Absolutely relate to the food preservation regret, GarnetDusk. For me, it’s hands-down gardening. Should’ve started experimenting with small-scale growing years before I retired—so many little mistakes in the first couple seasons that could’ve been sorted out earlier. It’s not just about having fresh produce, either; learning what actually thrives in my soil, how to deal with bugs without chemicals, and how much work it takes is such a trial by error thing.
The garden now shapes my daily routine and pantry, which I honestly didn’t expect. Even in emergencies, knowing I can supplement stored food with whatever’s in the yard is a big comfort. Also, skills cross over: composting makes food scraps useful, and the timing of planting goes hand-in-hand with preservation (fermenting cabbage, drying herbs, etc.).
Anyone else notice that once you start one prep, it sort of snowballs into others? Like, you can’t start a garden
