So - you have a TON of food and I am so proud of you!!! Some of it will need to have its shelf life extended, but if you are using the oldest food first and eating what you are storing, you are fine for a good long while. Meaning, I intend to show you how to store it for a long shelf life, but I am about to move and am not going to do it right now.... I will show you after I move as I do it myself ;)
Also, now that you have all this food, you need to USE it.... Reconstitute some milk and bake or cook with it. Keep a list of recipes that use things that come only from your pantry and not your fridge or freezer. Have your kids and spouse try one of these meals once a week. Sneak it in, I bet they dont even notice!
So - you have your food and now lets move on to toiletries. Storing months of food will not mean much if you have to run out in the middle of the crisis for toothpaste or deodorant. These things are easily stored and cheaply purchased. WHA??? You pay more than $.99 for these things? Pashaw....you are getting ripped off.
I havent paid more than this for either of these items in MONTHS. My items are also name brands and not purchased at a dollar store. I do this with coupons. I have a store nearby that doubles coupons up to a $1.00. They have a little store card which gives me an additional discount on certain items each week. I clip all coupons every Sunday and when my store circular shows up, match my coupons to the circular with the store's card discounts. Its like double dipping - triple if you count that the store doubles the coupon. It means I get stuff dirt cheap.
Another thing it means is that I cant be picky about what deodorant I use or the toothpaste....or the shampoo. Buts its ok - all the stuff is good and if I really dont like something, it goes into a give away box for our church's free pantry. Or I have the kids' use it - one of the perks of being a parent.
Honestly, it doesnt really matter if I brush my teeth with Crest or Colgate - my breath is minty and my teeth are sparkley!
On a side note - the coupons are also used for a lot of the fun items in my pantry. Coupons can give you a much deeper pantry pretty quick and on the cheap(er).
When you sit down and brainstorm your toiletry items, it also wouldnt hurt to just take a quick peek into your cabinets.
Shampoo
Conditioner
Toothpaste
Deo
Hairspray
Chick products
Lotion
Chapstick
Sunscreen
Aloe
Contact Solution
Floss
Toothbrushes
Soap
Razors
Shaving Cream
You can also take this time to list those other things that arent food or personal items, but are ABSOLUTELY necessary.
Toilet paper being my #1 item in this category ;)
Kleenex
Hand soap
Hand sanitizer
Paper towels
Paper plates (in crisis, make life easy for yourself)
Napkins
Cleaning supplies (dishwasher fluid - washing soap - windex)
Ziploc bags
Paper bags
Wax paper
Foil
You get my drift.... On some of the above items, its hard to figure out how often you buy it or how much you need to meet your goals. An easy fix is to use a permanent marker to put the date on it that you first open and use the product. When you finish it off, just note the date and do the math and then you can easily know how many you need for a year.
Please realize that the above lists are not exhaustive but just a kick start for you to make your own list :) Ready......Set......Go!!
As ALWAYS - Pray - Praise - Prepare
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1 comment:
Pearls,
You can do without soap in the shower - use the shampoo for allover cleaning. I have used liquid hand soap for years - and keep plenty of refill on hand.
You might need deodorant and toilet water/cologne - or make do with baby powder. And never notice the lack.
A couple of things border between everyday toiletry and first aid. Epsom salts is cheap, goes a long ways, and is as good for tight and sore muscles, bruises, and infections as it was for centuries. Saline Nasal Mist cannot be shared with anyone - but can be a wonderful comfort item for allergies or sinus infections (twice in each side, once an hour, and blow, according to my family doctor) - or for frequent dry-weather nosebleed. An alternative to saline mist is a neti pot with salt and baking soda to mix a nasal wash solution. Washable, the neti pot can serve several people.
It is also misery to run out of toothpicks.
Is Oatmeal a physic dose, or breakfast food? What about prunes for snack or stewing? For excess mucous "events" (cold, allergies) and constipation I keep a can of psyllium husk - the generic kind like Metamucil but without the sugar and flavoring. A plastic canister lasts for a really long time (I drink lots of water).
For those with GERD or frequent heartburn - hot tea (I like green decaf or Celestial Seasonings Honey Lemon Ginseng) with honey. I buy honey from a local firm (Schoonovers in Braman, OK) in quart jars, and refill the plastic bear dispenser. Honey is good for healing the acid burns, the hot/warm liquid speeds digestion.
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