…and here we go again. I first howled about the situation in my deceptive food inflation video. It’s gotten worse since then. It’s not gonna get any better. For all of you fancy wage-earners where money is no object, you can skip over this post and go brush up on your unicorn meat nutrition facts instead. But if that’s not you, then please…read on.

Pay attention to what’s happening…

A few months back I was buying the huge 100-ounce bottle of ALL laundry detergent for $11.99 at BJ’s. Prior to that price it was selling for $1 cheaper at $10.99. But today? That same 100-ounce bottle is now $14.99. What would justify such a drastic spike in price? A $3 increase overnight?

Yogurt prices are up. Eggs are more expensive. Bread. Cheese. Cake slices have gone up. 50-cent increase here. One dollar extra there. You think it’s no biggie? One or two product increases may not make you flinch, but add all up these increases into one shopping cart and it’s a blow to the lower jaw bone. You will feel the impact. This is GOING to happen.

Price increases already outpace the increases in our paychecks. We’re sloshing through it. We’re coping, right? But will you be ready to face the time when prices are so outrageous that it bites you in the ass and forces you to return an essential product to the shelf because it’s just too dang expensive?

prepare. Prepare. PREPARE!

This is not some Doomsday Preppers philosophy I’m trying to pitch you. You can take that word “prepare” and be as drastic or nonchalant as you wanna be.

My suggestion to you is simple: Start stocking up NOW to lock in current food prices. Buy it now and stock it up, or pay higher prices later for the same exact product. This can mean taking as little as $10 per paycheck to buy a few extra bars of soap, an extra bottle of laundry detergent, or non-refrigerator foods that can be stored long term.

I’ve noticed toilet paper prices have risen, too. Wouldn’t you rather wipe your bootay at today’s prices, rather than pay a premium for toilet paper later on? Whatever you deem essential should be considered for stocking up.

But don’t just do this only for the sake of saving money. There’s the very real possibility of an economic collapse in the future, which will mean scarcity of essential resources. It doesn’t hurt to stock up on things like canned goods and bottled of water just be on the safe side.

Hypothetical Situation

A monster storm hits and the power goes out for 5 days. Not only that, but (due to the outage) your local water company can’t guarantee the water being supplied to your home is safe for drinking, or the water isn’t flowing at all. Based on this scenario and considering the current resources you have in your house at this very moment, do you have:

1. Sufficient non-perishable food supplies?

2. Alternative cooking source, such as a portable camping stove or grill?

3. Ample supplies of bottled water to last at least 5 days?

4. A back-up method to charge your cell phone: car charger or portable external battery pack?

5. Emergency desserts?

Do you have all of this stuff on hand right now? If yes, please give yourself 10 bonus points.

So ya, stock up to save cash AND for emergency preparedness. With all of the fitness stuff we get into, preparing is key to our success. But sometimes there are more important things than doing squats and fitting in cardio. Preparation has much greater implications. Don’t you agree? That canned Sasquatch meat I heard you love so much is worth stocking up on.

How are you dealing with rising food prices and the looming threat of economic collapse-type stuff?