How To Start a 30-Day Stockpile
This post may contain affiliate links which might earn us money. Please read my Disclosure and Privacy policies hereIn this post, you are going to learn what a 30-day stockpile is. Why is it so important to have a home stockpile, and how to get started?
What Is a Stockpile?
A stockpile is a gathering of reserves that you will use at a later date. The items might be food, heating oil, gas, health and beauty items, medications, or anything else your family needs in order to survive.
Remember that a stockpile goes beyond just food. Think about the things you would need if you suddenly couldn’t get to the store or didn’t have money to buy items, or there were no items to be purchased.
Find great 30-day stockpile resources and products here!
The fact of the matter is everyone should always have at least a 30-day stockpile on hand. It’s something that can mean the difference between your family eating or not should things go wrong.
Many things can cause your family to need to rely on what you’ve stocked. Let’s take a closer look at the 30-day stockpile and why you really do need one.
Why Does Everyone Need a Stockpile?
People often ignore the need for a 30-day stockpile. They never believe that they will lose their job. But there are so many other things that can cause you to need a reserve.
Look at what happened during the lockdown.
Stores closed.
Grocery stores ran out of supplies.
People couldn’t buy what they needed because of a loss of income due to closures.
What if a natural disaster hits your area? Would you have enough food to make it through a 30-day period?
What about your current budget?
Do you find yourself wishing you had more money to spend on groceries? Then start a stockpile.
When you see a deal, stock up.
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What Should I Stockpile?
Anything you and your family rely on. If your family needs medication, you want to ensure it is on hand. Ask your doctor to write a 90-day prescription rather than a 30-day.
Make sure your first aid kit is well stocked and up-to-date. This includes cold medications.
Your 30-day stockpile should also include heating fuel, especially with cold weather coming.
Remember that in emergency cases, the food doesn’t have to be your favorite. You need food to survive.
For example, you want to ensure you have canned food that doesn’t have to be heated on hand should a natural disaster take out the power. Make sure you also open a manual can opener.
That doesn’t mean you can’t stockpile perishables. Stockpiling meat when it’s on sale and freezing will save you a lot of money. The food will last a long time if you use a vacuum sealer.
Also, if you have pets, you must consider your pets’ needs and make sure you have supplies for them.
How Big Should My Stockpile Be?
It’s recommended that you have 2 cans of food per person per day. If you have a family of four, you would want 240 cans of food.
Now, remember, if you’re going to be stocking food in your freezer, you won’t actually need that much. Chances are you’ll also be stocking rice, beans, pasta, and other dry goods.
Where Do I Store It?
As a general rule, you store canned foods and other shelf-stable products in a cool, dry place. Never put them above or beside the stove, under the sink, in a damp garage or basement, or in any place exposed to high or low-temperature extremes. Temperatures below 85 °F are best.”
If you live in a small home or apartment, get creative. You can store foods in storage containers under your bed, in a closet, etc. If you have a larger home or room in your basement (if the area is temperature- and humidity-controlled), you can add shelving devoted to your stockpile.
What If I Can't Afford a 30-day Stockpile?
You don’t have to buy everything at once. You can invest a little bit of money each week. For example, spend just $5 each week. You could buy five canned items. You could purchase bottled water. You will have built up a nice stockpile in a short time.
How Do I Prevent Waste?
It is imperative that you utilize your stockpile. A stockpile is not a ‘set it and forget it' thing. If you don’t rotate the stock, things will go to waste.
Use items from your stockpile every couple of weeks and replace what you use. This will ensure you keep food on hand but never let things go to waste.
Read: Signs You Spend Too Much Money on Food
How Do I Start a 30-Day Stockpile?
Write down a list of what your family needs. Next, choose an area where you will keep the items. Start buying a few items each week and organize by date. You want to be organized from the very beginning.
You'll be frustrated if you try to organize everything after you have a 30-day stockpile.
Free Meal Planning Kit Sheets
Download our Meal Planning Kit, which is editable and easy to use. Use the Pantry Sheets, Freeze sheets and start there.
This is absolutely free, and all you have to do is fill out the form below.
The good thing about this Meal Planning Kit printables is that you can also create a meal plan for the week and keep track of your stockpile.
A 30-day stockpile is important for everyone. Whether it’s a natural disaster, loss of income, or lockdown that leads to a reduction in supplies, you want to ensure you have the supplies your family needs before needing them.
