Today, especially in these tough economic times, it is common for people to put aside some money in case of an emergency.  Why then, do we not save food as well?  It makes sense to save money because we believe that money will buy us everything we need.  What are we to do when we have the money but there is no food for us to buy?  This is why I propose everybody should begin to prepare a food storage.

Tambora 1915

In 1815 Mount Tambora, a large volcano in Indonesia erupted.  It was the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history; it left more than 92,000 dead.  The ash and debris went into the atmosphere causing an overall cooling of the earth.  Temperatures were lowered as much as 3°C.  The change in temperature created “The Year Without a Summer.”

In 1816, the temperature of the earth changed the growing seasons making it nearly impossible for anybody to grow crops.  This caused a yearlong famine that made it difficult for people to find food.  Many people ended up moving to different places because their crops weren’t growing because of the all year frosts.  Had these people had a food storage, they would have been able to go that year without their crops.  They also would have been able to provide food for the other people in their area.  Food storage will be there when money can no longer buy what is needed.

Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park has a volcano that could erupt at any time.  If this volcano were to erupt, it would be disastrous in North America and could affect the entire earth.  The effects of the Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere might have the same effect that the eruption of Mount Tambora had in 1815.  If this were to happen, it would be essential to have a food storage.  Those who have prepared for this event might have food storage saved that they could use to help themselves as well as the people in their community to survive another year of little crop success.  Adequate food storage could save hundreds of people’s lives.

How do I start a food storage?

Where will your storage be?

People may read this article and wonder how exactly they are to come up with food storage.  Should you take out a payday loan and run down to buy a couple of months supply of food? I would not recommend this. I propose taking a small amount of a monthly budget and dedicating that money towards food storage.  Consider having a place to store the extra food.

Make a goal

Are you planning a one week, one month or one year supply? Next, if you have any kind of food that you have stored, make a list of everything in your food storage, when it expires, and what is still needed for the food storage goal that you are setting.  There are lists online of items that belong in appropriate food storages.  This can be extremely helpful to those who have never done anything involving food storage.

Saving money with the economy as it is might be a beneficial thing, but saving food would likely be more beneficial than that.  When referring to things people need for survival, food is the most basic item listed.  Although people may believe that they will always be able to buy food, that is often times not the case.  This makes it crucial to have a food storage.

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Planning your meals provides more benefits than you may realize.

In the first part of the payday loans money blog post entitled “Grocery Shopping for Big Savings” we discussed buying in bulk, buying food for your household once a month, adequate food storage and comparison shopping.

In part II, we will discus the advantages of planning meals around cheaper staples as well as the benefits of joining a local food co-op if available in your area.

Planning Meals Around Cheaper Staples

Saving money on groceries by buying cheaper foods doesn’t mean that you have to live on a Third World diet. With careful planning and a little research, you can buy cheaper foods and make better dishes.

Here are some good examples of these types of foods and the dishes they can make:

Egg noodles

• Tuna casserole
• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Fettuccine

Pasta

• Traditional Pasta
• Baked Pasta Parmesan
• Lasagna
• Macaroni and Cheese

Rice

• Stir fry
• Fried Rice
• Spanish Rice
• Rice Pudding
• Chicken Rice
• Chicken and Rice Soup
• Rice Pilaf
• Spicy Beef And Rice

Beans

• Bean Burritos
• Baked Beans
• Bean Soup
• Boston Baked Beans
• Beans and Rice

Beans, rice, pasta and egg noodles are some of the cheapest foods you can buy, especially when buying in bulk. The above shows the variety of dishes you can make utilizing these staples, and don’ t they sound tasty?

A 25-pound bag of rice or egg noodles is cheap, and goes a long way in feeding you and your family. The more dishes you can create utilizing cheaper staples, the more extra cash you will save, and the less likely you will need a payday loans at the end of the month to cover expenses.

Joining A Food Co-op?

A Food Co-op has some wonderful advantages you can profit from, both financially and physically. A co-op is the combined efforts of a large group of people to buy consumer goods at discount prices.

Sometimes buying in bulk by yourself just isn’t a feasible option because you have difficulty coming up with the available funds to buy a month’s worth of groceries at one time.

With a food co-op you have the combined resources of multiple individuals working together to purchase food items in bulk. Often times deliveries will be made to your home once a week, saving you time and money at the store.

You will still need to carefully plan out your meals so you can put in an accurate order for goods that won’t leave you needing something until your next shipment.

Organic Food Co-ops

Food co-ops come in many varieties, so it will be primarily up to you to search your area to discover what the co-ops in your locale can provide for you.

The last few years have seen the popular emergence of organic food co-ops. These co-ops allow consumers to buy organic goods for prices equal to or less than the same goods available at retail grocery stores. The added advantage is that you are treating your body healthier by avoiding a lot of the chemicals and pesticides in store-bought produce.

Time Share Co-ops

For families, time share co-ops allow members to donate portions of their time in exchange for goods. This is especially valuable for parents who want to teach children the value of work or the simple fact that food doesn’t grow in the kitchen.

It takes hard work and money to fill the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets, so having the kids contribute a little time to the co-op and therefore the household, will help teach them a little bit about life as well as an appreciation for what they come to expect instead of earn.

Regardless of the type of food co-op you choose, joining one will allow you to save extra money each month that you can apply toward other financial matters such as an emergency fund for those unwelcome little surprises that pop up from time to time.

Good luck in your money-saving endeavors!

Posted courtesy of personalmoneystore.com, your payday loans source.

