Is your food storage helping right now?

[jansman]

I ask the question, as right now (we all know) everything seems to be so damned expensive. I am sure I speak for many, when I say that my income has declined.
As preppers, we all aim for a stock of grub. Obviously we all watch expiry dates, but I think we all get a bit *precious* about hanging on to that stock "Just In Case".
Well the other day,Jan returned from the supermarket, aghast at what a routine shop cost. So, (for once ) I issued a decree to start using-really using - our storage. This will keep supplies fresh and organised, take some imagination, and save some cash.
We do not to store so much these days as we are one Daughter less living here, and the other lives a Bohemian student life, and flits in and out. Son in Law is a prepper (although he does not label himself so, he just likes to be in front of the game), and my extensive garden, livestock, etc. provides a good part of our diet
I am not gonna run the storage into the ground, but we eat different things these days, and it is a good opportunity to simplify our system.

[Malthouse]

I started to write that the only food store I have that goes untouched is water, but then realise that even that gets used and moved around to be used fairly regularly. So I can say that we don't have a prep store, just a very full larder!

My father in law used to keep an earthquake box (he lived somewhere that suffers them frequently) which had some essentials in it, every year the routine was to replace everything and remind the family of what was in there. It was effectively an extra feast-day in the calendar.

[Le Mouse]

I think my food storage does help me right now. With a decent stock of food in I need to do a 'big shop' (where I nearly have a heart attack at the prices each time) a lot less. I generally buy one or two bits (like fresh veg or milk) once a week to supplement things I already have. I only had a large food shopping trip recently because of Christmas. I won't go again for at least another couple of months.

This month will be painful money-wise: I was paid on 20th December and won't be paid again until 28th January. Like jansman, my income declined last year so what I have left now Christmas is over is a lot less than this time last year. Having a good store of food in will make that last longer. I might manage to get to payday still in credit! Here's hoping! I'm actually rather looking forward to the meals I'll be making from my stores - it would be good practice to make sure that I'm not setting myself up for weird haphazard dinners

[Cromicon]

We've got our food store packed into a container per week and rotate a week out into normal usage that pads a months fresh food. We've only tried this once so far though given how we've only started prepping recently. But hopefully like Malthouse our food storage will really be an extended pantry. However I have to echo the other comments, food is getting ridiculously expensive these days.

[Arzosah]

Its mostly helping me feel secure that I have food to last me, whatever happens.

My stocks are quite odd: I'm a vegetarian, so I have a *lot* of packets of dried beans and pulses, but when I first started I ordered loads from Approved Foods, and I didn't pay enough attention to expiry dates, so I bought some that were already out of date. I'm definitely using them up, as fast as I can.

Two of my regular items, gluten free pasta and green pesto, have gone down in price recently - pasta from £1.50 to £1.40, and pesto from £1.50 to £1.20, which is odd. When I look at ordinary brands, as opposed to the lowest-priced lines that I buy, everything's horrendously expensive. I really haven't done enough to grow, harvest and use the food from my garden. Thats going to change this year. With these prices, and my income, I can't afford for it to be otherwise.

[preppingsu]

We always rotate our stores and basically have a small box room as a store so its easy to do. I have some stuff that has been mylared and put away for long term.

This month is a basic shop and supplementing from the stores to keep our outlay down this month.i shop monthly and top up with fresh when necessary.
We have some saving to do and bills to pay. Next month I will stock up again and then March may be a small shop month.

During the summer we buy very little fresh as we grow it and we are using up now the foods I preserved.

[jansman]

I think my food storage does help me right now. With a decent stock of food in I need to do a 'big shop' (where I nearly have a heart attack at the prices each time) a lot less. I generally buy one or two bits (like fresh veg or milk) once a week to supplement things I already have. I only had a large food shopping trip recently because of Christmas. I won't go again for at least another couple of months.

This month will be painful money-wise: I was paid on 20th December and won't be paid again until 28th January. Like jansman, my income declined last year so what I have left now Christmas is over is a lot less than this time last year. Having a good store of food in will make that last longer. I might manage to get to payday still in credit! Here's hoping! I'm actually rather looking forward to the meals I'll be making from my stores - it would be good practice to make sure that I'm not setting myself up for weird haphazard dinners

Haphazard dinners! We have a lot of rice and corned beef to shift, although not together it is going to be interesting.

[grenfell]

We have a decent amount of food stored in several manners but we don't tend to view it as contributing to any sort of help with our financies other than when we buy reduced lines. The reason is simple, if we eat a tin of beans now we have to buy another to replace it , if we do it in six months time we still have to buy another. In the long term we tend to believe that buying to store is very little different to buying to eat immediately in terms of cost although it does give one a sense of security.
Growing , foraging or producing your own actively does decrease the amount spent at the shops and of course has additional benifits .
Our income has reduced a bit but we still make the effort to keep up stocks and I'm looking at preserving more in the future.

[junmist]

Although I am fine for veg its the meat that cost so much and having lived off of the meat store for the last two months and today having gone out and brought some. It has made me look at how I am eating and looking at using less meat. I do have tined meat in the store but this is for preps and the reason I brought tins is so that it will last and last and last so it is not to be touched as some one said if its used I will have to pay to replace it and we prefer fresh anyway So in answer to the question food storage has helped in the last two months. Looking at growing more food this year and I am looking at a course to show how to kill and prepare rabbits and chickens ( if I can get my head round this I will be sorted)

[jansman]

Although I am fine for veg its the meat that cost so much and having lived off of the meat store for the last two months and today having gone out and brought some. It has made me look at how I am eating and looking at using less meat. I do have tined meat in the store but this is for preps and the reason I brought tins is so that it will last and last and last so it is not to be touched as some one said if its used I will have to pay to replace it and we prefer fresh anyway So in answer to the question food storage has helped in the last two months. Looking at growing more food this year and I am looking at a course to show how to kill and prepare rabbits and chickens ( if I can get my head round this I will be sorted)

"Tins will last and last", just what I meant about us preppers being * precious* about our supplies. Nothing wrong with that-at all. We have had a couple of incidents where we helped son in law when his wages stopped suddenly(minimum wage, so no wriggle room), and myself in Spring '13. Myself, I don't worry now about using my stored resources if needed. Yes, it is true that replacements will have to be paid for, but food doesn't last indefinitely.
Anyhow, in the spirit of living on stores... Tonight we had a curry using some of my own goat meat, own grown onions and coriander and a jar of curry sauce and a cup of rice. All washed down with a coupla pints of home brewed ale.
I am looking at having a stock of tins, rice and pasta. Along with 'sauces'. This will be supplemented with our own produce. I am pleased to say that our animals/garden(s) and polytunnels have exceeded our expectations.
Basically I am getting somewhere towards my own sustainable food supply. And it is amazing what can be produced in a small area.