From The Living On A Dime newsletter
It's the beginning of a new year. There seem to be only 3 topics everyone thinks about this time of year: how to get out of debt, how to lose weight and how to get your house clean and organized.
I was sitting, gazing around my domain and looking at the mess. I had really let things go. As I was looking, I started thinking, "I need to get busy and clean things up but where do I start?" (not to mention that I felt too exhausted to start). "I just can't do it," I told myself. I'm too tired. I then realized what I was saying. The reality was that I could do it, I was just tired and didn't want to do it.
That day, it dawned on me how often we aren't honest with ourselves, even in the excuses we use for not doing things. When I said, "I can't do it," that really wasn't the truth. I could do it, I just didn't want to do it or feel like doing it so, to ease my conscience, I told myself, "I can't do it." There's a big difference in the meanings.
What would happen if each time we say "I can't do it" we would change it to "I don't want to do it because it will be a lot of hard work and/or sacrifice"? Saying it that way might give us more pause for thought. Ever have your kids say that??!!
It's the same with starting your Food Storage. "I can't do it because I don't have the money". I can't do it because I don't have the space". "That's just not my thing, I'm not very organized". Be truthful with yourself... "You can do it!" Remember, "We encourage members world-wide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings." —The First Presidency
Food storage preparation and disaster food storage is extremely important.
Having an emergency food supply ready in the case of natural or man-made disasters doesn't have to cost a lot of money. Here are some tips on emergency food preparedness.
Why have an emergency food supply and food storage preparation? We in the 21st century have gotten too used to having a grocery store at our beck and call. Most of us make 2-3 trips per week to a grocery, mass merchandise, or convenience store for basic food supplies. But what happens if a situation occurs where it is difficult, expensive, or impossible to get groceries so easily?
Situations like:
Why have an emergency food supply and food storage preparation? We in the 21st century have gotten too used to having a grocery store at our beck and call. Most of us make 2-3 trips per week to a grocery, mass merchandise, or convenience store for basic food supplies. But what happens if a situation occurs where it is difficult, expensive, or impossible to get groceries so easily?
Situations like:
· Natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, or earthquakes
· Man-made disasters such as acts of terror
· Economic disasters such as loss of income or heavy inflation
It just makes sense to implement a food storage preparation plan and have emergency food preparedness!
How Much Disaster Food Storage Preparation Do You Need?
Experts say, publicly, that you should have at least three days supply of food, water, medications and household goods for every person and pet in your home. Privately, however, they recommend more, much more.
The Latter-Day Saints (aka Mormon) Church teaches food storage preparation to all members, and recommends between a three month and one year supply, at a minimum, of disaster food storage per person. Though I am personally not of the Latter-Day Saints religion, I find their teachings on emergency food preparedness very helpful. Here are some links to LDS resources:
Emergency Food Supply Calculator
The Latter-Day Saints (aka Mormon) Church teaches food storage preparation to all members, and recommends between a three month and one year supply, at a minimum, of disaster food storage per person. Though I am personally not of the Latter-Day Saints religion, I find their teachings on emergency food preparedness very helpful. Here are some links to LDS resources:
Emergency Food Supply Calculator
http://lds.about.com/library/bl/faq/blcalculator.htm
About.com LDS Resources
About.com LDS Resources
http://lds.about.com/od/preparednessfoodstorage/Food_Storage_and_Emergency_Preparedness.htm
Start your emergency food preparedness with a goal of acquiring three months worth of foods for your family. Once that goal has been reached, you can choose to extend that to six months, or a year, or you can stop, knowing you are ahead of most of the country with your disaster food storage.
Start your emergency food preparedness with a goal of acquiring three months worth of foods for your family. Once that goal has been reached, you can choose to extend that to six months, or a year, or you can stop, knowing you are ahead of most of the country with your disaster food storage.
To make things easier for food storage preparation, I use the following excel document, that I have altered to suit my family's needs.
