Prepping and Downsizing

Allegedly, the landlord has rescinded his 'eviction' notice; he hasn't given us anything in writing, but he told my DH he decided not to sell until next summer. You can imagine how I feel about not having something in writing, especially when I got noticed in writing, by certified mail which I had to sign for, that he was ending our lease on October 15.

I'll follow up with a letter in writing memorializing the conversation he had with DH when I go to pay rent in a day or two. In the meantime: I'm still downsizing, getting rid of a bunch of stuff, and looking at things through the eyes of: is it worth $300 a month to keep it? (Answer is usually no.)

The problem I have come to realize, is my home storage. I have worked hard on getting us to a point where we have a year-ish supply of "real food" storage (even after the year of unemployment), plus the means to live reasonably independently. If we have to move before next summer, it will likely be into an apartment--and they don't really lend themselves to storing ten 55 gallon water barrels, if you get my drift.

Engraven on my heart is the mantra: 

you can sleep on the floor, you can't eat furniture. 

I said that to a friend a decade ago when she moved out of state and couldn't decide what to bring: food or furniture. She opted for the former, and then was glad she did when the paychecks got "lost" (it was an interstate job transfer with the same company.)

So in a downsizing move, I'll move food storage and genealogy and get rid of everything else if I have to. My furniture is 20-30 years old anyway.

But eventually, I'm moving to Texas! So the question is: how much am I willing to move? So if I won't be willing to move it THEN, I better start getting rid of it NOW and save myself the grief.

More importantly, if we are living light in an apartment between now and then, how does that change my home storage? We've used all our home-canned chicken for example. I debated for weeks about whether or not we should replace it. In the end, due largely to this week's sale at Stater Brothers, I opted to buy and can 40# of bone-in chicken breast, which will translate to about 24-28 pints of chicken: a 30 day supply.

I ran across another huge sale today: boxes of Ronzoni pasta/elbow macaroni were being cleared out at .34 cents a box. I'd have gotten it even if I was living in an apartment. For those who buy in bulk: one 16 oz box of Ronzoni macaroni measures out as 4 cups uncooked. That's WAY MORE than enough for my family of five...it'll pretty much last us dinner then lunch the next day. I bought all there was: 23 boxes. So there's another 30 day supply.

I think about moving to Texas. We may very well be living in a travel trailer, on land we purchase, saving up to be able to pay cash for a house. That could be a year! Which means I'd have to put all my food storage in some type of shed, unless they let me put a ConEx on the property (and given the CC&Rs, not likely!) So I'd really have to shed stuff. And have a plan for the stuff I do move!

You recall the freezer died. That means the only "freezer" storage I have is the one in the refrigerator. Sure, I've done dump-chicken frozen recipes. I know I can get 30 meals in a freezer..as long as I don't have to freeze anything else...

If I was living light, I think I'd almost have to go the freeze-dried or dehydrated food route. Not sure how I'd solve the water problem though. Your average "year's supply" of freeze dried food needs 350 gallons just to rehydrate, not including drinking or bathing. Dehydrated uses about twice that (there's a reason I have ten 55 gallon barrels.) Plus figure out what I'm doing for fuel, since I'd no longer have my wood supply. 

 I'd have to get rid of almost all of my "kitchen stuff" : stoneware, china, bazillion bowls etc. It's funny: I used to pack a year's worth of home storage AND 4 kids and a DH into an 810 square foot condo, and did just fine. Ok, it had a decent size outside patio with premade planter boxes where I could sort of grow stuff. But really, we did pretty well from a prepping standpoint in an uber tiny space. So I'm trying to figure out what's changed.

My prepping has morphed over the years: some years I have focused on home canned goods, some years on dehydrated, some years on commercially canned. It's not like I'm some huge gardener, living off the land or anything. And I've never just done the "wheat, sugar, shortening" route.

Well regardless. Change is coming. I can prepare now the best I can, or I can bury my head in the sand and hope the sandstorm passes me by. The point of this rambling blogpost is to start planning and preparing. Doing nothing, like failure, is not an option.