what food to start collecting

[Gazrok]

instead of buying expensive mylar bags and oxygen absorbers

These aren't too expensive. $1.50 each (if you buy 10) at beprepared.com (an oxygen absorber pack is under a buck each).
Ally has awesome advice though, if you haven't yet, search for her posts for some great insights. She's obviously been doing this a while, and really has her stuff together.

Remember the 3 rule:
3 days without water, you die
3 weeks without food, you die
(there are a lot more, just can't recall them right now)

3 minutes without air, you die
3 hours without shelter, you die (but only in really harsh environments..so I kind of toss this one out usually)

I'm 15, a young pepper ( not one of those childish litte kids. Lol). The only time I go buy stuff is during the summer, when I work. But every now and then I try to pick up some things from the store.

Part of me wants to say you're too young to worry about this, but really, the way things are going, probably not.
My guess is you live with your family in a fairly urban area. Your big challenge will be stocking up on water too. So something to consider.
Hopefully, your parents have firearms. If they don't, I'd try to sway them, but without being pushy. Do they share your ideas? Or do they consider it foolish?
If the latter, you may want to visit the threads on how to get others onboard. Mostly, don't put it as "doomsday" prepping, but more for short-term natural disasters or unemployment, etc.

 

[Sbrosky1]

Check your local stores, like Food Lion in my area. They have super sales wher you ca maximize savings. This week at Food Lion, the canned veggies are 2/$1 and this month, the super sale is buy 40 store brand items get a $10 Catalina to use on your next purchase. So today I bought 120 cans of veggies fo $40 AND I have another $10 Catalina. To me, that's. significant stockpile with huge savings!

 

[QuietH3art]

Check your local stores, like Food Lion in my area. They have super sales wher you ca maximize savings. This week at Food Lion, the canned veggies are 2/$1 and this month, the super sale is buy 40 store brand items get a $10 Catalina to use on your next purchase. So today I bought 120 cans of veggies fo $40 AND I have another $10 Catalina. To me, that's. significant stockpile with huge savings!

OMGosh, I want to do that so bad, but my husband would kill me if I brought home 120 cans of veggies. I've been looking at that sales flyer for days now trying to figure out how I could get away with it.

 

[Sbrosky1]

Easy. Go to Food Lion, get 40 cans for $20. It will print a $10 Catalina. Go back tomorrow lol, buy 40 more cans and use the $10 Catalina. Out of pocket will be $10 AND it will print ANOTHER $10 Catalina. Keep the loop going lol

 

[QuietH3art]

Easy. Go to Food Lion, get 40 cans for $20. It will print a $10 Catalina. Go back tomorrow lol, buy 40 more cans and use the $10 Catalina. Out of pocket will be $10 AND it will print ANOTHER $10 Catalina. Keep the loop going lol

The problem isn't buying it. It's figuring out how to hide it from my husband! It's not even the money to him - it's how much space it takes up.

 

[Sbrosky1]

Ah.....yeah, I just had to do some serious rearranging of space to make those fit. My husband, dead panned face, " do we have enough?" Nah, I think I can squeeze a few more...

 

[Roninsensei]

I found that buying 1 or 2 extra of the stuff I regularly shop for is an easier way of starting to store food...

 

[QuietH3art]

Ah.....yeah, I just had to do some serious rearranging of space to make those fit. My husband, dead panned face, " do we have enough?" Nah, I think I can squeeze a few more...

I went to Food Lion tonight and was really depressed to find it was only corn, creamed corn, green beans, French style green beans and peas on sale. I'm tempted to complain to management that the ad says "vegetables" not "select vegetables." I don't think I want 120 cans of something I can grown in my own garden. Oh well, I'll keep watching for things I do want.

 

[Shenandoah]

Hello, Hey guys im new to prepping and i was wondering what food should i start storing.

Welcome!
A couple years ago I put together what we call the "Food Map." It is designed for folks new to food storage and prepping and built on a $15/week budget. Being in health care, I wanted to put together items that were both shelf stable and nutritious. If you would like, I will be happy to email it to ya.

Blessings,
Shenandoah

 

[Sbrosky1]

I would like to say that I WISH I could have a garden. With a job I work 43 hours a week, planting time falls during a peak month for us. I simply don't have the time that's required to tend a garden. I did tomatoes and watermelons this year. Got enough tomato to can up 11 jars of sauce. The watermelons never got bigger than a golf ball. Only got two. Buying cans of veggies is my only option it seems. I was disappointed to not see carrots though.

