Food Storage tips on a 52 week plan

Gathering a 3 month or 1 year supply of food storage can be a daunting task. We may feel like we have to buy it all at once, that we don't have the financial ability to stock what we need, or that we don't even know how much consitutes an adequate supply. Some of us may wonder why we should have a supply in the first place. I used to think I didn't need any sort of storage past 3 or 4 weeks. Last year that was put to the test when my husband was laid off for 6 months. Durring that time, I had to carefully plan and budget for each meal, not to mention try to pick up extra storage items each week so we had something if his layoff lasted longer than planned. Luckily, he was able to go back after 6 months. Some families aren't so lucky, and can be out of work for a full year or more. Something I learned during that time was you can buy a little bit each week and end up with a lot.

Important points:
1. Decide what your priorities are. Do you want long term storage? Short term storage? Is cost more important than nutrition? Do you have room and a grinder for 500 lbs of wheat or can you get buy with sealed buckets of flour?
2. Make a plan. I will be outlining a 52-week buying guide for you here. You just have to plan your budget accordingly.
3. Proper and safe storage! This is sooo important! If your food spoils, you are out more than just money. You have lost peace of mind!!!
4. Rotating your storage into your weekly menus and replenishing your stock. This is the hardest part of all. I have often gone downstairs to grab something from storage without realizing we were completely out! Keep an inventory of what you use, and when you need to get more.

Getting Organized:
After determining how much of our budget we can add to food storage, $20 is a LOT per week for storage, we need to determine WHERE we are going to stash all this food. If you have room, store canned items on shelves in a basement storage area. Store pastas, boxed items, and envelopes in small plastic storage containers. Items like sugar and flour that are not in buckets, can be stored in large plastic totes. If you store things in your basement, be sure to put things that are on the floor either in plastic totes, buckets, or elevate them with pallets in case there is flooding or water damage. Other places you can store items, is the backs and sides of bedroom closets, under beds, under couches and furniture, in the tops of cabinets (above the fridge, stove, etc.) You can even make a nice tablecloth for your living room end tables and "hide" your storage items underneath. The point is, even in small living spaces, you can stash quite a bit. Don't go buying a bunch of containers unless you have the extra for them!

Making a list:
Make a list of everything your famiy eats. Does your family eat a lot of rice? Noodles? Potatoes? Veggies? Also on this list, write down everything your family WON'T eat, EVER. For example, my husband hates beans and legumes. He will not even taste anything that has been in contact with them. Chili, black beans and rice, refried beans, are all no-no's for him. So, I don't have a lot of them in storage. Beans are a great source of protein, but there is no use having them if your family won't eat them. Because you have to rotate your storage, it isn't enough to just "have" them on hand. It is important to have foods in your storage you can use and rotate that won't go to waste.

Once you have your list, next to each item write how many of that item you have. For example: Cream of Mushroom soup - 4; Spaghetti Sauce - 6
This gives you an idea of where you are starting from. As we go through the year, you will probably find there are quite a few things that are not on your list, but you use.

Lastly, having a food storage isn't just about food. It is about all the essentials you need to live for 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year. How would it be to have a house full of food but no toilet paper or soap? Could you survive without laundry detergent? Light bulbs? Tylenol or Motrin? Could you survive without those unmentionable feminine products for a year? These are part of our lives and therefore part of our storage. We also need to include a stash of cash. Having money in a savings account is well and good, but there may be a situation where you are unable to retrieve your money when you need it. Whatever part of your food budget your don't spend, commit that to your cash stash. Be sure to hide it well!