The End of a Hardware Store, and in a Sense, Also an Era

   I have not posted in a couple of weeks. I assure you that this blog is not too far from my mind though.   Having found a publisher for both of the books I am writing, a lot of my time in consumed with either final research or the actual writing of the "Rational Preparedness" book.   I also must continue to move forward on other projects on the farm, and in general preparedness and organization.
   Some friends who own, among other businesses, a hardware store, are in the process of gradual liquidation.  I have already indicated that we keep a fair amount of organized hardware on the farm for future issues.  Our friends recently made everything in their store 50% off.  This enabled us to buy many of the things my daughter needed in her quest to reburbish the house she bought in July.   Everything from paint, to sanding articles, spackle, new locks, were bought at a discount and we have all been involved in the project in some manner or another.   This week, the remaining articles in the store were reduced by 75%.  To give you some idea of how sick the US economy really is, much of the hardware store materials were still there, even at 75 % off !    My husband and I discussed this, and decided to allocate funds and space in outbuildings  to properly  house and arrange items that we, or the kids might need in the future, or that may become very expensive in a super-inflationary age.   So yesterday, my son and I took sturdy buckets to the hardware store and began to load up.  We bought steel rods for welding, welding supplies, electrical supplies, brass plumbing fixtures,  rakes, stainless steel hinges, nails, pins, carriage bolts with screws, paint, drill bits, paint scrapers, tape, fasteners of all varieties, gardening items, etc. I also bought their two remaining maple trees.   We bought things we thought would last of the many things that remained, even after a fifty percent off sale.  We had also told close friends of the sale, and they arrived when we were leaving, and found things that would also be helpful to them also.

 

    We hear of many people stockpiling ammunition, and although this might be a good thing to have, if you will house it correctly and use it, in target practice, this might not be all we should be stocking. What about air filters, oil filters and fuel filters to cars ? What about generator oil filters ?  What about commonly used hardware ?  Look around. Pick up what you can on sale, when you can, while you can.