I record my purchases on this document before putting them into storage so that I know what it is that I need and what I have.
Simply click on the link below, and then on the page that opens, you want to click the US MEASURES link in red to download the file.
This is a great site, so be sure and examine it fully.
Deyo Food Storage Planner
I record my purchases on this document before putting them into storage so that I know what it is that I need and what I have.
Simply click on the link below, and then on the page that opens, you want to click the US MEASURES link in red to download the file.
This is a great site, so be sure and examine it fully.
Deyo Food Storage Planner
http://standeyo.com/News_Files/LTAH_Food_Store5.html
http://standeyo.com/Our_Books/DTP.html
Another excellent resource is Food Storage Made Easy. http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/
This website, built by two moms who are gathering a year's worth of food storage for their families, is truly a treasure trove of information on emergency food preparation.
They have a wonderful feature called "Baby Steps" where they break the process of acquiring supplies down into easy steps, and will even email them to you (for free) at intervals designed to give you enough time to implement them one reasonable step at a time.
A must for food storage preparation.
Another excellent resource is Food Storage Made Easy. http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/
This website, built by two moms who are gathering a year's worth of food storage for their families, is truly a treasure trove of information on emergency food preparation.
They have a wonderful feature called "Baby Steps" where they break the process of acquiring supplies down into easy steps, and will even email them to you (for free) at intervals designed to give you enough time to implement them one reasonable step at a time.
A must for food storage preparation.
How to Get Emergency Food Storage Preparation...Cheap
When most people think of food storage preparation, they envision buying 500-lb bags of sugar, or giant cans of dehydrated eggs or dried peas. Though this type of emergency food preparedness is helpful to a family with money to spare (a year's supply of these types of packaged, bulk foods could run you thousands per person) they are not practical for the frugal stay at home mom.
No, we need to do things a little differently.
And I can say from experience, it is possible to stockpile disaster food storage supplies on a dime!
Strategy #1: Coupons
The method I utilize most for stockpiling disaster food storage is using coupons.
When I find a good deal on an item that I need for my emergency food preparedness list, I will buy as many as I possibly can.
For example, last week I was able to obtain (24) 20-oz packages of Peanut Butter for a grand total of $2. (That's $2 for all 24, not $2 each).
Using this strategy, I have obtained hundreds of dollars worth of totally free or heavily discounted food storage preparation items. For more information on how to use coupons to save significant money, check out the Stay a Stay at Home Mom Deals and Steals section:
Deals and Steals
http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/frugal-coupon-living.html
Strategy #2: Warehouse Stores
You local Sam's Club or Costco offers great savings on bulk food purchases. The next time you go in, look at it from a food storage preparedness viewpoint. Huge bags of flour, rice, beans and sugar are very economical, and its usually difficult to find coupons for these types of items.
Strategy #3: Slow and Steady
The best way to stockpile items for food storage preparation is to simply do a little each time you shop. Add an extra carton of salt to your shopping cart or buy a couple extra cans of soup.
I find it helpful to divide large packages in half once I get home. Meaning, if I buy a package of 4 cans of tuna, two will go into my emergency food supply, and the other two I'll use for my family that week. My son loves Ramen Noodles, so I will typically buy a big 24-count case for him for around $3.50, and add half of the case to the food storage stockpile.
Just budgeting in $5-10 a week can really start you down the path to an emergency food supply quickly!
Strategy #4: Can Your Own
Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers new a thing or two about food storage preparation. One of the things they used to do was to can the summer's harvest for use during the winter. For those of us who know how to can our own foods, we can do this as well.
In addition to canning fresh fruits and vegetables, consider canning meats, stews and soups. Get in the habit of making a triple -or quadruple- batch of stew and canning the excess. This is a great way to have convenient, high quality food on hand.
