Disgruntlement Post

Why am I disgruntled? Because I went to the store on February 28th.  You know, the day before the sequester was supposed to begin (and did, because our politicians cannot pull their heads out), and prices that were normal less than a week ago had jumped by large increments.  Stuff I normally buy, so I know the prices of them. All because people bought into the fear mongering, thanks to the media, about the sequester. All the doom and gloom.

So a flat of dog food - now a $1.50 more .

15 skeins of embroidery floss - $16!!!  What the deepest hells?

Sausages - 50 cents more.

10 lb bag of potatoes - $3.00 more.

A loaf of bread - 30 cents more.

I could go on, but it is depressing as well as anger inducing.

Now you may say it's the time of year, and I'd buy that, except a great deal of our produce comes from Mexico this time of year, and that doesn't increase the price.  You may also say - what's the big deal? it's only a few extra dollars.

Well, a few extra dollars is a very big deal when you are on a limited income.  It means things you intended to purchase are suddenly off your list, and your family goes without that item.  For some folks, it means that the budgeted menu you had for a week or two weeks could well get blown out of the water.

Time for me to start shopping around for prices again. Time to start planning a LOT more plants to grow, time to find time to get to the farmer's markets during the summer - which can be hard, since my work schedule in the summer can top 60+ hours a week.  Time for me to buy the Palisades peaches this year and can them, instead of just thinking about it.

Time to get more chickens, and make sure that some of them actually end up in the freezer come fall, instead of populating the coop all winter.

I'm considering getting a few turkey chicks too.  And maybe some rabbits. And time to stop being squeamish about the slaughter of them.

Time to REALLY get into the barter, and making noodles and bread and all those things. And get on that raw milk coop, especially since many brands of milk will now be putting aspartame into their milk.  No thanks.

A simpler life is not that simple after all.