Rising Food Prices revisited

There is a lot of talk about rising food prices, both in the news, and in blogs.  This is one of the many reasons that I believe in food storage.
I have noticed that prices fluctuate up and down, with a gradual rise.  So, stock up when the price is low.  For example, when I find refried beans for $.59 per can, I buy 12 or more.  That way I never have to buy refried beans when they're $1 per can!  (I used to always wait for them to be $.50 per can, but I haven't seen that price for at least 2 years.  And, yes, I should probably learn to make refried beans so that I can avoid this purchase all together.)
Want more?  Check out this 2008 Wall Street Journal article.
Now, how do I afford this?  I budget $50 per month as my "emergency preparedness fund."  This money goes toward my bulk food purchases (i.e. 25 pound bags of wheat, oats, etc.), items on sale (chicken, refried beans, toilet paper, etc.) that I can't afford in my regular food budget, and emergency preparedness items (wind-up flashlights, items for 120 hour kit, etc.).  If I don't spend any of it one month, then I'll have $100 the next month.  When I first started using this category in my budget, I found that I spent significantly less in the regular shopping category of my budget.  It really all just evened out.
I mentioned the sale at Maceys last week.  You may be interested to know what someone crazy like me ended up purchasing.  I bought:
50 lb bag Morning Moos' milk alternative
2 cans powdered eggs
45 lb. bucket white wheat
50 lb. bag all-purpose flour
7 3 lb bags pasta

The milk was $60, so yes I went over budget.  But I had money left over from December, and I'll have less to use in February (bad idea to use next month's money).  But I have the peace of knowing that my family has plenty of milk to drink (although it's not real milk).
By the way, all of the bulk food items are going in buckets with gamma seal lids.  These are air tight.  The flour will last a long, long time, and the milk should last at least a year or two.

Food Storage Basics

I have two food storage principles that I think fit in perfectly with my recently discussed topic of gluten free eating:

1.  Eat what you store, and store what you eat.  It's that simple.
2.  Learn to cook.  Even if you don't bake your own bread, for example, usually, know how to.  This way if you had to, you could.  So you should also store a little of these baking ingredients as well.

With these two principles in mind, it doesn't matter what food allergies or eating style you have.  Food storage does not need to be difficult or expensive.

Here's an example, continuing on with the bread example:
If you normally buy your bread, buy a couple of extra loaves to keep in your freezer.  You may also like to find a bread mix that you like, and store a little of that.  Once every month or two make some bread from the mix.  Then learn to make bread.  Store the ingredients to make this as well.  A couple of times a year, make some bread. 

Variety in Food Storage

I found this article about cooking from scratch.  She gives a list if ingredients needed to cook different items from scratch.  How you can start with flour, milk, salt, baking powder, and oil and make several recipes.  When you add more ingredients, you can make more foods.  The same thing applies with food storage.  The more different ingredients you store, the more foods you'll be able to make.  If you do have to live strictly off of your food storage, variety will be key.  Therefore, store a variety of foods.

I'm Tired

I am tired of 3 month supply lists!  I really don't want to create a new one, at least in a specified time frame.  So I'm not going to.  I will create it as I want to, and not how I should for purposes of this blog.
If you have never created a 3 month (or 1 month, or whatever), I would highly encourage you to do so.  This is a good exercise, as it allows you to see what your family really eats, and what foods go into those meals.  If you don't know how to create this chart, or have no clue what I'm talking about, visit my directions on how to do so: Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, and Examples.  I will also keep my in-progress example in my left side-bar.
If you have any questions, just type it up in a comment, and I will address the issue.
Thank you for your patience!

Coming Up:  Wheat!

3 Month Supply-Make Yours Now

If you haven't made a chart for your 3 month (or 2 week, or 6 month; however much you choose to store) supply, now's your chance!  I'm making a new one, since I just made a new menu (I feel like I just made a new 3 month supply chart).
So, here is the start of my new 3 month supply chart.  All I have done so far is write the meal across the top, and the ingredients required along the side.  Then I fill in how much of that ingredient is required to make the meal.  Ingredients that are only used in small quantities (like dry mustard) or that are staples (like flour) go in my ingredient list in the second tab.

My New Menu Plan

I have a new menu plan. While I like to cook and eat lots of different foods, my husband and children like the same few meals repeated frequently. So I gave in, and we are eating primarily their favorite meals.

Here is our 2 week menu:

Barbecue chicken with macaroni & cheese
Meat loaf with potatoes
Pizza
Spaghetti and meatballs
Chicken enchiladas
Beef enchiladas
Sweet & sour chicken
Stroganof
Chicken with white sauce and pasta or potatoes
Chili OR White Chili
Vegetable soup OR Tortilla Soup
Breakfast for dinner OR beef taco bake

We'll have these meals, with a few others of my choice mixed in, over and over again.


Pros of this menu method:

• It will be easy to decide what to have for dinner
• It's really easy to make a 3 month food storage plan (I will post it soon!)
• I can easily freeze meals ahead of time when I buy large quantities of meat
• My family will enjoy dinner all the time, since these are all meals we all enjoy

Con of this menu method:

• I will get a little bored cooking and eating the same foods

How do you plan your menu?

Beginning Food Storage

Why Food Storage?

