Food Storage, part 1

“Begin with a one week’s food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months.” - Gordon B. Hinckley

Creating a food storage takes time and effort. Is it worth it?

When I was unemployed I was asked if I would need financial assistance. No, I replied. I had some money saved away, no debt, and a good food storage. My family could cut spending to the bone, eat from the food storage, and pay taxes and utilities from the rainy-day fund.

Medical Emergency: If your family "chef" became seriously ill, do you have foods, and menus, that other family members could easily prepare?

Power Outages: Do you have easy-to-prepare foods to keep you fed through several days or more of power outage?

Major Natural Disaster: If you had to evacuate your home, do you have foods you could prepare outdoors? And do you have enough fuel for days or weeks of outdoor cooking?

Tomorrow I'll talk about how much food to store and some ideas to get you started.
 
Bottom Line

Since Hurricane Katrina, emergency professionals know that 72-hours is not enough of a preparedness buffer while waiting for help to arrive. The recommended minimum food and water storage is now one week. So why store more? What if you have company staying and they become trapped in your house also? What if your neighbor is desperate with hungry kids and asks if you have anything to spare? What if you find half of your storage has spoiled, gone stale, or become infested by bugs? It's wise to have extra.