I've taken a break from social media, I haven't written quite as many articles as usual, and I've even skipped days posting – something I haven't done in my almost 12 years running this website. It may seem like I've lost my motivation.

In fact, it's been just the opposite.

When I got back from Europe, I needed to replenish some of my stores. I'd put a lot of things in storage but I also gave a great deal of food to family members and friends. I suffered from sticker shock the first time I went to the store – I could hardly believe how much the prices had gone up in the eight months I was away. There's nothing that puts things in perspective like not going to an American store for 3/4 of a year and then going in with a plan to fill your short-term pantry!

It got me thinking about how discouraging it must be if you're trying to get prepped and your budget is tightly fixed to go in and see all these sky-high prices and wonder how in the world you're supposed to be getting ready for the Zombie Apocalypse at these prices. Heck, maybe it'd be easier to just let the zombies get you and join their ranks.