Strategy #5: Look in Unlikely Places
I'm an avid Craigslist.org aficionado. And I've got to tell you, I have found the oddest bargains on Craigslist, and even eBay. I've found people selling unopened 5-gallon buckets of wheat berries, people selling cases of propane canisters, and even people selling (or giving away) miscellaneous food items they don't want from their pantry (things like jello, canned goods, frozen items, meat, etc).
I have a neighbor who answered a Craigslist ad about a hand flour mill. When he got to the location, an old church that had closed down, he came across 20 5-gallon buckets full of grains and rice. He was told he could have it if he could take it with him.
Keep your eyes peeled. You will find tons of useful emergency food preparedness resources once you start looking.
No, we need to do things a little differently.
And I can say from experience, it is possible to stockpile disaster food storage supplies on a dime!
Strategy #1: Coupons
The method I utilize most for stockpiling disaster food storage is using coupons.
When I find a good deal on an item that I need for my emergency food preparedness list, I will buy as many as I possibly can.
For example, last week I was able to obtain (24) 20-oz packages of Peanut Butter for a grand total of $2. (That's $2 for all 24, not $2 each).
Using this strategy, I have obtained hundreds of dollars worth of totally free or heavily discounted food storage preparation items. For more information on how to use coupons to save significant money, check out the Stay a Stay at Home Mom Deals and Steals section:
Deals and Steals
http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/frugal-coupon-living.html
Strategy #2: Warehouse Stores
You local Sam's Club or Costco offers great savings on bulk food purchases. The next time you go in, look at it from a food storage preparedness viewpoint. Huge bags of flour, rice, beans and sugar are very economical, and its usually difficult to find coupons for these types of items.
Strategy #3: Slow and Steady
The best way to stockpile items for food storage preparation is to simply do a little each time you shop. Add an extra carton of salt to your shopping cart or buy a couple extra cans of soup.
I find it helpful to divide large packages in half once I get home. Meaning, if I buy a package of 4 cans of tuna, two will go into my emergency food supply, and the other two I'll use for my family that week. My son loves Ramen Noodles, so I will typically buy a big 24-count case for him for around $3.50, and add half of the case to the food storage stockpile.
Just budgeting in $5-10 a week can really start you down the path to an emergency food supply quickly!
Strategy #4: Can Your Own
Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers new a thing or two about food storage preparation. One of the things they used to do was to can the summer's harvest for use during the winter. For those of us who know how to can our own foods, we can do this as well.
In addition to canning fresh fruits and vegetables, consider canning meats, stews and soups. Get in the habit of making a triple -or quadruple- batch of stew and canning the excess. This is a great way to have convenient, high quality food on hand.
Strategy #5: Look in Unlikely Places
I'm an avid Craigslist.org aficionado. And I've got to tell you, I have found the oddest bargains on Craigslist, and even eBay. I've found people selling unopened 5-gallon buckets of wheat berries, people selling cases of propane canisters, and even people selling (or giving away) miscellaneous food items they don't want from their pantry (things like jello, canned goods, frozen items, meat, etc).
I have a neighbor who answered a Craigslist ad about a hand flour mill. When he got to the location, an old church that had closed down, he came across 20 5-gallon buckets full of grains and rice. He was told he could have it if he could take it with him.
Keep your eyes peeled. You will find tons of useful emergency food preparedness resources once you start looking.
Important Food Storage Preparation Tips
The following tips are important to remember as you start to stockpile for your disaster food storage:
Variety is Important
Don't buy 2,000 lbs of wheat berries and expect that you'll be fine in the event of an emergency.
Variety in our food is extremely important.
History has shown us examples of whole groups of people starving to death despite the fact that they had one type of food available to them.
The human mind has difficulty accepting the monotony of just one food source.
Make sure you have a variety of foods not just for nutritional value, but also for boredom.
I have hard candy, gum, pudding mixes, Kool-Aid, and canned fruits as part of my disaster food storage stockpile. A little sweet goes a long way.
