This week, we're going to have nasty winter weather almost every day except for today. That means that today I had to go out and do our shopping. Unfortunately, anyone in the New England area (and surrounding) can tell us exactly what I ran into... the Bread and Milk Runs.
Now this is a Northern phenomenon that happens whenever winter weather is expected. People flock to the stores to prepare by buying extra supplies in the necessities, usually milk or bread.
I dislike being rushed in the grocery store. I don't like being swarmed. It's not easy at all to wait in a long line with an eight-year-old and a toddler. So how do I avoid the bread and milk runs?
I know that some people live in very small apartments and can't put this into effect. I grew up among the "land-rich money-poor", and my parents have always had a cellar, as have the parents of most of my childhood acquaintances. It was considered normal to put up a couple of shelf sets and store extra food down there where it was cool and reasonably dry.
I only have one shelf set and I need another. Still, I do have a space down in the cellar which is used exclusively for extra food. I keep on hand enough food to have a varied and pleasant diet for at least a week and a half, and enough to just plain eat for at least two months. I never had it any other way, so I don't know what it's like to have it any other way.
If it's at all possible for you, I would recommend that you my readers keep a sufficient cache of food that you don't ever need to do a bread-and-milk run in the face of bad weather. Develop a list of the items you use most often, shelf-stable staples like pasta and rice, and watch for local sales. Buy three times what you need whenever it's on sale. Not only will you avoid the dreaded crowded panic shoppers, you will find that you spend less on food than you used to.
I live in an apartment, but I buy food a month out (I generally have a plan for a months worth of eating.) The only thing I can't do this with (typically) is milk. I have *never* had to make an "Oh crap, the weather is gonna suck" run.
ReplyDeleteAbsolute worst case, I have a gas grill on the deck and can melt snow into water, and use water to boil ramen. Might not be the best, but I won't go hungry ;)
If you're desperate, you can eat ramen dry. You won't like it, but it can be done.
ReplyDeleteFormer college student here. ^.^
If you become concerned about keeping up a milk supply, buy a bag of powdered milk and a couple of cans of evaporated milk. The powdered keeps longer, but the evaporated is closer to drinkable. The taste is slightly strange, but it works.
If you want to significantly lower your cost of milk without significantly lowering the quality, then mix storebought fresh milk with powdered (or reconstituted evaporated) half and half. My grandparents do this, and my mother did it during bad years. It tastes fine, and helps you transition, if needed, to powdered or evaporated.