The Danger of Panic Buying...

Happy Thursday Lovelies

As usual, my Thursday morning was spent giving my kitchen a good clean. Because I keep up with the cleaning routine, deep scrubbing isnt needed like it used to be. A spray and wipe is usually all thats needed. However.. even though I try.. the oven is a different story. But that deep clean is on the schedule for next week... and as its my least favourite job...its a relief

So with that done I began making this weeks shopping list ready for tomorrow. Mindful of rationing I was careful what to put on my list. Luckily my pantry has still got a good supply of home dried and canned fruit, vegetables and preserves.. and our freezer has an acceptable amount of meat and fish. Having a share in a pig, growing a garden and keeping chickens really helps with costs.. as does cooking from scratch. My mother was a genius and could stretch a meal for quite a few days.. a skill Im grateful she passed on to me.

I dont consider myself a hoarder ..I just like a well stocked pantry.. which I have been doing for years. I just buy normally and rotate what I have.. some jars are a couple of years old and are perfectly fine. But to get to this level I do need quite a bit of sugar for my jams. Luckily MrD and I don't take sugar in our tea or coffee... and baking and desserts are kept to a minimum. And although sugar rationing in the US didnt start until May 1942, a portion of my sugar allowance is always put aside for preserving..

On January 22, 1942, The Augusta Chronical Newspaper reported that with the fear of wartime cutbacks looming, Augustans began to buy all the sugar they could find, forcing groceries to restrict sales.

On its front page, the newspaper reported that there actually was no shortage of sugar, but the surge of purchases had created one. There were rumors that some Augusta customers had hidden away 100 to 300 pounds of sugar. (Can you imagine??) Grocery stores limited sales to one pound for each $1 purchase of other foods, capping total sugar purchases at a 5-pound limit. The newspaper chided....

“Hoarding produces the shortage of the product you are trying to preserve,”

Its a fine line between being well stocked and hoarding.. and I must try not to cross it