Hoarding or Storing
Jul. 22nd, 2008 03:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
helwenEssay by Sharon Astyk, Is This Hoarding? The Ethics of Storage
Not bad, and I liked Squrrl's comments - she just saved a lot of money on clothing for her kids, and considering how much new clothing can cost, not a bad deal -- especially if you aren't sure if you or your partner will be employed a year or so down the line (assuming one has a partner -- even harder on single parents).
Me, I have to space to save some things against the future, but not everyone does. Fortunately we don't have to worry about growing kids. And foodwise, I'm glad I can get food from local farmers, not only because I have no interest in raising/milking cows for instance, but because when one of our crops doesn't work out it's good to have back-up. Although the peas are going gangbusters so I've been enjoying eating those, and the lettuces are doing well too... but one patch of my cucumbers is pretty much failing from being attacked by insects, and the tomatoes are only just getting going with flowering because of all the rain. One type of summer squash is just now ready for picking. For sure, if we had to depend on just ourselves to put food on the table, life would be a bit on the grim side right now -- most of the garden won't be ready for harvesting for a few more weeks! So far this month we've had peas, raspberries, and a few blueberries -- although I guess if we were really hungry I could pull up the onions early :P Mighty, self-sustainable farmers we're not :D
It's been interesting reading in the news and essays like the above one, about people's thoughts on what is hoarding. Even though the just-in-time delivery system has been around for a little while, I grew up with storing foods in the cupboard, and except for one summer when things were pretty grim financially, I've always had around a month's worth of food stored. For many people today that seems to be a foreign idea -- mostly the younger folks I expect, but I don't know....
My mom was the major influence of course, as my dad's job during shopping was to drive us there and back, and hang out in the magazine/book aisle in-between. My mom grew up during the Great Depression and WWII. We mostly bought foods in quantity when they were on sale, aside from some staples. Then if we wanted to have X-dish we usually could do it, even if X-ingredient for that dish wasn't on sale that week.
I think our family probably had a few months' worth of food in the house at any given time, maybe more. My mom still does this now, of course. Having plenty of food in the house also means not having to go shopping every week (time and fuel savings), and her case also a definite plus for her health. Aside from picking up some fresh in-season foods or having one of her friends do that while they're out shopping, she's been able to stay in during the 100+F weather California's been having off and on this summer.
It was interesting that one of Sharon Astyk's sample questions on hoarding was
It was interesting to me that some people would think that was hoarding, but I suppose the pharmaceutical companies and health insurance companies would prefer folks didn't do this. We've done it ourselves though, some years ago when L was a contractor and I was an office temp. Our health insurance was through my job and how much coverage we had in the current month depended on how many hours I'd worked the month previous.
Nowadays we have pretty good health coverage, except no dental. And I'm happy I can afford to buy fresh produce and other locally-made goods, but I don't take it for granted. I'm all too aware through reading the news and seeing how various folks I know have been doing in the past and now, that things can always change, and not always for the better. So, we have a bit of food on the shelves, brush our teeth like good doobies, and exercise. And hope that between us, our community, and our gov't, we can keep things manageable. (Oo, btw, my State Representative responded to my email about 4-day work week and said he thought it was a great idea and wrote the governor about it!).
Not bad, and I liked Squrrl's comments - she just saved a lot of money on clothing for her kids, and considering how much new clothing can cost, not a bad deal -- especially if you aren't sure if you or your partner will be employed a year or so down the line (assuming one has a partner -- even harder on single parents).
