ARE YOU READY FOR Y2K

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Assuming Super Poly's expected 30 days of disruptions to water, food, gas, and electricity. But not necessarily a continuous 30 days of disruptions, but rather occuring over 3 months. Add to this assumption that you really didn't plan out your personal contingency plans-- you're just doing the basics. You are not waiting for the best deal or taking advantage of the different sales going on every week. And you are going to get this done in a weekend, because you don't have time to worry about the little things.

One month of ordinary non-perishable food, toiletries, etc. (not a diet of beans and rice and newspaper for toilet paper) for a family of six could easily add up to to $1000 from mixed visits to local Costco or Sam's Club and the grocery store. Or you could watch out for sales at the grocery stores over the course of time save yourself a hundred bucks or more.

If you are using about 4 gallons of water per day per person for this same family, you need twelve 55 gallon water barrels (used: a total of $120 from your local soda bottling company or new: a total ranging from $200-$800 from Sam's or a shipping company) +plus+ six 5 gallons buckets (hechingers or home depot: $30). Of course, don't forget the UHAUL truck for the 55 gallon water barrels and with mileage that will be at least $100.

A portable kerosene heater (new) costs about $200-$300. Assuming you don't have a cookstove or outdoor grill and that you can and want to cook outside, a double burner kerosene stove (new) could run $80-$150. A short aluminum Aladdin lamp (no shade) with spare parts costs about $120. I think kerosene around here is about a buck per gallon and you might plan on four 5 gallon kerosene-approved cans (about $10 each for the cans) will run you about $20.

A metal flashlight per two people that takes 4 D cell batteries (say good for 6 hours use per 4 D cell batteries) will run about $90. 240 D cell batteries will be about $80 at radio shack. Or one Baygen hand crank flashlight (Sam's Club) per two people at a cost of $200 or so. A Baygen hand crank AM, FM, SW radio for about $80 (Sam's Club or other) or a battery operated Radio Shack AM, FM, SW radio for about $100 and another $100 for the batteries.

Prescription meds, over the counter meds, medicine cabinet stuff, a good first aid kit, a good sized a-b-c fire extinguisher, two battery operated smoke alarms and batteries may run from $300-$500 or more depending on your prescription meds.

Super Poly's bill for getting his/her basic preps done next weekend: just over $US 2000.00 to well over $US 3,400.00. Of course, Super Polly didn't plan on spending this much money (he/she has a few hundred bucks to burn), so Super Polly ends up getting a week's worth of groceries for the family of six (the family eat through that by the Friday after next) and puts off his/her Y2K preps until he/she gets a tax refund come next April. That's ok, because Y2K is a hoax. Right?

Are you ready for Y2K?

Sincerely, Stan Faryna

-- Stan Faryna (info@giglobal.com), September 15, 1999

Answers

Am I ready for Y2K? Hell no!

-- Pearlie Sweetcake (storestuff@home.now), September 15, 1999.

Me either!

-- Stan Faryna (info@giglobal.com), September 15, 1999.

Stan,

I bought a little wizard dietz lantern and was thinking of using it inside the house,along with the oil lamps.I was planning to use k-1 kerosene in the dietz lantern,then a lady said to forget the k-1 kerosene.I wanted to use it because it is so much cheeper and I can store more of it.What do you suggest?

-- maggie (aaa@aaa.com), September 15, 1999.


Stan -- you have mail.

-- helen (sstaten@fullnet.net), September 15, 1999.

Let's see now, 18 months of preparing, clipping coupons, hitting garage sales, thrift stores, going back and forth several times in one trip to get TP and other items because the store only limits you two items a purchase at a time, carefully storing water, boxing, dating and storing your food, preparing at night so your neighbors don't get nosey, emotional stress, finances, guns and ammo, seeds, gardening books, a computer to keep informed, more stress, time to relax because I am done.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), September 15, 1999.


Lesson 101 from Floyd: You are never as ready as you think you are, never. But it sure was nice to be readier than 95% of the rest of the folks.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), September 15, 1999.

Uncle Deedah, it was somewhat comical to see all those people with dumb-struck looks on their face when they had to wait in the gas lines, wait in the grocery lines and being told that the shelves were bare. Gert is on her way, I'm curious to see how the dumb-struck will act this time around. It really does not take a whole lot to prepare yourself for a few days of inconvenience. Glad your okay, I thought about you all quite often.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), September 15, 1999.

Note ready yet! But I am also trying to take into account that my family (of 2) may expand to as many as 10 by the end of the year... That's part of the reason why we have 16 hens in our chicken flock and a half-dozen papaya trees. But much remains to be done...

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), September 15, 1999.

Thank you bardou.

I spent early Sunday morning buying what I would need if Floyd was going to be a threat, extra plywood, screws, and gas. A few other forward lookers were doing the same thing, but it was nothing like the zoo that started Monday morning. I didn't see any of it in person, just grapevine reports of bedlam. Three and four hour waits for plywood, some folks in Home Depot until 2:30 AM waiting for their turn at what little was left! People taking the batteries out of other people's carts when their back was turned, empty shelves, yadda yadda yadda. Most people remained civil to each other, but tempers were short. My place was snug as a bug by monday afternoon, then I went on to help nieghbors and family who were not as er...handy as I am in such matters. What a mess, glad it's over, but I was haunted the whole time by an endless feeling of "I know that there is more I need to do." As soon as it was apparent that we were spared, I keeled over. Y2K as a three day storm? Please, say it ain't so Joe.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), September 15, 1999.


I love how the Tinfoil Sect twists words. tell me where I said 30 day disruption, extremist. Btw, fuck off.

-- Super Polly (Fu_Q_y2kfreaks@hotmail.com), September 17, 1999.


Am I ready? Yes, I think I am. I hope so. God, if me, Mr. 6.5 isn't ready, we're going to be in some really deep !@#$.

Are you?

Tick... Tock... <:00=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), September 17, 1999.


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