How Can I Stockpile Food on a Tight Budget?

Grow and can fruits and vegetables.

Stockpiling food can help you and your family survive in the event of a food shortage, pandemic, natural disaster or other unforeseen emergency. If you're on a tight budget, however, stockpiling can be more difficult. Start by creating a fund for purchasing extra food, or set up a large jar or bowl in which you and your family members deposit your spare change daily. If you save just $2 a day, you'll accrue $730 over the course of a year; saving $3 a day can net you nearly $1,100 in a year.

Things You'll Need

• Upright or chest freezer
• Canning supplies
• Manufacturer and store coupons

Instructions

1. Put away $5 or $10 a week so you can purchase a used upright or chest freezer, where you can store frozen vegetables, fruit and meat.

2. Purchase two or three Sunday newspapers each week. Some 75 percent of all product coupons come from newspapers. When possible, combine store coupons with manufacturer coupons for extra savings.

3. Read weekly fliers for local grocery stores and buy items that are on sale. If you can't afford to purchase in bulk, buy one or two extra items each week and freeze or store them.

4. Buy food in bulk at warehouse club stores. For example, purchase chicken in a five-pound package rather than a quantity of one or two pounds. Refrigerate what you will use over the next few days; wrap the rest in white butcher paper and freeze. To save money, split the costs of bulk-food purchases with a friend.

5. Grow your own food and can it at home. Growing your own fruits and vegetables can save you hundreds of dollars each year. Properly canned foods will store indefinitely without spoiling or becoming toxic, although their quality and taste will decline after one to two years. Store canned foods in a cool, dark place such as a basement or closed pantry.

6. Purchase 10- or 20-pound bags of rice and dried beans. Use what you need and store the rest. Although brown rice is healthier than white rice, it only keeps for a month before spoiling. You can store white rice safely for up to one year. When kept free of moisture, dried beans can last several years.

7. Buy store brands, which typically are less expensive than commercial brands.

8. Purchase a few extra canned goods each week and store them in a cool, dark place. Manufacturers often add exorbitant amounts of salt to canned products, so buy low- or no-sodium varieties when possible.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to stockpile enough food to last your family six to 12 weeks.

• Freeze meat and other foods as quickly as possible to retain quality and freshness.

• Freeze red meat for up to three months; uncooked poultry parts for up to nine months; whole uncooked chickens for up to 12 months; soups and stews for two to three months; and casseroles for two to three months.

• To decrease thawing time, place food in a zip-locked plastic bag and immerse in cold water. Check the water regularly to make sure it stays cold. Change the water every half hour until the food is thawed. Cook immediately after thawing.

• Consuming improperly home-canned food can lead to severe illness. If you're new to home canning, take a class from a seasoned canning expert.

References

• Oprah: How to Save Money on Groceries
• United States Department of Agriculture: Freezing and Food Safety
• Home Family: Rice
• Internet Grocer: How Long Will Canned Food Store?

Resources

• National Center for Home Food Preservation: How Do I Can?
• FoodSafety.gov: Frozen Food and Power Outages --- When to Save and When to Throw Out