Lets face it. There are lots and lots of people who consider themselves ‘broke’, as in ‘no money’. More specifically, they don’t think they have enough money to build up a cupboard or two full of food for emergency storage (or just plain old having some more…).
There are many people who live week to week on little income while struggling to make ends meet. There are bills to pay and there’s little money left over for stockpiling some extra food. There might only be enough food in the house to feed the family for a few days or maybe a week – until the next paycheck comes in.
Well here’s the thing: There likely IS a way to put some food in the pantry…
There are lots of foods that you can buy which are really relatively cheap compared to the foods that the family might be currently eating. Think in terms of value. Even if you choose not to change your eating habits, some of these foods are so comparatively cheap that there’s little excuse not to be able and stock up a cupboard or two.
I’m going to throw out a few ideas, and I welcome your input as well.
Firstly, those who consider themselves poor or broke or under too tight a budget to procure extra food – consider this: Take a look at what is being purchased every week and make adjustments. Not everyone might like it (a shift in diet) but there are likely some foods that could be replaced with alternatives to free up a few dollars for purchasing extra food.
Buy store brands.
Some grocery stores have higher prices than others! Go to the cheaper store (if the driving logistics – cost of gas – makes it worth the trip).
Buy only if it’s on sale, if possible.
Don’t buy everything that the ‘kids’ want, and don’t tell me that they will ‘only’ eat this or that – because unless there are allergic reactions involved, the kids won’t starve if they don’t get their particular brand of this or that. When they’re hungry enough (after putting up a stink about not getting what they want), they’ll eat 😉 Right?
It is amazing how many people do not compare unit prices (or don’t know how) when choosing a particular food! In most every grocery store the unit price is printed right on the price tag at the shelf (price per ounce, per pound, etc..). You don’t even have to do the math to figure out the posted price versus the number of ounces your getting. The unit price should already be normalized so just go with the cheaper unit.
Buy some so called ‘cheap’ food every week. Even if it’s not part of your normal consumption. Maybe things like Mac-n-cheese. Pasta. Rice. Dry beans. Look for sales like 10 for 10 (e.g. 10 jars of pasta sauce for 10 dollars) or any such sale of cheap foods. These items will eventually fill your cupboards and there will be food available for emergencies or whatever else.
Your turn… Put yourself in the shoes of someone who may be poor… Any ideas of particular foods that are typically ‘cheap’ that one might buy to go towards a food storage? Any other ideas or suggestions in this regard?
Grow and can a garden. You can find people willing to give away canning jars. We have over 400 and almost all were free.
Take your monthly food money to Costco where you can get more for less. Now take the “extra” food that the same amount of money bought and stash it away. I’ve got in this habit and it took me 9 months to build up 3 months of food for the same amount that I usually spend at the grocery store.
Check out a Sam’s club for obvious attempts to confuse the whole ‘unit price’ thing.
I checked out of Scam’s club after working there. They treat the employees terrible: no O.T., writeups for working 1 minute over shift, salary caps, no more sunday bonus pay and on and on. I do not support ultra rich companys who treat their employees like problems.
Both of these places will not let you shop there unless you have bought a membership card which is very expensive
Beware of the “buy 10 for 10” it isn’t always a cost saver! Bottom line is to make purchases that are smart, don’t go for all the gimmicks. After all, the store is trying to make as much of your money as possible!!!
“It is amazing how many people do not compare unit prices (or don’t know how) when choosing a particular food! In most every grocery store the unit price is printed right on the price tag at the shelf (price per ounce, per pound, etc..).” This is so true. Yesterday, when DS and I were out shopping at our local Safeway, I stopped in the nut aisle because hubby wanted some mixed nuts. We all eat those and were out and have yet to make the half hour trip into our nearest Costco to buy their Kirkland mixed, so I was at the mercy of our local Safeway. The Planter’s mixed can was something like $.97 a unit (!!!), while a bagged off-brand was $.37 a unit. I had to buy two of the bagged to go over the ounces in the Planter’s can, but it was still cheaper. I showed DS the unit price. He has always loved to shop in grocery stores and when he was a baby, I’d talk to him about the prices, etc. while he held on to a potato (his favorite “toy” in a store). He’s a grade-schooler now and even HE understands to look… Read more »
The local food bank I volunteer at will take food (canned and dried goods) up to 6 months expired except for baby food and baked goods. People need to understand that just because an item is expired doesn’t mean it is harmful or not any good any more. The only time you have to worry about canned items being bad is if there is leakage or serious damage to the can (large dents or holes). I hope this will help some people get over their fear and still use cans and dried food up to 6 months past their expiration date.
