Build Your Food Storage
2. Don’t go into debt: This should be self-explanatory, still many will max out the credit card for a years supply of freeze-dried survival foods. Don’t do it. Buy what you can afford and pay cash.
3. Stick with the basics: There is no need to get fancy, the basic foods like wheat, beans, rice, sugar, salt and canned fruits, vegetables and meats are some of the cheapest foods you can buy, they store well and provide a balanced diet.
4. Grow your own: Seeds are cheap, plant a garden and preserve your own foods. You will save money and eat healthier meals. Not to mention the satisfaction that comes from producing your own from seed to table.
5. Store what you normally eat just more of it: Sometimes this is easier said than done, if the bulk of your diet comes from the drive-through at the local burger joint, you need to change your meal plan. By including your storage foods into your everyday meals you avoid the shock of a radical change in diet if forced to live from your food storage.
6. Don’t forget candy and other comfort foods: This is a must; especially if you have children in your group. Hard candy stores well, is cheap and your little ones will love you for it. Just make sure they get a balanced diet and not to much of the sweet stuff.
7. Multi-Vitamin and Mineral supplements: One a day helps insure you are getting everything required for maintaining your health. Also B-complex helps control stress and vitamin C helps the immune system. Keep in the refrigerator for increased shelf life.
8. Drink mixes and coffee: These help to alleviate boredom, giving a sense of normalcy during hard times. Refrigeration may not be available so look for mixes meant to be served hot or at room temperature.
9. Vegetable shortening: Fat is a necessary nutritional component, just not at the level found in the typical American diet. Shortening is needed to make foods such as biscuits and pan breads. Be sure to rotate.
10. Spices and Seasoning: If things get as bad as I think they will, we could be forced to eat some strange and unusual things. Several days without food and the cat starts to look like chicken and the dog like meatloaf. Having an assortment of spices and seasoning will come in handy as you roast the dog.
{ 10 comments }
Re: fusarium wilt and non hybrid tomatoes.
Tobacco smoke can carry a form of wilt that will infect your tomatoes. If you are a smoker don't do it near your garden, and wash your hands well before your touch your plants. -kd
Dr. Mike,
Try using raised beds or containers instead. You'll be able to control your soil more easily. FR.
I too, am a coupon user. I print them off the internet frequently.
I would suggest buying a laser printer rather than an inkjet printer.
My old inkjet printed less than 200 pages and I would have to buy new
cartridges. They cost close to $100.00. Never again. I purchased a laser printer and get about 3,000 pages before having to by another toner cartridge which is closer to $80.00. Granted it only prints in black
and white, however, many of the coupon online sites waste my paper
and toner by putting a recipe on every page. Takes 3 pages to print 3 coupons when it should only take one. The laser writer will save you big bucks over the long haul at online coupon sites.
Also, we have 3 dollar stores and 3 major grocery stores in my town.
It pays to be familiar with all the stores pricing on the items and brands you buy most. One stores price on an item can be significantly higher
than another stores price. Also, I am noticing more and more
that the advertised price may not be ringing up correctly at the checkout. Pat attention to the prices because I guarantee you are getting ripped off from time to time.
To the last commenter: You can save paper by using "print preview" in your browser to see what pages are unwanted. Then, when you select "print" use the provided feature to select which page in particular you want printed. You can also install virtual printer drivers like ImagePrinter, which grabs the printer output, and sends it to an image file instead. You can then use something like IrfanView to crop out unwanted parts to save ink, and combine multiple coupons into a single page before printing to a real printer. All are free software.
I am working on the drawings for a below ground storage space made with a 12foot steel culvert. Just send me an email and I can send a copy if you are curios.
Opps!! forgot the email address innuksuksurvival@gmail.com
I am looking for a good place to buy waterless canned meats.[freeze dried or dehydrated.] I have stocked up on most other things,and I already have lots of regular canned meat [with water.] I am considering the weight factor. If we should have to move our storage to another location,waterless canned meats would be much easier to move.
Alot of our purchases are from Emergency Essentials,but their canned meats in #10 cans are usually way over thirty dollars a can.If anyone knows of a better deal,please respond and tell me.Thanx!
Internet-grocer.net has canned meats that are not mostly water.
That twelve foot steel culvert sounds interesting,I don't have an email yet.new at this.
I'm wondering where in the world to start storing things,because the weight on the floors of my storage areas has got to cause some major structural problems eventually.I have already put all of the lightweight things in the attic.[toilet paper,empty canning jars,etc...]And I am waiting for the big crash one day when the floor[s] collapse.Ha.Yea,I laugh now,but it really could happen.Any creative ideas? I doubt I could get away with a culvert,as the city building inspector drives by daily.
If you have any land space available (outside of being stuck on a city lot), I highly recommend putting in a below-ground 3-door root cellar within walking distance of your place. You can store food and other items without worrying about heat damage, plus it serves as a tornado shelter if needed. The 3-door part is as follows: 1st door seals out light, 2nd door (6-10′ in) seals out 2ndry breezes, and 3rd door keeps heat out.
If not, use a set of kids’ play equipment to conceal your digging & storage area. If there’s dirt, just spread a bit of it around and call it a “play yard for creative play”.
Comments on this entry are closed.
{ 1 trackback }