The Millennium bug
I know a guy who lived in a small detached house with a large garden, who was convinced that the turn of the millennium would mean massive food shortages, with shop shelves empty, water supplies cut off and people fighting over bread in the streets.

During the whole of 1999, he dug a cellar under his house, put a high fence up, frantically turned his lawn into a vegetable patch, got a gun and stockpiled his cellar floor to ceiling with BOGOf purchases, like tinned beans and peaches.

I called him in January 2000 to ask whether he felt a bit silly, and he informed me curtly that he was now well-prepared for the end of civilisation in December 2012.

He was still eating the peaches, last time I asked.
(IHateSprouts is baking a huge pie shaped like an enormous pie, Tue 19 Jun 2012, 10:17, 2 replies)

Compare food prices now, and then.
Food was a damn good investment.

Buying food that you like, carefully, when it's on offer, or just seasonally cheap, you have the space, and spare cash - isn't a bad plan at all.
Knowing that whatever happens, you have 6 months of (possibly rather boring) food, without needing to buy anything significant is a nice buffer.

As I write this, I'm in the kitchen, making some stew, and looking at my pile of 20Kg of chocolate.
(bought at a pricing error of 90% off)
(speedevil, Tue 19 Jun 2012, 19:23, closed)

Got to admit though
shambolic has had a lot of mental help since then.
( The Mock Turtle ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Wed 20 Jun 2012, 11:12, closed)