Monday Message

Are you taking advantage of sales inside the grocery store? My daughter and I ran across Swanson chicken broth for 25 cents a can and stocked up.

“We feel led to caution the Latter-day Saints against forming the bad habit of incurring debt and taking upon themselves obligations which frequently burden them heavier than they can bear, and lead to the loss of their homes and other possessions. ... Our business should be done, as much as possible, on the principal of paying for that which we purchase, and our needs should be brought within the limit of our resources." Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruf (2004) 232-33.

I thought since it is the new year we should go over the basics. I love this gals site - http://everydayfoodstorage.net/about-food-storage so look around after you read on food storage.

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/ ideas here as well

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/site-highlights/small-spaces-storage-solutions/ this will help if you think you don’t have space

make a wonder box http://ourldsfamily.com/wonderbox/

http://www.rootsimple.com/2012/03/a-rocket-stove-made-from-a-five-gallon-metal-bucket/ this too would be great to make

http://www.yourownhomestore.com/living-without-running-water/ a good bit of info

http://preparednotscared.blogspot.com/2010/01/preparedness-project-paint-can-heaters.html this is a great idea, maybe it is just that it is cold outside.

http://preparednotscared.blogspot.com/2010/01/ark-prep-101-food-storage-spaces-part-1.html more ideas on space

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2012/07/23/top-twelve-questions-about-making-bread/ good info here

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/tag/how-to-build-a-food-storage/ this has some helpful ideas, click on their hyperlinks in the articles for more info.

The best ways to stock food on a budget…

There are lots of ways I am sure but here is what I do if your budget allows.

When there is a good sale plan your menus differently with more frugal meals so you can stock up. Lets say your grocery budget is $100.00 a week a pipe dream for me but might be too low for you,  so look at your flyers. Always see what is on sale. If peanut butter is on sale and you do not have dollars you can pull on you can change your menu to more frugal one i.e. chicken soup, homemade costs less than tacos with the works you get more meals. The difference you can use towards peanut butter. Make bread that week add the difference make pancakes and forgo the costly cereal. Put the difference towards the peanut butter. Now once you get said peanut butter when you use one put one on your next grocery list and put it behind the others for rotation. Do not say okay I have that in, no need to get it now on the grocery list or you may find out when you need it most you did not keep it up.

Every time you go into a store pick up one thing for storage. If you make this a habit you are well on your way, even if you can only get jello.

Also try no-name brands. I love Fastco brands better then their brand name counterparts and my friend gave me her recipe for her hot cocoa mix and she uses the cheap Walmart coffee creamer instead of the brand name and yep different as night and day so don't think name brands is the only way to go.

I have a friend who was working on her storage, she said she had enough flour stored. I said great how much do you have? She said two buckets she has a family of four. I said that is a two month supply. One time I saw someone's storage they had twelve of every thing well that works if you only have it once a month. In both cases it clearly would not be enough, both were shocked when I told them.

Yes, food storage is a lot. Write down what you use in a month take that by 12. 

Do you eat out a lot?  Yes it would be great to not have to cook but if you took that money as a goal and use it to purchase food storage you would have a great many meals plus the fun family time.

How much is one time eating out for the whole family?  Is it more than 13.48?  If the answer is yes for that price at Walmart you can get a 25lb of Montana Gold Whole Wheat how many loaves of bread is that?  I am sure you could get your Walmart to order it for you as well but I see it in Ames and Ankeny Walmart stores on the shelf. 

So if you have a budget for groceries try what I mentioned. It is a lot harder when you don’t have the funds to stock, not impossible just harder. My daughter and I ran across Swanson chicken broth for a quarter a can, at that price cases should have been flying off the shelf and one lady got ten cans and her husband got ugly at her… so husbands help get the storage.

Back to $100 week for grocery, cut that cost and use the difference on storage and that just isn't food it is all needs i.e. personal hygiene and first aid... you get the idea.

Keep pushing along, when you quit it is harder to catch up!