Buying groceries in bulk and shopping only once a month can pay big dividends.

When it comes to your personal finances, identifying where you can cut costs on your monthly bills can save you a lot of extra money as well as keep you from having to borrow a payday loans at the end of the month for the lack thereof.

Besides your home mortgage, there are few monthly expenses that will exceed that of the average family’s grocery bill. Their are a few strategies you can implement here to help you save the extra money which we know you can find a use for elsewhere.

Shopping For Savings

Shopping for savings is easy but requires a little effort and time for preparation but will pay big dividends for those who chose to do so. Here is a quick list of tips to get you started saving money on your grocery bill today.

Buying In Bulk

Buying in bulk is a common strategy used for saving extra cash in just about every category of consumer goods. Rarely however, do we implement the same strategy with our grocery bill. Most families pay a visit to the grocery store at least twice a week finding it easier to just shop for a few days at a time.

By sitting down and planning out meals a month in advance, you can go to your local wholesale depot and buy everything you need for the entire month with the exception of milk, on one grocery bill.

Planning ahead allows you to purchase larger containers and quantities of product which provides you savings benefits when shopping at many wholesale grocery suppliers.

When buying in bulk and shopping once a month, you also have the added benefit of saving the extra money on the gas and time it takes to go back and forth to and from the store each week.

When Buying in bulk make sure you have adequate cold storage space.

Finding Extra Food Storage

Buying in bulk may have it’s difficulties when it comes to food storage but believe it or not, you will find it much easier, more cost effective and well worth your while to clear out and designate an extra closet for pantry space if you have to.

Much depends on how you plan your meals for the month. You will want to be conscientious when it comes to refrigerated goods as you may be limited on cold storage place for vegetables, fruits, cheese and eggs unless you have an extra fridge in your basement or garage.

Freezer space may also be a factor so investing in a chest freezer may be well worth your while in the long run and will allow you to take advantage of periodic sales on meat and other freezer goods as they arise.

Comparison Shopping With Weekly Circulars

Like payday loans lenders, it pays to shop around for different providers.  Of all the wholesale food suppliers in your area, Costco is usually the most popular but often times you may find better deals elsewhere so be sure to do a little comparison shopping before settling on you place of choice. It may pay to shop at two or three places depending on the deals that you may find in your weekly circulars or sales adds that are delivered to your door on a weekly basis. If don’t get them delivered to your door they will be freely available at your local grocery store. Invest the time to compare prices between the different retail chains and take advantage of the deals that you find before you set out shopping on the big day.

Planning Ahead Saves On Impulse Buying

By planning ahead and creating a list you also save extra cash by avoiding impulse buying. Often time we go to the store hungry or without an idea of what we really need which usually results in buying things we don’t need as well as forgetting the things that we do. Shopping without a plan or without a list results in wasteful spending and extra trips to the store.

The tips above will help get you well on your way to saving money, saving time, and even eating a healthier and more balanced diet depending on the time that you invest into the process.

Stay tuned to the payday loans money blog for part II of Grocery Shopping For Big Savings.

Food Storage

I have to admit, I have pretty-much been coasting through the current economic crisis, taking out installment loans whenever necessary. Although my heart goes out to those people who are struggling, we personally hadn’t been one of those who had lost their homes, lost money in the stock market, or lost their jobs. But then, last week, the reality of all of it hit home.

First, although his job was safe, half of my husband’s company was laid off. That same day, my daughter’s husband lost his job and a close friend told me she had received a 60 day notice that her company would be closing and she would be out of work. Another friend, a real estate broker, had to close the doors on her business and she had to go to work as a receptionist in someone else’s office. Still another friend’s brother lost thousands of dollars just this week in the stock market and had to take out installment loans just to get by. To top things off, my daughter called and told me her husband’s company, Micron, is laying off 1500 employees by Christmas.

We Need to Prepare for an Emergency

We had a family meeting and decided that we need to set in place some safeguards and prepare, just in case things get worse before they get better. We also decided not to get installment loans to do this, rather do it in an economical fashion. But how do you prepare for the worst? We decided that our family would concentrate on the following four areas:

1. Build a Three-Month Supply of Food

Build a supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet. One way to do this is to purchase a few extra items each week. Store canned foods with high liquid content, dry mixes, and foods that do not require refrigeration, cooking, or water, as much as possible. (Note: Be sure to include a manual can opener.) First start building a one-week supply of food, then gradually increase your store of food until you have a three month supply. Be sure to rotate this food regularly to avoid spoilage.

2. Store Drinking Water

Store drinking water. If you go even one day without water, you can be suffering. You should store at least one gallon of water per person per day. A two week supply should be the minimum.

3. Live Within your Means and Build a Financial Reserve

It’s time to cut back. When you buy anything, decide if you really need to have it. Can you instead put that money into food or water to store or can you put it into a financial reserve? Save a little money each week.

4. Grow your friendships

When the crisis hits, nothing will be more important than how prepared you are and how strong your friendships are. If September 11, 2001 was the worst day in American history, September 12th surely was the best. September 12th, 2001, we saw more compassion in one day than any day any of us can remember. Churches filled up, neighbors said hi to one-another, families came together, we called everyone we loved just to say hi,we hugged strangers. Don’t wait for the big catastrophe; reconnect with each other now.

Don’t take out installment loans or go into debt to purchase your three-month supply of food, your drinking water or to build a financial reserve. But do what you can, as fast as you can. With these tips, if a crisis hits, you will at least have food, water, money and friends.