 

[Shenandoah]

I would like to say that I WISH I could have a garden. With a job I work 43 hours a week, planting time falls during a peak month for us. I simply don't have the time that's required to tend a garden. I did tomatoes and watermelons this year. Got enough tomato to can up 11 jars of sauce. The watermelons never got bigger than a golf ball. Only got two. Buying cans of veggies is my only option it seems. I was disappointed to not see carrots though.

Seriously? You are in SC, unlike our pathetic <100 days of growing season, ya'll have the ability to garden year-round! My brother and his family live in SC too and are completely self-sufficient. They even teach classes on Sustainable Living. They have 2 gardens year-round...canning and preserving for their family of 4 and selling the rest to boost the bottom line of their farm. Maybe you should look at some different varieties of veggies. (Your watermelons sound like my cantelopes this year!)

Blessings,
Shenandoah

 

[Sbrosky1]

Let me clarify a little bit. I'm a police officer living and working n Horry County. Yes, I have the potential for gardening nearly year round. Don't know if you are familiar with Myrtle Beach but let me fill ya in. http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/20540533/myrtle-beach-makes-most-dangerous-places-to-live-list
Our population explodes by a cool million starting with spring break and just now will start to slow down. At the end of the day, I'm too exhausted to cook dinner much less head out and tend a garden. I have an above ground pool that I got into three times the whole summer. I live at the ocean and don't go to the beach. Pathetic I know. Lol

 

[jimLE]

guess you need to move away from them collage towns..lol

 

[Sbrosky1]

CCU is growing exponentially! Followed closely by HGTC and the new Miller Mott. Both of which are all right across the road from each other.

 

[Dani]

Let me clarify a little bit. I'm a police officer living and working n Horry County. Yes, I have the potential for gardening nearly year round. Don't know if you are familiar with Myrtle Beach but let me fill ya in. http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/20540533/myrtle-beach-makes-most-dangerous-places-to-live-list
Our population explodes by a cool million starting with spring break and just now will start to slow down. At the end of the day, I'm too exhausted to cook dinner much less head out and tend a garden. I have an above ground pool that I got into three times the whole summer. I live at the ocean and don't go to the beach. Pathetic I know. Lol

My husband was a police officer for 40 years. I commend you for your service and you can reply to some of these comments about how our police are and what they are doing to our country now. To me, the police are mostly still the good guys, but there has been a few that have given our officers a bad name

 

[Dani]

I do tend to garden almost year around, so can up most of my own harvest. We also have our own beef chicken and pork on the land along with our own milk and egg recourse. What I stock up on is rice, sugar, flour and cornmeal. Make a sour dough starter for breads. Since gardening is a limit to you, like another poster said, use coupons to help stock up. With some stores they will double and you can get some items for free. Always buy on sale when you can. You can get a 4 lb. bag of sugar for 49 cents chicken for 29 cents a lb., $1 for half a lb. of cheese, etc., but stock up on the best prices when you can.

 

[Sbrosky1]

In every profession you have the bad apple. Hell, even the clergy has bad apples and they're the one profession that you'd imagine to be pristine in morals and character. I wish I could say my profession didn't have bad apples.

 

[old_anorak]

The problem isn't buying it. It's figuring out how to hide it from my husband! It's not even the money to him - it's how much space it takes up.

Put it under the bed. In the back of a closet, Behind the sofa. Or.... tell him to suck it up and deal with it! LOL. 120 cans really doesn't take up that much space.

 

[old_anorak]

Before you start stockpiling a lot of foods, learn to cook from scratch. Not only will that save you money and make your stockpile more versatile, it's a skill that can get you work in the future.

 

[Shenandoah]

Let me clarify a little bit. I'm a police officer living and working n Horry County. Yes, I have the potential for gardening nearly year round. Don't know if you are familiar with Myrtle Beach but let me fill ya in. http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/20540533/myrtle-beach-makes-most-dangerous-places-to-live-list
Our population explodes by a cool million starting with spring break and just now will start to slow down. At the end of the day, I'm too exhausted to cook dinner much less head out and tend a garden. I have an above ground pool that I got into three times the whole summer. I live at the ocean and don't go to the beach. Pathetic I know. Lol

Very familiar with Myrtle Beach. Actually, I still own 2 lots on Folly Beach!
I completely understand the exhaustion thing, I work 4-16 hour days a week and live in a 12' camper those nights away from home. Its certainly not easy but I'm blessed to have a good job, especially in this economy. My friend, you simply must find a "balance" in your world or that job will kill ya and you won't live to see the shtf!!

