Being Prepared

Since I can remember I've been interested in Food Storage. I'm not sure why, but it's kind of a hobby for me! Maybe it's because I enjoy food so much! Eating it anyway!!!

My Mom taught me to buy sales. Not just for the week, but for the future. She always had at least one extra on her shelf so she didn't have to run to the store for a missing ingredient! I thought that was brilliant and I have tried to follow that example.

I tried to use coupons to save, but had very discouraging success...then I found Coupon Sense and a whole new world of saving was opened up. Coupon Sense has helped me take "stocking up" and SAVING money to a whole new level. But this isn't about Coupon Sense.

I have always had a well stocked pantry. I didn't want to waste, so I was careful to only buy what could be used in a year. I like to date the things I buy so I know how fast I use them. It also helps me to know what to use first. One other thing is you will see that certain things go on sale at the same time every year - i.e. soup, canned fruit, sugar etc.

When I return from the grocery store everything gets set out and dated, then rotated to the back of the shelf so that what is oldest is used first. I should add here that I don't just store food - I have paper products, cleaning supplies and personal care items that I also store!

(our pantry/laundry room. I love drawers! They are great for storing jello, pudding, spices, or any thing else that comes in packets!)

We have added additional storage over the years and we now have a *food storage* room that we store our long term storage, cereal, and snack foods.

(doorway to our food storage room. I keep paper products -except tp & paper towels in the cabinet you can see. Tp, paper towels, garbage bags and laundry detergent are stored elsewhere. If I had a garage I would store them there!)

My canned food, pasta, spices and foods I use often are stored in our pantry/laundry room. My system is if the shelf is full, then I don't buy any more until it can hold more, i.e. if the tomato soup row is full, I don't need it. If it is missing a few cans, then I buy more when it goes on sale at the price point that is good to me.

(here are some of the cans in my pantry. Notice the cardboard between rows. This is an inexpensive way to stack your cans. I'd love to have one of the storage systems out there, but they are expensive, and I think they take up too much space! This is my cheap-o way of doing it!)

However, for the past two years I have felt an urgency to buy food. I started buying EXTRA beyond what can fit on our shelves. We turned our office into our *over storage*. This isn't hoarding. I just *feel* like this is something Heavenly Father wants me to do. I haven't understood why, but when I question the feeling, I feel like it is a good thing, and so I continue.

(this is how we are storing our "extra" food. These plastic containers work great under beds too)

I have kept my spending within budget. I haven't gone crazy and borrowed money or anything! Some weeks I don't go grocery shopping - because there isn't money or there isn't time to do so. But because of my life long hobby I know when it is something I shouldn't pass up, and I am able to get the best deals. (most of the time - I'm not perfect!)

We went to the cannery and canned on Friday as a family. It was so much fun, and now I have a little more of some things and I've added powdered milk, dried fruits and veggies that I didn't have before.

(We had to do some rearranging in my bedroom to find room for these boxes. It was a pain, but it feels good. And it's "forcing" me to get rid of things we don't need to make room for things we do!)

WHY am I boring you with all of this? Because, if you haven't started storing extra food I hope to inspire you. I know it's important to do. I think it's more important than we realize.

Our family has already reaped the blessings of having food storage. Last year there were many times I couldn't go grocery shopping. But I never worried about not being able to feed my family. My kids hardly noticed!

Do you remember the parable of the 12 virgins. Six were prepared and six were not. Because the six that had prepared were there waiting and ready they were allowed into the wedding - the six were frantically, trying to get prepared, last minute, too late. They missed the wedding.

How come the six prepared didn't share their oil? Were they not allowed? Were they selfish? Was this something the six UNprepared needed to learn? Maybe, a natural consequence of sorts?

I've thought about this parable a lot lately. Maybe we will store food and never need it. Probably not. But I want to be the one that could share if needed, not the one that has to ask for food from others.

If you have made it this far in this lengthy post - thank you. You are probably much more prepared than I and you probably didn't need this, but read because you were curious! But if by some small chance someone does need this I hope you now realize that no matter what your financial situation is, no matter how small a home you live in, really, no matter what - you can prepare.

I really want to inspire you to do something to prepare...even just a little. "If you are prepared, you shall not fear."

I know there are lots of things to "prepare" -spiritual & temporal. All we can do is try. Little by little it will all come to pass!

If anyone would like help, I'd love to help! Just give me a call or email. It's fun to share what you've learned! Oh, and if anyone has a good way to track food storage, I'm on a hunt for some kind of excel spreadsheet or something!

(Here are some canned and bottled food that is going to be turned into a cute table in my bedroom. Yep, I've finally succumbed to food storage furniture! It's just waiting for Vaughan to make the wood top and then I will make a to the floor table cloth to match the decor in my room!)