Here’s a little more info on that subject,
Use-by, Best-by, and Sell-by Food Expiration Dates
Some will not like this but here goes….. people have more money then they think they have. The problem they have is , they don’t want to spend the money on things that it should be spent on. Instead they waste money ie. eating out, shopping at the mall, going to the movies, jewelry, cars…….
We use to feel sorry for most of these people, but not anymore. Sit outside a food pantry and watch the cars they drive up in, look at the shoes and cloths they have on. You will be instantly cured.
Elton John was right–“Times are changin’ now the poor get fat…”
That is not always the case. I am a single mom of 5, who left an alcoholic and became disabled a year ago after working since age 15. I bring in only $1000 a month. So yeah, it isn’t always those who are to lazy to try that can’t afford it
No, but it’s usually relatively simple to tell the difference. The one who comes to the food pantry in a Mercedes wearing $500 shoes…needs a severe haircut.
Are you sure it’s THEIR Mercedes and that the shoes were not secondhand? I get rides from friends/coworkers etc. all the time since I don’t have a car, when I had one job I had, my coworkers kept offering me rides in their expensive cars and my neighbors thought I was a lady of the evening. And I buy a lot of items secondhand if they will still be durable since they are better quality- I used to have an expensive pair of a “comfort” brand of shoes that I bought on ebay that normally cost $200 but I paid $30 because someone bought them and they didn’t fit right.
Agree with you! I am a single mom of 4, college degree, disabled now left a domestic violence situation. I don’t have cable, Internet, etc. Yes my kids look good but that’s because I know how to shop thrift stores. I use the pantries and it’s insulting when people assume that we all must be wasting our money on other things. Don’t judge all by a few.
I am a disabled female senior citizen. I am also a vet. I make 700 dollars a month. The last two days I have eaten a can of peas one day and had 4 pieces of dry bread toasted the next. I drank water to help to feel hungry. I called the food pantry at the church where I was told that if I had any income or got food stamps (I get 60 dollars), that I wasn’t allowed to come there to get good. I finally had to swallow my pride and go ask a neighbor for some type of food.
I understand where you are coming from. There has been some really nice cars come up the some of the pantries. My friend had a pantry in Colorado. I asked her one day how she gave people stuff that didn’t seem to need it. Her response was, “It’s my job to give to those who ask for help. God will deal with the rest.”
OK, we use COUPONS. Yeah, we do, and we save HUNDREDS of dollars monthly. Wife uses a baseball card display book to hold them, and between the coupons and “price-matching” at (dare I say it?) WalMart, we do rather well in replenishing and acquiring supplies. We get 5 Sunday papers, (with the coupons) for $20.00 per month and routinely have cut our grocery/Preps food budget in half. There are BILLIONS of dollars left on the table each year from people NOT using coupons, so why not? No it IS NOT time consuming, takes less than ONE HOUR per week cutting and sorting coupons the RIGHT WAY. It’s like getting paid to shop, and NO, we don’t do it the “Extreme Couponing” television show way either. We only get what we NORMALLY eat, and store what we normally eat. That wy, nothing goes to waste. Check your local papers and see IF they offer come kind of “Penny-Pincher” Sunday delivery special, chances are good that they do.We make a list and stick to it, we don’t fall prey to those marketing gimmicks (HOOKS) all grocery stores use to chum you into buying the higher profit per item “special”. There are some… Read more »
I would really like to learn about coupling
Are you sure you didn’t mean “couponing”?
mmm Eric maybe he did mean couponing..
however
coupling sounds like more fun, could save money too
two in the shower, saves water
two in the bed, saves heat
two at the table, someone to eat your leftovers
two in the car, can use that special lane
etc..
grin
I meant c o u p o n i n g but the computer doesn’t recognize it as a word so it changed it to coupling.
