Prepping

My Mom always had a good pantry. Sometimes it was overflowing with our coats and boots along with the macaroni and home canned tomatoes.
We have been so "close" financially for years, moved several times, lost all we had, moved back to my childhood home, that "stocking up" hasn't been possible. I'm making it a priority now. I started doing this about a week ago, before the Hurricaine hit New York. We didn't even have WATER saved aside. Not one empty bottle. So...following my mentor of years' past ..the elusive "Flylady.net", I am taking "baby steps" . I call it a Prep a day, but as in most things, once you just Get Started, and lay aside the perfectionist thinking, it has been more than "1 a day".
I got 3 cans of small chicken. Its in a tuna can, but thank god it is CHICKEN. If the end days come, I don't want to have to eat tuna. I don't like Tuna Breath. Cat's have tuna breath, and they lick themselves too.
Maybe it helps that I am volunteering at a food bank. I'm inspired. I made the spouse and middle me daughter help me gut out room in the basement. When we moved in, I had high hopes for that room, but now it is a clutter fuck. However..there is a nice shelving unit, and I am also gutting out the closet underneath the basement stairs for a Pantry.
My original pantry is a closet in the kitchen. It has a door that hasn't shut in probably 30 years. My Pantry is NOT a pretty pantry with lovely glass canisters. It's a working pantry with Soups, veggies, and spaghetti stacked every which way.  I just made PRIME real estate on my counter today by moving the Food Processor OFF the counter and into the pantry. This to me is real progress.
My freezer is full. My taxes are overdue. I'm starting to plan for the future again. I don't hold out much hope yet.
I have two cases of water, not much, but better than I had 2 weeks ago, a 12 pack of shelf stable milk, a bag of dried milk, a jar of peanut butter, a bottle of Olive Oil, some band aids, deck of cards in case we are stuck in basement for a while, some gum, hard candy and Rice-A-Roni. I want to get a camp stove, old style lights in case of eventual power failure (NOT The L E D lights that take batteries), and some candles. I can't believe I don't have any candles.
Things I want to stock up on: Personal products for the girls, water, some cola, matches, candles, hand warmers, etc.
I'm in the process of making "Bug Out" bags for everyone containing essentials, socks, water, blankets etc. for the vehicles. My friend Char is great at this. "The Prudent See Danger and Prepare for it".