PREP Door Knocking Begins

No one near me knows how prepped I am today, or do they? Well, it seems at least one family does know.

Last night they walked to my home for a visit. Walked uphill (past other neighbors and friends) for about a half a mile in the rain just to pay a visit? They don't have a working vehicle - junked it with a cracked frame and "no money for insurance anyway".

Turns out their phone, cable and internet is out. Those won't be restored until payday rolls around. They also don't have any meat for dinner and are running low on everything else. I cook dinner for us all.

Throughout dinner I learn they are in need of a few more staples, TP being one of them. Cigarettes another. They know I have a machine that makes cigarettes and all the necessary supplies. Might I spare a couple of cigarettes?

Yes people... we were right about TP, tobacco and alcohol being valuable barter items in tough times. I'm glad I stocked up as much as I have, but times have been hard for my family for the past two years. My resources are nowhere near what they once were.

Now, this family are "good people". Hard working for the small amount they earn. They don't live on credit cards, but do live paycheck to paycheck, hand to mouth. They lack skills in budgeting and planning for bumps in the road. Forget about planning for the long haul... it just never crossed their minds. Their current situation has nothing to do with losing a job or being underemployed for their skill set. They simply have failed to reach higher or plan ahead.

As I drove the conversation toward the current events we discuss here each day, I learned this family was clueless. Absolutely clueless. We talked about the upcoming elections and I was pleased to learn the people old enough to vote always vote. They were struggling with this years election though. They won't vote for Obama for all the obvious reasons, but are stuck on McCain being "more of the same". A third party vote never crossed their minds.

They went home with full bellies and alot of food for thought. I'll be bringing food for their pantry this afternoon along with the recipes needed to cook from scratch. Possibly a foolish move on my part, but as long as God provides, I will share those provisions.

I was hit with so many questions about my supplies last night. Why do I have so much flour? What do I do with those dried beans? How can I afford so much food?

They only saw what I keep easily accessible - in amounts good for about two weeks at a time. Basic stuff such as flour, butter, eggs, powdered & canned milk, a few cans of vegetables and a few packages of meat in the freezer. Yes, not a move of mine was made during dinner prep without every eye on those moves.

It bothered me when the Mom laughed about my flour. "You cook from scratch? I could never do that!"

Well, that explains alot about why she has run out of the basics in her home. Her budget has never been one where not cooking from scratch at least 90% of the time should have been an option.

Oddly enough, I suspect this family will fare better than most as the economy tanks. They do make some poor choices such as wasting money on supermarket "fast food", but they are use to doing without. In that, they are leaps and bounds ahead of most people. Their standard of living does not have far to fall. They will adapt better than most.

Funny thing is, as many skills as this family lacks, they have many more that we would consider invaluable. There isn't a husband in the home. Just Mom, kids and critters they care for too well.

The Mom can fix a car, mow a lawn, burns her own garbage, can shoot rifle and shotgun (I never asked about handguns) and has a mind that never forgets at thing. They are from the area and know every trail and hunting location for miles around. They also know the community members well. They are physically strong and don't mind getting dirty.

They also aren't "beggars" living off society - even though this post may make that hard to believe. I know they have gone without before, but never have they asked me for anything until now. It must have gotten worse for them to even show up here last night.

My concern though... How did they know I'd have what they need? Why did they walk past their immediate neighbors to get to my home? What made them think I would step up to the plate? Am I an obviously "easy mark"?

My kitchen pantry, while far from prosperous, will be just a bit more bare from this day forward. I will do less shopping locally which saddens me. The local economy needs whatever pennies I can spend, but I need the security of NOT having to deal with community chatter in a small town.

Discussions here have mentioned having clothing a size or two larger than ourselves. The plans were to wear the larger clothing to give the impression we were losing weight along with everyone else when food supplies dwindle. Even as current events keep us on high alert, I did not think such measures would be required so soon.

Think about your behavior out in public. Pay attention to the expressions on people's faces as you go about town. Blend in! Fake some anxiety to match what you see around you. Express the same worries about rising prices on all levels that you hear being expressed around you. Mention how you "don't know what to do" right along with the rest of them.

Don't let people think you are smarter than them. Don't let people know you plan ahead like you do. Don't let your competence or confidence show through. Don't have answers ready for just anyone.