Buy What You Will Eat
Do not waste your money on foods you don't like to eat. For example, SPAM is listed on the above food storage worksheet as an item to stockpile for meats. No one in my family can stand SPAM, so we replaced it with more tuna, something everyone in the family enjoys.
Now, I'm sure some of you are saying that if I was hungry enough, I'd eat the SPAM, and I guarantee you are right. But what will happen is that our family would eat every single other item first, leaving us with a whole lot of SPAM and a whole lot of disgusted boredom.
FIFO
Don't think of your emergency food storage as something you break into when times get tough. You need to consume it regularly, and rotate your stock. For example, when you go to the store and buy 2 cans of creamed corn for a recipe this week, take those two cans to your stockpile and replace them with two cans that have been stored a while. That way the items in your stockpile will not expire.
There are many ways to use the FIFO system (First In, First Out). You can set up a fancy can rotators, or simply write the expiration date on the top of the product in bold permanent marker for easy viewing. Whatever works best for you.
This again goes back to the principal of only storing foods that you plan to consume.
Learn to Cook from Food Storage
Finally, you may have items in your emergency food storage that you aren't quite familiar with. Eventually you will want to store some wheat, if your family eats bread, and it will be a good idea to find recipes and learn to use these ingredients. Most of us see flour in its flour form; its quite another situation altogether to make flour out of wheat berries.
Variety is Important
Don't buy 2,000 lbs of wheat berries and expect that you'll be fine in the event of an emergency.
Variety in our food is extremely important.
History has shown us examples of whole groups of people starving to death despite the fact that they had one type of food available to them.
The human mind has difficulty accepting the monotony of just one food source.
Make sure you have a variety of foods not just for nutritional value, but also for boredom.
I have hard candy, gum, pudding mixes, Kool-Aid, and canned fruits as part of my disaster food storage stockpile. A little sweet goes a long way.
Buy What You Will Eat
Do not waste your money on foods you don't like to eat. For example, SPAM is listed on the above food storage worksheet as an item to stockpile for meats. No one in my family can stand SPAM, so we replaced it with more tuna, something everyone in the family enjoys.
Now, I'm sure some of you are saying that if I was hungry enough, I'd eat the SPAM, and I guarantee you are right. But what will happen is that our family would eat every single other item first, leaving us with a whole lot of SPAM and a whole lot of disgusted boredom.
FIFO
Don't think of your emergency food storage as something you break into when times get tough. You need to consume it regularly, and rotate your stock. For example, when you go to the store and buy 2 cans of creamed corn for a recipe this week, take those two cans to your stockpile and replace them with two cans that have been stored a while. That way the items in your stockpile will not expire.
There are many ways to use the FIFO system (First In, First Out). You can set up a fancy can rotators, or simply write the expiration date on the top of the product in bold permanent marker for easy viewing. Whatever works best for you.
This again goes back to the principal of only storing foods that you plan to consume.
Learn to Cook from Food Storage
Finally, you may have items in your emergency food storage that you aren't quite familiar with. Eventually you will want to store some wheat, if your family eats bread, and it will be a good idea to find recipes and learn to use these ingredients. Most of us see flour in its flour form; its quite another situation altogether to make flour out of wheat berries.
Other Important Emergency Supplies
When considering your emergency food preparedness, don't leave out non-food items! Make sure to stockpile extra medications, first aid items, pet supplies, paper goods like paper plates and paper towels, toiletries, toilet paper, flashlights, and batteries. Make sure that the consumable items in your home are represented on your disaster food storage list as well.