HAHAHA, Gata love it, seems around here one cant get away with anything out of the norm…. LOLOL
I’m with Anon on the coupling idea…. HAHAHAHAHAHA
Tea for two and two for tea as the song goes…..
NRP
I think there is a website for that. Ha Ha
Throughout the years we experienced various levels of poor. The worst was when there was literally $5 to $10 each week for groceries. That was usually enough to get 5 gallons of milk. Other times we had more. During those times, I would scour the grocery store ads, then match up coupons with the sale items. This is a very time consuming activity. I worked two jobs at that time, one full time and one part time. I was lucky enough to work a third shift job where all I had to do was to sit there to keep an eye on things. So I would spend about 30 hours on the job cutting and sorting coupons. Then scour the ads, make a list then match the coupons to the items. I would usually go to 3 different stores. I had been known to walk out of the store with 4 full bags for as little as $5. Also get in the habit of checking the damaged, dented racks. You can use your coupons on those items as well. Some stores even have deli scraps and ends that they will bundle into mixed packages for a low price. Find out… Read more »
have to agree , ten for ten, and Costco are not always cheaper. at Costco they sometimes have great deals on their “coupon” sales, and I have found great ones there, on occasion.
-check for SUPER cheap Managers specials (product not selling in store, so they reduce it to get rid of it)
-check for the loss leaders that the store advertises super cheap…often these will be out of stock when you get there, but usually they will give you a rain check. If you ask for/get a rain check, ask if you can get a dozen…usually they will say yes.
-if someone offers you something they can not use/ do not like, make it automatic to say “Yes, Thank you”. You may not like a particular brand, but throw in enough pepper, all good
-learn to make homemade beans, from scratch, and do so once a week. Freeze (or can) half each time. Do not cook anything else until beans are gone. Supplement each meal with whatever is in fridge.
Some people can’t eat the same thing everyday.
they have to differently everyday.
such as diabetics.
The people I have met that complain they are too poor to add extra food to storage are the same ones smoking a $9 pack of cigarettes daily and drinking $4 cups of fancy coffee.
I have added to my preps monthly (if not weekly) for the past several years and many times with less than $20. When you are stocking up on high protein foods like chili, tuna, sardines, etc. you can get great deals (dollar or less a can). Before you know it you have a month, 2 months, 3 months stored up.
It isn’t being “poor” it is usually poor habits and lack of willpower.
Try some of the “generic” canned foods , buy one and sample it if it not too bad go back and pick up more , also some sporting goods stores sell freeze dried packs of food individually , you can stock up on these every paycheck , as for a short term food ,
Ken has had an article or two about Coast Guard emergency food bars.
Food Storage (Datrex Food Bar)
Emergency Food Bars
You can order these over the Internet . There is a local store that sells generic type basic canned soups for .50 cents a can , there are other type canned foods that go for .89 cents a can such as chili , chicken and dumplings , canned ham , I even get tuna for .59 cents a can , canned chicken for the same price , I have already made recipes using these products , you can build a food storage it might not be something like what would be in a 4 star restaurant but it will keep you alive . Be prepared and ready . Keep your powder dry .
Also there is all anyone needs to live on in rice and beans , sometimes you can get them cheap , at the same store listed above , red beans are .75 cents for a 1 lb bag , rice goes for.49 cents for a 1lb bag , n this day and time these prices are not too bad . At one of the big box stores their canned fruit under the store brand is .99 cents for a 15 oz can still not bad . With one bag of beans and one bag of rice I add the small can of ham makes a good meal the only other things needed is tobasco sauce or Tony Chaceres seasoning . Then you have a taste of the south . BPAR. KYPD.
I forgot to mention that some of the large companies like hostess would pull their own stock when it was close to expiration. Then they take it to their own thrift shop where they sell it at reduced rates, usually 50% off. Then when it is expired, they would sell it as animal feed. My daughter and her husband would go and buy it then. The only draw back was you had to buy a full rack which was $15. It would fill their pick-up truck full. You couldn’t pick what you wanted but you got such an assortment, it didn’t matter. They got tons of bread, rolls, donuts, snack cakes, english muffins, and other assorted items I can’t remember. They would come to our house where we would take some, then they would also stop at several other relatives houses. Occasionally you would come across something that had mold, but considering the amount of food you brought back, it is not a big deal. Then after all the good stuff was taken, they would feed the rest to the chickens.