My brother's place is on John Island, it's called Jeremiah Farm...look em up.

Blessings,
Shenandoah

 

[Gazrok]

You can get a 4 lb. bag of sugar for 49 cents chicken for 29 cents a lb., $1 for half a lb. of cheese, etc., but stock up on the best prices when you can.

How? Admittedly, I'm a novice at coupons, but huh?

 

[Sbrosky1]

Buying items when they go on sale at a grocery store that doubles or triples coupons. 4lb sugar goes on sale for $1.99 and you have a coupon for .75¢ off that doubles to $1.50 making your sugar .49¢. Lowes foods does Super Doubles where coupons up to $2 is doubled. I stocked up on Neosporine $4.99 for .99¢ apiece using a $2 coupon that doubled. Edge shaving cream ended up being .29¢ after coupon and Spam singles at .19¢. New sales start today. Btw, using Saving Star, I got three bottles of Purex Laundry detergent at cvs for $1.83 apiece yesterday.

 

[Gazrok]

Ah. No doubling here in FL...

Well folks in Florida need to understand why no doubles in Florida here's your reason. When our lovely state passed the tax on tourists it included a tax the store has to pay. Its a tourist tax on food. Of course we pay it in higher food prices. Want double coupons write your congress men an woman and ask why locals have to eat tourist tax on food. This was done quietly and we were told only on. On confidence stores but it is on every store. There you go we are paying tax on food they just didn't tell you.

But, with Publix and WalMart, you can make out pretty well with their BOGO sales and coupons. Publix will let you use manufacturer coupons in addition to store coupons, for example, and you can use a manufacturer coupon on a Publix brand item (which is already lower than the name brand).

 

[Sbrosky1]

Bilo match up this week:
Progresso soup 4/$5 with coupons final is 4/$3
Cottonelle 12 pk is $6.49 with coupons it's $5.49 plus you get .05¢ in fuel perks total $1 off 20 gal of gas
Hormel canned chicken 3/$5 with coupons 6/$7 plus .10¢ fuel perks total $2 off 20 gallons
And a host of refridgerator stuff

 

[Dani]

How? Admittedly, I'm a novice at coupons, but huh?

Our local Market Basket has some very good sells on occasions. But you have to buy $10 of additional products and there is normally a limit of 1 or 2. This same store also gives out "catalina" coupon for 40 cent - 80 cents (depending how much your store total was that day) of any sugar, pickle, ketchup, etc. You can combine those with another coupon and they will double up to 50 cents and triple up to 39 cents.

 

[Sbrosky1]

Go to Sundaysaver.com and look at sales circulars f the stores in your area. If you want to order coupons from a coupon clipping service (I do) you can order from couponcutters or wizclips. Some order whole inserts off eBay but I prefer to order exactly what I need. Canned goods are starting to go on sale now at the end of summer. Soups too. Makes so much sense to buy and stock up when they go on sale. Also, there are coupon money saving apps like Ibotta http://ibotta.com/r/4E9F8g that earns you money while you shop. I use my Ibotta savings to buy more coupons or my food dehydrator! Came in today.

 

[Sbrosky1]

Ah. No doubling here in FL...



But, with Publix and WalMart, you can make out pretty well with their BOGO sales and coupons. Publix will let you use manufacturer coupons in addition to store coupons, for example, and you can use a manufacturer coupon on a Publix brand item (which is already lower than the name brand).

http://couponclippindaddy.com/2013/09/publix-free-pillsbury-crescent-cinnamon-rolls.html/ good deal

 

[Gazrok]

I love those. Awesome!

Printable coupons. Eyes opened. I think I have a new hobby while the wife watches shows I don't care for...

 

[Chicknladee]

I hate coupon shopping. My nearest grocer is six miles and I use their coupons but all other grocers are 25+ miles away (one way!). Going there specifically for a coupon deal doesn't pay for me. But for someone who lives in town it might make sense to be a huge coupon clipper.

 

[Sbrosky1]

Gaz that's cool! You will find that couponing and prepping go hand in hand!

Chick, that sucks!