Storing Water
Most of us can get water directly from our tap - so no need to buy water. You just need to make sure your water is chlorinated, or treat it with bleach before storing it. It all comes back to how much your want to spend on HOW to store it. The lowest recommended amount is 1 gallon of water per person, PER day, for 14 days. So if you have a family of 4 that is 56 gallons of water!
Storing Options:
- Free - You can store water in 2 liter soda pop bottles. It is very cheap - you just have to remember to save the bottle. I have a friend who sticks around after parties to collect the bottles. Make sure you store the water properly. Check out Food Storage Made Easy for recommendations on how much to store, and how to store it properly! The down side to this option is storing all those soda bottles (not to mention changing the water).
- $6-$15-You can buy water containers that hold 5-7 gallons of water in this price range. Last summer I bought some water containers at Walmart for around $7. The same water container now is $10. I guess I got lucky. Make sure to check out “camping” sections, especially in the summer time. You can find some pretty good deals. Just remember that they need to be PETE grade. You will also need a couple of these containers to get the recommended amount - so it may be wise to get a 55 gallon water bucket.
- $40-$100-You can store 55 gallons of water in a huge 55 gallon bucket. These are nice because it is compact and does not take up a lot of storage space. I have seen these in UTAH county at Walmart for $39.99. They sell on the Internet all over the place. I have found instead of looking for “55 gallon buckets,” check out local container supply websites. A lot of container supply websites sell these for A LOT less than “Emergency Prepardness” stores. For example, there is a container supply store in SLC that sells 55 gallon containers for $35.16!
- $300-$500 - I recently received an e-mail from a distributor for “Super Tanker.” If you have the money, this is the most convenient way to go. Check out the link to see all the benefits. Let me know if you are interested, and I can give you the contact info.
Have you found a great way to store water that works for you? Let me know about it! Happy Water Storing!
Consignment Shops!
About a year ago, I participated in a garage sale and I made a whole $2. I was thrilled! A better choice for me would have been to consign some of my old items. There are a lot of benefits to “selling” your old stuff, here are a couple:
- De-clutter your home.
- Make money.
- Help another person buy something they can afford.
If you live in Utah, there is a great consignment going on in Logan next week exclusively for “Baby Items.” Check out www.thedivvyup.com for more info. What I like about the divvyup is that it was started by two Moms. They are also giving back to the community by giving a portion of sales to local schools. It is a great way to sell stuff you don’t need, and help out your own community.
Here is also a website that gives you the “heads up” on consignments in your own area, www.thebargainwatcher.com
There are so many ways to make and save money! How have you made consigning work for you? What are some of your own tips?
Shelves
If you haven’t heard of “The Seven Day Challenge,” click here to learn more. Every week, a new baby step will be highligthed. I will focus each week on how to help you make an educated decision to complete that baby step.
This last week’s highlight was shelves. Click here to view the post - below is a breakdown that will hopefully help you and your family with your goals.
- Free plan for building cardboard rotating can racks
- View the resources section below for other plan options.
- Don’t be afraid to check out local listings (i.e. - freecylce.org, craiglist). Often when people are moving, they do not want to break down shelves so they sell them really cheap, or give them away for free.
- Plastic & Metal - these shelves cost anywhere from $15 - $50. Click here for a link to check out some shelves.
- Home Depot, Lowes, Sam’s Club, and Costco offer heavy duty shelves for reasonable prices, you can get them anywhere from $60-$100. There is a wide range of selections you can make.
Let me know of any way that you store your food storage. Have you built your own system? How much did it cost?
Thanks!
Walmart & Food Storage
I do not often go into Walmart because I shop sales at Grocery Stores - however, this last week I went in to get some diapers and I was surprised!
In Utah, there have been some “Emergency Aisles” popping up with all sorts of great products. Here are some items that was I impressed with:
Gamma Lids - $5.95
6 Gallon Storage Buckets - $3.99
55 Gallon Water Container -$39.99
They also had all sorts of different dried fruits and veggies already packaged. I am not sure what stores carry this new line - however, it may be worth a call to see what your local Walmart may offer.
Good luck!
Updated 3 Month Food Supply!
I recently updated my 3 month food supply page. Click here to check it out!
Also don’t forget to look at the new Teaching Helps. As a network, we have put out 10 brand new teaching helps for those who are interested in getting their families involved in food storage and emergency preparedness. Five of them are fun activities you can do with small children. The other five are family lesson plans that can be used any time or specifically for LDS family home evenings. Check out the new lessons at the links below:
In the next few weeks we will also be adding teaching helps to the Community Lessons section for any of you who are out spreading the word via church or community classes. Hopefully these will be valuable resources for you to use and share. Please let us know what you think if you try any of them out.
Group Buying = Discounts!
Here is a great article I read over www.savvyredhead.com about how to start your own food storage group. Check it out. This is a great way to save on items in your food storage - and you only have to buy once a month! What a win win situation!