Some stores run weekly BOGO (buy one get one ) specials on various items.
This is a good way to stock up on items you would normally buy.
Also, keep an eye on the sale goodies, to see if the store might have pads of manufacture’s coupons for said product.
for example..
while back, a store had brand name soups on for fifty cents. on top of the stacks of cases of this soup, were pads of manufacture coupons. Coupon was “buy in bunches of 4 cans, get one dollar off”. One of the stores we went to let us buy a couple of cases like this, using one coupon for every 4 cans. Another location only let us buy one bunch of 4. Went back to first store and got more cases, using coupon. .25 cents a can for brand name soup is darn good deal.
Find your local Aldi’s. It is nearly all their store brand but usually very high quality and vastly cheaper than national brands.
At Aldi,one 12.5 can of Brookdale chicken is $1.61, compared to $2.41 of Walmart generic brand canned chicken. One can of condensed Aldi brand chicken noodle soup is .51 cents compared to .90 cents of Walmart generic brand chicken. Now add some rice or noodles to the aformentioned combination and you have an excellent inexpensive meal. Aldi’s everyday prices is far cheaper than any generic store brand w/o coupon and name brand using coupons, and the quality is equal to name brand.
True, but you’d save even more $$$ by buying the whole chicken from Aldi and cooking it up. It’s cheaper per pound than what you’re spending on the canned chicken or chicken soup. You get a meat meal out of it, and then you can pick the extra chicken off to make a casserole or add to a salad, etc.–and then you take the bones/skin and dump them in a pot with water and seasoning (and if you have veggie scraps from carrots, onions, etc. you can toss them in there too for extra vitamins) and you can make broth–just dump it through a strainer after you’re done boiling it for about 30 minutes. Three meals out of a whole Aldi chicken that costs less than $5.
We save so much money shopping at Aldi’s. Haven’t had anything from them that is not equal to “name” brand products. They also have clearance/close out sections. We also are blessed with a couple of grocery outlets where you can buy “close to expiration” or out of date canned goods, flours, produce, etc. A great resource to stretch the dollars, and add to preps. We try to go regularly because you never know what you will find. The other week, we scored cornmeal and flour for .25 cents a bag! Bring home to freeze, then store. Also, the dollar general stores have a pretty good clearance section where you can pick things up cheaper than usual. Overall in our area we are very blessed to have such great resources.
We usually make 1 large purchase of food a month at either BJ’S or Sam’s Club. I find you can save a lot in canned foods when you purchase by the case. Not always but you usually save a few pennies here and there. During the rest of the month I focus on BOGOS and sometimes $10 for 10 but you need to be aware of the competitors prices. Like TP said use coupons and do a price match with the big W. (Walmart) It can be a pain and take some time but you will save money. We do it a when the deals are there. We have Aldi, Save a lot and Big lots by me where you can get some decent deals. Just remember the quality of the foods may not be as good. We have some canned foods we bought at save a lot for like .70 but they don’t taste as good. We usually mix them with a name brand and you can’t taste the difference. Bottom line is you can stock your pantry and preps for very little money if you are a smart shopper. Also remember when TSHF and your really hungry anything… Read more »
If you buy canned beans and don’t like sugar read the ingredients. You will find it in red beans in most brands that are cheaper. Do they add sugar due to an inferior bean?
Avoid canned soups with ‘noodles’ in them. Those aren’t really noodles. Make your own soup from homemade broth (If you aren’t doing it already, make broths. Use bones and vegetable ends. Instead of throwing the cabbage heart into the compost, use it in your broth) and use dry pasta instead of canned.
Forage for wild food like lambs quarter (pigweed), purslane, nettle, but make sure it is what you think it is and never from alongside roads or tracks that are laced with highly potent defoliating agents.
Go fishing. Be creative in using leftovers. Search archive.org for old cookbooks. Buy raw ingredients, not prepared entrees. Farmers’ markets almost always have damaged goods that they will give away. Orchards will often let you pick up the fallen apples for free. Stock up on Spam@ at any price.
Have spent the last 5 years learning all of the “wild” edibles in our area, and eat them as often as we can. Amazing what you will find growing if you stop cutting all the grass!
This may seem obvious, but many lower-income members of our family just don’t get it. They stock no basic groceries like beans, pasta or canned veggies. Then, they run out for fast food most nights for dinner, because there is nothing at home to cook.
That is a big waste, and I have hurt some feelings letting them know how foolish I think they are with money, especially when they have asked for help and I inquire about their spending habits. Still, we never let them starve.
Be smart with what you have. Live within your means. Give to others.
God blesses a cheerful giver.
Hand them a bag-o-dried beans and a bag-o-rice 🙂
As others have said most people who are “broke” usually have horrible budgets….smokes, beer, weed, Netflix, Hulu, TV, gym membership that never gets used, drive thru, fancy coffees, fancy clothes, credit card problems, lottery tickets etc etc.
We all get the idea, I am not ragging on anybody or any of this stuff above. Just making the same point as others, there is usually a lot of belt tightening that can squeeze an extra $20 bucks a month out of a budget for a 50lb sack or rice from Cash N Carry.
One thing that is amazing this time of year is gleaning. Just picked 2 5 gallon buckets of Italian plums that the neighbor next to my moms place wasn’t gonna use. Gonna be running the dehydrator for the next few days. Just make sure to ask permission.
I wonder how much food in the U.S. is wasted because no one bothers to glean anymore. When I was a kid my parents made us glean onion and potato fields after the farmers were done with harvest. I always ask people if I can have some of the fruit from their trees, they can always say no, but it’s amazing how many say yes. I dry and can it all. You can’t imagine how many blackberries in the Seattle area are never picked, and they’re free just sitting along almost every road there. Some Vietnamese women showed me how to glean the wild greens. Great information! People who don’t have need to bother to learn how to have and put out some effort.
Cook and bake at home AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE – avoid boxed foods such as hamburger helper – etc… buy frozen veggies, and canned foods if you can’t grow a garden big enough to support your family for a year. Buy flower, yeast etc to make your own bread – its cost is hardly anything. stay at home and play some type of game — family games, board games, puzzles, cards, etc… it saves on cash… learn how to do things at home – wood working… anything… raise dual purpose chickens and raise rabbits. go berry/fruit picking… search the old back roads for blackberry bushes (when in season) have no fear – knock on a door where the nearest fruit tree is, and ask if you can pick/keep some of the apples – since they are falling off the tree going to waste – take them home, learn to make stuff with said fruit – apple butter, jam, jelly, canning etc. store up all the foraged food – if possible. there is a TON of stuff you can do to save on cash. If you’re broke – learn what grows easily in your zone. You can use food stamps (what… Read more »
The pepper plants,2 or 3, if planted,deep,in a cut off 5 gal bucket (cut 3-5 inches off top, drain holes in bottom) fertlized will grow peppers ALL winter long. Keep them in a window to get morning sun and water adequately. I put mine in a 3″deep ‘found’ lid to an old camp potty..to…water without leaks. Don’t transplant back to garden too early, they won’t tolerate cold snaps well after hanging out all winter in a cozy window.
I’m always amazed at how many people have only a couple of days worth of food at home! They also don’t know how or want to know how to cook from scratch. Learning to can is probably the most economical way to build a pantry. Watch for jars cheap or on craigs list and build a supply. I buy canning lids in bulk from Lehman’s. At the end of the month take whatever money you have left, even it’s only a couple of dollars and buy something to put away. Do it evey month. You will be amazed how much you can aquire especially if you make a game of it. Always try to think about not having any food and how that would feel. Remember folks, everyone is only 9 meals away from anarchy!!
Grow something, and dry/can or freeze it.
Garlic – if garlic does not grow to decent sized bulbs for you, leave the scapes (long green ends) go until they have what appears to be flowers on end…These are edible garlic bulbils. Tasty and nutritious. Easy to freeze on a cookie sheet, then bag.
Chives will regrow easily all by themselves.
etc..
Many herbs will grow indoors in smallish pots. Harvest regularly, freeze/dry.
etc.
I planted sage 3 yrs ago & it’s still growing. planted mint last yr & yes it is growing & spreading everywhere. I’ve never shopped at Aldi, usually walmart & grocery store, Food Lion & Harris teeter. Am made fun of by neighbor because I do the BOGO free thing. also around thanksgiving i do the buy 2 get 3 free with the canned veggies. discovered that 1 grocery store marks meat down on Tuesdays & now has a managers special on the meat also.
Have cut back on soft drinks & make tea.I have also learned how to cook 1 potters from Rachael Ray. Oatmeal goes a long way too.
back to garden-i usually grow the small salad tomatoes & okra. always cucumbers,can always pickle them. And use the tomatoes for tomato soup, tomato sauce & in vegetable soup. those are easy to make. Hope this helps
I have found that grocery stores often have a “clearance rack” with usually a couple of shelves with their clearance items on it.
Again, Another, As-Always a good article, and GREAT comments, Thank you all. I have been (a few times) on the “poor” end of the spectrum, having been so is one of the reasons I have actually been a prepper for a very long time (even before “prepper” was a word I guess). With this new concern of world events I (like many of us) have kicked the preps in high gear to “finish off” what we feel is needed. Everyone has a lot of very good suggestions on how/where to shop, and how to “cut back” expenses. So I’m not going to go into a list of how/where/when/why. I would like to add for those that want to get a better bang for their buck is to find a restaurant owner (friend) and see if they would sell you the supplies they get at their cost. I have such a friend and can order anything at his cost (basically wholesale). I also buy directly from some local farms things like beans (8 different varieties) by the 100 pound sack, dried corn and wheat again in 100# sacks, very cheap that way. The list goes on with ways to save, but… Read more »
I have observed the same thing as Sgt Bill in that many “poor people” are those that have many vices that are expensive and they are not monitored or willing to cut back on. (How much of that pack of smokes is tax for the government?) It reminds me to keep my own vices in check to begin with. (1-2 alcoholic drinks per day, no tobacco products, moderate serving sizes and regular exercise) A relative of mine that is part of the tech world of silicon valley in San Jose used to joke that there were 2 signs that you are making too much money in the Silicon Valley: 1. Having a mistress and 2. Having a cocaine habit. (God’s way of telling you that you have too much money- but not for long.) My staples in the lean years were rice, beans and pasta purchased and stored in bulk. I had a small garden when I could or go to the community garden to help or work for food. Much of the meat in the freezer was from hunting or “turkey shoots” in November/”ham shoots” in the Spring around Easter) My “vacation” would be to go to a big… Read more »
P.S. : To NRP : I thought your rant was pretty funny.
To Youngest of 3: It sounds like you’ve got it down pretty well.
To Ken: I like these type of topics because of the ideas and suggestions generated by the people that contribute or respond. Thank you once again.
Thanks Cali, I had to tone it wayyyyyyy down HAHAHAHA
Yep. I’ve been fishing etc, foraging, canning, growing food etc all my life. Its a WAY of life actually. I teach the neighborhood kids all about gardening. Their favorite food? “Spaghetti Leaves” (Oregano)
They are permitted to eat as much as they want. Oregano is so wonderful for you. I’m glad they are interested. Passing along info to young ones is very important.
Safeway had Yukon Gold potatoes for 3.95 for 5 lbs. Local Cash and Carry restaurant supply store (open to the public) had Yukon Gold for 10.95 for 50 lbs.! Their 35 bags of Domino sugar were $3.00 more than at Costco. Dollar store frequently has 20 oz. packages of pasta for a dollar. As an aside I like Krustez pancake mix. The bag I’m currently eating out of was purchased 5 years ago. It tastes fine. It seems food never goes down in price but the amount of food in the package does go down.
@Me, oooh I love the Krustez pancake mix, and the best thing about it, is that you only need to add water. Many years ago I used to stock cake mix, cookie mix, biscuit mix, and a couple of others. Then when times were lean and I pulled them out to use, I found that I needed to add eggs, oil, milk, or some other ingredient. Of course I always seemed to be out of the one thing I needed to add to the mix. So today, I only store mixes that require water. Luckily the Krustez pancake mix is one of the items.
Dittos on the Krustez Pancake Mix. it’s cheep (@ $7.42 per 10# bag @ Wally World) and will keep for 5000 years in Mylar.
NRP
4 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c baking powder
1 egg per cup of mix, 2 T oil per cup of mix, milk to your desired consistency.
Oops on the sugar, should have said 25 bags. Went to the dollar store looking to pick up a few more cans of the smoked mussels. Alas, they were out. I did find some more pasta only this time they were in 24 oz. bags. I bought 2 bags which works out to about 67 cents a pound. A couple of years ago I tried some 12 year old spaghetti. It tasted a little different but was entirely edible. Question for the group. I don’t have much flour and just bought 50 lbs. My question is how should I store this. I have some 5 gallon bags and wonder if I try sealing them with my vacuum seal a meal will I suck flour into the machine or should I try just expelling the air by hand and then sealing them? Last question, should I put oxygen absorbers in the bags? I’m concerned about botulism which grows better in a low oxygen environment, seems oxygen absorbers would increase that risk.
Oxygen absorbents in the mylar bag. If you are so inclined – put said bags into buckets with good lids. Store flour in 70 degree F. Temps or less. Air high humidity and heat kills food longevity. So, cool, air tight, dark, and dry.
Put the flour in the freezer for a couple days to kill any bugs.I store flour in food grade 5 gallon bags that I put in 5 gallon buckets.I put in 6 1 gallon oxygen packets down in the flour per 5 gallon bucket.l twist the bag top with a bag tie.Make sure you use a lid with the gasket.I buy mine at the paint store.make sure you seat the top completely.I use a piece of 2×4 and a rubber mallet to seat the tops.Your flour will last a very long time as long as you keep it in a cool dry place.All other food like rice, beans,pasta,corn I do the same way except I gas the buckets first to push out the oxygen prior to sealing up the buckets.That’s why it’s important to use good tops with a gasket if you want your food storage to last.I had a rice bucket from 2003 split when I dropped it.The rice tasted like I bought it a week ago.It had been stored over 10 years,( yes,I have a lot of rice… ) Point is,do it right.I have seen way too much food spoiled by not being stored properly…
I transfer the flour to food saver bags, 5lbs at a time. As long as you allow plenty of room you can vacuum the air out with no problem. Occasionally some flour gets sucked up, but it doesn’t seem to hurt the food savor unit. Then I put the sealed bags into the freezer for 48 hours (sometimes a week). Then I pull them and store them on a shelf in my basement. I prefer to seal 5 pounds at a time, this way I don’t have too much open at one time, as I have found that occasionally bugs get into things after I open them. So the less I have open, the less likely things will get buggy. I have never used oxygen absorbers, and have never had a problem with off flavor.
I stopped using 5 gallon buckets for flour when I opened one and found it full of bugs, and I had to dump the whole thing. I’m still not sure to this day how they got in there. By storing smaller packages, I’m not putting all my eggs into one basket so to speak.
Family just finished eating the last of the “Y2K” rice. Just goes to show how long things DO last. Tasted great!
Thanks for the input folks. VERY useful and I appreciate it!
Pnut, the bugs are already in there! Freeze first to kill the larva, then store!
When I was broke, I got a restaurant job, free soup and rolls for employees, took my employee meal home for husband and I for dinner. After the all you can eat spaghetti night, take the left over noodles and fry up with butter pats and smashed saltines, makes a delish meal. And saves all of your paycheck for rent, electricity ect.. Also there are a lot if greens growing free for the taking, you just need to identify, harvest and cook/dry! Have a lovely day and stay safe!
I don’t understand why more of our lower income people don’t can food. I can get lots of free apples and make tons of applesauce every year. Towns like Issaquah, Washington have free apples growing inside the town, free to the public, yet every year I see apple rotting on the ground instead of being picked and canned. Many of my friends won’t can, yet complain about food prices all the time. Can stuff when it is on sale and save money.
