However, a lot of people begin to get overwhelmed when thinking about how to get started and what to do first. They have no game plan and only see it as a mountain of a project. But it really is a simple thing to do, when taking one step at a time.

First of all, start with the basic foods that you eat on a daily basis. These would be canned goods, basic staples (sugar, flour, cereal, etc.) and other things you keep stocked in the pantry. Every time you go to the grocery to purchase something you’ll be using that week, buy 2 or more instead of just 1 of that item (remember, we’re talking about pantry goods, not things that need kept in the refrigerator). Doing this will slowly begin to increase the food you have and use. Put the new cans in the back and use the older cans first. This will ensure you are always rotating your food and minimize waste.

With the basic “pantry goods”, you should work on accumulating 90 days worth. This will take a little bit of calculating to figure out. You may want to consider keeping an inventory of what you and your family consume on a daily basis for an entire week. Keep track of the days you eat out and add food to cover meals for those times. During difficult times, you will not be eating out, but will be preparing what is in the pantry. Once you’ve done this, you’ll have a good idea. But it would be wise to increase this number by at least 10%, due to miscalculations. It’s better to store more than to be short. And if you were wise, you’d consider others that may need your help in hard times (elderly parents, grandparents, children who are at college, newlyweds, etc.).

Once you have your 90 day food supply stored (which is probably more than you realize, yet very easy to accumulate), you’ll want to consider the next step… water.

Water is one of those things that is always there, when times are good. But how long can you last without it? If you are like me and live in the Arizona desert, it’s not very long. But what happens if the water supply in the kitchen faucet stops flowing or becomes contaminated? What do you have stored? Consider the following suggestions.

First of all, if your finances allow it, there is a great way to store water and rotate it often. It is called a water cooler. These water coolers accommodate a 5 gallon water jug that fits on the top and provides you with cold, hot and room temperature water, depending on the model of cooler. These can be purchased at many hardware stores, warehouse stores and other locations. You can also rent them for a minimal monthly fee if you’d rather do that. But the storage is in the 5 gallon jugs. These can be purchased at water stores that sell purified water. The cost to fill these up is usually around 25 cents a gallon. So after you’ve purchased the container, you can fill one up for $1.25. Slowly begin to accumulate these containers and find a location to store them. For a while, I was purchasing a new one each time I would go to refill my empty bottles. Soon I had a good collection of them. And they can be stored under a bed (after raising the bed), on the bottom shelf of a pantry (off the floor) or in the basement. Be creative!

For longer term water storage, 55 gallon barrels work great. We found a distributor locally who supplied these barrels used (held soda syrup for Coca-Cola) for around $10 each. We found a couple locations to store these (a couple in the garage, a couple behind the shed, etc) where they were out of the way but accessible when needed. We treated the water with some water treatment and covered them up with 65 gallon industrial garbage bags. It’s a good idea to change the water every year or so, but with the treatment can last longer. This water can be consumed, but is also great for sanitation needs (washing dishes, clothes, body, etc.).

You can also use soda pop bottles, glass bottles, PETE bottles, etc. Do not use milk cartons because they will break down over time.

Then you’ll also want to consider water purification. Things like a Big Berkey, Katadyn water purifiers and purification tablets are good to have. With these, you might be able to find other dirty sources of water and make them clean (parks, canals, lakes, etc). And if you are ever concerned about your own water supply, run it through a purifier just to be safe.

For water storage, you’ll want at least a 2 week supply of water for your entire family, with 3 gallons of water per person, per day. This is a minimum and more is highly recommended. I would personally consider a 2 week supply being very under prepared. But sometimes restrictions keep people from being able to store more (like living in an apartment).

The next thing to do is to begin to accumulate long-term food storage. This is where it begins to feel like an unobtainable task, but is actually easier than most think. It is not accomplished all at once (usually), but a little at a time over a period of months, years, or a lifetime, depending on financial capabilities. One year’s worth of food storage per person is the minimum recommended amount that should be stored, although more would be wise. When the LDS pioneers first settled in Utah, they were commanded to store 7 years of food storage in preparation for hard times. But at least a minimum of 1 year would be wise. Once you’ve got that, you can continue to store according to your needs.

The following is a minimum recommended amount to store per person, for a 1-year supply:

Grains (400 lbs per person)

• Wheat (red and/or white)

• Rice

• Barley

• Oats (regular and/or quick)

• Macaroni

• Noodles

• Cornmeal

Legumes (60 lbs per person)

• Beans (black, pinto, kidney, red, white)

• Lentils

• Peas

Dairy Products (48 lbs per person)

• Milk

• Cheese

Sugars (60 lbs per person)

• Sugar (white, brown, powdered)

• Honey

Leavening (6 lbs per person)

• Yeast

• Baking Powder

• Baking Soda

• Eggs

Salt (8 lbs per person)

• Salt (iodized and/or sea)

• Bouillon (beef and/or chicken)

Fats (30 lbs per person)

• Butter

• Shortening

• Cooking oil

As you can see, for a family of 6, this would be a great deal of food. But it still can be done. Growing up, I was used to having boxes of #10 cans of rice, wheat, beans, pasta, etc stored under my bed. We had tables in the family room with a nice table cloth that were simply boxes of food storage with a board on top. Nobody ever new otherwise. But we still had it and there was great comfort in this.

So how do you store all of this? Well, there are many options. You can keep them in PET(E) containers, food-grade buckets, #10 cans, mylar bags, etc. Personally, I use all of these methods, depending on the food I’m using. Each one has its advantages.

Food can be purchased at very inexpensive prices from places like Costco, Sam’s Club and other wholesalers and warehouses. 50 lb bags are a fraction of the price (per lb) than smaller bags at the grocery stores. When done slowly with financial wisdom, a great deal of food can be accumulated by buying a 50 lb bag here and there, especially when on sale.

For containers, I have my own personal preferences. I use #10 cans for things I’m probably not going to be using unless it’s an extreme emergency. These I keep in boxes (6 cans per box) and store in places that I’m not going to be seeing very often or needing to move them around in. In other words, I put them away until I move or times are really bad.

Along with the buckets, we have a few that have Gamma lids on them. These are lids that can screw off and on, giving you access to the contents inside while still offering protection against bugs, rats, etc. We keep a 5 gallon bucket for each of the main staple items (rice, flour, sugar, wheat, etc) so that as we use it, we can refill it easily. It is also good to have so that when the time comes that you are using your long-term food storage, you can pour the contents from your cans or other buckets into the bucket with a screw top for easy access. I also keep my MRE’s in a bucket with a Gamma lid (you can use these for many other storage items as well, including 72-hour kits, etc).

As food is stored in these various containers, keep a notebook of the items. Put a sticker/label on them stating the date, weight, contents and expiration date (many things last over 30 years). Keep a notebook log with this information so you know what you have, what you need and where you are in your long-term food storage plans. This helps you to better organize your purchases and gives you great confidence in what you have stored.

It is also a good idea to use these items in your meals. Obtain some food storage cook books and try some of the recipes out. You’ll find that many things taste great and will become a favorite of your family. And things like wheat will need slow introduction to your digestive system if you’re not used to eating it. Sudden diet changes to wheat products will twist your insides and have your feet go numb while sitting in a place you’d rather not spend too much time in. ;)

This information should give you a little to think about. Getting prepared with food storage is just like anything else you do. It starts out with a basic plan, followed by small steps, which over time result in big accomplishments. So don’t feel overwhelmed. Just start doing something. And before you know it, you’ll have accomplished great things.

*Future posts will include storing other items such as cooking supplies, fuels, alternative lighting, etc. as well as how to use these during an emergency.