haven't had gardens since they were kids or who have never had gardens before. Farmers are putting in systems to create three season crops and do you know how hard it is to grow anything up here past one season or before summer and after it into the fall? Some people aren't affected and they're letting apples rot on trees, a friend of ours says she has a friend who picks a road and goes door to door asking people if he can pick the fruit off the trees. He's on Social Security and he believes he won't have any food this winter if he doesn't. Even with increases in food stamps, People are saying, they got $5 more, too bad it's costing them $10 per time they shop. The poor and lower middle class up here are suffering and the Salvation Army and other places are starting to run out of food because very few people are donating. The regular middle middle class and higher seem to be doing OK so far, but that will depend how long before the bailout.

Wow, so you are not just talking about America, you are talking about the whole world...but I am glad you brought this up..We have tried a couple of times to get heap because our electris bill is so high and we struggle to pay it, but he alwasy made 100.00 more for the cut off..Now with my husband off work, we might be able to get it..

Sorry to go on and on. But I am concerned. Every state is different. Ours has been moving rapidly to try to head things off. Qualifications vary by state, but it wouldn't hurt to try again. The worst they could say is, "No," and the best they could say is,"We will provide x amount of money toward a fill-up of fuel." Good luck, I hope it works out for you.

It's always good to have extra on food on hand. I have snowshoes so I can go to the little local store and hope they have something we need for 3xs the price or stock up. We're lucky, we have a large basement. But many people don't have the room to stock up like that. My brother and sister-n-law don't have the room. They have three freezers in their garage, but their trailer barely has enough space. Now they've taken in her sister and have even less space. I don't know what they're going to do this winter, one of their sleeping spaces doesn't have heat, so someone will have to sleep on the living room floor. I hope her sister is able to get a job and move out, but so far that seems to not be happening, she's trying.

A month ahead is good as long as any emergencies are less than a month. The people of Atlanta, Georgia are in a city, too. They're not sure how long 80% of the gas pumps will have no gas. Hopefully less than a month. Take care and thanks for your response.

Oh, we always have noodles and stuff to put on the noodles, at least butter and garlic anyway.

There was 2 to 6 weeks of ice storm up here in 1998. I was living where 2 weeks, but the house I'm in now, they had 6 weeks here. So we have about 6 weeks worth of veggies now. TAke care.

So you must buy at least enough for 2 weeks at a time when you shop. As long as it's toward the begging or middle of that shopping cycle, you're fine. Thanks and take care.

Sounds like you taught her well. We're going down in price as well, we weren't but a representative in the state house said he was going to arrest people for price gouging and the price went down. Almost three? We're at $3.69 up here. They're at $3.49 -$3.59 in VT. Before that announcement, we were over 4 and every time something came on TV, they put the price higher. We were 30 cents more than the surrounding area and he wanted to know why. Sounds like you do buy ahead. I worry about people who don't buy ahead, esp. with the storms we have and with two states with 80% of their gas pumps empty. I was taught to make beans and rice or macaroni with whatever we have. So I can have a cupboard that looks like nothing and still eat. I can also pick stuff out of our garden and even eat wild plants, so we always have more food than people think. Take care and I hope our luck holds out.

Hopefully there won't be food shortages or sky-rocketing prices. Gas, true, I live 45 minutes away from work and so does my husband, so driving to work, we're in a similar situation. Even though the store is walking distance spring, summer, and fall, it may not be some winter days. Thanks for responding and take care

My Dad worked construction, so we had to stock up on food, clothes, toilet tissue, you name it, we had to stock up on it. We never knew when we were going to have money again.

We didn't go to the store right after the news announcement because it does create shortages and drive prices up. Besides, winter is not eminent and so there is no rush. We bought the normal amount of stuff after that. But now we're going to try to get more. If no shortages, we won't have to use gas to buy things this winter.