PreparednessMama on Preparedness Radio

This week I’m sharing my passion to provide women with reliable, realistic and practical information about preparedness, self-reliance, and food storage on the Preparedness Radio Network. I want you to know how you can prepare your family for the big and small disasters in life, and make your food storage an extension of your pantry.

Learn about my ideas for a do-it-yourself (for as little money as possible) food storage plan. You won’t see me purchasing a year’s supply of ready-made food in buckets, because while that may work for some, my family takes a different approach. We do not store food as a “stockpile” for the end of the world, but as a buffer against job loss and for my family’s financial security. This philosophy brings peace of mind to the entire family. I know that at a moment’s notice, I can go to the pantry and have a healthy meal for my family. It’s my security blanket to enfold the family.

Several times in our 20+ years of marriage we have needed to use food storage as the main source of their meals. The first time was when my husband was attending college and was doing an internship for his job. We had three months of minimal income, and that experience taught me a valuable lesson in self-reliance that I have never forgotten.

Here are a few of the tips I shared for beginning your own personal and family food storage plan.

Listen to the interview PreparednessMama on Preparedness Radio

Store only what your family will eat.

• // I’m not overly fond of creamed corn and you won’t find it in my food storage. There is no point in spending money on something our family will not eat.
• // Most families eat the same things – over and over so use that as the foundation.
• // Make a list of the 10 most common meals and the ingredients––use this list to begin your food storage plan (see Pantry Primer – 3 month supply)
• // It is important to plan you can’t just throw this together and expect it to be helpful.

Start looking for ways to purchase those things – inexpensively. You can:

• // Look for canned goods sales – my local grocer has one every fall and we stock up on a years’ worth of tomato sauce and paste.
• // Go to an outlet store like Grocery Outlet – just be careful of expiration dates. These are best used for short term storage, say 3-6 months
• // Buy produce in bulk. Join a group or look for roadside stands during peak season.
• // Shop at warehouse stores (but check prices)
• // Purchase #10 cans from an LDS Home Storage Center or Walmart.
• // Buy a little at a time. Even setting aside $10 per week toward food storage will help.
• // Grow as much as you can of your own produce

And MUCH MORE.

Jim Stevens also shares his recipe for making your own beef jerky and how he uses his own freeze dry machine every day. After this interview I really want one!

Listen to the interview PreparednessMama on Preparedness Radio