Where would you start
 

So I work at the grocery store in town. I am going to start ordering one case of something per week. What would be on the top of your list to begin with? We pretty much eat anything and everything so thats not an issuse. I would say that at the moment we have about 2-4 weeks of food on hand. We do have about 30lbs of flour and about 20 lbs of sugar. Also have one 5 gallon bucket of asst. pasta. And about a half of 5 gallon buckets of rice and beans. Also I get a discount on what I buy.

More rice and beans until you have at least 5 buckets of each. Then canned goods you will use. My favorite canned food to stock is chili because its pretty much a complete meal just heat and eat. Just how I do it. Others probably have better ideas.

My vote would go for rice first, then tuna. Rice is not a great food, but it will keep you from starving. It is a good food to store first.

Whatever you eat and on sale that week....James

Ok so rice and beans to start, we eat almost everything so getting something we eat on sale should be easy enough.

Protein first -- tinned tuna & other meat, beans, etc.

I agree, protein first. Tuna, beans, canned beef, canned chicken, canned oysters, canned sardines. Then focus on fillers like rice, pasta, lentils, rolled oats. Then wheat berries/flour, corn and cornmeal. Then foods like chili and soup. Then work on canned veggies and fruit.

Most of my vegetable and fruit stores, if not home canned, are dehydrated. Some I bought, some I dried at home.

I agree with Tracey, get the protein tuna/ beans.

I think the parboiled rice is supposed to "stay" longer versus brown rice.
If you are going to store pasta think how you are going to prepare it, canned tomatoes are a very versatile food also, you can make a soup with beans tomatoes any veg and rice.

I think like jwal said you should store what you will eat, and if you can come up with seven dinners, (then seven breakfasts, seven lunches) you like to like to eat, make a list of the ingredients and work a case at a time coming up with meals you like.

we like beans but dry beans take at least eight hours preparation before you can fill your bellies with it so it is really worth it to have some in prepared form, their are soo many youtubes on how to can dried beans it is great and very simple.

I also store dried powdered buillion (sp?) because I use it in soups or gravies when what you have isn't enough.

I think planning to have food stored is a responsible and thoughtful thing to do to take care of your family, great job!

Where do you live? Is there LDS Mormon cannery near you? They're open to the public and the food is dirt cheap. There is an incredible shelf life.

Google "Provident Living" or go to ProvidentLiving.org

Find the one nearest you.

They are a great resouce. I'm not Mormon, they don't try to preach or convert you. They just have a duty to help, and they do.

veggie wise, tomatoes, can be added to the rice, pasta, beans, also rotel for a kick, after that things you can't grow, or that would be cheaper to buy than to grow.

I'm like James, I'll buy a lot of what is on sale that is a good price. I don't raise my own meat, so I also buy beef and boneless chicken by the case from Sam's and can it to have on hand. I will also grab a couple of #10 cans while I'm there too.

For us, I always try to keep meat, tomatoes, pasta, rice, beans, canned milk, flour and sugar well stocked. Those basics can go a long way. Then fruits and veggies and lastly the extras-peanut butter, some canned soup, honey, syrups, powdered milk, powdered drink mixes, etc.

I just need a bigger pantry!

Just me and DH so we don't keep the emergency food supply we used to keep. At best we have a 3 month supply of convenience foods that are easy to eat without much preparation or heat. Of course when you're buying cases of canned foods the expiration date becomes the big concern because most are a limited shelf life. It's not intended to set on a shelf for years before using. So within your cost analysis you have to figure in the rotation of the inventory. What you spend to put it there has to be spent again when it expires if you're going to replace it.

In 08 we spent $800 to stock an emergency food supply of both canned and boxed food items that met the requirements we had for use. Of that original inventory we had almost half of it still remaining a year past its' expiration. We gave it away to people we knew could use it immediately and had the need. When we restocked only the longest dates were bought and only the few items we eat were put back on the shelf. Our main diet is from a fresh/frozen food supply. The shelf items supplement that. We don't eat cases of anything.

Set down with your family and decide what foods you're going to buy and then plan on eating those foods before they expire. Have and keep to a budget.

