This was the idea I was mulling over a few months ago; starting a co-op buying program with other soapers in the area. I, of course, being a solitary-type person, know no one in the area making soap, but I think the idea is good.
You don't necessarily have to hook up with soap makers. Many other people could benefit from this. People cook with olive oil & are always buying this, not to mention other food-related items.
Then there are preppers who like to have a stock of stuff on hand, as well as people who live more traditionally & sock away things for the next couple of years. My family did this when I was growing up, actually. It was just the way we lived - preparing for future seasons in case of future scarcity due to job loss, failed crops, illness, whatever, because they had already lived through some extremely difficult times & learned from this hardship.
Suggestions for getting hooked up with people, as I am also rather reclusive & prefer my own company to socializing in person, and I also live in a very small community:
• put a call out on several community bulletin boards for people interested in doing co-op / bulk buys
• make a post on this forum to connect with soapers & other makers closer to your area
• put up notices at local churches, community centres, feed stores, schools, whatever you have available in your area
• put a cheap ad in a locally produced newspaper or newsletter
• start an email group with friends / family / colleagues for this purpose
• start a neighbourhood potluck once a month or whatever works for you all for the specific purpose of getting together to coordinate these bulk buys; this also builds community & greater security as neighbours get to know each other (we do this in my community & have an incredibly low crime rate, an added plus)
Hooking people up can all be done very low budget, with a little bit of effort. There is more effort in co-ordinating the buys, contacting suppliers, pooling the money needed, distributing the buys when they come in. This, for me, is preferable over stressing over every single penny & wondering how in god's name I'm going to feed myself & supply myself to keep my personal endeavours going. I get to take back control, rather than being at the mercy of other people & other factors. It's very freeing & empowering, two things which we have all lost. Freedom & power.
But as I've said before, it takes a shift in consciousness, the way we think about things / ourselves, as well as our typical buying habits, which are clearly no longer working for many people.
This is a very big opportunity to make change for the good of family, friends, neighbours, entire communities. Once this becomes a habit, as it did with my family over time, it's just like anything else. And there are some very big side benefits.
