Food is one of the most important aspects of being prepared for any future crisis that might arise. People need food to survive and not having it can be fatal for you and family. To avoid this problem a person simply needs to have a prepper’s mentality. Below is some important information about Prepper Food: Tips on Buying and Storing Emergency Food. These helpful ideas will hopefully prepare you just in case.
Developing the Prepper Mindset in Buying Your Emergency Food
If you look inside of any prepper’s home (including my own) you will probably notice that most have at least one year of food and water in storage.
This might seem excessive but the truth is it just makes sense. Think about it. What is wrong with having a year’s worth of food stored up?
This amount of food can be consumed throughout the year and it can even help us to save money on our grocery bill.
Especially in the era of rising prices, bills and food costs this is a prudent and sensible move.
Because you took action and stocked up with your necessary foodstuffs with urgency and purpose all at once (or in a short amount of time), you will have also saved money on future fuel expense and time.
It is completely possible to start your own food storage program for as little as $10 a week! With a little planning and careful shopping, you will have the necessary prepper food in the event society collapses or if you just want to feed a lot of people for a special occasion. I provide tips and strategies below with a sensible way to start your prepping food storage plan.
Tips and Tactics in Buying Your Prepper Food 
You should make out a list for foods that will have a long shelf life and that are nutritional.
To further save you money and time, use the following tips as you go out to purchase that much need food supply.
- Eat before you shop. People who eat before they go shopping typically buy off of impulse even if they have a list.
Do not do this because it will cause you to purchase things that you think you need (potato chips, snack cakes or candy) to store with your other food items. - Read sales flyers and get coupons before you go to the store. There are always discounts that people might be able to use for purchasing storage items.
- Save by being observant. Once you are at the store make it a point to search for items that sit on the lower or upper level of shelves. Most stores place their most expensive items at eye level and this should be avoided.
- Search for store brands since they are cheaper than brand name items.
- Buy items from the back of the rack. Most stores place older items on the back of the shelves to get rid of the older product first.
- If an emergency food items on your list are not available for sale ask for a rain check. Most stores will honor this request and you can pay for the item at a later date with the sale’s price.
- Membership has it rewards. Become a member of a store’s loyalty program or club. You can save lots of money by signing up for this type of program.
- Consider foods that last. Dry foods such as rice, beans, pastas and canned goods are the primary prepper foods of choice since they have a long shelf life. These items can usually be kept anywhere from 6 months to 2 years.
- Frozen Food? Try to avoid refrigerated food items unless you plan on freezing them for a long time. If you have a reliable refrigerator that can be used off the grid then buy it. There are alternatives which these kinds of foods can be purchased as long term freeze dried or canned food which can be shelved and kept from 5 to 25 years!
- LDS Cannery Centers. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sell long term storage food at a substantial savings. An order form is provided to easily plan food supplies to store away for your larder
- Say no to dent in cans. Even though a dent at the seam of a can is the culprit, to be on the safe side, any dent found on a can of food should be avoided at all cost. Because air might get into can and encourage the growth of deadly micro-organisms it is best to be safe than sorry.
Prepper Food Essentials for Emergency Food Storage
When you purchase food items make sure to buy a variety of different things so you will not end up storing just a few items. For example, instead of buying 500 cans of black beans you can purchase 50 cans and then mix the rest of your storage items up with other canned products. Things such as canned vegetables, fruit cocktails and even ravioli can be included in your mix.
Just make sure to store food items that you know you are going to eat. This is just as important as storing foods that have a long shelf life. Let’s face it, if you really do not like rice and you store up a year’s worth of this food item, you are probably going to get sick of it right away.
This why it is extremely important to make a list of meals that your family like to eat since this will help you to accurately figure out what types of items you will need to purchase. So it will help you not overspend on food you really do not want. Also as important is to buy the ingredients and condiments you will need to make those planned meals that will be both tasty and nutritious.
You should add up the cost of each meal and purchase the ingredients accordingly. You should also plan to purchase foods that your family like to eat over an extended period of time. Although this might initially seem like a lot of money to spend all at once, but remember the cost will be reduced since you purchased in bulk and be ahead of higher food prices due to inflation.
Remember this food will stretch for many months in advance. This way a family can enjoy a particular meal throughout the year. In the event you find yourself with food that was purchase erroneously or over bought, using it to share with others out of charity or in bartering and trading can be a valuable use of these extra resources.
Prepper Food Supplies That You Will Need for Emergency Storage
There are some important prepper supplies that you will need to contain food for a long period of time.
Airtight jars and storage containers are good items to use and so is heavy duty wraps and foils.
The key is to make sure that the items are airtight and are stored in cool and or cold conditions.
Fill the containers up with items such as dry foods but canned goods should be left inside of the can.
Another handy appliance to have on hand is a food dehydrator. A food dehydrator basically removes moisture from food.
Food dehydration extends the shelf life of the food by minimizing the growth of bacteria thus minimizing spoilage. Although the food may change in color and texture, it should keep its taste. Good dehydrators can be found at local stores like Walmart, Best Buy or at wholesale clubs like Sams Club or Costco.
As an additional tip, do not forget to store away at least 5 can openers. They will be beneficial since you will have so many cans of food or if the grid goes down.
Date All of the Prepper Food That You Store
Canned goods and food packages tend to have dates on them and you can check them to see how long a product will last.
If you place an item inside of a storage container just make sure to date it according to the package and the current date that you purchased the product.
That way, you will not have any confusion whether the product is still good to eat or not.
Storage Areas for Prepper Emergency Food
You can store your extra foods stuffs inside of your basement, attic, garage or shed. You can also store food items inside of a second refrigerator or freezer. People with limited space can even store away food by purchasing a stack- able refrigerator or set up extra shelving space that has a vertical design.
Unused closets can even be a good place to store prepper goods. Also, if you have an empty bedroom in your home, you can convert this into a huge storage unit that is capable of containing thousands of food items. Keep in mind to make a concerted effort to find and store your survival food in dry and cool areas of your house. This will help in extending the shelf life of your food items.
Ultimately, using my Prepper Food:Tips on Buying and Storing Emergency Food is a great way to be ready you and your family for just about anything. And if an unwanted emergency or crisis never occurs, you still will have succeeded in spending your money more effectively, efficiently and wisely.
