In general terms, Americans enjoy a very high standard of living and food is both abundant and cheap in comparison to most of the rest of the world. But that doesn't mean that the cost of putting sufficient food on the table isn't a concern. The federal government does not count the costs of fuel or food in its annual consumer price index calculations. If they did, the effective rate of inflation would be much higher than what they are reporting. The simple fact of the matter is, food is much more expensive than it was five years ago and it is getting more expensive every month. The federally mandated ethanol program is driving up the price of corn. Corn is a principle feed stock for most livestock operations and so poultry, dairy, and red meat prices go up. How can you reduce your food costs in this environment? Well, there are four strategies you might want to consider:
1. Eat Less
2. Pay Less
3. Grow your own
4. Forage
In the following Blogs I will explore each of these strategies in general terms and then in greater detail. While this Blog is not really meant for so-called "Survivalists" or "Preppers", it will contain a lot of useful information for those people concerned with a breakdown in our food industry due to natural disaster, government collapse, or economic collapse.
Americans are a little prudish when it comes to food. We insist on perfectly uniform food items with no blemishes. We will not eat food that has reached its "Best Used By" date. We throw out more food each year than most other countries consume in a year. We are, frankly, food snobs. Breaking out of this limitation is the key to reducing food costs while still feeding yourself and family nutritious meals.
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