Food Storage on a Tight Budget

"Family preparedness has been a long-established welfare principle. 
It is even more urgent today. "              ~Ezra Taft Benson 1987

Short-term Food supply

Save money by buying in bulk.  Many stores, including Wal Mart, grocery stores, Macey's, Honeyville, and 'Home Storage Centers,' sell products in 10-25 lb bags at a good price.  I save a lot of money by using bulk bags of food for everyday meals and short-term supply. 

Adding shelf-stable grains and other food staples to your everyday diet is a healthy way to save you hundreds of dollars a month. ie. hot oatmeal, creamy wheat cereal, homemade bread

A cheap way to store bulk food for short-term use:  I like to buy 25lb bags of bulk food and toss them into 5 gallon food-grade buckets. Buckets stack well and hold the entire 25lb bag of whatever food.  I top the buckets with "Gamma lids" and sometimes treat them with dry ice. Gamma lids offer easy access to the food and helps retain freshness.  Dry ice treatment is awesomely easy and is the recommended at-home, low-cost, way to prevent weevils and other bugs in buckets of food.  I don't usually need a dry ice treatment in food that we will deplete in the next 4-6 months, it doesn't usually get bugs. For buckets of food that take longer to use up, consider dry ice treatment.  

See the page on providentliving.org called "Dry Ice Treament for Buckets of Food" for details about how to do an easy dry ice treatment. 

Long-term Food Supply

Why build a long-term food storage? Simple, it’s the right choice in case of emergencies, natural disasters, or sudden job loss.  Don't wait for a bigger apt or home to build a food storage.  Do it NOW!

"For longer-term needs, gradually build a supply of food that will last a long time and that you can use to stay alive, such as wheat, white rice, and beans.  These items can last 30 years or more when properly packaged in a #10 can and stored in a cool, dry place.  

If you're just starting a long-term food supply, simply store it. Don't worry too much about cooking with it every day. Recipes and knowing how to cook with these basic foods will come later.  WHEN the true emergency strikes, you will learn quickly how to make food storage taste good! If food storage happily lasts in a can for 30+ years, don't break the seal by opening it!  Consider rotating in 20-30 years.  For immediate use, consider purchasing the same products in 25 lb. bags and storing them in 5 gal buckets topped with a 'Gamma Lid.' 

Save a small portion each paycheck, or each month, toward long-term supply.  

For beginners, I recommend purchasing pre-boxed #10 cans of wheat, white rice, beans, and oats at the local 'Home Storage Center.'  These very basic foods will keep you alive WHEN real adversity hits.   

Food storage is not expensive, but still may be difficult to add to the family budget.  Baby steps. If you can only afford one box of food at a time, then diligently buy one at a time until you have a long-term supply. 

Don't wait until you 'can afford it,' or until you own a 'food storage room.' There are plenty of reasons to store food now. We use boxes of food storage instead of end tables covered with a bed sheet or a table cloth.  We also use food storage boxes instead of box springs under our mattresses.

Storing food in Small apartments or homes

Why build a food storage? Simple, it’s the right choice in case of emergencies, natural disasters, or sudden job loss. Don't wait for a bigger home to build a food storage.  Do it NOW!

Kitchen Ideas

·         Over-the-door hanging, adjustable shelving unit

·         Lazy Susan in corner cupboards

·         Top and back shelves in cupboards for less frequently used items

·         Storage in plain sight in decorative baskets or totes

·         Built-in marrow shelving using galvanized piping and shelving 6-8” wide

·         Add a tall, roll out shelf next to your fridge

Bedrooms/Closets Ideas

·         Under bed storage

o   Boxes of #10 cans make a DIY platform bed

o   Large clear, rolling storage boxes for canned goods, dry goods

o   Use bed risers and store more under the bed frame

·         Boxes of #10 cans on floor and or sides of closets

·         Make a nightstand out of boxes and fabric draped over

 

Basement/Hallway Ideas

·         Build shelving between wall studs

·         Build shelves under stairs, attaching them under each individual step

·         Utilize under stair storage space, keeping air circulation under food if in basement

·         Shallow shelves in back of closets behind clothing

·         Store pastas, lentils and other dry goods in suitcases that are infrequently used – they are taking up space anyway!

Living Room Ideas

·         Pull couch away from wall 6” and store bottles of water or canned goods behind couch

·         Behind books on a bookshelf

·         Flats of 15oz cans can slide under sofas easily, dressers too

·         Use an old armoire for food storage in a main area to keep it out of sight

Basement/Hallway Ideas

·         Build a wall hanging canned food storage rack. Takes up minimal space

·         Store food in same size containers or totes – makes for easier stacking and easier to move if needed

·         Store dry foods in 5 gallon buckets by putting the food directly in the bucket with dry ice or O2 absorbers, or in multiple smaller bags within the buckets

For details or instructions on how to do any of these projects, search the internet! Google, Bing or Pinterest.com are great places to start looking. Search: “Food storage in tight spaces” and see a million great ideas!