Being Prepared on a Budget

Start small. It is easy to become overwhelmed. You certainly don't need to go out and buy a year's supply of food at once. Take an extra $5 a week (or whatever you can manage) and invest it in your pantry.

Make a shopping list and clip coupons. Planning ahead is key. Check the grocery store circulars for good buys. These usually come out on Wednesdays. Compare the ads to the coupons you have on hand. Most stores have a few items as loss leaders. These are items that they sell at a loss to get you into their store. Go to as many stores as you have time and energy to go to and stock up on the loss leader items that you will use.

Buy what you'll eat. Having a stash of food for emergencies does you no good if you won't eat it. To keep your pantry fresh, you'll want to rotate items in and out throughout the year. For example, we always have 12-15 boxes of cereal on hand. By stocking a pantry in this way, you will never have to buy groceries that aren't on sale. I know that we won't run out of cereal before I get another great coupon or find another great sale.

Water, water, water. The American Red Cross recommends storing at least one gallon of water per person (and pet) per day and to have at least a three day supply. For a family of four this works out to be 12 gallons of water. Take into consideration the ages of those in your family. Buying store bought water can be a little costly. Soda bottles (the 2 liter kind) work really well after they have been properly washed and sanitized .

Use it or lose it. You'll want to make sure that you use the food that you store. Many items will only last a few months while some could last years. Water should be used within six months. A great way to stay organized is to stock your shelves with the oldest items in front and place your newest purchases in the back. You can ensure great rotation of the food and not waste anything because you forgot you had it and it expired.

Make it a family affair. Try to have fun with your food storage. Why not have a fun experiment with your kids and see if you could survive for a day eating only from your storage. Give your budding chefs a challenge to create a meal using a few items from your pantry. Clip coupons together and see who can find the best deals.

Being prepared by having extra food and water makes good sense. By investing a little bit of money over time to have a surplus, saves you money and gives you peace of mind in the long run.

If you'd like more detailed information on how to be prepared on a budget, check out some of these books.

Pantry Cooking

Simple Recipes Using Food Storage