Perhaps the hardest part about food storage is just getting started! I have come up with an plan for starting a basic food storage. There are just two easy steps to follow!
First step: Decide how much money you would like to set aside for food storage each month. This could be as little as $5 per month. (It could also be more than $5, such as $25 or $50 per month, or any amount you choose). Even if the amount you are able to set aside is very small, you will still be able to purchase something. Having something stored is better than having nothing! Over time, you will be able to build up a home storage of basic food.
Second step: Focus on one basic item or category each month. Use your budgeted food storage money to purchase items in the category you are focusing on.
I have thought of six categories for basic food storage: Water, Grains, Oils, Beans and Legumes, Fruits and Vegetables, Baking Ingredients If you choose one category each month, and begin storing that item (even in a small amount), at the end of six months you will have a beginning supply of basic food storage items. At that time, you can circle back to the first category. By repeating this cycle every six months, you will quickly begin to have an adequate food storage.
First Food Storage Category: Water
It is recommended to have a two-week supply of water. At a minimum, you should store two quarts per day per person for a two-week period. Some ideas for storing water:
- Purchase bottled water from a store.
- Fill previously used plastic juice containers with water (don't use milk cartons).
- Purchase a food-grade drum and fill it with water
For more information about storing water, including where to purchase large containers, or how to purify water, see one of the April 2010 posts on this blog.
Credit for this idea:
The inspiration for this idea came when I saw another food storage website which had a program called "Baby Steps". I am not copying or using any of their information on this blog, but I thought their idea to divide food storage into small, basic categories was ingenious! You can find that website at: www.foodstoragemadeeasy.net When I looked at it, it seemed to have a lot of information. The "baby steps" program is on the left hand side of the page (scroll down to see it).
I have found that there are many, many food storage websites. I try to provide links to good resources when I find them, in case any of you are interested in finding out more about a certain topic. However, I am trying to keep this blog very basic. I hope that everyone will have a basic food supply stored at home. As I wrote earlier, having something stored is better than having nothing stored! Too often, it seems we are overwhelmed by the endless possibilities of what we could store, and that keeps us from storing anything at all. Better to store something simple and basic than to store nothing!