As foolish as people have been in ignoring what we have watched all along, they ARE savvy enough to recognize that you are in a better position than they are today. They might not know exactly why they should knock on your door, but they will know you are the best chance they may have of finding what they need. The look on your face alone will be enough to give you away.

As for me... I'll be working on carefully educating this one family - making them a part of my "network" so to speak. I've seen enough to know they will not be an immediate security issue. I want to make sure it stays that way. Even as I work on networking with this family, the actual extent of my preparedness is my own business. My goal is to bring them up to where they need to be - strengthening them and my own family - without further exposing myself.

I screwed up. I exposed myself through my mindset and behavior. Already people have knocked on my door.

Are you ready for the knocking to start on yours? Has it already begun for you as well? What changes are you making, or going to make?

Today, 12:26 PM
Trek's Avatar
Trek Trek is online now
Woman On A Journey
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: New York (aka "hell")
Posts: 3,946

My concern though... How did they know I'd have what they need? Why did they walk past their immediate neighbors to get to my home? What made them think I would step up to the plate? Am I an obviously "easy mark"?

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You mentioned they usually have internet access - maybe they read here

Thanks Trek..."food" for thought.

Thanks Trek. With all that's on our minds we need to pay attention to things like this. Short of going home to be with the Lord, we will see this come to pass.

As you educate them, make sure they don't have BIG MOUTHS.


Which honestly they probably do.

I was quite concerned for you when I had read three quarters of your post. I was then glad for the reassurances about your safety and that you will be doing several things differently. Fear and hardship show on one's face and in one's temperament. Those who are prepared and don't show fear stand out. We must become actors to a degree.

Start asking them for the cigarette butts back so you can make more cigarettes with your machine. See if that helps things along!

Thank you Trek fro your post. Good luck and the Lords Blessings on you on the days ahead, and yes you did give us food for thought. Hard tot believe it has started and you had been watched. Do you have anyone to watch your 6? DH as good hearted as he is was asked if he had food storage another worker knowing our religion. He says yes we do and the coworker says what so many have already heard. I am coming to your house when things get bad,a nd dh says come ahead which surprised the coworker. I asked dh if the coworker had supplies to bring with him and dh says no. I told him he should have told the coworker he needs to also get some food storage and if he comes he best bring a tent to live in and plenty of warm bedding.

You say they can hunt...well then make that one way they can pay their way forward to getting what they need from you. Start slow because you could overwhelm them. This could be a way of getting your group in better shape for protection. If so, be glad they came early so you could get them ready! Good luck to you!

G-Man said:

You mentioned they usually have internet access - maybe they read here

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I thought about that, and that is definitely a risk I've exposed myself well to on the internet. The only reason I don't think that is the case is that I have worked on their computer for them a while back.

My son is friends with one of their boys. They play the same computer game and were having problems with their computer settings. Since they needed my help on the computer and my son spends time in their home on that computer, I felt no guilt about paying attention to how they've spent time online.

My son might have been the other exposure risk, but it's something I highly doubt. This child is very private and suspicious of people asking too many questions - or even the wrong questions. He has a preparedness mindset of his own that would make most adults feel foolishly unprepared.

Let's put it this way... he has his own bug out bag prepared. He did this on his own and I didn't know anything about it - and I am one nosy Mom when it comes to my kids! The only reason I learned about the bag at all is because of flash flood warning being issued during a very nasty storm. He took it upon himself to bring our preps to the front door, and pulled out his own addition to the supplies at the same time.

He keeps secrets. A little too well at times. Thankfully I know he has a good head on his shoulders.

sssarawolf said:

. I am coming to your house when things get bad,

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to which one automatically, and casually replies without missing a beat:

"great, we'll be needing fresh meat..."

