Food Storage for "Dummies" (who are SMART enough read this!)

For YEARS I have been hearing about and thinking about food storage and how important it is to BE PREPARED for an emergency.  But to be brutally honest, I have never actually DONE anything about it.  Oh wait, that’s not entirely true. I bought (2) 50 gallon water barrels a couple of years ago that remain EMPTY in the corner of my garage to this day!  How crazy is that???  I don’t know what it is…but I have a serious block when in comes to accomplishing anything in the food storage arena.  But all of the recent disasters around the world can’t help but make you pause and think….maybe I need to finally DO SOMETHING!

THINK ABOUT IT……just this year…..New Zealand earthquake (Feb)…Massive quake and Tsunami hit Japan…nuclear reactor meltdown (Mar)…Storms in Alabama kill 300+ (Apr)….89 killed in Missouri Tornado (May)…Famine in Somalia, 750,000 could die (Jul)…Hurricane Irene lashes US coast (Aug)…

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That’s JUST THIS YEAR! Definitely food for thought. (No pun intended).

This week I came across this list on the internet:  52 Weeks of Food Storage. I had heard about this list before (I remember my sister telling me about it once when I asked her why she had so much SALT in her pantry! lol) but I had never gone looking for it.  Once I did some research, I discovered this list has been posted NUMEROUS times at many different places on the net.  There are a few variations here and there…but for the most part…it’s the same.

What the list helps you to do is obtain a years’ supply of food by purchasing specific items each week for 52 weeks. Basically breaking it down into manageable “bites” (if you will). Most of the lists I saw claimed it was a $5 a week plan.  I personally think it is probably closer to $10 a week in today’s economic climate.  But still, for $10 a week you can make some MAJOR PROGRESS towards being prepared for that disaster that common sense says will eventually touch your own life.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  These amounts are for TWO PEOPLE.  If you have more than 2 in your household, you will need to adjust the amounts.  BUT….don’t let that stop you!!!  If you can only start with the “2 people” amount…..do it!

So without further ado…..I present THE LIST!  My “Week 1” starts THIS WEEK!!!!

Week 1 – 6 lbs. salt
Week 2 – 5 cans cream of chicken soup
Week 3 – 20 lbs. sugar
Week 4 – 8 cans tomato soup
Week 5 – 25 lbs. flour
Week 6 – 6 lbs. pasta
Week 7 – 6 lbs. brown sugar
Week 8 – 8 cans tuna
Week 9 – 1 lb. each of yeast, baking soda and baking powder
Week 10 – 50 lbs. wheat
Week 11 – 8 cans tomato soup
Week 12 – 20 lbs. sugar
Week 13 – 10 lbs. powdered milk
Week 14 – 7 boxes macaroni & cheese
Week 15 – 25 lbs. rice
Week 16 – 5 cans cream of chicken soup
Week 17 – 1 bottle vitamins
Week 18 – 12 cans evaporated milk
Week 19 – 5 cans cream of mushroom soup
Week 20 – 50 lbs. wheat
Week 21 – 8 cans tomato soup
Week 22 – 10 lbs. beans
Week 23 – 8 cans tuna
Week 24 – 3 lbs. shortening, 3 lbs. oil
Week 25 – 25 lbs. rice
Week 26 – 5 lbs. honey
Week 27 – 10 lbs. powdered milk
Week 28 – 20 lbs. sugar
Week 29 – 5 lbs. peanut butter
Week 30 – 50 lbs. wheat
Week 31 – 7 boxes macaroni and cheese
Week 32 – 2 qt. mayonnaise
Week 33 – 1 bottle aspirin
Week 34 – 5 cans cream of chicken
Week 35 – 50 lbs. wheat
Week 36 – 7 boxes macaroni and cheese
Week 37 – 6 lbs. salt
Week 38 – 10 lbs. beans
Week 39 – 8 cans tomato soup
Week 40 – 25 lbs. flour
Week 41 – 5 cans cream of chicken
Week 42 – 20 lbs. sugar
Week 43 – 1 bottle vitamins
Week 44 – 8 cans tuna
Week 45 – 50 lbs. wheat
Week 46 – 6 lbs. pasta
Week 47 – 20 lbs. sugar
Week 48 – 6 cans cream of mushroom
Week 49 – 5 lbs. honey
Week 50 – 10 lbs. of rolled oats
Week 51 – 8 cans tomato soup
Week 52 – 50 lbs. wheat

You will end up with:  (for 2 people)

300 lbs. wheat—–need 600 lbs.–includes rolled oats, pasta,
12 lbs. pasta
50 lbs. rice
50 lbs. flour
10 lbs. rolled oats
100 lbs. sugar—-need 120 lbs. –includes honey, brown sugar
10 lbs. honey
6 lbs. brown sugar
20 lbs. powdered milk—-need 150 lbs.
12 cans evaporated milk—
3 lbs. shortening—- need 70 lbs.
3 lb. oil
2 qt. mayonnaise
5 lbs. peanut butter
2 qt. mayonnaise
5 lbs. peanut butter
24 cans of tuna fish—-need 40 lbs. of meats
20 lbs. beans—need 190 lbs of legumes
1 lb. yeast
1 lb. baking soda
1 lb. baking powder
12 lbs. salt
2 bottles vitamins
1 bottle of aspirin
11 cans cream of mushroom soup
20 cans of cream of chicken soup
40 cans of tomato soup
21 boxes macaroni and cheese

Another suggestion I found was to take the $5 or $10 a week and set it aside EVERY WEEK….whether or not you spend all of it.  If you have some left over one week….save it for the weeks when you might have to spend more.  Or save it for some of the other recommended items:  canned fruit, vegetables, jams, jello, etc.

You’ll notice the list doesn’t include WATER!  You’re on your own there….but here’s a guideline:  FEMA recommends one gallon of water per person/day. An active person will use 1/2 gallon just for drinking.

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Is it a PERFECT PLAN?  No.  But it’s a plan…a plan we can all follow…..
so let’s get started.