15 Reasons People Love Food Storage
In today’s society, food storage is a must. No one knows when disaster might strike, and being prepared is the best way to ensure that you and your family will be able to survive. There are many reasons why people love food storage, and here are just a few of them.
When Mark and I were first married, we built a few shelves to store what little food storage we could afford. At the time it seemed like a lot of food storage in our minds. I was lucky to have learned to make bread, and how to do some water bath canning of food we grew in our garden while growing up.
It wasn’t until we purchased a home on a 1/2 acre of land that our family grew most of the food we consumed each year. This was back in 1977 or so and I learned to pressure can food. We lived close to Utah State University had a state extension service available to test the pressure can gauges.
We lived close to so many orchards where we could pick fruit to bottle for the year. My girls still talk about snapping green beans and filling pints to pressure can them for the year. That large lot was where we got our first experience raising strawberries. The girls loved to help plant them, keep the weeds down, and then to pick a bunch for a dinner treat when they matured. We tried both June bearing and everbearing varieties over the years.
We always had bottles of pears, peaches, apricots, applesauce, and grape juice. It was a blessing to teach our girls how to garden and preserve our bounty.
15 Reasons People Love Food Storage
1. Be Prepared for Anything
Allows you to be prepared for anything, whether it’s a power outage, natural disaster, or just a busy week. Having food storage can give you peace of mind knowing that you and your family will be taken care of.
2. Saves Money
Saves money in the long run by buying food in bulk and taking advantage of sales and coupons. Plus, you’ll save money because you won’t be paying more for something you already have stored! If planned out and done right, having a quality garden that grows what your family likes to eat can also save some money.
3. Avoids Waste
Food storage can help avoid food waste by portioning out food and only taking what you need. This not only saves money, but it’s also better for the environment. Also, when you properly store food, you won’t have to worry about it being bad when you actually NEED to use it.
4. Natural Disasters
In the event of a natural disaster, food storage can be a lifesaver. It can help you weather any “storm,” whether it’s a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake.
5. Peace of Mind
When you have food storage, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you and your family are taken care of no matter what happens. Food storage can help you rest easy at night knowing that you’re prepared for anything.
6. Famine
Food storage can help you survive in the event of a famine. Even if food is scarce, you will have enough to last until things improve. Although there are always rumors of famine, it’s so nice to know that you are prepared and have enough food for your family to eat.
7. Customizable
You can customize your food storage to fit your family’s needs and preferences. This way, you’re not stuck with food that you don’t like or won’t eat. If you are going to need to dive into your food storage, it does make it nice when your kids actually like the food you have stored. Of course, in certain situations, if you’re hungry – you’re hungry!
8. Religious Reasons
For some religious groups, food storage is suggested. This is often done in preparation for the End Times or other apocalyptic event. I don’t have a lot to say about this, but this is truly one reason people do love food storage!
9. Daily Emergencies
Emergencies happen every day, whether it’s a power outage, bad weather, or a broken-down car. Having food storage can help you get through these tough times. Although most of us are prepared for an emergency that we can’t quite see, it makes sense to also be prepared for those unexpected daily emergencies!
10. Economic Uncertainty
In today’s economy, food storage is more important than ever. With job security becoming increasingly uncertain, it’s important to have a back -up plan in case of tough times. With the cost of everything going up, including food items, it makes sense to have food stored ahead of time. A properly executed plan helps to smooth out the cost of things we use each day, and doing it with food just makes sense.
11. A Sense of Self-Reliance
Many people find a sense of self-reliance in knowing that they can take care of themselves and their families in a crisis. Food storage gives you the ability to do just that.
12. Survivalist Mindset
For some, food storage is about more than just being prepared for everyday emergencies. It’s about being prepared for the worst-case scenario and being able to survive no matter what happens.
13. No Need to Worry About Spoilage
With food storage that’s planned out and effectively executed, you don’t have to worry about food spoilage. This is especially helpful if you live in a hot climate or have power outages often.
14. Personal Reasons
For some people, food storage is simply a personal preference. They like knowing that they have food on hand in case of emergencies, but also enjoy the peace of mind that comes with being prepared.
15. Saving Time
Food storage can save you time by having food already prepared and on hand. This way, you don’t have to worry about going to the store when the shelves have already been wiped clean by others who didn’t plan ahead. Buying food now and storing it for later means you are prepared!
How can I start with food storage?
Now that you know some of the reasons people love food storage, you might be wondering how you can get started. Here are a few tips:
- Start small – Don’t try to store everything at once! Start with non-perishable items like canned goods, dry goods, and cereals. Then, work your way up to perishable items like meat, dairy, and produce items you have bought in cans or you learned to can yourself.
- Make a list – Before you start buying food for storage, make a list of what you and your family will actually eat. There’s no point in storing food that will go to waste. Use that list to shop for discounts using coupons, store flyer specials, bulk purchases made available, like case lost sales, and farmers markets. Buying things when in season also makes sense.
