Food storage is a huge subject, with dozens of ways it can be accomplished. Some buy giant bags of beans and rice while others stack cans of soup. Each way has it's own pros and cons but today I am going to focus on the way I do it. I, like a lot of people am on a budget so my prepping has to factor in my wallet. Also, I enjoy convenience and variety so I don't plan on buying a hundred pounds of pintos or white rice. If one was to do that they would have to eat that item before it went bad or could be gotten into by pests. That to me, is like going to the store and getting a bucket filled with corn flakes. Sure I would survive but it's gong to get old and stale pretty fast. I prep in a way I like to call the 20 dollar method.
The Twenty Dollar Method
Most people buy food on a budget but a slide of twenty dollars in either direction is not too big a deal. If it is, then find somewhere else to get it, your fast food budget, your movie budget, whatever. Set 20 bucks aside a week for prepping and head to the dollar store or a affordable grocery store such as walmart or aldi. I prefer the dollar store because you would be amazed what you can get for $20 there. Then, split up your budget accordingly.
Example:
$20 for prepping= $10 for food, $5 for supplies, $3 for medical, $2 for anything else.
Remember, this is just a guide. If you have lots of food shift more money to medical or other supplies. Once that's set up you know how much to spend now you just need to know what to buy. Some major food staples are:
+Beans
+Rice
+Canned vegetables and fruit
+Sugar
+Salt
+Flour
+Fat
+Protein
+Oats
+Coffee or Tea
+Pasta (italian, egg noodles, asian)
+Dairy
+Convenience Foods
+Water
Some examples of supplies could be:
+Light (flashlights, matches, glow sticks, candles, lighters)
+Shelter (tarps, rope, duct tape, emergency blankets)
+Tools (tools, gloves, nails, and the like)
+Storage (paint buckets are 2 or 3 bucks at walmart)
+Hygiene (TP, wipes, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, feminine hygiene, antibacterial wipes)
+Cleaning Supplies (bleach, vinegar)
Medical items are a great investment but most of the basics can be easy to forget:
+Band aids
+Pain Medicine
+Cold Packs
+Antibiotic Ointment
+Herbal Medicine
+Gloves
+Alcohol and Peroxide
Anything else is just that, anything else you may think of. Base this on your family's needs, location, or wants:
+Sun Block
+Bug Spray
+Candy
+Books
+Stationary (pens, paper, crayons, markers)
The list could go on and on but the point is to get you thinking about your family's needs. As a last example I will give what I purchased last week with my $20 at the Dollar Tree.
1 family sized can of spagetios
1 jar of peanut butter
1 box of crackers
1 container of oat meal
1 vegetable oil
1 shelf stable milk
1 can of chicken
1 can of tomatoes with Italian seasoning
1 large container of idolized salt
1 bag of beans (mixed soup)
2 pair of work gloves
1 flash light
1 package of matches
1 tarp
1 bottle of ibuprofen
1 bottle multi-vitamin
1 package of sterile gloves
1 package of butterscotch candy
1 sticker book
So as you can see, you can do so much with twenty dollars and if you stick to it you will have a large amount of preps to rotate out with your everyday items. See the basics part 3 for eating what you prep and prepping what you eat to learn more about rotation. Until then,
Keep learning, keep sharing, and keep reading,
Prepgirl
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