Week 3 Deep Pantry/Food Storage Challenge

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“A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. Proverbs 27:12

Remember having a deep pantry isn’t just about having extra food on hand. It is also about having the means to survive in an emergency situation, having all the extra food isn’t going to do you much good if you can’t cook it when the power is out. If you are having a hard time trying to afford filling a deep pantry read my post on “having a Deep Pantry on a tight budget.

 

Don’t forget to share what you were able to do this past week to have a deep pantry/food storage. Let’s encourage each other. And if you have a question feel free to ask or if you have the answer to a question feel free to answer. If you have a tip or idea you can share that also. As I said let’s make this a place where we can share and encourage others to get that deep pantry.

 

This first month will be a jump start to get a little ahead so if things go south before you can get everything you want, at least you have something to survive on.

The amounts are for two people If you have more just double to what you need.

This week you will want to get.

 

50 pounds of oats / 5 pounds of salt.

These two things I get at IFA (our local feed store) if you don’t have an IFA check your local feed store.
They have a 50-pound bag of rolled oats for 30.00 dollars. I checked the price at Wal-Mart and their 10 pounds in the food storage section was 13.58, this was in a sealed bucket. They also had a 2 lbs.10 oz. box for 1.68.

 

I also get my salt at IFA, it is Morten stock salt it comes in a 50-pound bag for 6.95. It doesn’t have the iodine in it but we do take extra iodine pills. This is great for canning as it doesn’t have any additives in it. If you are worried about the iodine you could get this salt for canning, cooking, preserving, and tanning hides ( no I don’t know how to tan hides yet, but the lady at IFA said a lot of people use this salt for that) and then buy the table salt or sea salt  with iodine to use while eating. A 1 lb 10 oz. box of salt at Wal-Mart is .88 cents.I keep my salt in 5-gallon buckets with lids, I don’t do anything extra to it. It will clump up if there is moisture in the air, not too big of a deal you will just have to break it up. You can also use smaller containers such as 2-liter bottles or gallon sized storage bags If you use the gallon storage bags put them in a 5-gallon bucket to keep them from ripping open. If you live in a high humidity area you may want to add a silica pack to help keep the moisture out.

 

The action item for this month will be to get in shape. If things go south you will be having to do a lot more physical work you will need to be in shape so that you will be able to do the things you need to do.

 

The extra item for this month is a car kit if you don’t already have one. You Can go here to see what I have in ours. You will want one for each vehicle that your family drives. Even the teenagers. They may balk at it but do it anyway. A few years ago there was a bad accident about 20 miles from us that had the highway closed down for most of the night. people were stuck on each end that lived on the other side, so a lot of people were displaced. Joleen’s boyfriend and his grandmother had come to town and were unable to get back home, and had to stay with us. But I was able to use that example as to why you should always have a car kit in your vehicle, even if you don’t travel very far from home.

 

Every week you will want to put back water. You can buy it, or fill your empty juice and soda bottles. You can also store water in your empty canning jars, as you empty your jars just add some water and put the lid back on. You don’t have to can this water but if you wanted to you could. You can also put it in bleach and detergent bottles ( this will be non-potable but you could flush and wash dishes with it.). You can go here for more information water

 

Every week you will also want to put back a few dollars, even if it is a small amount it will add up. Save your ones and if you can your fives and all your loose change from paying with cash. It will add up pretty quickly.

 

What I was able to get done this week. I got garlic, and cauliflower, to fermenting, oranges in the freezer. Not much as I am still working on the fair web page and a few other things that I am trying to get done before I start my first responders class in February.

 

What were you able to do for your deep pantry?

4 Replies to “Week 3 Deep Pantry/Food Storage Challenge”

  1. NRP

    Well I did a few additions to the Deep Pantry for sure.

    Added 3 gallons of Honey I have the folks put it in ½ gallon Mason Jars that vac seal them, plus write the dare on top. Got the 3 gallons (one case) for $165.oo, $13.75 per quart. Maybe not the cheapest, but it’s really REALLY good, and will keep a very long time, decades.

    Stashed a dozen more cases of Canned Vegetables (Green-Beans, Corn, Yellow-Beans, Kidney-Beans, Pinto-Beans, Gabonese-Beans, and some Red-Beans).

    Hit up some more Spices, I buy in the 1 pound Mylar Bags, it’s stores forever, well almost.
    Also added 2 more cases of Alpo for Blue.

    A question on the Rolled Oats; are they untreated Oats? Or ???

    I also replaced a few things I have been using, those will be added to the $200.oo Challenge cost….

    As a result of having a Deep Pantry and “Hording” (Some people hate when it’s called that) when heading off to the store, ONLY buy what’s on sale. It’s amazing that a store can cut prices by up to 50% and still make money on it.
    That said, makes a list and buy what’s on the list, XECEPT when you see a GREAT sale, than stock up, but only on things you use.

    FYI, the saving $1’s and $5’s, I just counted out a bundle of $5’s, and vac sealed it (makes me think twice before spending it). 100 bills added to the “savings”. 🙂

    1. watkinsranches@yahoo.com Post author

      NRP,
      Hone is one of those things that even if it cost a little more it is so worth having.

      Dog food is something I really need to work on I have a little but not as much as I would like to have.

      The oats were regular cooking oats but I looked the other day and they are not carri\ying them anymore, they got a new manager a little while back and so the food storage area isn’t as good as it uses to be.

      “Hoarding” haha that is pretty much what my kids call it, but they will be super happy I did if they ever need it.
      I love being able to buy only the sales it sure helps to stretch the dollar.

      I love the idea of vacuum sealing the extra money would really make you think twicw about using it.

      Have a great day
      Connie

      1. NRP

        PS; on the Vac Sealing the cash, I drop it in the freezer also, just enough room besides the boxes to let it drop all the way to the bottom, Meaning you need to empty the freezer to get to it…. HAHAHA
        Talk about “Cold Cash” huh?

        1. watkinsranches@yahoo.com Post author

          NRP,
          Haha that is even better If I did that in my chest freezer I would be able to keep it forever and never spend it haha.