Of all the things to hoard, the 100 watt light bulb must be an unlikely candidate: they’re outdated and expensive to run. But many of us have been doing just that, in order to beat the just-introduced European ban on importing or producing them. And it seems that Germany, the country that came up with the idea of the ban in the first place, is home to some of the worst offenders.
According to the Nuremberg-based GfK market research agency, sales of 100 watt bulbs rose 600 per cent since the end of July. Forgive me if I don’t entirely see the point. Incandescent bulbs are notoriously energy-wasting, turning only 10% of the energy they consume into light. That means you’re paying to waste 90% of your lighting bill at a time when the emphasis is usually on saving – not spending - money on electricity bills.
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But announce something is going to be banned – and bingo, there’s a market. Of course if you haven’t already stashed your spare 100 watt light bulbs, it’s probably too late now. The trick is to think ahead to hoard future shortage items while they’re plentiful now. Here are our tips.
Plastic carrier bags
With Wales now considering a ban on free plastic carrier bags in order to protect the environment, following in the footsteps of the Republic of Ireland, the days of being able to collect free carrier bags may be numbered. But that day has not yet come, so clearly it would be remiss not to fill our cupboards with as many as we can get. Because you never know when you might need one. Missing the point? You might think so.
DVDs
The writing has to be on the wall for DVDs as the download revolution takes off. Just as it’s now hard to rent VHS videotapes, the day will surely come when we can no longer get a DVD when we want them. So, obviously, the answer is to stock up now. And on DVD players as well, come to that. What do you mean, you might not still want to watch High School Musical 3 in 2030?
Tins of spam
We mean the tinned kind, not the internet version. You’ll need it because there’s no end to the gourmet treats you can enjoy with a tin of spam, from spam, eggs and chips to spam and beans to, nope, can’t think of any more. While spam is unlikely to be banned, it could well be discontinued through lack of interest. And just like lightbulbs, it’s easy to stockpile under the stairs.
Old cars
The type with wheels, we mean. The Government’s Cash for Clunkers has, it seems taken thousands of 10-year-old – and older – cars off the streets and redirected them to the scrap yard. We think there’s a future market there, for those who prefer to drive an out-of-date car that you can’t get spares for. Or keep them till they’re vintage – who knows how much your rustbucket would be worth then. You might get a couple of these in your garage, or why not club together with a friend and buy a scrap yard? It’s an investment (of sorts).
Of course, you could argue that incandescent light bulbs – first introduced in the 19th century - are simply an example of an outdated technology that’s no longer relevant to modern needs. In which case you might be interested in finding ways to save money on your energy bill.
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