Ask most anyone and they will say it’s a good idea to have some extra food in the pantry. Yet, the average American family has but three days of food on hand which is the standard reserves for most grocery chains which rely on just in time inventory replenishment. We see how this combination causes trouble at the first hint of a storm as people empty store shelves in a matter of hours. The truth is many family’s are caught unprepared even in short term emergencies and will be in real trouble in a longer term event as supply chains are disrupted leaving them dependent on what outside help can be offered, if any.
Those with a preparation mind set know they need to have food storage, but for those just starting out or those, like a good number of people, whose budgets leave little for many extra things beyond what daily life demands, the task can seem overwhelming and overly expensive. While everyone would like to have the excess cash to drop a couple grand on a one year supply or more worth of food storage, it’s not practical for a lot of people. That said, it’s not an impossible task to build a good food storage solution even on a modest budget.
When you hit the grocery store, pick up a few extra can and dry goods. Concentrate on those things your family likes; this is especially important when you have kids. Do that each time you shop and within a few months you can amass a pretty healthy pantry to get by in those short term emergencies keeping you from having to face the panicky crowds at the grocery store elbowing neighbors for that last package of Oreos on the store shelf because the news said a storm is coming.
Once you have the short term pantry built up, you can start to look at the longer term solutions offered in the freeze dried and dehydrated categories. You can even add these items to your monthly shopping list now buying just a few items at a time or once in a while buying a “food bucket” to cover several days or even weeks of emergency meals. A piecemeal approach allows you to add to your stocks as your budget allows and once again over a fairly short period of time you will have greatly enhanced your family’s readiness posture.
Emergencies can take many forms. It may be the loss of a job in the immediate family which is every bit the emergency. Having extra supplies on hand to get through a time like this can be a great comfort.
There are many options to choose from with many companies offering longer term food solutions. Like with anything, shopping around to find what is best for your family is important. Rocky Mountain Readiness offers a wide variety from Augason Foods which are good choices for emergency preparations, camping, stocking cabins, or even daily use. See the full selection @ Rocky Mountain Readiness Emergency Foods.
Even if you don’t choose RMR, we encourage everyone to sit down and make a food storage plan today. Make it fit your budget and your actual needs. Planning today will give you the peace of mind of knowing your family will not be dependent on the hope of outside help being available in a crisis.
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