- Rotate your food – As you use food from your storage, remember to rotate it so that the food doesn’t go bad. This means using the oldest food first and replenishing your supply as needed.
- Plan ahead – When you are making meals, plan ahead and cook extra so that you can have leftovers to store. This is a great way to make sure you always have food on hand.
What happens if I can’t get my hands on food in an emergency?
If you find yourself in a situation where you can’t get your hands on food, there are a few things you can do:
- Forage for food. This might mean looking for edible plants or fruits, or even hunting and fishing. If you know how to do this ahead of time, it will be much easier in a crisis.
- Barter for food. If you have something to trade, you might be able to get food from someone else. This could be a skill, like gardening or carpentry, or even something as simple as a flashlight or battery-operated radio.
- Scavenge for food. This should be a last resort, but if you are desperate, you might be able to find food in abandoned buildings or cars. Be careful, though, as this food might not be safe to eat.
- Check out local food pantries and food banks. Find out where they are ahead of time. Trying being first on their list.
- Some local churches will help. You’ll be surprised how many local congregations will help those in need.
Final Word
No matter what your reasons are for food storage, it’s important to have it! It can help you in so many ways, from saving money to surviving a natural disaster. If you don’t have food storage, now is the time to start! May God Bless this world, Linda
Copyright Images: Food Storage AdobeStock_436367062 by photka
The reasons to are much more compelling than the reasons not to especially now and after the last few years of political, financial and medical strife with nothing but a continuance and escalation in those matters.
Anyone who isn’t paying attention and not doing so is purposely lost
Hi Matt, I totally agree with you. Some people will never get it or care about it. Until they’re standing in line for a cup of soup with hundreds of people. They are indeed lost. Linda
Another great post from Linda!
One other reason for me, is Peace of mind. I know I can feed my family, no matter what happens.
I agree with all that Matt said. Those who don’t prepare in some way, are in my opinion, very foolish. However, I do realize that many of them don’t want to admit that everything could collapse quickly. Having food stored has saved my family many times over the years when there were health issues and job issues. We didn’t go hungry because of it!
Hi Paula, you are so right, some people do not want to admit everything could collapse. You and I can sleep at night knowing we can feed our family. Linda
What if I’m wrong for all this Prepping? Well, I can eat my mistakes, but what will “they” eat? We’ll never stop preparing. It’s just a way of life for us.
Hi Dang Duffy’s, well, we can sleep at night knowing we can take care of our family. We will not have to stand in line for a cup of soup!! It’s a way of life for me as well. keep up the good work, Linda
I have bought those dehydrated food that you mix with water. I have 3 months of food each for my husband and myself.
Hi Gladys, I love hearing you have planned ahead for yourself and your husband. You can sleep at night knowing you have prepared. Good job, Linda
One of the main reasons I love being prepared is simply for the fact, “Oh shoot, I ran out of that! No, wait! I have it in my food storage!” I usually can run down to the basement (rather, walk slowly!) to get what I need. I do have to be careful, tho, as I’ve noticed some of my storage is stale dating. That’s on my list this summer when it’s hot outside and cool in the basement-go through my food storage to check for dates! Food storage is a way of life for us.
Hi Robbie, it’s such a great feeling knowing we have our own mini grocery store in our home. Food storage is insurance if we need it. If you have to toss a few things no worries. We have car insurance and may never use it, but we can sleep at night knowing we have it. Keep up the good work, Linda
Your mention of your first home reminded me of our first home…..it was a double and my food storage was metal shelves in our shared basement where I dated each can.. Martha, upstairs was an elderly lady who actually came over on a sister ship to the Titanic. She was very frugal in fact one of her skirts had a patch on a patch, but she was like a loving Grandmother to my 4 kids. When she passed on, we found some of our dated can goods in her kitchens. I wasn’t upset, but instead glad that we could help her at the time, even if we didn’t know it.
In the early years, my husband’s work was seasonal, so we were either preparing for a lay-off and stocking up, surviving a lay-off, with side jobs and using our stockpile or recovering from a lay-off. Our planning allowed us to never be late with a mortgage payment, or any utilities.
Hi Chris, what a blessing to have an elderly lady be a loving grandmother to your kids!! I love love love your comment, “our planning” allowed us to never be late on a mortgage payment or utilities! Sharing food whether you knew it or not was awesome! Linda
I made a very simple spreadsheet of my canned goods and when they expire. It’s a bit time consuming to start, but once it’s up and running I can easily add or delete as my stock rotates. My original spreadsheet was done by hand. I have a master sheet on my computer. It would be counterproductive to have to throw out expired food.
When I run out of something, I love shopping from my storage.