We definitely eat what we store...I'm not going to go out and buy a 5 gallon bucket of rice when 1 bag might last us 6 months to a year...We don't eat a lot of dried beans so 6 or 7 bags last us a year. I do store a lot of sugar because we use a lot of sugar especially during canning season. I can meat and have some frozen and then have some tuna,sardines etc. The same with veggies...I have some home canned, some frozen and some dehydrated. These are from our garden. I also keep a case of each of some of the store bought veggies that we like to use as a convenience item like cooking supper on the run.

I keep 4 to 5 bags of flour in the freezer and have a 5 gallon bucket of wheat. The same with corn meal, I keep some in the freezer and I have popcorn stored.

I keep a running list on the refrigerator of stuff we use...and replace with one or two at grocery shopping time. If i use a bag of beans it goes on the fridge list and I rotate the stock. If i use a jar a mayo...it goes on the list to buy another jar...etc etc

Since I have been doing this for several years I have just about figured out how much we use and how much to keep stocked at a given time and with my list on the fridge we never run out. This way we are not wasting and nothing is expiring. For example...mayo date is usually 6 months why would I store a year of it...I keep 6 jars...in the summer I might keep an extra because we use more in the summer time. Replace as I use. If need be I can make my own..with fresh eggs

I also keep a small supply of freeze dried food from Emergency Essentials.

oatmeal (quick cook) is also good protein fiber carbs....a giant batch of cinnamon sugar in a quart jar sealed will make the oatmeal a "fun" food too.

How many canning jars do you have? I try to use my old fashioned rubber ones for dry goods and use "modern" ones for pressure canner... definately can up some beans all cooked and spiced. Meals with tomatoes and peppers provide a good amount of vit. c to keep scurvy at bay...unsweetened kool-aid packets keep forever as well.
Put some yeast in the freezer to start sour dough if the need arises.

How many days of food for how many people?
jim

Why don't you think about "What's for dinner"?

Last week I bought 13 pounds of noodles because they were on sale. So, I am watching for a sale on spagetti sauce to pair up with it.

Also, canned roast beef goes well with steamed rice. When I buy one I look for a sale on the other.

Lately I bought some Bear Creek dehydrated soup mix, and the instructions call for canned clams and so I bought some at the same time (canned clams never go on sale so I just bought some).

My Bear Creek dehydrated canned chili called for a can of tomato paste and so I bought some of both.

That gives me 4 complete dinners, so if things get bad I do not have to stare at preps and wonder what to fix!

Beer... It's like pork chops in a can...

:D

I don't store food in 5 gallon buckets, nor do I buy 10# cans. It is just too unwieldy for us. Instead, I buy normal sized items when they are on sale. Flour & sugar are stored in their original packaging in big ziplock bags. I slip them into the picnic coolers which keeps them safe. I do buy some smaller bags of rice. These are frozen and then stored in ziplocks the same as the sugar. Once opened, the rice is poured into canisters or jars.

Since I have to be very careful with carbs, I eat a lot of fresh / frozen foods as well. I'd go into a coma if all I had to eat were refined carbs. I'm going to learn more about canning and can some fresh veggies when in season. I think I need to also learn to can meat. The idea of buying in bulk at Sam's and canning it is a good idea.

Didn't see it mentioned and I forgot it in my answer is fats. Very essential to survival. Lard is excellent if stored right it can last darn near forever. Vegetable oil not so good for long term but coconut oil is and healthy for cooking too.

Theres one about 50 miles away or so, But I get a discount for being an employee at the store. But might still need to compair the prices just to see.

4 people, Don't really have a plan as far as how many days I want to get to. Guess I would like to get atleast 3 months maybe.

Like. Like amd LIKE! LOL

I like the 5 gal buckets for staples like rice, beans, noodles, flour and sugar. Other things I would prefer smaller cans and what not.

Lard I will put that on my list, thanks.

I do can and freeze vegies from the garden. I know how to can meat. They say you become addicted to it after you learn, but that has yet to happen to me. I really don't like to can. It's a lot of work and I have a VERY small kitchen, my work space is about 2x4 ft.

