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.

                   

 
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The charts below can be printed out, then cut the months apart and place on your fridge for handy referral...
1) You will find below, 48 weeks/print out coupons to remind you what to buy that week.
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 when you can.  If you can't -- it's ok!   For example, if you cannot afford 30 lbs of oatmeal, buy 3 containers 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.)
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)
January (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


Week 1: 2- 3 boxes of Hot Cereal: wheat and/or rice Week 2: Shortening - 5 lbs, 10 small jars peanut butter
 Week 3: Yeast -1/2 lb and 20 cans of corn Week 4: Honey 3 lbs or a gallon of Pure Maple Syrup for sweetener
February (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


Week 1: 2 boxes or #10 cans  Potato Flakes or pearls Week 2:  3 lbs Raisins and 3 lbs dried apricots, or mixed fruits
 Week 3:  Dry Milk - 14 lbs Week 4:  Oatmeal - 30 lbs
March (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


Week 1: 20 pkgs of vegetable seeds, various types that will grow in your area.  6 boxes of Bisquick or Jiffy mix. Week 2: Corn Meal - 30 lbs
(can be stored in a deep freeze)
 Week 3 - 2 flats (30 or so) Cans Vegetables and 2 pouches of dried apricots or raisins
 Week 4 - Enriched White Flour - 25 lbs. (best stored in freezer)
April (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


Week 1: Canned Fruit 
(Be sure to buy what your family will eat.)		 Week 2: Canned Baked Beans and 3 boxes bandages  Week 3: Brown Sugar- or raw sugar
3 lbs		 Week 4: Vegetable Oil - 
2 gallons
May (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


Week 1:  Baking Soda - 2 lbs (can be used for cleaning)  and alfalfa seeds to sprout. Week 2: Wheat berries sprout Week 3: Peanut Butter - 5 lbs Week 4: Candles - 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!)


Week 1: Jams and preserves - 6 jars Week 2: 10 lbs dried peas or beans or both Week 3: canned soup
Week 4: dried lima beans
July (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


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
August (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


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


Week 1: 1 box Corn Starch,  5 lbs peanut butter.
 Week 2: White Enriched Rice - 50 lbs (1 yr supply for 1 person)
10 lbs brown rice (brown rice spoils faster but is better for you.)
 Week 3: Fruit Juice (canned) 5 lbs sugar. Week 4: Vinegar - 1 gallon OR Canned Tuna or chicken
October (WATER! - as much as you can buy and store- each month!)


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!)


Week 1: Tomato Sauce, 10 cans chopped tomatoes, or 3 cans spaghetti sauce. Week 2: Pasta: Spaghetti, macaroni, etc., - 30 lbs Week 3: Crackers 2 lbs,  and dehydrated vegetables or do your own. 5 lbs sugar.
 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 - $15 in 2006. 

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