3 Month Food Supply Buying Tips
What to Know: Here is a step by step outline to help you get your 3 month food supply.
1 - Know What you Need!
You first need to come up with a list of items that you will use over the next 3 months. Make a recipe list for two weeks- including breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks. Write it down. Think of EVERY ingredient you will need to make those meals. Once you have a list of all the ingredients, figure out how much you need to get you through for 3 months. The gals over a www.foodstoragemadeeasy.net have a GREAT spreadsheet that does the work for you. Make sure you watch the tutorial so it makes sense. Check it out! Crystal also has a list of common items in a 3 month food supply.
2- Shop Smart!
Now that you have a list of what you actually need over the next three months- it is time to go shopping. Here are some tips for how to get the best deals.
- Couponing! Go to any grocery store that has great sales & accept coupons!! I have been able to build a great little reserve for my family by using coupons! I used to think you could only use coupons if a product was not on sale. I was wrong. You can use coupons all the time! It is really simple, when a grocery store puts an item on sale you can get that item on sale PLUS use a coupon - you get a GREAT deal! Where do I get coupons? - You can get them in your Sunday newspaper, as well as online. A lot of people get multiple papers, hence they get multiple coupons. There are a lot of websites out there that actually do all the work for you. They develop lists of what is on sale, and match the coupon that is available to it. You then simply need to look at the list and cut out ONLY the coupons you plan on using. It takes a little planning, but is well worth the effort. You will NOT be cutting coupons all day. Below are some very helpful websites:
The Obsessive Shopper- For Utah and Las Vegas - make sure you check out her system for a detailed explanation of how to get started!
Coupon Moms - Visit this site for a national database. They have deals listed state by state as well as lots of information that is really helpful!
- Case Lot Sales - Often times, case lot sales are wonderful. It gives you the opportunity to buy in bulk and get a great deal. Make sure you always figure out the cost per item to make sure you are getting a good deal.
- Only buy meat when it is on sale. Get to know what is a good price, and what is a bad price. Ask around. People generally know. Don’t be afraid to ask people at the grocery store what is the lowest price they have seen on meat, dairy, etc…When meat does go on sale, you know how much you need for three months so buy a ton of it! I divide the meat up into little freezer baggies, and I have it already split up into portion sizes appropriate for my famiy.
- I would not recommend buying a lot of things at Wholesale centers (Sams/Costco) - however - their prices on cheese cannot be beat. I buy cheese and divide it up into little baggies as well. Cheese freezes just fine. A reader said that if you put a little cornstarch into graded cheese - it freezes great and will not stick together. I have also found yeast, and most baking supplies to be the cheapest here as well.
3- Rotate Through your Meals
- Now that you have a great supply of food that you know you will actually eat - Eat it!! Go through your list and make your recipes. I always buy my produce when it is on sale. When you check your newspaper for deals - check out the produce section. Be sure to add in fresh fruits and vegetables to your meals. You will be doing it, knowing that you saved money!
- Whenever you take something out of your 3 month food supply - write it on a sheet of paper that you have near your storage area. This way you have a general idea of what you need to replenish when the next sale comes. You will be eating your food, and nothing will spoil.
- Don’t feel like you can only eat what is on your recipe list - now that you have a ton of food - get creative. Share different recipes with family and friends.
Don’t forget to add in everyday essentials like soap, toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste, shampoo etc… You can get these items for great deals as well!
Benefits - to encourage you to get started!
- Knowing that if something happened to you financially, you have a little reserve of food for your family.
- You won’t be enticed to go out to eat as often, because you have a ready list of meals available to cook. This will save you money!
- You will be better organized. You won’t feel the pressure that comes from not being prepared.
- You will save money - you won’t have to run to the grocery store to buy things that you forgot!
- Often times, if I plan a meal - it is a lot healthier than throwing something together. You have better control giving your family nutritious meals.
