[Macumazahn]

I inventoried my foodstuff today. I share a townhouse so I can not just stack all my food in the pantry. Partly because we do not have a pantry but mostly because my house mate / landlord would really not understand. Anyroad, the housemate is away for a week so I decided to pull all my food out of the places I stored it and inventory. I am happysad I did.

I have to say I am a little embarrassed about posting this.

​

The card board box has 12 one liter jars full of various spices. The bucket has about five pounds of baking soda in it. In the back is TP and my every day hygiene supplies. This does not include the various half open packages of stuff laying around the house. I did not scrap up every roll of TP and grain of rice.

I think I am fine with the hygiene products (can always use more TP) but it is still woefully lacking on the food side. Frankly I thought I was making some headway but really I have been falling behind. Some of the things I had bought I must have used along the way somewhere. I know I had some tins of mushrooms but I can not find them and there is only one tin of olives. I guess it is time to start practicing my own advice and make better lists.

I think I have a reasonably well rounded start here. I have lots of oil and cooking supplies. I have carbs, protein, meat, and veg; even if it is all dried or canned that is fine, this is fine as this is a supplement to my normal meal schedule that I can fall back on. First to round out the menu with some accessories like olives and `shrooms and stock up on some more canned veg. Next is just buying more but this time keeping much better track of the whole mess.

:thumb:

 

[preparedmama]

Maybe your room mate is eating your food? And if the shtf you wont be able to sit in front of him and eat. I know you are in a townhouse...any chance of getting your own place?

And something is better than nothing!

 

[NHCraigT]

Great Start!

Thanks for posting it.

 

[Jericho]

Do you have a food storage goal, yet? What is you first inventory level goal? 2 months worth? 6?

Do you know what kinds of foods you want to stock?

 

[Humungus]

nice. what are you going to eat on the second day? just kidding, the hardest part is the first little batch. You will be surprised how quickly this stash will grow if you keep it up.

 

[DocYoung]

Your a month ahead of 90% of the people I know.

Good job!! No less then 5 more month worth to go!

 

[Pixelguy]

It's like saving money Mac. Just buy a little bit at a time. A can or two a week if that is all that you can afford. Many of us double or triple up on items we eat and use if a good sale comes along. Every little bit helps.

Stick with it and you will be glad of your effort.

I inventoried my foodstuff today. I share a townhouse so I can not just stack all my food in the pantry. Partly because we do not have a pantry but mostly because my house mate / landlord would really not understand. Anyroad, the housemate is away for a week so I decided to pull all my food out of the places I stored it and inventory. I am happysad I did.

I have to say I am a little embarrassed about posting this.

View attachment 16995​

The card board box has 12 one liter jars full of various spices. The bucket has about five pounds of baking soda in it. In the back is TP and my every day hygiene supplies. This does not include the various half open packages of stuff laying around the house. I did not scrap up every roll of TP and grain of rice.

I think I am fine with the hygiene products (can always use more TP) but it is still woefully lacking on the food side. Frankly I thought I was making some headway but really I have been falling behind. Some of the things I had bought I must have used along the way somewhere. I know I had some tins of mushrooms but I can not find them and there is only one tin of olives. I guess it is time to start practicing my own advice and make better lists.

I think I have a reasonably well rounded start here. I have lots of oil and cooking supplies. I have carbs, protein, meat, and veg; even if it is all dried or canned that is fine, this is fine as this is a supplement to my normal meal schedule that I can fall back on. First to round out the menu with some accessories like olives and `shrooms and stock up on some more canned veg. Next is just buying more but this time keeping much better track of the whole mess.

:thumb:

 

[Humungus]

a tip on space saving,

you can get these cheap blocks to put your bed on that raises it about 8 -10 inches off the ground and allow you to store quite a bit of stuff without taking up any additional floorspace.

 

[Jab]

No Water????

 

[hdbray]

I did an inventory as well and realized that I need more vegetables. I have lots of beans, but not much of others(corn, potatoes, mushrooms, various greens) in the canned goods department. It never hurts to check what you have once a month, and keep a ledger of what you use. Several people on here have posted lists that you can use to keep track of your supplies.

 

[chrisday4064]

Great start, looks like you have alot of hygiene products which is great.