I have always advocated flying under the radar with preps, having been ridiculed with Y2K. after that, we just let things fizzle out, like ha-ha, the joke's on us. we were so disgusted by people's attitude. I had to gag, literally, to hold my tongue during family gatherings over the years as they loved to bring up and pooh-pooh the idea of "preparedness."

well, DH and I saw this current firestorm/crash happening several years ago, and adopted an attitude with friends and family of just not having anything.

we've cried the blues about college for the kids having cost so much and parental illness/deaths costing so much.

we've now seen, in the past two months, our families starting to wake up and get "it", and have decided they're not going to get it, or anything else, from us. it helps that they all live at least 50 miles from us, so we only see them a few times a year.

one thing we've done is, we actually have/or had, 2 gardens this year. one where we always have it, and we only planted 1/3 of what we normally do.

and so when family/friends would come over they could see a couple of tomato plants and pepper plants and some green beans. that garden is right by the barn, where our carport is.

but, up on the hill there's a terraced flat place, out of sight of the house/barn, and last fall DH plowed that up for a corn patch. That's where the main garden is this year. out of sight, out of mind.

there's other things we've done, to hide our prep storage, and that relates to getting it out of obvious places in the house and into secured and fortified "other areas".

anyway, what the OP has said is very true. people will remember what you've said. your neighbors will be watching for what you are bringing into your houses.

learning how to fly under the radar by projecting the "I don't have anything/don't know what to do attitude" will keep us going a lot longer than if everyone thinks they can come to us for stuff.

breezyhill

When TS finally HTF, the "ravening hordes" will be roving the countryside. NO ONE should know you have preps. NO ONE (except your immediate family and those whom you'd trust with your life.) I no longer answer questions in meatworld about personal preps. Sssarawolf, while your DH has a good heart, does he realize that he may have endangered your lives? (If not, he's a DGI when it comes to preps and what's going to happen, which makes him - sorry to say - dangerous to you.) He needs to either be fully educated on prep/TEOTWAWKI issues, or simply be told to STFU when people ask him about preps.

Trek, if you live in a small community and shop there for your preps, rest assured that a LOT of people know about them. People who WILL be coming for a "visit" when TSHTF. You have a decision to make. You can either keep your preps for your own family (thus providing for them) or you can give them away to "the others." While God wants us to care for others, He doesn't want us to do so at the expense of our own families. I can virtually guarantee you that if TS really does HTF and you turn people away, they WILL come back armed to take what's "rightfully theirs." If you stand in their way, you'll be killed instantly and without remorse.

We've seen literally thousands of posts on TB about how thin the veneer of civilization really is, and how horribly people can act at the SLIGHTEST provocation. You may say, "I know these people and they're good," but in reality, you have NO IDEA how they (and their friends and associates whom they've certainly told about your preps) will react when IT finally hits for-real. Your life is in danger, as are the lives of everyone in your household. You'd better consider arming yourself (if you haven't already), but more importantly, to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for the horrors that await us when TEOTWAWKI finally arrives.

And you KNOW it's coming.....

Remember the Greyman?

Neither does anybody else.

Too many paradoxes here for my comfort level Trek

They hunt...but have no food

They are hardworking....but cant cook from scratch

Money is tight....they buy fast food and pleasure food

TS is really only just starting THTF and these folks are already walking uphill to your house?

I wouldn't be too comfortable here. I think my approach would be more along the lines of, "we are all in this together- lets help each other". I'm really not even too comfortable showing various preps to family or other GI's much less to folks who are down the street and dont have enough today.

Your best bet here is to scare these folks into a prepper frenzy; and I hope you can trust them not to tell other hungry folks, "Hey, Trek has plenty of food" when the local grocery stores are closed and food is scarce.

Yes. A significant number of Americans are just one paycheck away from civilized behavior.

Don't just give them food and things. They will hate you for it. Have them mow your yard or wash your car.

Folks that get a small peek at your preps will remember when they are hungry.
Everyone they told will remember too.
People will kill to feed the family!

If I were you I would move if possible.
I hate to say this but you may have a world of hurt coming your way soon.

Sounds like a wake up call for all of us - keep most of our preps hidden.

Which is what you have seemed to do Trek. I would kindly say 'am out of flour (or whatever) and can you help me till I get to the store" and let them know your supplies are going down so they don't get used to coming to you - faking anxiety as you say. Having them hunt is a good start also. Very interesting story - thanks for sharing - we can all learn from it!! I know none of my family or friends know what we have, and I can't even get most of them to stock up on an extra 3 days supply

If this family is too lazy to learn to cook and they have guns for hunting they could come to you gun in hand demanding your food when they need it. People can turn pretty ugly when they're starving. You made a mistake IMHO by even letting this family through the door. I would not be handing them my prep foods. I'd put them in touch with the local soup kitchesn and agencies giving out food comodities.

