This isn’t going to be one of my typical posts. This post is meant to help us all in the long run, and it will cover some subjects that people do not want to discuss in mixed company: politics and religion.

Unkind comments will be deleted. My posts are meant to help, not sow discord.

The future is generally unknown. No one‘s got a crystal ball, we don’t know what’s gonna happen, but we can take clues from what is said by government leaders, future government leaders, and those in the now.  It has been promised/threatened (I guess that depends on how you view it) that there will be tariffs starting Q1 of 2025. Various countries’ imports will be subject to differing percentages of tariffs. To simplify: Products that are imported will be subject to a tax, which is called a tariff. It is paid by the company/business/person that is receiving the product from outside the country. It is not paid by the person selling the product. It is paid by the person importing or purchasing the product from overseas. Most times when tariffs are levied, the company bringing the product into the US passes the cost of the tariff onto the consumer, leading to higher prices in stores and online.

Unfortunately, for us, a lot of products and goods and materials are not manufactured in the US. Even things that are assembled in the US contain imported components, such as cars and appliances.  That means the price of a lot of goods and materials and foods will be going up. How much, that is uncertain.

What can we do to prepare for this? That’s what I’m here for!

Step One: We’re going to be taking advantage of sales and deals now for things that we will need and will use. I’ve linked to posts I’ve written in the past about these topics to help you do research and learn more.

I’m not saying that we’re gonna be hoarding things, but if we have kids, it means we’re to take advantage of sales and deals and buy them clothes perhaps in the next size up or maybe even two, we will be buying them shoes in the next size up or maybe even two.

We will be taking advantage of deals like Kohl’s cash, JCP deals, and other retailers’ reward programs.  Shopping online through sites like Mypoints (my personal favorite), Swagbucks, or TopCashBack will yield us additional cash back and/or provide us with coupon codes. We will be shopping end-of-season sales and end-of-year sales, we will be doing all of those frugal things that we usually do, but we might be ramping it up a bit.

We’re also gonna be taking advantage of things like clothing swaps. And if you don’t find any, that are already being put together, maybe reach out to some of your friends, family, coworkers, or social group and see about putting one on.

Will be taking advantage of Freecycle, Nextdoor, and Buy Nothing style groups on social media. We will be helping our neighbors. Instead of donating outgrown clothes to a thrift store, we can post on our social media groups and offer to share what we have with others.

And as far as food goes, we are not hoarding food. We will be buying a few more things every time we go to the store. A couple more cans of chicken broth, an extra bag of chocolate chips, foods that we eat already, that are shelf-stable, canned, or that we have room for in our freezer or pantry. If you are having trouble providing healthy options for yourself and your family, please consider looking at my Free Monthly Food Options page. There are a lot of free and low-cost options for those in the San Diego, CA area.  I will be adding more options soon. There is zero shame in getting help. If your local church/synagogue/mosque has a blessing box or food pantry, please reach out!

Menstrual hygiene products are sometimes manufactured overseas, and the price of those may go up.  They have a fairly long shelf life, so even if you don’t get to them for a year or so, they will still be good.  Or, if you have the resources, consider reusable menstruation products. I have a post about them here.

Personal Hygiene: A lot of personal hygiene products are manufactured overseas, and while I don’t think we should be hoarding them, if you have a stockpile situation where you purchase items when they are on sale at drugstores or mass merchandisers like Target, now would be a good time to perhaps take advantage of some of those deals that you see, and have perhaps a few extra bottles of body wash, shampoo, and conditioner, shaving cream, and razors.  I don’t recommend stockpiling more than a few extra containers of things like toothpaste and mouthwash, because those do go inside of our bodies and they do have an expiration date.

Cleaning supplies: I tend to stick to a few basic cleaning supplies like bleach, Pine-sol, and Windex (NEVER MIXED TOGETHER), and I buy them in larger sizes and pour them into reusable spray bottles from Dollar Tree. If you have a favorite cleaner and you notice that it is imported, it might behoove you to pick up an extra bottle on your next shopping trip. They generally have a long shelf life.

Laundry Supplies: My favorite laundry soap is Arm and Hammer. I try to stock up when Walgreens has Buy one, get two free sales about once a quarter. If you have a favorite laundry soap or product, check Target, CVS, or Walgreens. They frequently have sales and deals for laundry products.

Keeping Track: To keep track of what we have on hand, I use a Canva printable for my fridge, freezer, and pantry inventory. If you want to print out a copy, here is a link. It’s Free! It is a very useful tool.

Step Two: Assess any large purchases that you might need to make between now and the end year. You don’t need to buy new items: Thrift stores or Facebook marketplace/Craigslist are a great way to save money too.

• Car Repairs– If it’s economically feasible, schedule repairs and tune-ups before the end of the year.
• Vehicle tires– Check your tires- it might be time to replace them. Sometimes tire shops offer rebates when you buy 2 or 4.
• Household appliances- Fridges, televisions, gaming platforms, ovens, microwaves, dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers. There are usually end-of-year sales, and Q1 will be a big time for TV sales (for “the big game”).
• Home Furnishings– Much like household appliances, there will be end-of-year sales on home furnishings. Now might be a good time to replace your old couch, or buy a new bed.
• Shoes- Most shoes are made overseas. I buy two pairs of sneakers a year because I am on my feet a lot and I have to wear a very specific type of shoe. I have already planned on buying two pairs in December for 2025.

Consumers may not see price increases in stores until the end of Q1 or the beginning of Q2 2025 as policies and procedures take time to put into place.

As I said so many of these things are unknown, so we don’t know what exactly is going to be affected and by how much so until we know with a little more certainty, what exactly is going to happen and how it’s going to affect us all, I say that we prepare a little. Don’t go crazy, don’t cause a run on the store, don’t cause any sort of craziness at Costco. But being prepared will generally help you save money in the long run.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are so many people in your community who are willing to help a neighbor- all you need to do is ask.