[adc31555]

Hello,

I'd like to start creating a stock for my family in case of emergency... first 2 weeks worth then build to 30 days, 60 days, etc.

We have 3 young children and two adults. We are also on a very tight budget. Any advice to what type of rations we should start stocking up would be greatly appreciated.

I found some pretty good kits at sites similar to: foodinsurance.com/index.php but they are fairly expensive and our budgets are tight... if there is a more economical approach.. i need to find it.. if not.. we'll start stocking up slowly..

thx
Fred

 

[methemom]

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=36711
covered here quite nicely!

 

[Melsrogue]

and dont forget the freebie stuff! I remember reading that post when I first started .... GOLDEN!!!! I was where you are a year + ago .... youll be happy real soon! Im still nervous .... like a pack rat LOL!

free honey @ KFC and spoons and wetnaps ..... always keep an eye out for bargains. and freebies you can use!

My wife and I have a weekley date night ... and once a month we will hit Aldis or Farm and Fleet and use the $ we'd spend on the date night on survival stuff. :thumb:

GLAD to have you in the fold. Good luck and God bless!

 

[txramfan]

coupons help cut food bills, use them to get small amounts for free or cheap and build up your emergeny supplies

Here is one example...Kroger doubles up to 50cents......1lb Mahatma rice is .88 on ad this week....coupon for 50 cents made it free

 

[seawind]

Prepackage survival "goods" such as BOB are for those who won't take the time to think about their situation or can't be bothered to research and prepare on their own. Its better and cheaper to prepare your own based on needs and taste. Those who depend on others to make the decisions and choices for them cause they couldn't be bothered will find themselves in a world of hurt.

 

[Herbalpagan]

Personally, until you are much farther down the road with your prepping, I wouldn't waste my money on "kits". You are much better off shopping at sales and with coupons to buy a LOT of extra regualr food items. Then rotate them into your regular eating. Ex: when shopping, instead of getting one box of pasta and one jar of sauce, get 6 or 12 or each. even if you only ate pasta once a month, they would still be good when you used the last one.
When veggies are on sale, get 2 cases of them. Continue on in this manner until you have at least 3 months worth of food stored. At that point, savings will kick in and you shouldn't have to buy anything unless it's on sale or with a coupon.
Each time you shop, you just pick up some extra. At 3 months of stored goods, then you work towards 6-12 months and start adding into it a bit of long term stuff like wheat. When you think of it, going by the pasta example, if you have spaghetti one a week, you need 52 jars to go a year...4 cases. cases can be bought at discount food stores for $12. Jars of saauce will last for a minimum of 3-5 years.

 

[McLovin]

You can get 50 pounds of rice for less than $17 at Sam's the last time I checked. That's about 1000 servings for not alot of money.

Lentals, beans and split peas can be had for around a dollar per one pound bag.

5 quart bottles of veg oil are around $8 as Sam's.

100 pounds of rice, 50 pounds of beans/lentals/peas and 15 quarts of veg oil would cost you about 100 bucks and could keep you family from starving for about 2 months. This is a good base to start with and one to add other things to.

McLOVIN

 

[EmergencyEssentials]

We have a short article entitled "Storage on a Shoestring" that you may find helpful.

Storage on a Shoestring

 

[caltrop]

Grocery Store!

There's loads of survival stuff sitting on the shelves at your local grocery store. You do not need to get the expensive Survival oriented stuff.

Dry stuff lasts a very long time but can become a bit off tasting after five years. Stock up on dry stuff:

• rice
• beans
• oatmeal
• noodles
  • everyday noodles
  • ramen noodles
• dried stuff in packets
  • noodle meals
  • soups

Canned goods should be rotated out every couple of years. I had a can of SPAM go bad after a couple of years but for the most part a good canned food should last that long. Check the dates on the cans. The original MRE - canned goods:

• soups
• stews
• SPAM
• ham
• beans
• veggies

You don't need a dehydrator but they're nice. Potatoes & Apples need blanching first or sprayed liberally with Fruit Fresh (in the canning section). Just use your stove set on low - 150 deg F. Overnite usually dries stuff pretty well. Dry your own stuff:

• meats
• veggies
• fruits

With Dried stuff I stay away from Sulphur Dioxide & Sulfites since they make me sick.

