Right before the year 2000, you may have heard stories about a potential upcoming disaster that could cause the power to go out and cause widespread panic with food shortages and other problems. Fortunately, those Y2K events never happened, but there still could come a time when you need to be ready to have emergency food such as a hurricane, flood, earthquake, terrorist cyber attack or other scenarios. There are ways you can stock up on food for such a situation without needing a huge budget.
Know what foods keep best
The main idea with emergency food supply kits is to have foods that can survive different temperature conditions and last for long periods. It’s a good idea to look at different canned goods, dried foods, and other varieties such as the foods listed here by Business Insider. It’s usually best to avoid foods that have to be refrigerated and frozen, and you may want to have a portable propane stove or food heater that doesn’t need electricity handy for when it’s time to cook these foods. While you’re gathering food for your emergency food supply, know that you shouldn’t plan to keep it in a storage unit. A storage unit is a great way to save space, but it’s no place for food–whether it’s perishable or not.
Stretch your dollar further
There are a lot of bargain outlets out there where you can buy food cheap; such as the dollar stores, salvaged food suppliers, bulk warehouse clubs like BJ’s or Sam’s Club, or if you have lower income, you might qualify for a food pantry kind of program. There are also emergency food supply merchants that operate online that sometimes offer great deals for bulk shipments. But you should also consider growing certain fruits and vegetables because that too can save you money.
Prepare your own food
If you have the tools handy or if you know someone who has them, it’s possible to have your own foods canned, dried and sealed if you do it right. You can find an extensive step-by-step guides to preparing your own food supply with a section on how to vacuum pack food with mylar bags. Mylar bags are relatively cheap bags that keep oxygen out and are tough when dropped. They can keep food fresh for a very long time.
In conclusion, it’s really not expensive at all to plan food storage and stock for emergency situations. You just need to know what to get, and perhaps learn a few new skills in the preparation phase of it. And if you don’t have enough storage space for extra food in your home, you can always rent a small storage unit where you can keep it.
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