Peeking out of my foxhole...

Peeking out of my foxhole...  Is it safe to come out yet?  

I think things are returning to normal in my neck of the woods but whoever said DC was normal? My contract should get extended into FY14, so we can keep the house a little longer. I had a good 2 - 3 month supply of protein and vitamins going into the shutdown but it did make me nervous. I remember the 1995 shutdown too and shutdowns scare me to death. Back then we were living paycheck to paycheck on my GS11 salary and hubby's unemployment. Daycare, mortgage, groceries for us and 2 growing boys, etc....

Anyway, disasters can come from different angles and we're going into the winter months with predictions of record cold in the US. How are you preparing yourself for the unexpected? Do you have extra protein powder stashed away? Do you have your vitamins plus extra available? What's your plan?

--gina

Hi Gina,

Glad things are returning to normal for you and hope it continues I think for me the things we have so little control over are the hardest..

I do have emergency funds put away I keep my protein on automatic order for two of the kinds anyway so i have backstock. I will say I keep forgetting how long it takes to get my vitamins from the west coast and am hitting very very close this month with my iron. I've been trying to hold off for a sale to stock up I guess i won't do that again. As far as the long cold winter well thats the story of my life living in Maine it doesnt immobilize us like it does the cities. Around here its kind of funny I love to go out and shop during the big blizzards because the stores are so slow. Well off for my flu shot! Have a good day

Trish

I'd like to thank the folks from Maine for having a moderate Senator with common sense. I think she's awesome.

--gina

Although my business is Medicaid mostly, it is from a state contract so the federal stuff doesn't impact us except for really big changes.  The state screws with us all the time.

I order many tubs/sacks of protein at a time so I almost always ****il they all get low) have some.  I have been known to head to GNC when I get low to keep from running out before my order comes. 

Vits, I do mostly CVS senior multi chewables and calcuim when they are on BOGO sale and keep a stock ahead so I never run out.  Then I order the rest from Puritan and they have amazing deals like buy 2 get 3 free so I stay stocked up easily.

Praying your contract gets extended!  

Our contract was approved on July 1st so the shut down didn't effect us but we did take a pay cut so that one girl didn't lose her job.  At the time $25.00 a week didn't sound like much but at the end of the month I am at least $100.00 short.  Although we all feel blessed to have a job at all because they combined some counties and we got the bid for ours so things are running smooth for us.  The counties and clients that were forced to combined are in the middle of a nightmare. We have their clients calling us for help and there isn't anything we can do to help them.

I order my Protein 6 months at a time and my vitamins a year at a time.  I need to get my vitamins ordered from Vitalady soon because my one bottle is getting empty. I will try to do that today.

I hate the snow!  If it weren't for my DD's and GKids I would move someplace with nicer weather.  I take all of the back roads on the way home.  I'm not scared of the roads but I am scared of other drivers losing control. I just got new winter treads and our road people are pretty good at keeping our back roads clear.

I would live somewhere warm if not for my kids and DH also but I seem to be odd man out. I don't mind the driving in it but most of us here do know how to drive in snow or we'd be in trouble. 

Thanks Gina we think she is pretty awesome also.

Trish

Hi Gina,

The shut down didn't last long enough to have any impact on us since we are State/local employees.  If it had gone on long enough I'm sure it would affect the State and then trickle down to us.

I always have plenty of vitamins, but have known to run short on my protein before I reorder.  I order it monthly and for some reason have a block about putting it on automatic reorder.  I think I'm too much of a control freak....

I probably do not have any kind of plan these days!  It is just put out whatever fire happens to be flaming the highest.

Hope you have a great weekend.

Linda

You mean shutting down has happened before?!  We don't really have that happen over here.  The teachers were on strike for one day this past week and occasionally rail workers will strike, but not everybody together.

I have more than a couple of months worth of vitamins at the mo and at least a month's worth of protein powder.  Foodwise, I don't have the storage for much more than a week's worth, so if I didn't get my groceries delivered I'd have to head out and get some, although given that the only thing  the company I order from does is deliver groceries it'd take A LOT for them to stop delivering.

I think the last time they tried something like that the Royal in charge fired them all.  lol  

I work in heath care so all the govt craziness has a huge effect on my job also.  Just glad its over for now, and hope some saner heads rule!

Anne