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Building a Starter Food Storage

Keep in mind that this is NOT a full years supply of food but it will help greatly and is inexpensive.
To print out a chart, simply highlight what you want, and print using your "selection" button.



 

1) You will find below, 48 weeks/print out coupons to remind you what to buy that week.  I buy some items like cheap toilet paper every time I go shopping. Our store here has an off-brand for 4 rolls for 79 cents.

2) Just purchase what you're able to as any amount will help.  If you are buying a package of spaghetti noodles for supper, buy 2 that day.  Put one in food storage.

3) Get a permanent marker and write the purchase date on each item to aid in rotation.  The best Food Storages are used on a regular basis, replacing the food as used. Often things like flour or hot cereals will get 'buggy' if not kept in freezer.

4) Set aside an affordable amount of money for each week.  If you have money left over from one week--use it to help purchase the next week's item.

5) Make a substitution if the item is one you would never use.
 
6) Buy in quantity and LOOK FOR SALES when you can.  If you can't -- it's ok!   For example, if you cannot afford a bucket of peanut butter, buy 2 small jars to get a start.



 *** EVERY SINGLE WEEK! ***

Water is your number one item you will need to survive in an emergency. CLICK to learn how to store water.
You will need to store away at least 2 gallons of water each week in 2 liter pop bottles, 5 gallon water containers, or other food safe containers. (NOT empty milk jugs as those will biodegrade.) 
Bare minimum = 1 gallon water per day per person for basic needs.
An article on WATER STORAGE from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Week 1: Chlorine Bleach - 2 gallons good for disinfecting and cleaning
 Week 2: Matches and candles - store in waterproof box.
 Week 3:  10 cans Tuna, salmon, or chicken Week 4: 360 Multiple Vitamins (especially A,C, and extra calcium)  1 bag pasta
January (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


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Week 1: 2- 3 boxes of Hot Cereal: wheat and/or rice Week 2: Shortening - 3 containers, 2 small jars peanut butter, and shampoo
 Week 3: Yeast -1/2 lb and 12 cans of corn Week 4: Large bottle of honey or Pure Maple Syrup for sweetener or 10 lbs sugar
February (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


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Week 1: 2 boxes or #10 cans  Potato Flakes or pearls Week 2:  3 large bags of Raisins and 1 bag dried apricots, or mixed fruits
 Week 3:  Dry Milk - 10 lbs/2 large containers
 Week 4:  Oatmeal - 10 lbs and 3 boxes hot wheat cereal or other grain cereal
March (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


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Week 1: 20 pkgs of vegetable seeds, various types that will grow in your area.  3 boxes of Bisquick or Jiffy mix. Week 2: Corn Meal - 25 lb bag
(can be stored in a deep freeze)
 Week 3 - 2 flats (30 or so) Cans Vegetables and 2 rolled bandages
 Week 4 - Enriched White Flour - 25 lbs. (best stored in freezer) and 12 bars Ivory Soap
April (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


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Week 1: Canned Fruit 
(Be sure to buy what your family will eat.)		 Week 2: 10 cans Baked Beans and 3 boxes bandaids  Week 3: Brown Sugar- or raw sugar 3 lbs, 5 toothpastes
 Week 4: Vegetable Oil - 
2 bottles and 5 bags pasta - your choice
May (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


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Week 1:  Baking Soda - 2 lbs (can be used for cleaning)  and alfalfa seeds to sprout. Week 2:  5 toothbrushes and canned fruit (5 cans)
 Week 3:  Toilet paper - several rolls and 3 boxes or bags of cold cereal - your faves
 Week 4: Candles - the 100- hour candles are terrific to have on hand. But any candles will provide light.
June (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


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Week 1: Jams and preserves - 6 jars Week 2: 10 lbs dried peas or beans or both Week 3: 10 cans soup and a bucket of peanut butter
Week 4: dried lima beans - 5 bags and 2 bags navy beans
July (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


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Week 1: Spices and multi-vitamins Week 2: Salt 8 canisters and 5 lbs dried peas - yellow and green.
 Week 3: Vegetables - canned  as frozen will not store in an emergency. Week 4: Baking Powder - 1 lb
several rolls of toilet paper
August (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


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Week 1: Canned Tuna, chicken or Salmon. At least 3 cans.
 Week 2: Canned Milk (12 oz cans) - 12 and 2 bags chocolate chips!
 Week 3: 2 bags or cans of  mixed Nuts (freeze them), 10 lbs powdered milk.
 Week 4: 10 cans fruit and vegetables and antiseptic ointment
September (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


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Week 1: 1 box Corn Starch,  5 lbs peanut butter.
 Week 2: White Enriched Rice - 25 lbs (6 mth supply for 1 person)
5 lbs brown rice (brown rice spoils faster but is better for you.)
 Week 3: Fruit Juice (canned) 5 lbs sugar. Week 4: 3 bottles vinegar (can be used for cleaning)  and Canned Tuna or chicken
October (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