Hi Linda T., I love hearing this, it’s so nice to have what we need without having to go to the store. Linda
So glad I am finally moving out of this little city condo and going to a rural house with great garden potential as well as lots of room for food storage. Whew! Going to blow the dust off my canning and dehydrating equipment and set up a decent root cellar and plenty of shelving to hold lots of jars. Just like the shelf lined room we had when I was a kid. My son and his family used the place as a cottage for many years but it’s 4 season ready. Their intention was to have a garden there but with both parents working full time in the city and a few hours travel time it wasn’t always possible to keep things watered and weeded. That’s going to be my job. No more store bought spuds or garlic! There are already some fruit trees and I’m going to plant some hazelnut trees as well as start a food forest. Will learn to save my own seeds and my new home area has a pretty good seed exchange group. Sure hope my health holds out but so far so good. I’ve hung on to my treadle sewing machine and hand wringer as well as lots of thread and fabric. Sure hope my health holds out but so far so good. Retirement in the city was a dud, this is way more sensible.
Hi Alice, oh this sounds like a dream come true! I love love love your comment! What exciting news, change is good, you will do fine, good job, my friend! Linda
Hi Linda. I like having food for all of the above reasons, plus I can help my children if they need it. Recently my daughter who is a single mom, was off work with covid for a week and also with the flu for a week. So the paycheck wasn’t what it could have been. It was nice to know I could say, come and shop at my house. Every bit helps!
P.S. Went to the grocery store today. Talk about sticker shock! I am glad I don’t have to buy a lot!
Hi Sharon, it’s truly a blessing we can help a single mom or dad with groceries when they have missed a paycheck or two. I totally agree with you on the sticker shock at the grocery store. I bought some quart mason wide mouth jars online from Walmart (.com) for $11.99 each (limit of two). So I had my daughter order two for me. Three days later they are $33.00 for the same 12 wide mouth jars. I purchased some pectin because last year we couldn’t find it anywhere. I paid $2.50ish for it. It’s now $7.00 a package. Good grief, I would buy jam already made! BUT I really love raspberry freezer jam. I really do not know how people can feed their family. Hopefully, they have a lot of beans and rice stocked. I know I do! Linda
My reason for loving food storage is that I have what I need when I need it and I don’t have to go shopping when I need something. Especially now that food is so expensive I can go to my garage or spare room and find what I want when I want it without having to go 45 miles to the grocery store. I always have my daughter buy 1 or 2 more of what I need to make my storage bigger so that when I need something and nothing is out their I will have it.
Hi Jackie, boy, driving 45 miles to a grocery store is not fun. I use to complain when it was ten miles. LOL! It’s wonderful to have food stocked! Good job, Linda
All it takes is watching two furious women screaming at each other over a can of tuna fish. True story – I witnessed this in our local grocery store before a hurricane. The tension in that store was so high I expected someone to start shooting. Got out of there fast as I could, so grateful we were prepared!
Hi Kay, yikes!! Two furious women over a can of tuna! I can’t imagine the tension you must have felt, oh my gosh! Linda
I’ve always loved being able to cook any meal, knowing I have all the ingredients. With inflation at the rate it is and going higher, food storage is a safer and better investment than banks, etc.
Hi Marilynne, isn’t that the truth?!? Food prices keep escalating, I do not know how large families can feed their families. Food really is a better investment! Linda
The past 6 – 8 months has had us in extra high gear adding to our food supplies. All I can say is that there was this God given urgency to kick up the preparations for food, medical & first aid supplies, tools, supplies for any future projects, supplies for our critters, extra, extra supplies for power loss, extra seeds & gardening supplies, extra sturdy shoes, work gloves, socks & underwear.
The latest urgency has just been to keep planting! I’ve added 4 wading pool garden beds this month & hope to get 2 more this weekend. I’ve got potatoes, onions, garlic that will be ready to harvest by mid May. Sweet potatoes already in the ground in 4 beds. Strawberries, blueberries & blackberries to pick in a few weeks. I’ve got 4 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, yellow & zucchini squash, Seminole pumpkins all scattered throughout the yard. Trying bok choi & daikon radishes for the first time.
My snow peas are just going crazy, so I’m picking them every day. I just mixed carrot, turnip & rutabaga seeds all together & literally tossed the whole mix into one of the wading pools. The chickens will love the thinnings! Hopefully growing sunflowers, amaranth & Malabar spinach to feed my chickens & goats. Staying busy every day!
Hi BDN, oh how exciting your gardens sound awesome! I think we are all in high gear based on what is going on all around us! YIKES! There is nothing better than growing our own food!! I LOVE your comment! Linda
Great info! When we moved 1800 miles from NV to WA, I came with our chest freezer full and all my canning jars( a Lot!!!) all full. Our family lived on this for many months until we got our house ready( we bought a 6,00 sq. ft. barn and converted it to a house). We had 4 children ages 3-9. Food storage has helped us many times over the years. Wouldn’t be without it!!
Hi Cheryl, whoa, that was quite a trek! I love hearing this. You converted a barn into your home, awesome!! I moved 95 % of my food storage. Well, all the food but gave away some fuel that wouldn’t fit on the trailer when we moved to Northern Utah. Food storage is so critical! Love this, Linda