It’s time to get started with the grand kick-off of the 2014 Get Prepared-a-thon!
Here’s the plan: I don’t want to overwhelm you with talk of a year’s supply or wheat grinders or dry pack canning. I want you to get your three month supply of food and water. We’re going to do it through baby steps. Just one item per week. You can decide how much you want to get. It probably depends on your budget and your physical storage capabilites (those in a tiny apartment won’t be able to store as much as those who have a sprawling basement. If you have one of those I’m terribly jealous.)
I don’t want this to turn into some sort of mania to buy your items at the lowest price. I know that rubs a lot of people the wrong way. I want this to be easy and I want this to be do-able. That means buying a little extra whenever you go to the grocery store. I know you go to the grocery store every week. If you’re like me you go every other day because you’re too forgetful and disorganized to get everything in one trip.
Don’t save up items to buy during your monthly Costco trip or put things off for another time. Just buy what you need now. Get it done. That’s the name of the game. Yes, the lady at the grocery store is going to give you a weird look when you unload a mountain of canned soup at the checkout. Just tell her you’re stockpiling for the apocalypse and see if she laughs.
Every week I’ll give a little explanation about the item we’re doing and the quantities I recommend. (Again, it’s your decision. Every little bit helps, though. Something is better than nothing.) Then I’ll list the items over to the right, just in case you’re behind and need to catch up.
I’d love to hear your success stories! Even if you just want to post a comment saying that you’ve gotten your items for the week. It’s so great to encourage each other.
This week’s item is
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is such a great food. Just about everybody likes it (apologies if you’re allergic) and it’s very filling. It doesn’t require heating or refrigeration which makes it particularly great in an emergency situation. My family eats a ton of peanut butter and we go through about 1 large jar every two weeks. That would mean we need 6 or 7 jars for three months. That’s just about one jar per person. So use that as your guideline. Get one jar per person in your family.
I'm on this like flies on stink. (A little "Texas lingo" for you)
But you still need to answer my question about the freezer. Is my 3 month supply supposed to be a bunch of stuff in my freezer too, or just the pantry? Because a lot of what we use everyday goes in the freezer.
Jus sayin'/ wundrin'?
Peanut Butter: Check.
Thanks–it's a great plan. I'm RSP in my ward, and I endorsed and promoted your last 3-month list.
See? You get to be the ward nag in MY ward, too! Betcha didn't think about your calling extending to the east coast.
Baby steps.
Plus, it's good in cookies. Will do.
tiffany, yes it's fine to get stuff for your freezer. I like to put an emphasis on the shelf-ready items, though, since you don't need to worry about the power going out, which is a reality for everyone.
When we do chicken we'll get some frozen, some canned just to cover all our bases.
Food storage has always been overwhelming for me, but this way sounds totally do-able… Thanks for doing this!!
Gettin' my peanut butter today!
Thanks Jennie.
Done. Feels so good to be back on the food storage train.
Hi I just started following. Im so excited to get my food storage started. I got my 4 jars of PB today. My question is about rotation. Do you have a system you could recommend?
Thanks for visiting! I just read your blog and sat here giggling like a little girl. I think we are long lost twins, except for the fact that I only have half as many kids as you do. I think I will keep that aspect that way though. I like the food preparation idea. I do try to stock up and doing a little at a time is a great idea. My problem is my son though. If it is something he likes, it will disappear in the middle of the night and reemerge empty in his room a week later. He may be my fly in the ointment, but I am going to try this out.
When we dig out of this snow I will be on it. I never drink Mt.Dew so this may be way old news, but our Super Target is carrying "old fashioned" MD with real sugar in it. Have you tried it? Just curious…
A friend of mine once commented that she didn't need to buy a year's supply for her family of 9 because 2 of her kids would die of starvation before they'd eat food storage, so she was only planning on storing for 7. 🙂
PS. I liked your comment on Segullah about not sharing! I agree whole heartedly!
I am already half way there. I was going to pick up the rest when I went to Costco, but it is too cold to go to Costco (I am such a wimp!!)
I will just swing by HEB and pick it up when I run out of milk!!
Did you ever see that movie "the Road?" If not, DON'T. It will give you nightmares for the rest of your life. It might be the single most terrifying/disturbing movie I've ever seen. BUT the main point was a valid one. In it, some sort of appocolyptic event has taken place and nothing grows anymore and a father and son wander the country where few people except evil piligers remain, constaintly starving, looking for food. At one point they find an underground cellar full of canned and bottled food and I just thought, I want that to be MY cellar. I do not want to have to roam the countryside trying to find food for my kids.
So I am going to take your challenge seriously and get stocked up.