Why should I store food? Because you never know when you might not be able to get food at the store, and food is essential to your survival. There could be a trucking strike. You could lose your job. You could get sick and not want to leave home. A reverse quarantine could be put in place due to a wide-spread illness in your area. There could be a natural disaster (where you live, or where the food you eat is grown). The government could put rations on what you're allowed to buy at the store. I think you get the idea.

What should I store?

What do you eat? This is what you should store.

How do I rotate the food?

One method is to put new food in the back, and eat from the front. More details below under “How can I afford food storage?”

How can I afford food storage?

Here is my method:

1. First I determined an amount of money that I could afford to spend on food storage each month. This amount was higher than what I originally supposed, because I saved so much money on groceries.

2. The amount of money I budget for food storage revolves from month to month. So, if I don’t spend the money one month, I can spend it the next, or the following one after that.

3. Next I made a list of canned/packaged food that my family eats regularly, and estimated how many of each of these we eat in a 3-month time period. See all my 3 month supply posts.

4. When each of these items is on sale, I inventory how much I have, and how much more I need to complete my 3-month supply.

5. I purchase this amount of the item, plus enough to last until the next time I expect this item to go on sale (usually 6 months). For example, my family eats approximately 6 cans of refried beans in 3 months. When refried beans go on sale, I look in my cupboard, find that I only have 2 cans, and then buy 16 cans, because I don’t expect them to be this price for another 6 months (12 cans to last 6 months, plus 4 cans to make a 3 month supply). I pay for these 16 cans using money that I have saved up in my food storage fund.

6. When I have a good supply of food for my 3-month supply, and/or don’t expect any good sales at the grocery store soon, I go to the cannery to work on my year supply items (wheat, oats, etc.)

7. I use the food that I store for both my 3-month and year supply regularly, so that the food doesn’t go bad, so that I know how to use the food, and so that I save money on groceries.

3 Month Supply Examples

I am finally getting around to posting my 3 month supply examples. Sorry it has taken me so long.

One method for developing a 3 month supply is to use what I call the pantry method. What's in your cupboard, fridge and freezer? Store more of that. Examples can be seen here, and here.

You can find a wonderful example of the very organized approach (what I explain in my 3 month supply posts) here (under Helpful Tools).

I do a combination of the two methods. Here is my example. Sheet 1 is the Very Organized Approach (it's organized to me--I hope it makes sense to you), and Sheet 2 is the Pantry Method. Please keep in mind that this is my worksheet and it changes regularly. I only make changes on what I have and need when there is a great sale on the item and I plan to purchase some. No, my family does not only eat meals with cheese. The list of meals is just an example of some of my family's favorites. This list provides ingredients that my family uses the most, allowing me to usually have more than enough for me to make any meal I choose.

3 Month Supply Step 3: Purchase Food to Make Your 3 month Supply Complete

I am finally finishing my posts on the 3 month supply. Please see my other posts on this topic, if you have not already: Introduction, Step 1, and Step 2.

I have heard of several different methods for purchasing food to make your 3 month supply. A lot of people purchase all of the food at once. Then, some people keep a piece of paper next to their food storage to write down any time they take a can so that they can purchase a new can to replace the one they used. Other people don't purchase any more of the item until what they have is gone.

Here is my method:

• When an item that I keep in my 3 month supply is on sale, I inventory how much I currently have of that item. Then I consult my Excel document to see how much more I need to complete my 3-month supply.
  
• I purchase this amount of the item, plus enough to last until the next time I expect this item to go on sale (usually 6 months). For example, my family eats approximately 6 cans of refried beans in 3 months. When refried beans go on sale, I look in my cupboard, find that I only have 2 cans, and then buy 16 cans, because I don’t expect them to be this price for another 6 months (12 cans to last 6 months, plus 4 cans to make a 3 month supply).

Examples of people's 3 month supply lists/organization coming soon!

3 Month Supply Step 2: Take Inventory of Food You Already Have

After determining what food you need for your 3 month supply, you need to determine what you already have. I like to do this on a spreadsheet (Excel or OpenOffice).
In a column next to what you know you need, mark how much you already have.
Examples will follow soon!

3 Month Supply Step 1: Determine What Foods You Eat Regularly.

• First determine what you eat. Make a list of your family's favorite meals and snacks. Some people keep a paper on the refrigerator and write down what they eat. Some people compile a binder of their favorite meals. Others make a list by asking each family member their favorite foods..

• Next, make a list of what ingredients, and quantities, are needed to make these meals and snacks. Since this is to determine what to store, you only need to list what you plan to store. Some people only include canned foods here. Others include frozen or refrigerated food. You may list each teaspoon of salt, or only items that you use most of a container of at once.

Just do what makes sense to you!

3 Month Supply of Food

It is a good idea to have a 3 month supply of foods that you eat regularly. 3 basic steps can help you achieve this goal. I will detail each in future posts, giving ideas on how to complete the step.

1. Determine what foods you eat regularly.
2. Take inventory of food you already have.
3. Purchase food to make your 3 month supply complete.
   

My Food Storage Philosophy

My philosophy on food storage is simple: store what you eat, and eat what you store. I frequently talk to people who store food that they don't have a clue what to do with. They either buy food simply because it seems like a good price, or they buy food (such as wheat) because they think that they should have it, but they really have no intention of using it. My #1 rule of food storage: Only buy food if you are going to eat it before it goes bad.