I make a trail mix - GORP - Good Old Raisins & Peanuts. I get the stuff at a wholesale club like Sams or Costco. I make up a BIG batch everytime & everyone eats it all the time so it never gets old:

• preservative free raisins
• preservative free dried blueberries
• mixed nuts
• pecans or walnuts
• white and dark chocolate bits
• & whatever else you want

A dried ham, dried veggies, & ramen noodles can make a good soup. Just toss it all in a pot and bring to a boil then let it sit for a while. Although the dired stuff is never like it was when fresh it is edible and very light weight. People have been drying stuff for many years. The modern freeze dried stuff is better but it also costs a lot more.

MRE's are over rated and were made for the Military. They are heavy and produce a lot of trash since everything is wrapped in plastic then the plastic is wrapped in palstic. I liked the older canned rations the Military used.

:upsidedown:

 

[lanahi]

I like the LDS site and their starter kit:
http://www.ldscatalog.com/webapp/wc...e=Simple&pageId=1&pageCt=15&sortId=3&sortOr=1
For $31 and no shipping costs, you can get six #10 cans: 2 wheat, 2 rice, 1 beans, and 1 oats. Like they say, it's a STARTER kit for long-term storage. It is no doubt cheaper to buy bags of grains or beans and repack them in buckets with CO2 absorbers, but get as much as you can afford each pay period, and soon your stores will be impressive. I'd get a good mixture of different types of foods to fit different scenarios. I'd also think about menus, like different toppings for the rice, etc. (like chili over rice, and so forth)

 

[dogmaw]

The easiest way is to buy a little extra of what you're already eating. A stressed body during a crisis is not as receptive to new foods and won't adapt to it as well, so I hear.

Don't rely on only one form of stored food (dried, canned, frozen, etc.) spread your options.

Get a good cookbook that has simple and fast recipes. Work up 30 days of menus for variety. Repeat for month #2, month #3, till you've reached your prepping goal. Do the math on portion size and shop for deals on the components. Try out the menus so you know ahead that you will like them and they require minimum amounts of preparation and resources to complete.

Even though your theoretical scenario is for Bugging In, in reality you may be forced to Bug Out so keep some supplies in portable containers and keep those recipes simple.

Most importantly, don't forget comfort foods. They will bring back good memories and give you hope and resolve when you will need it most.

Don't wait to get started. The foodstores will be cleaned out in short order and any selections that remain may be very limited and more costly.

 

[Monique]

To add to what dogmaw said, if your family is not already eating beans, start now. Have them once a week at least. My family likes beans, here in the South we eat them with a little ham or bacon for flavor and a pan of cornbread.
I just yesterday bought 25 # of pinto beans at Sam's for $13. White rice was $8.86 for 25 lb, although I bought basmati instead, $12.43 for 15 lb.

 

[MikeK]

I think inexpensive bulk foods like beans, rice, pasta and the like is probably the easiest way to start a good food storage program. It lets you get a decent, albeit basic, supply of food on hand without spending a lot of money. You can add to the variety later on with canned goods and such as you find them on sale. Don't forget wild plants in your area too. They're a great way to add needed vitamins, minerals and most importantly, live enzymes, to a diet of dried and canned foods.

The people's advice about getting used to the foods now, is right on the money. Not only do bulk foods lower your grocery costs, but it lets you get used to the food now rather than during a crisis later. There's always some digestive adaptation needed when you change diets drastically for more than a few meals. The food storage mantra has always been "Store what you eat, and eat what you store".

 

[LD 50/50]

Fred,

Find the hippies in your hood. Local co-ops sell bulk grains & cereals for $10-$35 a 25lb sack. Drop the sack in a 5 gallon bucket, date it, and eat it within 5-7 years.