Nobody comes into my house. When people stop by we always entertain them down at the pole barn porch. We keep a small fridge down there stocked with drinks and it's very nice place to chat and visit with people. My house is very tiny (800 sq. ft) and I always use that as an excuse for not allowing people in. There just isn't seating room for more than a couple people.

I'm glad we live rural. There is only one other family on my whole road. We're surrounded by woods. I do shop at the local grocery in town but most of my big buying I do at Walmart in another town 25 miles away.

When you start giving people food and money they figure you're an easy mark and they will be back. There will be no end to it. Trust me. I know from past experience. I only prep for my immediate family and nobody else. The neighbors are on their own. I would barter some of my produce but that's it. I do that already. THe neighbor down the road has chickens and trades me eggs for some of my garden vegetables. They're raising two bulls now and we might trade some of their beef for some of my vegetables. There are no handouts for anyone.

There will always be people who just can't take care of themselves and can't think past their next meal. Those are the people who will die. You can't teach these people anything. Do you really think they couldn't learn to cook if they wanted to? They're lazy.

Good luck. I think you're going to need it.

Thanks very much for this account. It shows how careful you have to be. Some of the most subtle things we might do can be tip-offs to people who are watching. There is a fine line here between exercising due caution and being paranoid.

I was talking to my neighbor across the street last spring. During the conversation he casually mentioned a guy he works with who had gotten all prepped for Y2K and how it had all been for nothing. He told me that recently this guy has gone "off-grid." He acted as though the guy was a bit eccentric for the things he does. We were not talking about prepping, as I never bring it up and I always change the subject if anything related to that ever comes up. Suddenly, a few minutes later, my neighbor out-of-the-blue says, "If anything ever happens I'm moving my family in with you because of all the fire power you have."

I was taken aback by my neighbor's off-hand remark. My neighbor works at the Ruger plant, and we have casually talked about guns over the years. He has shown me the commemorative pieces he has acquired from work. In-turn, I have shown him my S&W 500, which I consider to be a curiousity piece as much as a weapon. But in retrospect, I realize that just my casual conversations with him about a common interest we had may have tipped my hand a bit. I've always tried to frame my conversations with him from the standpoint of a person who just likes to collect pretty shotguns and the like. However, my interest in fine weapons has betrayed me. I read a lot of gun magazines as well as the stuff that people like Christian For Israel have to say. When I regurgitate the stuff I have read it makes me sound like more of an expert on weapons than what I really am.

We have to be constantly mindful of what appearances we make and who might be observing these things. Likewise, I keep a mental inventory of the people in my neighborhood, categorizing them according to what skill sets they might have that would be useful, or those who might have to be "dealt with" under adverse conditions.

My company only saw about two weeks worth of food. My main preps are largely stored off site in multiple locations. A move I made on my own when I became a "single mom" not too long ago. The ex makes me feel very unsafe even to this day. It's probably a good thing.

The preps I have purchased in the community are things like 50 pound bags of flour. I get teased about buying so much, but I've always said it's cheaper to buy in bulk. I'm going to bake up a bunch of zucchini breads and give them away while implying that I had to "use up" my baking supplies before they go bad.

My intention is to "barebone" my home, including any hiding places people might expect to find. My cupboards will become as bare as my neighbors quickly. If anyone else comes knocking, they will see they've climbed into the same boat. If they still feel the need to take what little they will find, at least my losses will be minimal.

The paradoxes bother me a bit too. Then I consider the region. There are alot of "rednecks", but not alot of good sense. This family's pros & cons resemble most in the area.

On the plus side... The mom was having some trouble with one of her children and the school district. I made some suggestions and pointed the mom toward the resources she would need. She took it from there and did well. The school has stopped harassing her and her son is doing much better academically. That was no small feat in this area, but it was unusual for a local parent to follow through as she did.

This family does engage in gossip. A red flag for loose lips in my book. When I stop by their home today it will be with "not much, but what I have to share". My goal is to make sure they know I am no better off than they are, but am willing to share my tips and tricks to make things stretch.

