$ store

I'm not entirely happy with this article. I wrote it during a rare "down" period when I felt like crap and didn't want to write but forced myself. However, the article I wrote today won't read, the file corrupted. And the following article is the only spare one I had. I'm sorry if you don't like it. Perhaps it is not terrible, but it ain't top ten material either. Have a good day, I'll have better for you the next time.
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DOLLAR STORE SURVIVALIST
I admit to a certain bias about dollar stores. I was an assistant manager at one for three years. That meant my job was to do my job plus the managers job since she was busy at the front of the store chain smoking ( after the no smoking policy went through her productivity went from crap to non-existent ). Then, since I was the only male working there I did all the heavy lifting all day long. There was a lot of boxes to unload and put up. Despite this abuse both in store and from the corporate clueless, I still love the concept of dollar stores. Outside of Wal-Mart they are one of the few places that help out the poor. I worked for Dollar General. That meant, in general most prices are a buck. But not all. That way they carried a lot more items. Cooking oil for $1.50 when Wal-Mart was $1.59. Polo shirts for $5, slacks for ten. They didn’t really beat Wal-Mart prices so much as service the areas outside of the giants stores. They were closer to the ghetto.
If you live in the East you can shop at Dollar General. Out west you are limited to Dollar Tree or Wal-Mart. So my discussion here will focus on stores selling just for a dollar, not over. There are also generic versions out there near you. Could you shop exclusively at a dollar store for your survivalist supplies? If you wanted to. Your weapon would be a folding knife and your food small bags of rice and beans. Instead just use the cheap goods here to supplement your supplies. If you regularly shopped the thrift store, Wal-Mart and dollar stores not only would you live really cheap but most of your survival supplies would be dirt cheap also.
In a dollar store all of your toiletries are cheap. Three bars of soap, eight double edge razor blades, mouthwash and toothbrushes ( those are five for a buck ), deodorant. Great every day items and great barter items. Especially the razors and toothbrushes. Small to store, after a time they are priceless. Almost all of the tools you will need for general maintenance. Hammers, screwdrivers, levels, saws, etc. Of course they are of low quality and you end up buying more, but for casual use they are perfect. Sometimes 10 once cans of coffee. Plastic containers for storage. Duct tape. Laundry soap. Cloths pins. Sewing pins. Safety pins.
A pound or two of rice. Or beans. Pasta. Canned beans. Top Ramen or Cup Of Noodles. Etc. Not your greatest storage foods. But deals always crop up anyway. It is true that there is a lot of worthless, cheap, plastic crap in dollar stores. But diligent hunting will turn up plenty of frugal living/ survival supplies/ barter items. Use the dollar store just like any other tool for your preparations.
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INSTANT POTATO’S
I have never liked instant mashed potato’s. They taste like glue. I much prefer fresh taters with the skin left on for the vitamins. However, the powdered variety has two things going for them. One, they are sold in a metal can and two, they are pretty darn cheap in the grocery store. You can stockpile them just for this reason. No repackaging and dirt cheap. Just like canned milk, what more could you want? Well, I was reading an article about a flour product they are selling in South America. By drying and powdering the potato and adding it to other flour poor people are getting a product cheaper than fresh spuds and with extra protein. I’m sorry, I can’t remember were I found that article. But it occurred to me that you could stockpile dried taters and not only eat them mashed for variety but also mix them in with your grain flours for better protein. What’s good for starving Third World peasants is good for survivalists.

Original: http://bisonsurvivalblog.blogspot.com/2006/12/store.html