"Food storage hasn't been a terribly practical thing for us to work on until we moved into this house. Now that we have the space we've been stocking up."
Basics:
- Add the weekly item to your shopping list.
- Buy the largest amount of each week's item you can sensibly afford.
- Replace items as you use them.
- If you miss a week, skip to the next week.
- Don't get behind. Share your hot buys with the rest of us.
- If your family loves something not listed, buy it and store it.
January
- Week 1 -- Watch for and buy 50% off on Christmas items, cards, paper, ribbons, etc.
- Week 2 -- Detergents, bleach, cleansers. Laundry detergent, dish detergent, bathroom, window & toilet cleaners.
- Week 3 -- Medical supplies: Aspirin, Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, Vicks, cough drops. Whatever your family needs.
- Week 4 -- Paper supplies: Paper towels, plates, cups, Kleenex, toilet paper, napkins, utensils.
February
- Week 1 -- Juices: lemon, orange, grapefruit, or powdered juices-like Tang, etc.
- Week 2 -- Peanut butter- get your creamy and/or crunchy
- Week 3 --Solid vegetable shortening and/or oil. Buy both if you prefer, shortening is usually less expensive
- Week 4 -- Personal products: Soap, deodorant, shampoo, lotions, shaving supplies, feminine products.
March
- Week 1 -- First aid kit: Gauze patches, Q-tips, cotton balls, band-aids, Neosporin, Calamine...
- Week 2 -- Mixes: Cake, pancake, muffin, Bisquick. Purchase or make your own.
- Week 3 -- Spices and Herbs: Pepper, salt, cinnamon, bay leaves, oregano, taco seasonings, chili powder...
- Week 4 -- Rice- buy 10, 15, 20 pounds. White, brown, instant
“The first 3 months of executing 'the plan' has made an impressive addition to our food storage collection. ... I've spent more money on it than I planned (between $50-$70 a month — only $10-$20 a week. I was planning for no more than $10 a week, but there are sales. (And Sam's Club).... I feel an unexpected rush of accomplishment when I look at it all. I sleep better on stormy nights.”
April
- Week 1 -- Pasta. 5 or 10 pounds. Don't forget the mac and cheese
- Week 2 -- Dry milk. 40 oz. will make 5 gallons. (And, any self-respecting recipe for white bread will use at least a tablespoon.)
- Week 3 -- Assemble an emergency sewing kit: thread, pins, needles, buttons, snaps, zippers, tape measure, etc.
- Week 4 -- Ready Dinners: ravioli, pasta, oriental, boxed or frozen. Get what your family will eat.
May
- Week 1 -- 10 lbs. of flour.
- Week 2 -- Dry soups and soup mixes. Boxes of crackers: saltines, graham, etc.
- Week 3 -- Jello gelatin pudding mixes
- Week 4 -- Garden seeds: Radishes are great in an emergency. They grow fast, are full of vitamins and minerals, and are full of water.
“I included that only because it was in the booklet. Even in a disastrous emergency, I cannot see myself being willing to live on radishes. I hope I never have to prove that.”
June
- Week 1 -- Safety Items: rope or twine, flashlight, dated batteries
- Week 2 -- Grate and bag 5 pounds of cheese. Use in casseroles and soups (or everything if you are in our family). Also, buy Parmesan.
- Week 3 -- Condiments: mustard, ketchup, relish, mayo, Worcestershire, pickles, olives, soy sauce, salad dressings.
- Week 4 -- White sales! Buy a new thermo blanket, some new pillows...
“I love having our little mini mart downstairs. It is really nice not having to run to the store for little things. Even if it has been a while since our last trip to the grocery store, I can always make due with what we have--a dear luxury as there is no such thing as a quick run to the store when one has two kiddo's in tow.”
July
- Week 1 -- Sure-Jell, Certo, Paraffin wax, etc., or buy some jams and jellies. Watch for sales.
- Week 2 -- Fill those water jugs! Or buy some bottled water.
- Week 3 -- 72 hour kit week; start it, update it, or complete it…but get it done!
- Week 4 -- Canned goods. Buy what your family likes and will eat. Chili, soups, canned meats, kidney beans, etc.
August
- Week 1 -- Back to school sales. Paper, pencils, envelopes, stamps, and journals
- Week 2 -- Baking powder, soda, corn starch, vanilla, bullion cubes, cooking spray
- Week 3 -- Tomato week. Can or buy…salsa, juice, sauce, whole, whopped, paste, pizza and spaghetti sauce.
- Week 4 -- Do some fruit canning or drying. Or, buy it. Watch for sales.
September
- Week 1 -- Vegetable week. Can or freeze lots of vegetables. Or buy some canned. Green beans, mushrooms, corn.
- Week 2 -- Get dry beans, peas, legumes, etc.
- Week 3 -- Sweeteners. Honey, Karo, Molasses, brown and powdered sugars.
- Week 4 -- Iodized salt. It seasons, it preserves, it’s a toothpaste and a de-icer.
Click here for the rest of "The Plan": The Plan: October through December.
