Stocking Up in a Down Economy

Sunday's Salt Lake City Tribune had an article that caught my eye. It seems that, while many families are cutting back on purchases, there are some items for which sales figures are going up. According to the story, these are: boxes of mac & cheese, chocolate, spam, pepto bismol, and handguns.

I can come up with a rational explanation for an increase in sales for each of these items. Mac & Cheese is more popular as people try to stretch food dollars. Chocolate would be a cheaper way that people could indulge. Spam is cheaper than just about any package you pick up in the meat department. Pepto Bismol is more needed now as people worry more and eat more stuff that might not be as good for them. Gun sales are probably up due to the more conservative Americans believing that a Democratic President will push new gun control laws.

Yet, as I saw the headline and skimmed over the story, I had a vision of someone stockpiling cases of Mac, Spam, Hershey Kisses, and Pepto Bismol while standing guard over the stash with his new gun, a la some of the science fiction stories about The End Of The World As We Know It and the attendant shortages - think Farnham's Freehold, among others.

Not that I think TEOTWAWKI is upon us, but have you changed what you buy and where you buy it? Have you initiated other cost-cutting strategies, like perhaps, co-operative meals with your neighbors so each of you spend less? Have you gotten food from a food bank? Have you helped out at a food bank? Have you found greater comfort or less comfort at your place of worship?