Building your pantry/emergency stash

[Bettacreek]

Just thought that it'd be a neat topic to discuss the different ways to build your pantry/emergency stash, especially on a budget. Some ways that I'm trying to build up the stash include gardening, raising quail and rabbits for meat and hunting. At the grocery store, I try to pick up double the items that I buy. If I use a container of coffee per shopping trip, I buy two every time, and store one down in the pantry. I also try to clip coupons of things that I USE. If you have a grocery store that doubles your coupons, you can usually get items for almost free. Even if you don't usually buy that item, if it's $.20 after double coupons, then get it if you'll use it! Anyways, buying more than one at a time really helps, since it's something that you definately use. Unfortunately, it doesn't all store, and in some cases, it can be too expensive to buy an extra every time you buy one. It all depends on your budget and what the item is. So, what does everyone else do to slowly build their pantries?

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I don't have much to add, but keep in mind that rotation is important and make sure you are regularly using your stash. As you start using it you will notice what you stored too much of for your typical rate of use. That is what I am noticing some 3-4 years after I started building up our pantry.

 

[The YardFarmers]

I try to do this a lot- then will get an extra expense and end up eating from the stash to save on grocery $. Good idea though, because you have ability to stock up when you find good deals. I have found that brown sugar and salt gets hard and clumpy when you store it.

I did $5/wk (well,, actually $10/2 wks since I don't shop every week). If you are patient, it is a good project.

I am much better stocking up on non-edibles. Somewhere I have a list of how much toothpaste, soap, deodorant, etc that we use in a month, then calculated it for 6 and 12 months. I look for deals and if its doable in my budget, I stock up. My sister lives in Lexington and is able to "work the stores" with coupons, store credits, BOGO items, and gets a ton more bargains that I can where I live. She gives a lot of these things to me when we can get together.

YardFarmer Julie

 

[Bettacreek]

If you can chip off a chunk of the brown sugar, toss it into the microwave for a short bit (do a few seconds at a time) and it should soften right up. Just don't do it all in one go, because you can only microwave it a few times before it stays rock hard.

 

[tortoise]

What do you guys stock up on?

I have a stash of pasta and canned soup (the flavors I don't like). We don't use a lot of canned items.

 

[Wifezilla]

I stash dried items and other things that will last a long time.

Beans
Steal cut oats
Quinoa
Coconut flakes
Spices
Dried carrots
Onions
Split peas
Salt
Lard
etc...

I do have some canned stuff in the stash...
Chunk chicken breast
Spam
Shrimp
Tomato paste
Low sugar spaghetti sauce

Then I have some cooking items like
Balsamic vinegar
Baking soda
Baking powder

And "essentials" like
Homemade mead
Homemade wine

 

[freemotion]

At my age, I no longer buy or store items I don't use regularly, even if they are a bargain. I feel that it is not a bargain if it takes up space and will eventually be tossed! So I don't even look at the coupon flyers anymore. I used to be the coupon queen, but nowadays it seems that the only coupons are for processed foods and overpriced cleaning products. Maybe it is just my area, but it stinks.

So...I stock up on ingredients that will keep a long time and store everything in glass jars with tight-fitting lids. I've found that if I can't see it, I don't use it. So the glass really helps. I try to keep leftovers in glass in the fridge too, for this reason (and to reduce plastic use, double bonus!)

It seemed to cost me more at first to do this, as I had to gradually get some equipment. I needed to be able to grind grain and to roll oats, for example, in order to store wheat berries and oat groats. I needed a pressure canner and jars and lids in order to stock up on meats, soups, catfood, etc.

But now I've been spending about $250 per month to feed four people quite well. We eat grass-fed sirloin and bison and many, many servings each day of fresh veggies and fruit, so I am not talking about subsisting on $0.25 per lb pasta, here.

So I always have on hand jars of hard red wheat, soft white wheat, kamut wheat, oat groats, brown rice, and barley. I keep an eye on the jars and when the level drops down a bit, I pick up a few more pounds. Some of them are hard to find, so if dh is shopping without me, he will call if he spots kamut or oat groats and I'll tell him to buy all they have or all he can afford, whichever comes first.

I was able to get frozen leaf lard from a butcher for $.89 per lb, so I bought 20 lbs and rendered it and canned it, so it will last for a long time. You can't buy lard this good anywhere, for any price, but the awful stuff that I won't buy anyways is almost $3 per lb.

I made almost a year's worth of catfood for two cats by buying up turkeys at $0.49 per lb around Thanksgiving and canning like a maniac. Premium food at a bargain basement, scratch and dent price.

I just discovered a meat place that has some interesting stuff reallly, really cheap, and it is near the chiropractor's office that dh and I go to regularly. We try to plan and stock up once a month at least. I was able to switch my dogs from chicken wings, which had gone up to $2.29 per lb here by January, to chicken backs, which are $0.49 to $0.59 per lb....a huge difference! Plus I make broth with them, too.

I am stocked up on fels naptha for making laundry soap, I bought 1-2 bars everytime I was in the store until I had a bunch. I did the same with borax and washing soda, only to have the washing soda turn into bricks in boxes, so I just keep one of those now and transfer it to a glass jar.

When the wood stove was going full time, I bought batches of suet and rendered it and froze most of it for soapmaking later.

Not sure if that is what you are looking for, but it is mostly how I stock up now, along with canning and freezing.

 

[tortoise]

freemotion!

 

[Bettacreek]

freemotion!

Free always makes me feel like a major wanna-be. :/ Lol. As for coupons, I sometimes find coupons for things that we use. Granted, we do buy some processed stuff (like velveeta mac & cheese).
I'm hoping to can quail and rabbit meat once they start producing. Also thinking about making homemade laundry soap (with homemade bar soap, lol) and storing a bucket of pre-mixed powder. A 5g bucket should last us a little while, plus save us a ton.

 

[freemotion]

Wow, my head is swelling, I'll need extra pillows tonight!

It took a long time to get to this point, and I still feel like a wanna-be when I read what others are doing. Bees, pigs, sheep, spinning, tanning, beef calves, and the list goes on and on! Smokers, bacon, building projects, coops made with pallets, free firewood, banner tarps! Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!