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Week 1: Dry Soup Mix - 
5 lbs,  1 lb yeast.
 Week 2: Dried Beans/legumes
as many bags as you can
 Week 3: Dried green or yellow Peas - several bags
 Week 4: Popcorn and 2 or 3 cans cornmeal
November (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


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Week 1: Tomato Sauce, 10 cans chopped tomatoes, or 3 cans spaghetti sauce. Week 2: Pasta: Spaghetti, macaroni, etc., - 10 lbs Week 3: Crackers 2 lbs,  and dehydrated vegetables or do your own.
Week 4: Dried Bananas, figs, or other dried fruit
December (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


It is also important to remember that if you live on Food Storage that you will not be eating like you do now.  So buy things for your food storage that are nutritious and incorporate them into your current diet. There is no point in having a large supply of beans if you are all allergic to them!  Also remember to buy single items each week, and build slowly and carefully, using the products as you need to during the year.  Good rule of thumb, if you go shopping and you have one jar of peanut butter on your list, BUY 2!  Same applies for anything you can afford. Build slowly.

TIP excerpt from the LDS Provident Living site:

"The following tips will help you begin storing food:

* Protect food storage from heat. Store all products away from heat and sunlight. Food stores best at 70 degrees or cooler.
* Protect food from moisture. Store products on shelves or raised platforms, rather than directly in contact with concrete floors or walls, to avoid moisture damage.
* Protect products from rodents and insects. Bulk dry food storage products store well in #10 cans, foil pouches, glass canning jars, PETE
(Polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles, and plastic buckets. "



This used to be the $5 a week chart, adapted a little by Bev, but the actual price is more like $10 in 2015. Just be sure to shop for bargains, wait for things to go on sale, or when you have coupons, and place a check mark next to each item as you purchase those weeks items.

It will certainly help build up your supplies.  The amounts are for one person, so you may want to double or triple this. It involves a lot of sugar, and wheat and soup, so not totally balanced in my view, but it is a start.  And don't ever forget the WATER!

Week 1: Two cans tuna fish, 2 boxes salt
Week 2: 5 boxes of Mac and Cheese, 4 cans tomato soup
Week 3: 3 cans mushroom soup, 1 2.5 lb peanut butter
Week 4: 1 bottle multi vitamins, bag of raisins or other dried fruit
Week 5: 4 cans tomato soup, 1 10 lb powdered milk
Week 6: 1 bottle aspirin (500 tablets)
Week 7: 1 100 lb container wheat -for sprouting or grinding
Week 8: 1 5 lb powdered milk
Week 9: 1 5 lb honey 
Week 10: 4 cans tuna, 4 boxes macaroni and cheese
Week 11: 1 10 lb sugar, 1 box salt
Week 12: 4 cans mushroom soup
Week 13: 1 bottle vitamins
Week 14: 1 100 lb wheat
Week 15: 1 box macaroni and cheese
Week 16: 1 5 lb honey
Week 17: 2 cans tuna, 4 can tomato soup
Week 18: 1 10 lbs sugar
Week 19: 1 100 lbs of wheat
Week 20: 2 10lbs of sugar
Week 21: 10lb powdered milk
Week 22: 1 can mushroom soup, 1 10 lb sugar
Week 23: 1 can tuna, 4 cans chicken noodle soup, 1 10 lbs sugar
Week 24: 1 10 lbs sugar
Week 25: 2 cans tuna, 2 cans mushroom soup
Week 26: 1 100 lb wheat
Week 27: 3 10 lbs sugar
Week 28: 1 10 lb sugar
Week 29: 1 10 lb powdered milk
Week 30: 2 10 lb sugar
Week 31: 1 can tuna, 3 cans mushroom soup
Week 32: 1 10 lb back of flour, 4 cans celery soup
Week 33: 1 100 lb wheat
Week 34: 2 cans tuna, 1 box salt
Week 35: 1 10 lb powdered milk
Week 36: 2 10 lb sugar
Week 37: 4 cans tomato soup, 2 boxes salt
Week 38:
Week 39: 1 100 lb wheat
Week 40: 1 10 lb powdered milk
Week 41: 3 10 lb sugar
Week 42: 2 cans tomato soup, 1 10 lb sugar
Week 43: 2 cans tomato soup, 2 cans mushroom soup
Week 44:
Week 45: 1 10 lb powdered milk
Week 46: 4 cans tomato soup, 4 cans mushroom soup
Week 47: 1 10 lb powdered milk
Week 48: 4 cans mushroom soup, 1 10 lb powdered milk
Week 49: 7 cans of tomato soup
Week 50: 7 cans of mushroom soup
Week 51: 2 10 lbs sugar, 1 box salt