Since I know she doesn't have a car, I plan on taking her grocery shopping with me soon. This will NOT be my normal shopping trip. It will be one of those "gotta make $20.00 stretch as far as possible" deals.

Most of my non-edible type preps were made before I moved into this area. The community gossips have no way of knowing about them.

I have a bathroom tile repair job that needs to be done. I have the books and the ability to teach myself from those books, but this woman has the real-world experience of having worked in home contracting. I mentioned having to figure out the best way to make the repairs and she offered to help me. I'm going to take her up on that offer. Fostering a "one hand washes the other" type network might be the best way to protect my family.

I really think that what this family has seen of my mindset is what brought them my way last night. She didn't know what I had or could do, but knew that I would be able to figure out something.

For now, I figure it's better to keep them close while I downplay my resources.

Dennis Olson said:

When TS finally HTF, the "ravening hordes" will be roving the countryside. NO ONE should know you have preps. NO ONE (except your immediate family and those whom you'd trust with your life.) I no longer answer questions in meatworld about personal preps. Sssarawolf, while your DH has a good heart, does he realize that he may have endangered your lives? (If not, he's a DGI when it comes to preps and what's going to happen, which makes him - sorry to say - dangerous to you.) He needs to either be fully educated on prep/TEOTWAWKI issues, or simply be told to STFU when people ask him about preps.

Trek, if you live in a small community and shop there for your preps, rest assured that a LOT of people know about them. People who WILL be coming for a "visit" when TSHTF. You have a decision to make. You can either keep your preps for your own family (thus providing for them) or you can give them away to "the others." While God wants us to care for others, He doesn't want us to do so at the expense of our own families. I can virtually guarantee you that if TS really does HTF and you turn people away, they WILL come back armed to take what's "rightfully theirs." If you stand in their way, you'll be killed instantly and without remorse.

We've seen literally thousands of posts on TB about how thin the veneer of civilization really is, and how horribly people can act at the SLIGHTEST provocation. You may say, "I know these people and they're good," but in reality, you have NO IDEA how they (and their friends and associates whom they've certainly told about your preps) will react when IT finally hits for-real. Your life is in danger, as are the lives of everyone in your household. You'd better consider arming yourself (if you haven't already), but more importantly, to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for the horrors that await us when TEOTWAWKI finally arrives.

And you KNOW it's coming.....

Click to expand...

Very good advice, there, Trek. My heart went up into my throat when I read your post, with the realization that you may have irreversibly placed yourself into an extremely vulnerable position. They now know. When TSHTF, you will have to deal not only with those folks who now KNOW, but also with the others who they will have told about your preps, ad mortem.

I wish you the best in getting through this dilemma, Trek.

Call me paranoid, but I am not even comfortable talking to family about prepping. Since I really don't have a bug out location yet (still looking), all of my prepping is with me here. But I have tried to hide as much as possible. If TS doesn't HTF and something happens to me, the family will think that I was possibly a little off my rocker if they have to clean out the house!

Trek, please don't take this the wrong way, but my intuition tells me that you were being "scoped out".
I would not share ANYTHING more with these folks than the info for the nearest soup kitchen and the bus routes to get there.
Good luck handling things from here on.

Personally I'd look at this as a huge advantage rather than a liability, and make a big play of buying 'Community Food' to help the Community in hard times.

Get the cheap stuff like I do for making up stew packs (lentils, peas, beans, etc) - and buy the ingredients locally, and COMMENT about how things might get very hard and difficult very soon, and how The Community is probably going to need stocks like this so The Community can at least have a square meal a day.

It'll get them thinking and joining in to greater or lesser degrees, help your Community become the biggest asset you have, and don't forget you too have a vested interest in the survival and wellbeing of your Community.

Now next time your neighbours call, show them The Community food store you are building, and give them several packets out of it to keep them going.

Ask them to replace them when they can, NOT to you, but as the basis of the creation of their OWN Community food store.

Do the same with anyone else that calls (keep your visible Community stocks reasonably small so when you give a few packs off it, it looks visibly smaller) in similar hardship.

When needed, go to the local Sherriff/Religious Leaders/Whatever and ask about who to see about setting up a Community kitchen to put on a meal a day, and take the basics for one weeks stew down with you to get it running.

