If you could squeeze $50/month out of your food budget

[Kathleen in VA]

for stockpiling against a disaster, what would you buy? Rice, peanut butter, dried beans, canned goods? Or what?

[Bang!Zoom!]

Water containers would be the first thing.

[livingnlearning]

Rice and honey. When I stock up here for the winter I also get barley, dry beans (anasazis and pintos), salt, flour and sugar. Coffee is good. tea, corn meal. But I'm not thinking disaster unless you count Montana winters disasterous which they sometimes are. I just have a lot of bulk staples on hand so I don't have to go to town very often. :)

[livingnlearning]

Water containers would be the first thing.

 

good idea-also a water filter. or the knowledge of how to make one. :)

[Heidi]

:iagree:Water first, then work up to a 3 month supply of food you regularly eat: speghetti sauce, noodles, canned veges/fruit, boxed goods, powdered milk. Most emergencies don't last more than 3 months and it is good to keep things as normal as possible for as long as possible.

 

Then a year supply of food that stores a long time, like rice, beans, wheat, honey, salt, oats.

 

Wheat alone will sustain life (with water of course).

 

Emergency supplies: blankets, first aid kits.

[meggie]

72 hour kit first. Includes clothing, water, food, shelter materials. Then water. then whole grains and a hand crank wheat grinder. Then oil. Then dried legumes. Then honey or sugar. Then all the extras.

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

A book I bought about food storage and emergencies suggested you first (after water) stock up on oatmeal and applesauce, and canned beans and canned tomatoes, because you can eat those things without heat. Oatmeal is one of two (?) grains that can be eaten raw, and the other is much more expensive. You can eat it with/in the applesauce for one meal, and the beans and tomatoes for another meal, and you can live off just that for a month without suffering nutritionally too much.

[Bang!Zoom!]

There are lots of resources with lists, etc.

 

Red Cross, FEMA etc. online.

 

I believe there are online tutorials from LDS also.

[Live2Ride]

store what you will eat. Don't store stuff because it lasts long because you may not ever eat it and that would be a waste.

 

Start with a 3 month storage-items that you and your family eat regularly, but add those things that can be used to stretch: pastas, rice, flour, oil, beans, wheat (which can be ground), sugar/sweetners, and spices/baking supplies. Spices can really change a meal.

 

I have a short and a long term storage, but it's all stuff that we would eat and I know how to use.

 

I always set aside some extra money each month out of my grocery budget and buy what's on sale in bulk. Last week it was tomato sauce in the 8 oz cans (which a lot of recipes seem to call for). They were 5 for $1. I bought 2 cases (48 cans). Oh and pork and beans were .19 so I bought two cases of that. That goes into my storage, though I rotate and use what I have. When it goes on sale again, I'll buy more or replace...depending on what I've used.

 

Think about what you use and store that. Water for sure. If you have a soda bottling plant near you, call or stop by and see if they will sell you the syrup barrels. Our local Coke plant sells them for $5-$10. We can get 15 gallon and 15 gallon ones. I have 4 of each and really like them for storage. Granted the water smells like Dr. Pepper for the first few fill ups, but you have to boil it anyways, so it doesn't really matter. Storing water in the plastic gallon jugs can be risky as they break down and you'll end up with a mess. Don't ask how I know, :glare: :tongue_smilie:

 

Oh and water filters are good. I actually get my personal ones from here-I have found them to be the most economical portable ones. Each filter will clean 100 gallons of water. You may be able to find other ones similar to it that do the same thing.

 

Oh and canned meats..tuna, chicken, beef, etc. Learn to can your own beef, it's more economical than buying it canned. Chicken too if you can get a good price on it...but canning is a whole 'nother ball game in itself, lol!

[Jan in SC]

I would only store some food and water. I would keep some in your house and some in your car. I would keep the rest in cash. What happens if an emergency occurs and you're no where near the food and water you stored?

[Kathleen in VA]

The water thing scares me. We have well water and it is has sediment in it. We paid a whole lot of money for a water treatment system in 2003 and we still have to change the filters monthly (the manufacturer suggested every 6 months). I can't imagine that particularwater is safe to store for any length of time. Am I right on that?

 

I've tried buying extra bottles of water (like Deer Park) and they ended up leaking after a few months. I cannot afford a Berkey water purifier or anything like it. Also, I live in a tiny house. Where am I supposed to put all this water? Three gallons per day for six people for a month would be 540 gallons.

 

Would it be worth it to save that money for a few months and buy an expensive purifier like Berkey or am I worrying too much? Part of the problem too, is that if our electricity goes out (like it did for 5 days during Hurricane Isabel) we do not have any water to even flush toilets with.

[AuntieM]

The water thing scares me. We have well water and it is has sediment in it. We paid a whole lot of money for a water treatment system in 2003 and we still have to change the filters monthly (the manufacturer suggested every 6 months). I can't imagine that particularwater is safe to store for any length of time. Am I right on that?

 

I've tried buying extra bottles of water (like Deer Park) and they ended up leaking after a few months. I cannot afford a Berkey water purifier or anything like it. Also, I live in a tiny house. Where am I supposed to put all this water? Three gallons per day for six people for a month would be 540 gallons.

 

Would it be worth it to save that money for a few months and buy an expensive purifier like Berkey or am I worrying too much? Part of the problem too, is that if our electricity goes out (like it did for 5 days during Hurricane Isabel) we do not have any water to even flush toilets with.

 

You can treat the water with a bit of bleach (yeah, sounds awful but you can look that up for details) prior to storage, or perhaps boil it upon opening but prior to using?

 

I was going to say don't forget the oil, someone beat me to it.

 

Don't forget to have a stock of basic first aid supplies, too.