Here are some other comments I have got about buying in bulk -
“We are currently awaiting a shipment of wheat that we ordered from Circle S Seeds in Montana. http://www.circlesseeds.com/ We are getting it for $18 for a 50 pound bag including shipping. The only catch is that we had to order 1000 bags to get this price so there are about 80 people going in on the order. “ - From Ellie in Va.
Emergency Essentials has a “Group Program” for food storage. Here is a link that talks more about it.
I think the best thing about having a “group” together is that you will be held accountable. You cannot simply say, “Oh, I will get that next month….” It will get the wheels going, and get your food storage faster. You will also be able to develop relationships with others, and learn together!
Let me know if you have started a food storage group. What have been some of your challenges and successes?
Buy in Bulk!
Now that you have buckets to store some food storage items in, make sure you check out the prices of bulk items at your local LDS cannery or wholesale store. It is A LOT cheaper to buy items in bulk. If you know that you will be using a lot of the product, and do not want to store it long term - buy in bulk!
Here is a simple cost comparison for a couple items from the cannery:
Hard White Wheat - Bulk - .30/lb #10 Can - .56/lb
Beans (Black) - Bulk - .68/lb #10 Can - .96/lb
Sugar - Bulk - Bulk - .56/lb #10 Can - .81/lb
Always remember to look at the price per lbs or oz. That is how you really know if you are getting a good deal. At the grocery store, they often do the work for you. Look closely at the price tags, and you will see the different prices per lbs/oz.
Don’t forget to check out your local Costco or SAMS club. They offer some great deals - and some not so great deals! Be educated, know if you are getting a good deal. I have found that yeast and cheese are almost always the cheapest at these wholesale stores.
What do you like to get at the cannery and wholesale stores? Let me know!
Happy Shopping!
Gamma Lids
Storing some of your long term food storage in buckets is a great alternatvie to canning. You can purchase the dry items in bulk, saving money! Using a gamma lid is a great way to keep your food safe from bugs,rodents, and moisture.
A gamma lid is a lid that will fit most 12″ diameter buckets, and will trasform your bucket into a wonderful storage container. The lid is special because it has two polymer gaskets, giving the bucket an air tight seal. You can also stack buckets easily. Another great feature is that the lids come in a variety of colors and so you can color co-ordinate some of your food storage. A lot of people also use these lids to store their pet’s food. Campers enjoy these lids because you can keep items nice and dry.
Cost of gamma lids:
You can purchase gamma lids online anywhere from $4.58 to $12.95. A lot of internet sites offer discounts on the more you purchase. The $4.58 price is if you purchase 12 or more. Remember to factor in the cost of shipping! A couple months ago, Macey’s put on an “Emergency Prepardness Sale.” They sold gamma lids for $5.99. If you are interested in these lids, I suggest buying a couple for a discounted rate - that way you have room to build your food storage. Remember, now you can buy food storage items in bulk rather than in cans, which makes it more cost effective!
Ways to say “Happy Mother’s Day” frugally!
I know that shopping for my Mom is not an easy task! Here are some frugal tips/ideas to keep in mind for Mother’s Day this Sunday.
- If you are the Mother, tell people in your family that you do NOT want flowers! When I first for married, my mother in law told me that around Valentine’s Day & Mother’s Day flowers triple in price!! I told my husband right then and there that he can get away with not getting me flowers–but make sure you get me something else:) You can always agree to get flowers at another time of year:)
- Make breakfast easy for your husband- here is a great recipe for pancakes from Crystal over at everydayfoodstorage.net (it also uses food storage!!) It comes with a video - so any man who says he can’t cook will be guided on how to do it!
- Make a coupon booklet for your Mom. Include coupons like - 5 minute back rub, do dishes, vacuum for a week etc… Be creative!
- Get a #10 can and fill it with memories from your childhood. Write a memory on a piece of paper. Go through each memory with your mother. You will laugh and cry together as you reminisce on special times. If you have children, let them decorate the can!
- Make a craft! Go to your local dollar store and let your imagination run wild. There are a lot of things you can do - with little money spent!
- Get a plain apron and have everyone in your family write their favorite recipe that Mom makes. Decorate it with all of your handprints. Have fun with it!
- Redeem your KFC coupons Saturday evening before Mother’s Day. Make sure you get your food “to go.” Enjoy your meal at a local park! Go for a walk with your family after you eat.
Do you have a great idea for Mother’s Day? Be sure to leave a comment for the rest of the readers.
Thanks:)
Don’t feel like cooking dinner?
KFC is giving away FREE meals!
- 2 pcs of grilled chicken
- 2 individual sides
- Biscuit
All for FREE - click below - you can print up to 4 coupons!
Make sure you print before 9:59 p.m. CDT on May 6, 2009.
Nothing tastes better than a free meal that you did not have to cook!