More Frugal Food Tips
Cheap Grocery Resources http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/cheap-grocery-shopping.html
Freezer Cooking Tips http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/easy-freezer-meals.html
Budget Cooking Ideas http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/low-budget-recipes.html
Start a Food Exchange http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/how-to-save-on-groceries.html
Grow Your Own Vegetable Garden http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/vegetable-garden-for-beginners.html
Raise Meat Rabbits http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/raising-meat-rabbits.html
Raise Chickens in Your Backyard http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/how-to-raise-chickens.html
Order Groceries Online http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/discount-groceries-online.html
Frugal Grocery Shopping Tips http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/frugal-grocery-shopper.html
Start a Grocery Price Book http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/grocery-price-book.html
Frugal Menu Planning http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/ideas-for-weekly-menu-planning.html
Printable Grocery Shopping Lists http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/blank-grocery-shopping-list.html
Freezer Cooking Tips http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/easy-freezer-meals.html
Budget Cooking Ideas http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/low-budget-recipes.html
Start a Food Exchange http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/how-to-save-on-groceries.html
Grow Your Own Vegetable Garden http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/vegetable-garden-for-beginners.html
Raise Meat Rabbits http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/raising-meat-rabbits.html
Raise Chickens in Your Backyard http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/how-to-raise-chickens.html
Order Groceries Online http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/discount-groceries-online.html
Frugal Grocery Shopping Tips http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/frugal-grocery-shopper.html
Start a Grocery Price Book http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/grocery-price-book.html
Frugal Menu Planning http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/ideas-for-weekly-menu-planning.html
Printable Grocery Shopping Lists http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/blank-grocery-shopping-list.html
"Tomorrow's joy or tomorrow's despair has its roots in decisions we make today. Perhaps some people think to themselves: 'I know I need to change some things in my life. Maybe later, but not now.' Those who stand at the threshold of life always waiting for the right time to change are like the man who stands at the bank of a river waiting for the water to pass so he can cross on dry land. Today is the day of decision."
--Joseph B. Wirthlin
--Joseph B. Wirthlin
It’s Not Too Early to Start Planning Your Garden
• Make a garden diagram drawn to scale before placing your spring order.
• Remember this rule of thumb for planning perennial gardens: The width of the garden should be about twice the height of the tallest plant growing in it.
• Organize, clean, oil, and sharpen garden tools. A splash of bright paint on tool handles will make them easier to spot out in the yard.
• Visit a greenhouse or nursery near you and talk with the experts about your growing problems. Ask them about shrub varieties best for your conditions.
• Make a garden diagram drawn to scale before placing your spring order.
• Remember this rule of thumb for planning perennial gardens: The width of the garden should be about twice the height of the tallest plant growing in it.
• Organize, clean, oil, and sharpen garden tools. A splash of bright paint on tool handles will make them easier to spot out in the yard.
• Visit a greenhouse or nursery near you and talk with the experts about your growing problems. Ask them about shrub varieties best for your conditions.
Container Gardening for Veggies
Container gardening is an easy way to garden, especially when you lack yard space.
For supplies, you only need a good container, the right soil mix, and appropriate seed (or transplant) varieties. In addition to providing 5 hours or more of full sun, watering is critical. You may need to water daily or twice daily; in hot weather the soil can dry out quickly. The good news: less weeding! Containers are generally low-maintenance.
Here are our recommendations on which vegetable varieties are container-friendly—and which container types are most suitable for each veggie.