Try and have a 'bring something, bring anything' that can be added, in exchange for a bowl of stew, to help stretch things out for as long as possible.

When your Community wakes up to the fact you have been working your butt off for their benefit, and has led the way towards putting a square meal into them and their kids, you will be at the start of the creation of a Community worth being a part of. Think on this, do you think anyone in your Community will then allow a single hair on your head to be harmed?

Yes there are some bad sorts out there, wherever you are.

But don't let that blind you to the reality that the vast majority of ordinary people are rock solid and decent.

If they have to turn up at the soup kitchen, encourage them to talk about ways and means you can all start to make things better for each other - share hunting, share fishing, share food preserving, share fuel gathering, share responsibility, share effort, and everything gets better really fast for everyone.

For over a year now, I've been telling people that I have some stuff put away for the Community, and how I wish a lot more people would do the same. It's having an effect, as long shelflife stuff like stewpacks, lentils, etc., that hardly ever moved, are now frequently sold out in my local shops.

I think that's rather encouraging.

Trek, Dennis and others here have offered you some valuable cautions in this thread.

In my view, Americans, because they have so little experience with real desperation, cannot get their minds around what people do become when they are really hungry. What makes it worse for America is that we have become an entitlement society. Such habits of thought are not easily broken.

In all seriousness, you need to be prepared to defend yourself and your family. Your mind set must include the willingness to shoot the children of your neighbor should they come calling with hostile intent. That will be very difficult for you because these are people that you know, and had a relationship with. But, if they are really hungry (truly hungry) they will shoot you or yours in their desperation.

It is true that there is strength in numbers, but we also know that iron does not mix with clay. The mix must be a fit, i.e., if that family could reliably defend yours, then they might earn their keep (access to your preps) by defending you. With the family that you have described, I would not bet the farm on such a covenant, nor on its durability.

How sad it is that we live in such interesting times.

Woolly

I think my UPS driver knows that I'm a prepper. I've tried to vary the carriers that I use for shipping and have things shipped in plain boxes when possible. But I guess my UPS driver reads the return address on the labels. He made a comment the other day that I don't want to repeat here in public, in case he reads this forum. But the comment made me pretty sure that he knows. Yikes.

I've been told that most UPS drivers aren't allowed to deliver in the area they live in, but they made an exception here. He lives in the same town as me.

Sorry if this is off-topic, but just wanted to warn others.

Those kids will tell all the other kids in the area. Who knows what their parents will think you have up there on your hill? They will make plans to get "their cut".

Josie said:

If TS doesn't HTF and something happens to me, the family will think that I was possibly a little off my rocker if they have to clean out the house!

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Agree with this - My father currently thinks I'm just a little nuts as it is but if something were to happen to me and he were cleaning out my house and BOL he would think that I had truely gone completely around the bend.

I'm sure it will be a hell of a garage sale.

Sorry about my rough sounding reply Trek.

After thinking about it there is another option or two.
You now have lemons and you need to create lemonade.
I hope some folks can offer some suggestions to turn this into a plus for you.

I really like the idea of taking her to the store and showing her how to make $20 go further. Let her know this is what you have to do to get by and you living hand to mouth. Might not even hurt to shed a tear over having enough to eat.

I'm sure others will have better ideas.
You HAVE to do something to mitigate this threat!


"When confronted by a hungry wolf, it is unwise to goad the beast... But it is equally unwise to imagine the snarling animal a friend and offer your hand..." - Cicero

Woolly said:

Trek, Dennis and others here have offered you some valuable cautions in this thread.

In my view, Americans, because they have so little experience with real desperation, cannot get their minds around what people do become when they are really hungry. What makes it worse for America is that we have become an entitlement society. Such habits of thought are not easily broken.

In all seriousness, you need to be prepared to defend yourself and your family. Your mind set must include the willingness to shoot the children of your neighbor should they come calling with hostile intent. That will be very difficult for you because these are people that you know, and had a relationship with. But, if they are really hungry (truly hungry) they will shoot you or yours in their desperation.

It is true that there is strength in numbers, but we also know that iron does not mix with clay. The mix must be a fit, i.e., if that family could reliably defend yours, then they might earn their keep (access to your preps) by defending you. With the family that you have described, I would not bet the farm on such a covenant, nor on its durability.