Me, I have to space to save some things against the future, but not everyone does. Fortunately we don't have to worry about growing kids. And foodwise, I'm glad I can get food from local farmers, not only because I have no interest in raising/milking cows for instance, but because when one of our crops doesn't work out it's good to have back-up. Although the peas are going gangbusters so I've been enjoying eating those, and the lettuces are doing well too... but one patch of my cucumbers is pretty much failing from being attacked by insects, and the tomatoes are only just getting going with flowering because of all the rain. One type of summer squash is just now ready for picking. For sure, if we had to depend on just ourselves to put food on the table, life would be a bit on the grim side right now -- most of the garden won't be ready for harvesting for a few more weeks! So far this month we've had peas, raspberries, and a few blueberries -- although I guess if we were really hungry I could pull up the onions early :P Mighty, self-sustainable farmers we're not :D
It's been interesting reading in the news and essays like the above one, about people's thoughts on what is hoarding. Even though the just-in-time delivery system has been around for a little while, I grew up with storing foods in the cupboard, and except for one summer when things were pretty grim financially, I've always had around a month's worth of food stored. For many people today that seems to be a foreign idea -- mostly the younger folks I expect, but I don't know....
My mom was the major influence of course, as my dad's job during shopping was to drive us there and back, and hang out in the magazine/book aisle in-between. My mom grew up during the Great Depression and WWII. We mostly bought foods in quantity when they were on sale, aside from some staples. Then if we wanted to have X-dish we usually could do it, even if X-ingredient for that dish wasn't on sale that week.
I think our family probably had a few months' worth of food in the house at any given time, maybe more. My mom still does this now, of course. Having plenty of food in the house also means not having to go shopping every week (time and fuel savings), and her case also a definite plus for her health. Aside from picking up some fresh in-season foods or having one of her friends do that while they're out shopping, she's been able to stay in during the 100+F weather California's been having off and on this summer.
It was interesting that one of Sharon Astyk's sample questions on hoarding was
Question 4: If Gloria knows she is likely to lose her job soon, and takes her kids to the doctor, gets their teeth checked, and gets a 3 months supply of her allergy medication while insurance will still pay for it, is she hoarding medical care?
It was interesting to me that some people would think that was hoarding, but I suppose the pharmaceutical companies and health insurance companies would prefer folks didn't do this. We've done it ourselves though, some years ago when L was a contractor and I was an office temp. Our health insurance was through my job and how much coverage we had in the current month depended on how many hours I'd worked the month previous.
Nowadays we have pretty good health coverage, except no dental. And I'm happy I can afford to buy fresh produce and other locally-made goods, but I don't take it for granted. I'm all too aware through reading the news and seeing how various folks I know have been doing in the past and now, that things can always change, and not always for the better. So, we have a bit of food on the shelves, brush our teeth like good doobies, and exercise. And hope that between us, our community, and our gov't, we can keep things manageable. (Oo, btw, my State Representative responded to my email about 4-day work week and said he thought it was a great idea and wrote the governor about it!).
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no subject
Date: 2008-07-22 11:29 pm (UTC)I will pay the same for owning my home whether it is full or empty.
I resent repurchasing things I already owned.
Reuse, recycle, yes. Reduce my expectations, but don't wantonly discard things we don't have current need of; need is cyclical.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-23 12:03 am (UTC)Otherwise, I don't see keeping things I may need down the line as hoarding -- which is to say, for instance, while I have gotten rid of some fabric I figured I'd never use at this point (tastes change), I have more than I can use in one year. But I can store it, I review things periodically, and use it as I need it. I have in fact had some fabrics for years before finally using them, but had I not gotten them at the time I couldn't have found them today. And since I can sew reasonably well, I in general consider fabric to be more worthy of taking up storage space than most types of clothing. Also, it can be used for linens, towels, blankets, curtains, etc.
So, I expect you aren't really hoarding, because sooner or later you'll be using everything you have.
Although I do think reviewing the contents is useful on occasion. Also, better organization than we currently have.... I'd finally given up on finding any of my garden clippers this summer and bought a pair... then L found them soon after. Grr. OTOH, I can hand a few out to friends getting into gardening I suppose...
no subject
Date: 2008-07-23 03:28 pm (UTC)It is an absolutely immutable fact of the universe that when something has been missing for a while - and you've looked high and low for it and it's still missing - that within a week of having replaced it you will find the original!
"Been there; done that!" - FAR too many times... [sigh]