Thanks everyone for your input, All ideas are helpful not only to me but others. I love coming here. :)

Canning lids. Canning jars can be found at garage sales and on CL, but canning lids are essential.
And if you possibly can, put your dry goods (flour, corn meal) in your freezer for a week before storing them out of the freezer in air-tight storage.
Then I also vote for whatever is on sale if you also get a discount from the sale price. You can make a big dent in your pantry list with a double discount!
Kit

Canning lids good idea, I will see how much a case costs. Yes the sale plus discount is a good deal, bought 15 lbs of bacon last week, for about $1.35 lb. Not bad there. Just gotta watch the deals and figure in the discount. I need to watch for another deal on a case of beef to can up, as I am out of what I did last year, but canning 70lbs of meat takes alot of time and work, but when I can get it for about 2.25 a pound it is worth it.

I would definitely focus on buying what's on sale. That would include some items that are not food, ziploc bags, aluminum foil, paper plates, laundry detergent, soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, first aid items.
Make a list of all the things you need & eat for a week, a month, or however often you shop. Then multiply that out to figure out what you need for a month. Then when you have a months worth "in storage" go for two months worth, etc. Buy what you already eat, that can be stored. Don't stress over it, you've already made the most important decision, which is to DO SOMETHING! I wish more people would! Your family is fortunate to be SO loved and cared for.

Thank you for the kind words, and see yet something eles to think about, getting non food items on sale. Added to my list. One a week thats my goal for now.

Don't forget spices. Especially those that you can't grow yourself like cinnamon, pepper, paprika, curry spices etc. If you buy them in pouches and put them in totes they are easy to stash under the bed or in a closet. Think of how you flavour your foods the most. Salt never goes bad. I buy it in "pickling salt" form. it's cheaper and you can put it in a pepper mill. Salt is the essence of life. You can't have enough!

I'd recommend buying foods you can stretch by adding bean & rice & pasta. A single can of chile can be mixed with rice or bean to feed 2. Tuna, mushroom soup, and noodles can be mixed for a cheap casserole. You get the idea. Nobody wants to sit down to a big bowl of rice by itself, but add some soy sauce, egg, & whatever for dirty rice. Makes a budget go a lot further.

Yep spices, I do pick those up most shopping trips. Steching foods with added rice and beans is a great idea. Our sale for the week starts tomorrow, I will let ya all know what case of things I choose first.

Do you have case lot sales at your store? I used to work at a grocery store, and twice a year there was a case lot sale... Could you save up the money you *would have* put toward a case of whatever every week, and then spend all that money during the case lot sale? So you'd not only get the cheaper price because it's case lot, but you'd get the employee discount as well? It would make your money go even father... :)

On pressure canning....We lost a freezer a couple months ago and there was 50# of meat to can up...beef...some had to be cut some was already stew meat...I did 25 quarts of stew beef in 2 days...I probably cut meat for an hour....chopped a bag of onions...a couple quarts of tomatoes...some boullion cubes....all into a giant pot to cook up(times 2)...ladled into the jars and ran the canner while I made dinner or knitted mittens or socks...
I don't love canning either but I hate being hungry or wasteful even more!

My advice is to keep a detailed diary of what you use in a week. A simple notebook would work. List every item used for every meal including salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc. Also list all snacks eaten. Do this every week and you'll have a detailed list of EVERYTHING you need to store. Some things like milk, don't store long term so if you can't keep a goat or cow, then store powdered versions.

Some weeks you might use a LOT of an item, some weeks not much at all. For example in summer you might use a ton of sugar for making jelly, etc. But in winter you might not use much at all. By keeping the diary for a year, you'll end up with a very good list of what you need.

I'm a picky eater so I don't store tons of rice. Why store something I don't eat? I keep a bit for others, but it's not something I will personally eat unless it's eat or die of starvation. I do store tons of pinto's cause they are my favorite food. Also lots of corn cause I really like cornbread. Everyone has to match there storage to their family and what they eat.

Never store things you don't normally eat. In an emergency you'll have enough problems without adding gastric conditions to them.