The New Year’s hoard
Every year end it’s the same year end project. I set about stocking the house with as much of a supply of daily household goods as I can manage to buy and to fit in. I’m like a squirrel collecting nuts, or a bear putting on weight for the winter. I dream of a year’s supply of all those things that we use every day and constantly run out of. I aim for a year’s supply of toilet paper; tissues; body soap; shampoo; conditioner and rinse; toothpaste; dental floss; Q-tips; batteries; vitamin pills; garbage bags; laundry detergent; dish washing detergent; kitchen bleach; kitchen scouring pads, and more.
My primary motive is to forestall the annoying habit of things running out and then having to find the time and money to refresh
them. But by way of feeding a secondary motive they also serve as a disaster cushion. When the Great East Japan Earthquake struck on March 11, 2011 stores were quickly emptied of toilet paper, tissues, bread, rice, canned goods, bottled water and any other canned or bottles beverage, and batteries. Technically there was no shortage of these things. Stores kept re-stocking their shelves at night and first thing in the morning shoppers would quickly clear them out again. It wasn’t panic shopping. There was no panic. It was only hurried shopping. People were in a hurry to stock up against the threat of shortages - and radiation in the air that might retard their ability to get out. Well, I feel somewhat secure knowing that I have many months of things on hand. It’s less to worry about.