I have the same problem with space, i have 2 small cupboards where i keep all my food preps. You would be suprised how much food can be kept in a small space.

 

[Macumazahn]

Thank you for all the encouragement, everyone.

Thank you for all the encouragement, everyone.

@preparedmama - For a variety of reasons I am sure the housemate is not eating my food. I am a little concerned what would happen SHTF but the chances are pretty good he will not be here. I would like to get my own place but I do have it pretty good where I am now and my future is kind of up in the air right now so it is hard to make such life altering commitments.

@Jericho - I thought I had a goal. I guess I just proved to myself that I can not keep things organised solely in my head. The level is as much as I can reasonably store. I am not sure how long it would last but it is the best I can do. I pretty much want to stock what you see in the pic. Basics (rice, pasta, beans, oil, spices), some instant stuff (ramen, chili, tuna helper), tinned veg and some goodies.

@Humungus - Thank you for the tip on the bed. My bed is actually just sitting on some pads on the floor. I could pretty easily put it up on something.

@VCGTV - I am in this for the long haul. :thumb:

@Jab - Good point on the water. Water is heavy so I did not want to lug it up from the basement. I have 64 liters (@16 gallons) of water stored in soda bottles and two 10 liter store bought jugs for primary drinking. I also have a bunch of four gallon buckets that I can fill when an emergency starts brewing.

@chrisday4064 - The hygiene products are mostly a hedge against inflation. I do not intend to be shaving every 10 minutes during a zombie apocalypse. : Razors just never seem to stop going up in price.

 

[captbob]

I gotta ask... why do you have 5 pounds of baking soda? What would you do with it?

 

[voyuer1]

Was that a bottle of bombay sapphire I spied hidden in the rears?

 

[Asymetric]

Like everyone says. A little at a time. Thats all i can do because i have to do it under my girlfriends nose. I grocery shop for a weeks worth of food to keep in the cupboards. Except i grocery shop every 5-6 days. So every week i put away anywhere from 1 meal to a whole days food.

Humungous is spot on. Getting a well rounded stash to eat unrationed for 3-4 weeks seems like a real hump to get over. After that is set, then the pile seems to grow like mad.

One meal, one day, one week, one month. I am not dug in for years or anything. My first goal was a month on top of the weeks worth out in the kitchen. After that i focused on some tools for a little bit. Kerosene stove, solar oven, water filter, bike with one of those kid hauler towables converted into a small "trailer", grain grinder, etc. After that, spent some time/money learning skills. Get a few types of raw grain and make a few loaves of bread from each, start a fire without any matches or lighter. Wash your body without turning on a faucet.

IMHO skills are of greater than or equal value to stored food, and many are free to learn. You have a good start. If a storm shuts off the water and electric to your house for 2 weeks, you might stink, but you wont be starving or dehydrated. Thats way better then most can say.

 

[Grub]

Don't get down on yourself, everyone has to start somewhere... you've made good progress for the time you've had.

 

[Lady Bug(ging)]

At least you will be clean when you starve to death!

Keep at it... you're getting there. Every realize how much wasted space there is in a box spring mattress? Look for all those little nooks and crannies around the house to hide things from your housemate.

 

[Jericho]

Well, water being the single most important consumption item, I suggest you find yourself a good filtering system... portable, and store up some gallon jugs of the stuff.

Do you have a natural local water supply? If so, you could pull from that and filter it. At least have some means of getting the wet stuff down your throat.

 

[cletus]

Looks pretty good to me man. I just started monday so in those terms you are a long way ahead of newbs like me! Keep it up and i'll do the same!

 

[Macumazahn]

@captbob - Baking soda has a million used: cleaning, toothpaste, biscuts, deoderization, the list goes on and on. Check out The Baking Soda Book and search this forum for more information.

@voyuer1 - Yeah, that is one of the 'goodies'.

@Asymetric - I am laying in some skills too. I have been working on soda can stoves and water conservation measures and other things like that.

@Lady Bug(ging) - It is like wearing motorcycle leathers. They may not keep you alive but they make your corpse look good at funeral.

@Jericho - I have two Pristine Pioneer Pro straw type filters. (One for showing and one for going.) I do not have easy access to a water source. I should see what it would take to collect water from the down spouts when it rains.

:thumb: