*3 Years Of Using Our Supplies*
By: Pistolshooter
29 February 2024

In 2013 I wrote an article on using our supplies for 3 months while being between jobs, and what I learned. Several times we have used our preps exclusively for months to see what we used and what just stayed on the shelf. This article will show what I have used for the last 3 years as of this writing.

I was laid off from my job on March 5, 2021, due to the price of oil, and the regulations imposed by the government, and Covid. I thought that I would be ok financially with the cash we had in the safe. We were good for almost 6 months with the unemployment I was receiving. We did not use many of our supplies for the first 6 months, but being in the engineering business, you can never be sure about anything.

The items listed below also show the amount that we started with from our last inventory 3 years ago.

We started using a few items each week as the need arose. I felt like we would be fine with what we had stored, even if it was an extended time of unemployment. I was almost right. As of Christmas of 2023, we had used most of what we had stored. The item that went first was unfortunately coffee. We only had 25 pounds. I had decided that we would get more, just in case, but we never got the chance.

Over the 2-1/2 years and up to Christmas of 2023 is when we used the last of our toilet paper (12 large packs), sugar (60 pounds), flour (60 pounds), corn meal (10 pounds), and all our cans of pie mixes (Pumpkin, apple, and blue berry (17 cans total)). That would also include most of our spices (46 jars/cans), and canned vegetables (over 400 cans), and we are using our last package of napkins now.

A side note here. Our flour we would freeze for 2/3 days, then set it on the shelf for a couple of days, then refreeze for 2 days. We would then double bag the bag of flour and place it in a sealed bucket.

The first year we used all our cake mixes, peanut butter (28 pounds), I eat a lot of peanut butter, chocolate drink mix (2 large cans), popcorn (11 pounds), tea (8 large boxes), hot peppers (8 cans/jars), laundry detergent (6 large bottles), dish soap (6 bottles). Spaghetti and noodles (61 pounds) and sauces (5 jars). We normally make our own sauce.

Early last year (2023) we had used the last of our oils, syrup, honey, and jellies (41 jars/bottles), female items, cleansers, and glues for my dentures. Also, we have used all our dried beans (73 pounds). I thought I had enough hot sauce with 48 bottles, but the last of that was used this last Christmas.

Items that we still have a few of; consist of 1 bottle of shampoo, 2 large containers of Q-tips, canned corn (4 cans), ranch style bans (6 cans), sweet and sour sauce (2 bottles), tuna fish (8 small cans), bar soap (12 bars), 90% of our bandages, 2 packs of razor blades, and 1 box of Kleenex, 2 rolls of aluminum foil (200' rolls). We had started off with 150 pounds of rice, and now have 40 pounds remaining. Surprisingly, we still have 3 cans of Rol-Tel peppers. We had over 3 cases of those. Also, we have 3 cans of salt and 1 can of black pepper left.

There are many miscellaneous items that I have not mentioned that we are out of, but they really are too numerous to name.

Even though I still do not have a job, I am still looking, and I am so thankful for the Rubicon articles on prepping. We would never have made it without applying those articles to our survival plans.

YMMV

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