 

I'd take some of that money and invest it in a nice setup of bow and arrows, if haven't got them already.

 

There was a thread on this a year or so ago and several people posted their lists. It was valuable info, wonder if that old thread can still be accessed?

[Berta]

Water is the single most important survival item and I would throw out knick knacks and anything else in the way to make room for the water before not storing it. My house is entirely electric, when the power goes out (which it does often) we have no water.

 

You can store water in 2 liter soda bottles or the hard plastic juice bottles. You can fill them, add a dab of bleach if you have well water (public water is already treated) and then store them under beds. I have dozens of them stored under our beds, standing up with the neck of the bottles between the bed slats. You can also store them standing upright behind furniture, in the back of closets, along the wall under the sink vanity etc.

 

I have six 55-gallon water barrels outside filled and rain barrels on all the corners of my carport. I use this water for watering the garden, and if needed can be drinking water or for flushing toilets. I also have a Berkey that I bought cheap on Ebay from someone right after Christmas. They received it as a gift and didn't want it.

[Oakblossoms]

72 hour kit

Berkey filter..you can use this while you wait for disaster:tongue_smilie:

something to cook with solar cooker, wood, camp stove, jet boil, matches...

rice

canned beans

instant falafal, refried beans, hummus

pancake mix can be used as pancakes or wraps

nut butters

chocolate:D my husband would say beer

some kind of solar or pedal power would be awesome. My dream is to have a house hooked up to batteries that are recharged by a bicycle. 7 people shoukd be able to take care of the power usage. Talk about personal responsibility.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

for stockpiling against a disaster, what would you buy? Rice, peanut butter, dried beans, canned goods? Or what?

 

Non perishable things that we eat anyway.

 

Tuna

Peanut Butter

Crackers

Dried Fruit

Canned chicken (for my one non-fruit eater)

Powdered milk

Granola bars

 

I went with food that would not require much cooking (if any) and that was pretty high energy. Probably our biggest risk is a snowstorm that knocks out power and traps us at the house. Then maybe a tornado that did something similar.

 

When we lived in Japan and Hawaii, I just went with buying several sets of MREs as well as having an extra stash of Peanut Butter and tuna and dried fruit.

[SailorMom]

Haven't read the replies - sorry if I repeat them :)

Water filter and containers.

Spam, dried beans, dried fruit, whole grain pasta, cans of tomato sauces, dried soup mixes, canned veggies, Peanut butter, honey, applesauce, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cayenne, granola bars, seeds (non-GMO and plants that work well here)

I'd add oil - but I would worry it would go rancid, so probably don't want to stock up on it much.....

Also - invest in really good storage containers - if you are going to store food for any amount of time - it would be a real bummer to open it up and find bugs/droppings.....

[Kathleen in VA]

Thanks, everyone. You've given me lots to think about. I never thought of storing the water everywhere all over the house. I imagined one spot where it would all sit - not very creative, I know.

 

Also, I wouldn't have thought to keep anything in the car, but, yes - something could happen while I'm out and there I'd be with nothing. Yikes!

 

I'm going to copy over everyone's list into a master list.

 

We don't drink soda or juice here so need to find a source for those bottles.

[Sushi's Mom]

I'd add oil - but I would worry it would go rancid, so probably don't want to stock up on it much.....

 

 

Can you just rotate it out? When you buy a new one (of whatever, not just oil) for your regular cooking, put the new one in the emergency kit and use the one from there.

[CarenM]

:iagree:

 

All the above

[Berta]

Thanks, everyone. You've given me lots to think about. I never thought of storing the water everywhere all over the house. I imagined one spot where it would all sit - not very creative, I know.

 

Also, I wouldn't have thought to keep anything in the car, but, yes - something could happen while I'm out and there I'd be with nothing. Yikes!

 

I'm going to copy over everyone's list into a master list.

 

We don't drink soda or juice here so need to find a source for those bottles.

 

 

I went around the neighborhood on recycle day and pulled all the bottles I needed. I washed them out with soap and water, let them dry and then filled them with clean water. You could also asks family members and friends to save them for you.

[Kathleen in VA]

I went around the neighborhood on recycle day and pulled all the bottles I needed. I washed them out with soap and water, let them dry and then filled them with clean water. You could also asks family members and friends to save them for you.

 

Good ideas - I need to spread the word. Thanks!

[Excelsior! Academy]

I would stockpile food and paper goods like feminine items, diapers, toilet paper. If you mean only food then I concur with the pp. I'd stock beans, water, tomato products, crackers, and some comfort items like a deck of playing cards or a fun snack.

[SailorMom]

Oh - TP and feminine products! What a good idea.....

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Mine also includes a small first aid kit, saline for contacts, and hand sanitizer.

 

Also, I've heard that over time the 2L soda bottles will start to leak. I used to have them all over the house (bathrooms, laundry room, tornado shelter area in the pantry). I had a schedule (once I had a good stockpile of water) of dumping the water into the next load of laundry, tossing that bottle and replacing it with a new bottle of water.

[Alicia64]

Thanks, everyone. You've given me lots to think about. I never thought of storing the water everywhere all over the house. I imagined one spot where it would all sit - not very creative, I know.

 

Also, I wouldn't have thought to keep anything in the car, but, yes - something could happen while I'm out and there I'd be with nothing. Yikes!

 

I'm going to copy over everyone's list into a master list.

 

We don't drink soda or juice here so need to find a source for those bottles.

 

I'm really not an expert in any of this, but I've always heard that if a disaster is imminent, to fill up your tub and use that water later.

 

Will you share the master list?

 

I bet there are a lot of us who would appreciate it.

 

Alley