More people are thinking about food storage than ever before. People are actually investing in a variety of emergency preparedness avenues, primarily motivated by religious leaders, political beliefs, or a sense that the economic or global climate will eventually boil over and cause serious problems.
Still others take a more casual approach to emergency preparedness, acquiring supplies with a “just in case” kind of attitude and planning for unexpected job losses or medical emergencies that could make funds a little tight.
No matter the reasoning for each individual, the storage of emergency food supplies is an important first step towards self-reliance and personal preparedness, and it’s an increasingly popular trend in the United States.
A number of families who wish to secure a supply of food storage find that the cost of doing so is intimidating or even prohibitive. However, there are several options to consider that can make this task much more manageable. Food storage items can fit into the average family’s budget quite easily, provided that the family plans accordingly and is willing to build its supply steadily over time. The following paragraphs will outline the average family’s needed expenditure on food storage, the essentials of a strong food storage supply, and the benefits of focusing on this aspect of emergency preparedness.
In April 2009, the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released some data that provides insight into how families in the United States spend their annual paychecks. For the purposes of this survey, the population was divided into “consumer units.” On average, each consumer unit includes 2.5 people and 1.3 wage earners, more or less being equal to the average U.S. household (Visual Economics 2009). According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the pre-tax income of the average consumer unit is $63,091. The average annual expenditure of each consumer unit is $49,638. A consumer unit spends $6,133 each year on food, approximately 12.4% of the money spent by the unit throughout the year. This represents an average of $511 spent each month on food. In comparison to the money spent on food under normal circumstances, the cost of food storage is actually very reasonable. Though these foods have longer shelf lives than the items available in restaurants or at the grocery store, the price is kept competitive.
Robert Wayne Atkins, an engineer, lecturer, and instructor in the southeast U.S., has been tracking the cost of food storage since 2008. According to his most recent estimates (calculated in May 2010), a year’s supply of emergency food for one adult totals $1,719, or approximately $143.25 per month. Multiplied by 2.5 (the number of people in the average consumer unit), this amounts to $358.13 per month. Atkins’ calculations are based on a more-than-sufficient diet of 3,000 calories per person per day, and the cost is still 30% less than the amount spent on food under typical circumstances, showing that food storage is often more economical than our traditional eating habits. While these numbers are based on a family size of 2.5, the same kind of comparisons will hold true for families of all sizes.
The struggle, of course, is that one needs to continue buying food for the present as he/she is also investing in food for the future. It’s not as though today’s needs can be postponed, but neither can next year’s needs be ignored or forgotten. Fortunately, there are many helpful tools at your disposal, designed to help with budgeting and finding the best possible deals on the foods your family loves. Spending just a bit less on groceries each month leaves you with some funds to put toward food storage.
As with most endeavors in life, it’s best to start small with food storage and gather the essentials. Truth be told, the average family can make a variety of healthy meals with a very basic supply of food, including homemade bread, beans, potatoes, spices, sugar and honey, whole grains, and some dried fruit. Begin there, accumulating enough for a month, then three months, then six, working up to a year and beyond. Once you begin to feel more secure with the items you’ve accumulated, you can start to add additional treats that will liven up your menu and make meals familiar and comforting. Drink mixes, freeze dried berries, and easy desserts should do the trick.
It’s vital that the food you store be appealing to you and your family; the stress or trauma of events leading up to the exclusive use of food storage can be quite intense, and your clan will benefit from having a smooth transition into this new way of life. That transition can be much less jarring if you have access to foods you like and know how to work with. To this end, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the foods you’re storing by rotating them into your regular meals. Try replacing fresh ingredients with dried items found in your food storage, learning how they taste and react in your recipes. Try grinding your wheat into flour, then use it for breads and cakes. The more comfortable you are with these products, the more prepared you’ll be for the potentially tough times in life. Additionally, making your own recipes from scratch will save you money, allowing you to funnel those extra dollars toward food storage or other family goals.
Preparing a food storage supply can be intimidating, overwhelming, and confusing – if you allow it to be. It can also be comforting, reassuring, empowering, and simple if viewed as a gradual process. Take one step at a time, remembering that the money you spend is buying security and peace of mind in the long run, keeping you and your loved ones healthy in the event of a disaster or a small bump in the road. Your budget can handle this change, and so can you.
Sources:
- “How The Average U.S. Consumer Spends Their Paycheck.” April, 2009. http://www.visualeconomics.com/how-the-average-us-consumer-spends-their-paycheck/ (accessed May 11, 2010).
- Atkins, Robert W. “One-Year Emergency Food Supply by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E..” May 1, 2010. http://www.grandpappy.info/hfood1yr.htm (accessed May 11, 2010).
About the Author:
Chris Bennett is a marketing director for Shelf Reliance. Shelf Reliance is a company that specializes in food storage, emergency kits and emergency preparedness products. The company’s goal is to help families prepare for whatever tomorrow may bring, so they feel confident if disaster strikes. Shelf Reliance believes in educating people so they can become self-reliant.
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