How sad it is that we live in such interesting times.

Woolly

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Army Girl said:

Those kids will tell all the other kids in the area. Who knows what their parents will think you have up there on your hill? They will make plans to get "their cut".

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Yep, you were targeted and it's now time for you to move to another town and start all over. They walked ½ mile at night, through the rain, to get to you to see what you have. And they saw enough. You may only have 2 weeks of food & preps visible, but most folks only have a few days worth.

It's a foregone conclusion that you're heading for a train wreck and there's nothing that you can do about it. They're coming for you when times get really hard. They “pretended” to not know what’s going on in the world just to get your defenses down. In reality, they heard on the radio or saw on over-the-air tv or through word of mouth what is happening in the world. They believe these are the end times and are going to do whatever they have to do to get your stuff.

Time to move.

Either that, or they were REALLY bored from being house-bound with nothing to do.

-Ross

Trek said:

I screwed up. I exposed myself through my mindset and behavior. Already people have knocked on my door.

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You sure did. With your good but naive intentions, you very likely have killed yourself and your family, if you have one.

Trek, I personally know where your heart is but please remember, to take on an entire families needs is a hefty drain and expense. You need to learn to say 'I'm sorry but I'm tight right now' or they'll drain you dry. Believe me I know, first hand.

Trek, please don't take this the wrong way, but my intuition tells me that you were being "scoped out".
I would not share ANYTHING more with these folks than the info for the nearest soup kitchen and the bus routes to get there.
Good luck handling things from here on.
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I am with Cardinal on this one. The fact that they noticed that you were stocked means they were paying attention. I would keep them at arms length.

Please be careful.

the lesson to be learned here is about predation. someone is the predator and someone is the prey.

you will have to learn to blend in like a white rabbit on a snow covered lawn.

you will need to know when to stand your ground like a bear and defend your den.

you will need to know how to make use of a pack, should you come to belong to one, to make it work for you.

your option of last resort is to run like the deer, because if you are not as fast as the rest of the herd, you will be culled out.

short story. when I left my first husband, we had lived in a rural area, I went to a shelter for battered women over 100 miles away.

there were closer shelters, but the plus to this place was that it was over 100 miles away. the negative side was that it was in an urban city.

after two weeks in the shelter, I had an apartment, in the city. actually, it was an old house, subdivided into 4 apartments. it was me and my two kids, 3 years old and 10 months old.

I lived there for 18 months. the women who lived also in that house were friendly enough, but they were moochers. I saw this type in the shelter and learned from my experience there. they would "visit", but I never EVER let them see what I had.

I used cloth diapers, so they couldn't "borrow" a pampers. I had always fed my children home-made food, never baby food, so they couldn't ask for a jar of gerbers.

I had more fingers on my hands than you could count of foodstuffs in my cupboards. if they came down to complain about the landlord, and stayed to visit, I fed them my wic peanut butter with saltines. they thought we lived on hot dogs.

I'd buy the real cheap frozen liver at the supermarket and once in a while when they were over I'd cook it up, saying that ever since the kids were born I was anemic and the doctor said I had to eat it once a week. I'd offer them to eat, but they always declined.

the canned food was stored in the kids clothes closet. the good meat, chicken and beef, I portioned out and wrapped in foil and kept it in the freezer inside a couple empty half-gallon orange juice containers, so if I opened the freezer for ice, all they would see was the orange juice containers.

we ate good. but they never knew it. we would all go down the block a couple of times a week to the local soup kitchen to eat and I would take on how it was good to have meat.

the old adage, keep your friends close and your enemies closer, is NOT a strategy I would adopt in these times.

