Help! Where do I even start?

~Getting started with Food Storage~

When creating your food storage plan 3 things to consider are: space, cost and the food your family eats. Here are two examples of starting with basics:

1) Start with one week of food on hand—food you regularly eat; and plan a family menu for the week
2) Experiment with basic foods that can be easily stored—keep recipes your family likes so you can cook meals from stored items. Using those recipes you can more easily plan meals using your stored foods.
3) Learn the basics of food storage. Doing so will save you time, money and effort. www.providentliving.org or www.ready.gov are good websites to review.
4) Have a family meeting including all children and make an oral commitment to do food storage.
5) Inventory food on hand including perishables.
6) Rotate the stored foods using a carefully thought out plan.
7) Plan on storing 7 gallons of water per person for a one week supply.

A three month supply of food should mainly consist of the food you routinely eat as a family. Here’s another example of how to get started:

1) Make a list of foods you eat on a regular basis, and determine how much you would go through in three months.
2) Gradually purchase these foods in bulk as they go on sale
3) It’s important to use and rotate these foods in all your daily cooking.
4) Constantly replenish the stocks of these foods as they go on sale again. Food storage becomes more manageable when you break it down into individual steps. Remember, even if your budget allows just buying an extra can or two of vegetables each shopping trip, you are working towards your goal