The Coupon Clippers
If you are into couponing, this post may be for you. I got an e-mail highlighting, “The Coupon Clippers.” I have not placed an order with them yet, however, I like what they are doing. Do you spend a lot of money each week on papers - only to use maybe one or two coupons? This site lets you buy coupons that you know you will use, and gets them to you quickly. They charge a “handling” fee which is between .08-15 cents depending on the coupon’s value. You must place an order that is at least three dollars. You then spend money on only the coupons you know you are going to use. They ship within two business days of your order being placed, and they are located in Florida.
If this sounds like something that may interest you, check out their site:
Storing Water
My sister gave me this great product that she found at Emergency Essentials. Below is a link to the product:
Basic 25 Gallon Boxed Water Kit
The reasons I like this product is because:
- Costs between $5-7 to store 5 gallons of water. Online they are 34.95 plus shipping, in stores they are $30.
- You can empty the water, and then fold down the boxes if you were moving. Water containers often take up too much space, and they are the first thing to be donated or given away with a move.
- If there were an emergency, they have two purposes 1) Drinking water, 2) Sanitation.
- You can stack the boxes. That is a huge plus if you are short on space.
Check out this page if you want to learn more about storing water!
Ways to Save $$$ from Readers
A part of being prepared, which goes hand in hand with food storage is to be frugal. The holidays are just around the corner, and wouldn’t it be great to be DONE ( & have the money) with your shopping by Dec 23rd? I selected some great tips from readers on how they save money.
Tiff, “ Plant a garden. Even the smallest space can save you money. If you don’t already have permanent fruit or vegetables like Grape vines, blueberry bushes, strawberry plants, it is so easy to begin. Planting these kinds of things is nice because all you do is plant them once, water, fertilize and enjoy the fruits for years and years. Watching your food grow is very satisfying.”
Traci, “This is my little tip that i have been doing. I have a fireplace and we use it all winter. This is our main heat source. We chop and store our own wood but we did buy fire starters, they cost alot just to burn up. So I save dryer lint and put it in empty toilet paper tubes. Cover the ends in with a little wax and it works great. We take them camping and to start our grill. Anyways it may be silly to some but it works for me.”
Jami says, “I consign my clothes, my children’s clothes, toys, etc. at the seasonal consignments in the fall and spring b/c you get to set your own price on your items and you get to keep 70% of what sells. A website to check for consignments in your area is thebargainwatcher.com. Whatever does not sell I will take to the local consignment stores and then from there I will usually have an anually or semi-annual garage sale. I take the money from all of this and turn around and use it to buy more clothes, usually from garage sales (I know the neighborhoods to shop in!).”
Jenny says, “Buy in bulk and on sale. We try to eat as organically as possible which not often the cheapest thing to accomplish. For this reason the coupon clipping days where I could get boxed cereal for 50 cents a box are just not thrifty for us. I have found we spend less on doctor bills, medicines and just feel better and have more energy when we eat as naturally and simply as possible. So to stay in our budget and still provide those important healthy and yummy foods we buy in bulk from Azure Standard, and local stores health food stores. This way I can use half of my monthly budget for fresh items and non-food item and half goes to either buying or saving for bulk items. Then I rent a canning machine from the LDS Cannery (for free) and purchase #10 cans and lids from them (under a $1.00 each) and can the extras to keep them fresh and use them later…healthy, organic and affordable food storage! I think food is something we should spend money on to get the best product to put into our bodies and save on the other things.”
What are some ways that you can save money around the holidays? I know that when I am not prepared, that is when I have to fork out the cash. Below are a couple of suggestions to be ready for the holidays:
- It’s the most wonderful time of the year - year round! Whenever you hear a loved one say something they want - write it down! That way, you can shop sales throughout the year, and come the Holidays, you will have all your purchases done! You will also be able to spread your budget year round, instead of spending a TON of money around the holidays. ( Hopefully Oct 1st is warning enough)
- Shop clearance for gift ideas and stock up. I came across some towel warmers for $10!! The year before I spent $60 on the exact some towel warmer for my in-laws. Yup - I was sad!
- If you know you will have a “food assignment” over the Holidays, be sure you know what it is ahead of time. This way, you have time to look and can buy things when they are on sale before the holidays.
What are some ways you save $$ in preparing for the holidays?