Trek,
I mean this with kindness and respect for you and your situation, but unless you are crafty in your ability to deal with this family, or anyone else who comes along, you will be at a disadvantage by the "kill them with kindness" routine.

what's done is done, and I'll say more on your present situation in a moment. but from now on, you need to second-guess EVERYONE.

you have to be like a cop, who takes nothing at face value and must always be on the alert for danger.

however, you don't have the authority of a police officer, so you must use your gut-radar and alertness to direct YOUR ACTIONS AND REACTIONS when you are with people.

rule #1: reveal nothing.

rule #2: blend in.

rule #3: be aware that at all times someone is sizing you up and you don't want them focusing on you.

as to your current situation, what's done is done. I would not go out of my way to befriend this family.

but, I would make sure that the next time they come, and they will come, that you act friendly, but put on the poor-mouth (countryism) and say how your sister borrowed money and didn't pay it back and you're taxes are past due.

or, deliberately let your electric get turned off, and go to them asking to borrow a flashlight, or candles -- even if you have those things. (and they should be hid, if you do) ask them if they can help you out with a couple of dollars to put towards getting your electric back on until your next paycheck. (which of course, you will do).

or, deliberately run out of gas and call them to help you by bringing some gas to you. then tell them you'll pay them next paycheck. (which of course, you will do).

in other words, you need to do some damage control here, not fuel the fire with more handouts.

I mean all these words kindly trek. I know you're freaking out right now.

my DH is a weak link in that regard and for the past month when he comes home with stories of people starting to freak out at his work I seriously get on his case about keeping his mouth closed about our preps.

good luck to you.
breezyhill

Have to agree with the others too. I think you've opened yourself up to danger.

good post Breezy

Rastech said:

Personally I'd look at this as a huge advantage rather than a liability, and make a big play of buying 'Community Food' to help the Community in hard times.

Get the cheap stuff like I do for making up stew packs (lentils, peas, beans, etc) - and buy the ingredients locally, and COMMENT about how things might get very hard and difficult very soon, and how The Community is probably going to need stocks like this so The Community can at least have a square meal a day.

It'll get them thinking and joining in to greater or lesser degrees, help your Community become the biggest asset you have, and don't forget you too have a vested interest in the survival and wellbeing of your Community.

Now next time your neighbours call, show them The Community food store you are building, and give them several packets out of it to keep them going.

Ask them to replace them when they can, NOT to you, but as the basis of the creation of their OWN Community food store.

Do the same with anyone else that calls (keep your visible Community stocks reasonably small so when you give a few packs off it, it looks visibly smaller) in similar hardship.

When needed, go to the local Sherriff/Religious Leaders/Whatever and ask about who to see about setting up a Community kitchen to put on a meal a day, and take the basics for one weeks stew down with you to get it running.

Try and have a 'bring something, bring anything' that can be added, in exchange for a bowl of stew, to help stretch things out for as long as possible.

When your Community wakes up to the fact you have been working your butt off for their benefit, and has led the way towards putting a square meal into them and their kids, you will be at the start of the creation of a Community worth being a part of. Think on this, do you think anyone in your Community will then allow a single hair on your head to be harmed?

Yes there are some bad sorts out there, wherever you are.

But don't let that blind you to the reality that the vast majority of ordinary people are rock solid and decent.

If they have to turn up at the soup kitchen, encourage them to talk about ways and means you can all start to make things better for each other - share hunting, share fishing, share food preserving, share fuel gathering, share responsibility, share effort, and everything gets better really fast for everyone.

For over a year now, I've been telling people that I have some stuff put away for the Community, and how I wish a lot more people would do the same. It's having an effect, as long shelflife stuff like stewpacks, lentils, etc., that hardly ever moved, are now frequently sold out in my local shops.

I think that's rather encouraging.

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Ras, I think this is some REALLY scary advice! I would never let anyone know about my preps, particularly not let them know I put things away for the good of the community! If you want to help in that way, wait until things are back and join the community in palnting and maintaining and garden and cooking for folks or teaching them how to do it. I think your plan is extraordinarily dangerous, although intended with a very kind and generous heart, I understand

I agree with Ross, unfortunately. This has sent some serious alarm bells off in my head.

They will be back, they won't be alone, and if TSHTF they will take everything you have.

Can you hide your preps, or make it publicly known that you're giving everything to the Food bank?

Tweak

Much to the chagrin of a few, DH and I do not feel compelled to answer knocking at doors or ringing phones.
DH's Dad and My Mom go nuts about how we handle our phone business. Both of them will literally jump up off the toilet and trip all over themselves running up the hall to grab a ringing phone and expect others to do the same.

As far as door knockers, Long time ago I had one neighbor who would go all around the house peeping in windows and calling my name but finally she got the hint).