Food preparedness and storage is something I personally take very seriously.  There are times due to our location that we are unable to leave our home because of our 2.5 mile lane being impassable either because of mud or snow and ice.

Also due to the demands of both our businesses and our homestead, we do not have free time to be running senseless errands. The stores that we shop that enable us to purchase our foods in bulk are either an hour to two hours away so our shopping excursions are planned and multiple errands are taken care of at the same time to save on fuel.

On average we shop once every three months with the exception of maybe some fresh produce purchased locally when we need to run to the closest town that is around a 1/2 hour from us, but again that is only when we have to go to town for something else not just to purchase the produce.

By purchasing in bulk we save hundreds of dollars a year in both fuel and groceries.  When you shop you tend to purchase things you really don't need, but have caught your attention or the attention of your sense of smell or have your taste buds on high alert.  So the less amount of time spent shopping the less amount of unnecessary items are being purchased.

We purchase everything in bulk and all the raw ingredients we need to make everything we enjoy from scratch.  To find out what I keep in my pantry and how I keep things stocked up you will want to purchase Issue #19 of Self Reliance Illustrated which will be coming out in March.  Self Reliance Illustrated can be purchased as a subscription or by single issue and it is available in both print and digital format.  This is a magazine that I highly recommend because it's content will never grow old – it is an encyclopedia of knowledge that can be stored on your bookshelves and retrieved regularly.

I know that many people do not know where to start in creating a pantry that would sustain them for 30 days let alone 3 years like ours, so today I have something I feel is a wonderful resource and valid investment to get you started.   This will be a subject that we will continue to touch on and my hope is to assist you in learning how you can overcome and conquer your fears and get Food Preparedness under your belt.

A dear friend of mine, Jennifer Osuch of Are We Crazy or What?, created the The Preparedness Planner which has an extensive food storage inventory and management section and I feel this is worth every penny.  Not only will it help you to purchase what you need, but it will also help you to restock and keep track of what you have in storage.

The 1st year will be tricky for you in establishing everything you will need and just how much you need for your family for your chosen amount of time, but I feel The Preparedness Planner will make this task so much easier and not so time consuming so you can spend that extra time saved doing something else like planning your garden which is another great resource for your food.  (Stay tuned we will be discussing gardening upcoming too)

To purchase your copy of the The Preparedness Planner you can either click here or on the image of the planner above or below. Food preparedness and storage is important for your livelihood as is knowing how to feed your family when your supplies run out.  Continue to follow along as I cover the best ways to store your food and this series will continue into gardening, foraging and harvesting your own foods and meats because in the event of unplanned circumstances your food cache may get depleted and the additional knowledge that we will cover will help you and your family to sustain any circumstances.

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In the comments below, please let me know what you thought of this post and also where you struggle the most with food preparedness…

Blessings to you and yours,

Tam (MWJ) ♥

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