We really wanted to begin a food storage program, but as newly married full-time college students expecting our first baby, we wondered how we could possibly do it. Discouraged, I said, “Food storage must be one of those things you do after your children are grown up.”
My husband smiled at me and then dashed to our cupboard, opened it, and pulled out every box, package, and can. As he hummed a tune, he began arranging everything into groups. He looked at me, grinned, and pointed to a small stack of food.
“Food storage!” he said. I looked at the stack: two cans of green beans, a bag of rice, a package of spaghetti, and one jar of apricots. “This is our food storage?” I asked.
“Sure,” he answered. “This is our frugal food storage.”
Since then we have followed his frugal food storage theory. Each week we bring home our groceries, go through each bag, and ask, “Can we do without this item this week?” If we can, we set it aside as a food storage item.
This idea works so well that six years and three children later, we are still using it. Though we have more money now than we did during our first year of marriage, we are still on a budget. Following are a few other tips that help us add to our food storage when money is scarce:
1. Store any storable food that comes from an unexpected source. For example, if friends or family invite you to dinner or bring in a meal to you, store the canned or packaged food items you would have used for that meal.
2. Set aside a small amount of money each week to buy staples such as pasta, baking ingredients, and paper products. You may be surprised at how quickly you can build up a supply of these staples for only a few dollars a week.
3. Learn how to bottle, freeze, and dry fresh foods. Even if you don’t have a garden, you can preserve small amounts of fresh fruits or vegetables when they are on sale at the grocery store.
4. Set goals for your food storage supply. Work toward a one-month supply, then a three-month supply, and so on. Be realistic.
Try new ideas until you find the ones that work for you. The important thing is to start now; don’t wait until you have more money, or you may never start. Next family home evening, go through your cupboards and set some of your food aside for your food storage. You can have a food storage program, even on a modest income.—Colleen Hansen, Marienville, Pennsylvania
Frugal Food Storage
Colleen Hansen, “Frugal Food Storage,” Ensign, Jan. 1993, 73–74
4 comments:
I have been enjoying your blog and am learning so much. I am canning chicken right now.
My question is how to can beef. Is it raw packed like chicken. I prefer not to have everything cooked before and during canning.
thank you for your time.
Blessings,
debbieo
I'm new to your blog, and I'm looking forward to learning more about food storage. We're trying to build up a supply and are just getting into canning. Today's post is an inspiration to me, as we're on a fairly tight budget at the moment and don't have a lot of extra cash to stockpile with - but we don't need a lot, do we? Thanks for all the good information!
Your blog is very good. To build up a one month, 3 month or 12 month supply of food: If you do a BOGO deal, put 1 aside. Accept any food someone is offering to you (almost always you can find a use for it), then put aside what you would have used. Only store foods your family eats. Check out LDS sites for what to buy each week - based on $8. If you can't do that - do $2 or $4. We, 2 of us retired living on SS, have enough put side for 4 months without having to go to the store. It includes seeds for garden and seeds to sprout, canned, freeze dried & dehydrated. I do not count frozen because if electricity goes - and it did for almost 6 weeks after a hurricane - the frozen will probably spoil. AND be sure to rotate.
Hi
I came to your blog from a comment you left on mine. I'm always glad to meet a fellow Church member and food storage friend:) I will be directing others to your site. Keep up the great work! I can't wait to check out your site some more...
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