Food Storage on $5 a week

[mandieg4]

The biggest problem with stashing a bunch of wheat that never gets used, is that if you do need it and switch from a low wheat diet to a high wheat diet a lot of people become allergic or intolerant to the wheat. It doesn't do a whole lot of good then. I never did understand the purpose of having food storage that never gets used. I am working on having a years worth of food and have about 3 months now, but we rotate all of it.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Yep, store what you eat and eat what you store. First rule, IMO.

 

[meriruka]

My emergency stash centers mostly around one thing - what happens when there is no electricity. I can't think of any bigger obstacles other than contaminated water. I can't even imagine how city people would survive very long without electricity.

I feel so fortunate to have land to grow stuff on with a well & a natural spring nearby. I can build a fire and best of all I have a screened in porch that get sun all day and never drops below 50 degrees even on the coldest days outside. It's stuffed with plants - lemons, limes, tomatoes, eggplant, herbs, aloe, ginger and more.
I have piles of heirloom seeds, am saving plastic containers & buckets so I guess my biggest focus is on manual equipment rather than on food - I just stockpile stuff I could not get if I was stuck here, like the cocoa, coffee, pickling salt, spices & oils that store well.

 

[Farmfresh]

The biggest problem with stashing a bunch of wheat that never gets used, is that if you do need it and switch from a low wheat diet to a high wheat diet a lot of people become allergic or intolerant to the wheat. It doesn't do a whole lot of good then. I never did understand the purpose of having food storage that never gets used. I am working on having a years worth of food and have about 3 months now, but we rotate all of it.

That is my rule as well. I have maybe a year to 18 months of food in storage but it is getting constantly eaten and replaced with fresh. A good rotation system is very important. Plus since I rotate I know what I eat and how much we eat. I won't be wasting my money on things that will do us no good.

I will however stock things like TP, salt, canning lids, jars, dish soap, borax and washing soda, and lye powder. Things that have a LONG shelf life and will always be useful.

 

[meriruka]

I completely forgot about TP! Thanks for the reminder, I'm going to add that to my list right NOW.

 

[Wifezilla]

I never did understand the purpose of having food storage that never gets used. I am working on having a years worth of food and have about 3 months now, but we rotate all of it.

While I agree in theory, I have a bit of a special circumstance....a 20 year old severely autistic son who doesn't understand why he can't have everything he sees (and a husband who uses this fact to his advantage - jerk! ). If I tried to stockpile stuff we use everyday, I would soon be without a stock pile. I have tried it before and all I got was extremely frustrated and broke. Now I disguise my stash as ingredients.

The guys don't know what to do with dried beans, rolled oats, or dried veggies. This is actually a great reason for them to make sure I come to no harm Without me they starve!

I do rotate the stock...especially on the beans. I am also experimenting with recipes on anything I do stash to make sure I can properly prepare them in a variety of ways. Hubby is liking that part...hee hee hee

 

[mandieg4]

Most of mine is ingredients too, which make it frustrating when you're craving something to eat and there is nothing that is quick and easy in the pantry. Which is precisely why I do it that way! Nothing makes me stick to my diet better than my own laziness

 

[meriruka]

I do the same thing! There are times when I look at a pantry crammed with food & think there's nothing to eat.
My lazy snack is popcorn popped in a pot & sprinkled with nutritional yeast.

 

[Bettacreek]

Where can you pick up chia seeds? I'm hoping that chains have them... Where would you look if they do? Same with nutritional yeast, where would you pick that up?

I think you guys have me convinced to pick up some popcorn and pop it on the new wood stove with bacon fat.

 

[meriruka]

I get nutritional yeast from a Mennonite owned dry goods store in Fleetwood, PA called Echo Hill Country Store. Since I only go up to PA every 6 months, sometimes I have them ship me stuff & it's very reasonable.