Food Storage

Using coupons to match to sales, is a great way to start your families food storage, along with just picking up a couple extra items to add to your pantry each month. Buying in bulk is a great way to save on items you know you will be buying anyway and that store well for long term. We generally buy 25lb bags of rice and popcorn at Sam's club along with sugar, Olive oil and cheese. Often, you can ask your local bakery if you can have their 5 gal food grade buckets to store your bulk purchases in. I do invest in mylar liners for many of my buckets and those can also be sealed. Be sure you use food grade buckets not all are food grade like the ones from the hardware store.

Food storage is a great investment because our basic needs are food, water & shelter. With the loss of job, illness, you and your family will always be in need of food. Not to mention beating the ever rising food costs! Some #10 cans of long term food storage can last 30 years!!

I have about 200 days of long term food storage for my family of 5. I havent updated my inventory lately so it could even be more by now. This does not include my pantry or freezer items. Mainly the dairy lasts 5-10 years unopened. I lean to the 5 year range and once opened 1 year. Things like beans, tvp if stored properly can last 30 years! Imagine buying food at today's prices and eating it when you are retired and what groceries will cost then!

If you are low on space, its common to store underbeds, in closests anywhere you can. Preference for the shelf life is dry and cool! Here is a photo of my coat closet that houses some of our food storage items. Some items are freeze dried (more expensive) or dehydrated. We love the morning moo's chocolate drink mix and buy it in a 37lb pail. Powdered cheese for home made mac n cheese is so nice to have on hand along with drink mixes like apple, orange, peach and more. I watch the daily sales on www.augasonfarms.com and when what I am wanting goes on sale I will stock up 2-6 cans :).

We as parents must make sure our children are well provided for, especially in times of need and even if money is tight or not there at all to start a food storage, I encourage you to look up all your local foodbanks, churches with food closets and start making rounds to them to get a nice food storage set up so you will be prepared and able to care for the ones you love. If your car breaks or you are snowed in and cant make it to an Angelfood pick up, you loose your job and food stamps take months to get, you will find this preparation to relieve lots of potential stress! Often churches where I live will accept your childrens too small clothes or kitchen items as a donation when you pick up the bag of pantry food they give out to those in need. That is a great way to help while being helpped and never feel bad about doing all you can to put food on the table for your little ones, or well big ones heheh I think my son at 10 is going to be way bigger then I am all to soon :)