Beans, snap
Container: 5-gallon window box
Varieties: Bush 'Blue Lake', Bush 'Romano', 'Tender Crop'
Container: 5-gallon window box
Varieties: Bush 'Blue Lake', Bush 'Romano', 'Tender Crop'
Broccoli
Container: 1 plant/5 gallon pot, 3 plants/15-gallon tub
Varieties: 'DeCicco', 'Green Comet'
Container: 1 plant/5 gallon pot, 3 plants/15-gallon tub
Varieties: 'DeCicco', 'Green Comet'
Carrots
Container: 5-gallon window box at least 12 inches deep
Varieties: 'Danvers Half Long', 'Short 'n Sweet', 'Tiny Sweet'
Container: 5-gallon window box at least 12 inches deep
Varieties: 'Danvers Half Long', 'Short 'n Sweet', 'Tiny Sweet'
Cucumbers
Container: 1 plant/1-gallon pot
Varieties: 'Patio Pik', 'Pot Luck', 'Spacemaster'
Container: 1 plant/1-gallon pot
Varieties: 'Patio Pik', 'Pot Luck', 'Spacemaster'
Eggplant
Container: 5-gallon pot
Varieties: 'Black Beauty', 'Ichiban', 'Slim Jim'
Container: 5-gallon pot
Varieties: 'Black Beauty', 'Ichiban', 'Slim Jim'
Lettuce
Container: 5-gallon window box
Varieties: 'Ruby', 'Salad Bowl'
Container: 5-gallon window box
Varieties: 'Ruby', 'Salad Bowl'
Onions
Container: 5-gallon window box
Varieties: 'White Sweet Spanish', 'Yellow Sweet Spanish'
Container: 5-gallon window box
Varieties: 'White Sweet Spanish', 'Yellow Sweet Spanish'
Peppers
Container: 1 plant/2-gallon pot, 5 plants/15-gallon tub
Varieties: 'Cayenne', 'Long Red', 'Sweet Banana', 'Wonder', 'Yolo'
Radishes
Container: 5-gallon window box
Varieties: 'Cherry Belle', 'Icicle'
Container: 5-gallon window box
Varieties: 'Cherry Belle', 'Icicle'
Tomatoes
Container: Bushel basket
Varieties: 'Early Girl', 'Patio', 'Small Fry', 'Sweet 100', 'Tiny Tim'
Tips for Growing in Containers
- Clay pots are usually more attractive than plastic ones, but plastic pots retain moisture better. To get the best of both, slip a plastic pot into a slightly larger clay pot.
- Avoid small containers. They often can't store enough water to get through hot days.
- Add about 1 inch of course gravel in the bottom of the container to improve drainage.
- Vegetables that can be easily transplanted are best suited for containers. Transplants can be purchased from local nurseries or started at home.
- Feed container plants at least twice a month with liquid fertilizer, following the instructions on the label.
- An occasional application of fish emulsion or compost will add trace elements to container soil.
- Place containers where they will receive maximum sunlight and good ventilation. Watch for and control insect pests.
http://www.almanac.com/plants/type/vegetable
http://www.almanac.com/video/easiest-ever-gardening-container-video
Looking for a place to get good storage buckets for bulk flours and grains at a good price without having to pay shipping? They need to be food quality. Having a hard time finding some?
Well, certain Wal-Marts bakery's will sell you their frosting buckets. Many people from our ward buy and use them. You will probably want to buy new lids for them. Have you ever bought from www.beprepared.com? That is where I get my buckets and shipping hasn't been to bad. Right now you can order 10 with lids for $79.00(buckets 70.00 shipping 9.00) with shipping 20 will cost $152.00 (buckets 140.00 shipping 12.00)
If you just want to order lids they are $1.50 each if your order 10 or more and shipping is$6.00 for 10 lids so total cost is 21.00 for 10 lids.
Restaurants (as well as Sub shops, etc.) will have food grade buckets you can go around and check with various restaurants and see if they give away or will sell them, but then your looking at replacing the lids.
Wishing you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year! 
We have a new format for this year. Hope you like it. There will be one Newsletter a month and Updates throughout the month. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email me.
Dale
Doctrine and Covenants
SECTION 136
31 My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom.
32 Let him that is ignorant learn wisdom by humbling himself and calling upon the Lord his God, that his eyes may be opened that he may see, and his ears opened that he may hear;
33 For my Spirit is sent forth into the world to enlighten the humble and contrite, and to the condemnation of the ungodly.
"As you look toward the future you can understand that nothing good or meaningful can happen for you, your family, your community or your country unless you begin the process of change with humility. You understand that you can’t do it alone - that no one can - that is where your strength comes from. We need our faith both in one another and, most importantly, in God. Remember, you can’t control the passage of time, but you can control what you do with that time as it passes. Let’s make every day count…together." Glenn Beck
FYI:
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