Start PREParing now

If you read my first post, you understand why I am doing this. If not, go back and read it because it provides some great perspective on what I see ahead and my purpose.

Here is a brief recap - covid hit and people lost their minds. Regardless of how you feel about covid, what people perceive as a threat is what matters because it guides their behaviors. People had an intense reaction because they weren’t ready and then they made bad decisions.

Today it’s covid. Before that it was 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Y2k.

It’s not about the event but the human response.

Prices went higher and people got less from shrinkflation. And even paid for dumb shit that didn’t matter.

Here my dude is so genuinely afraid he is double masked yet willing to risk it all for some pepsi and mountain dew.

Here is what I didn’t include in my first post -my family didn’t need to do much because we were ahead of the curve.

Here is how-

Build on a budget

You don’t need a shit ton of money to start, just some discipline and a plan.

The +1 Method (most budget conscious)

If you are like me, you are going to the grocery store every week. Maybe more, maybe less. Doesn’t matter.

You are buying meat, milk, eggs, vegetables, etc. and then consuming those as part of your weekly meal plan and going back.

We are going to start buying one more (+1) on 2 items - meat and canned goods. (I recommend white rice as well)

This can of green beans cost 58 cents. So does a can of corn. Sweet peas…… 58 cents.

This pack of ground beef costs $4 before tax.

Here is an example of how this will work - I go to the store weekly and buy one additional item of these weekly (+1) - can of green beans, can of corn, sweat peas, and ground beef because these are things my family likes. (The items aren’t as important as the method. Hate green beans - buy something else. At the end of the day, get something you enjoy.)

At the end of the year, I have 52 extra cans of green beans, corn, peas and 52 lbs of ground beef.

Additional expenditures - less than $6 a week or $312 annually.

My meat is sitting in my freezer and my pantry is loaded with additional canned goods.

Cycling

Now that you have built up this surplus on a budget here is what you do - rotate new kitchen staples in and consume your previous content. You are continuing to add foods that your family eats while also making sure they don’t expire (more on that later). All with minimal stress on your finances.

Bulk Method

This is what I do but I have 2 things that make this viable - enough money and storage space.

You are going to need both to pull this off.

While the +1 method takes time, the bulk method gets you there quickly.

Sam’s Club and Costco are your friends here. Our Sam’s membership is less than $100 bucks a year and you can add family onto it. There are also great bulk supply stores online that restaurants order from. Cost more in shipping but they have a wider range of items.

Instead of buying plus one here, you are buying a bulk pack(s) of canned goods and meat, storing, and then cycling.

+1 method gets you there over time, bulk in a day.

EVERYONE WAS BULK BUYING WHEN COVID HIT. LESSON IN THERE.

You should find overall long term savings in the bulk method but its a higher initial entry fee. But the peace of mind is the pay off here.

ST/LT - What is the difference?

People have been prepping longer than me and I’m sure someone reading this will say I am wrong.

Welcome to twitter!

But here is how I look at it - ST (short term) stores for years and LT (long term) stores for decades and some items indefinitely.

ST means I have more options on what I can buy but am limited by expiration. I love milk but I can’t store it for 25 years. (Maybe I need to buy a dairy cow.)

As food ages, it spoils. You know that already.

But as food ages it is also declining in nutritional value AND taste. Some faster than others.

Is this a major issue?

I’ve read about canned corn from over 75 years ago being consumed with zero issues. Some decline in taste, texture, and nutritional value. Perfectly safe to eat.

A good rule of thumb is what is the can telling you - is it rusted, leaking, or bulging?

Yes? Stay away.

Also, a smell test won’t necessarily tell you if the food is bad. Botulism!

But this is ultimately your risk assessment. Just know that higher acid foods such as tomatoes and citrus go bad quicker.

ST storage is achievable through the +1 method and bulk.

With cycling you aren’t having to worry so much about food going bad BUT you want to provide for a FAMILY to eat over a LONG period of time.

This is where LT storage starts to matter.

LT, depending on the item, might take 25 years to expire.

Or NEVER.

So bulk is your friend here because you don’t need to cycle for a longer time period (if stored properly).

Long term storage is about the TYPE of food and the STORAGE METHOD. I love white rice and if stored properly, it can last over 25 years.

Bulk is your best bet for the majority of our LT method.

Here is why -I am going to put money into storing this properly and because of that we are going to scale quicker and more efficiently bulk buying.

Let’s be honest. If you are doing this you likely want the peace of mind that if SHTF, you aren’t starving this week OR 6 months from now.

You also want to eat a variety of foods that taste good. We don’t want to eat porridge everyday for years at my house.

That means we are doing both ST/LT storages.

So in summary-

• Short term storage

  • Stores for years

  • Greater variety of food

  • Easy to achieve through +1 method but can bulk buy

  • Budget friendly

  • Food can be cycled easily

  • Less storage space needed

• Long term storage

  • Stores for decades to indefinitely

  • Less variety in food

  • Better bulk strategy

  • Costs more, lasts longer

  • Less opportunity to cycle

  • More space required

PRO TIP

Work with family and like minded people. If you have a trust worthy friend that raises livestock, talk to them about what the future would look like in terms of bartering. BUT don’t show off your storage, people will have 2 reactions - think you are being ridiculous or think you are preparing to feed them too.

Thanks for reading and go ahead and hit that subscribe button and recommend to like minded people.

We are going to move into more LT storage advice on the next post.