@ justjane I felt it necessary to actually answer your “I don’t understand”, 1) IMHO I feel that the general public has gotten very, no extremely lazy. In my small town of around 50K there are 8 new restaurants in the past 5 months. Most are “fast food”/”drive through”. And most are, as I like to say, “crapo” foods. 2) The “government” is giving away everything people need to live, Free housing, Free medical, Free food, Free transportation, Free phones, Free Free Free everything. So why would people need to work at anything? If the people are 100% dependent on the government, it makes it a LOT easier to control them. 3) Again IMHO I believe there is a HUGE push to lessen the health of the people of the US. Think about this for a second, if someone works from the age of 18 to the age of 66 that person will pay Taxes/SS/Medicare for about 48 years. Now if that person retires for another 20 years think about how much money the “government” will have to pay that person back in SS and Medicare payments. If the health of can be reduced and people pass sooner, that more… Read more »
Funny how you consider 50K as a small town. In my area people call that a big city.
It’s a combination of ignorance and start-up costs. Most people don’t realize you don’t need the big fancy pressure canner and a water-bath canner with a full set of tools. Water-bath can be done in any pot deep enough to cover the jars with an inch of water. Most kitchens have some kind of tongs that can be used, and a metal pie plate will keep the jars off the bottom of the pan. Save the money not used on groceries (put it away every time you open a bottle) and in a year you’ll probably have enough to buy the equipment.
Canning takes a long time & know how. My grandmother taught me how to can.
I enjoy it, especially apple butter & vegetable soup.People just won’t take the time.
It must be nice to live in an area with surplus fruit. We have a few pear tres,(not ready yet)and some persimmon, (not ready yet) but the apple did not survive a storm a couple years back and the replacer has not begun bearing. we have sugar plums, but the frost hit them this year, If you have plenty fruit, be thankful and put away as much as you can…fruit is not laying around on the ground in every community.
Get a part-time job in a food retail store and keep an eye open for discarded items.
i have been doing this for sometime on a limited so-so security income..and what ever under the table work I can get..I trade work for rent..It is possible to live on about 1500 a month and eat well and by extra every month..I am in a pretty good situation….about a year ago we had almost nothing extra other than some food storage items ..we gradually built it up by always buying some extra every month so it can be done..
I live in an area where there are a lot of produce warehouses at certain time of year I can get cases of produce for sometime next to nothing do some canning..I also make broth at this time I freeze it but I am going to get a pressure canner for obvious reasons.
It helps to take advantage of food giveaways too. To keep your pantry stocked It is not being cheap or greedy. When you are poor. You use all your resources
frogman31
it is not cheap or greedy….
it is good common sense..
and
furthermore, a lot of folks, even if they seem like they need it, will not touch/accept/purchase food that is given away, or food that is on deep discount. I have seen countless situations where food was marked down nearly to nothing, and folks would stop and snear and walk on by. Sometimes I have bought from these deep discounts, taking modest amounts, figuring I should “share the benefit”. Then gone back a number of times at days or week interval, only to find it mostly still there.
A good way to make decent meals out of cheaper ingredients (such as beans, rice, cabbage, onions, carrots, lentils, chickpeas, etc.) is to get a hold of ethnic cookbooks (or surf the web for recipes). For instance, pierogies (a Polish food) is just a homemade type of ravioli with a stuffing made of mashed potatoes or sauerkraut or other fillings. Chickpeas are in lots of yummy middle eastern recipes like hummus. Cheap foods don’t have to be boring if you find some decent recipes. Ethiopian food can be made cheaply. Russian food. Actually, just think of cultures that were historically a bit hard off and you’ll find low cost recipes.
I was on food stamps and section 8 housing and worked my way off. I routinely purchased at bulk and discount stores. I cooked at home and in my neighborhood was know for cooking for children who routinely stayed with us when their parents had problems. If you focus on using all your assets wisely you can live well. We were never hungry on food stamps and routinely had a surplus at the end of the month. I dressed us well from thrift shops. I refinished furniture. I drove my car for years after it was paid off and bought only a used bigger vehicle when my family size increased.
I now own my own home and am adopting and my children are the best dressed kids. I get many of the expensive brands on discount from Costco and outlet shop. I regularly give away food to family. And I live well.
Thanks for sharing Tamala R., that is very inspiring.
God bless your heart for the way you kindly care for others.
Prayers that the adoption process goes very well…
Congrats for getting off, and for adapting to you situation. Frugality and common sense are good attributes that too few people posses…