I’d like to share my April food & home storage monthly shopping goals. I hope you will see that as you consistently plan and gather items, your food & home storage does get accomplished. This will complete my 3-month food storage supply (“Three-month supply items are foods that you normally eat, including canned and commercially packaged foods” ProvidentLiving.org). I’m already adding items to my May list. Next month I will focus on more long-term foods, emergency supplies, and clothes for our 72 hour kits. I plan most of my purchases in advance on a Monthly Food Storage Shopping Plan worksheet.
I’m excited to say that I have not been in Sam’s Club (except for a bite of lunch with my 4 year-old) since February 11th. Almost 2 months! I used to buy everything for my food storage there until I learned to watch for GREAT sales at grocery stores and elsewhere, and use a few coupons. There are still a few items I prefer to buy at Sam’s Club.
So I placed my Sam’s Club order yesterday online with their Click-N-Pull service. This service is FREE to Sam’s Club members. It took me 45 min. to think about and enter items I wanted to buy on their website. I placed my order yesterday (before 5 p.m.), and today my items were ready in a grocery cart for me to pick up near the customer service desk. They send someone to the back for freezer and refrigerator items. I was in and out of the parking lot in 35 min. And at my request, they loaded it into my car. I love this service because I am not tempted to impulse buy. If only Walmart would offer it!
April Food & Home Storage Monthly Goals:
Monthly Budget –
$500 food & home storage (includes some freezer items)
$300 for other grocery items
Please understand that items in my food and home storage are items we use. They are not buried in my basement, but real food. I try to buy more than we use so they don’t disappear too quickly.
Food Storage Items $124.50
$86.67 packaged school lunch items (S) (In an emergency, these will be eaten)
$10.59 Chicken Noodle Soup, .45 ea. SALE (SM)
$12.00 24 Pinto beans .50 ea. SALE (SM)
$4.56 4 Spaghetti Sauce jars (T)
$2.50 Wesson canola oil 48 oz. (T)
$8.18 64/16.9 oz. bottled water (S) (I like these because in an emergency, they will be easy to share)
Non-Food Items $110.81 (I have a 3 Month supply for daily use and emergencies)
$31.06 72 rolls toilet paper, .43 ea. (S)
$17.58 12 Bounty Mega paper towels, $1.47 ea. (S)
$9.64 paper cups (S)
$15.04 2/250 sf. foil (S)
$9.09 10 facial tissues, .91 ea. (S)
$8.56 contact lens solution 3pk (S)
$9.66 shampoo (S)
$10.18 Gum 15 pk (W)
Emergency Items $101.55
$73.57 food to replenish our 72-hour food packs (S)
$5.00 Raisins boxes (T)
$12.99 N95 medical face masks 20 ct. SALE (EE)
Freezer Foods $78.22 +$18.90 lean ground beef, 10 lbs. $1.89 (looking for a great sale)
$18.12 10 lbs shredded 3 blend cheese, $1.81 lb.(S)
$5.88 4 butter, $1.47 lb. (S)
$14.48 sirloin hamburger patties (S)
$8.48 frozen berry blend, $2.83 lb. (S)
$12.36 6 loaves wheat bread, $2.06 ea. (S)
Ham (looking for a great sale) See How to Freeze Ham
easter candy CLEARANCE (looking for a great sale) see Fun Things to Do Leftover Easter Candy
Long-term Food Storage Items
Equipment $23.89
$7.95 Cookie Sheet SALE (SRE)
$9.99 24 cup mini muffin pan (SRE)
$5.95 powdered milk mixer pitcher (EE)
Total: $438.97 (estimate)
Key: Sam’s (S), Smith’s (SM), Emergency Essentials (EE), Walmart (W), Target (T), Standard Restaurant Equipment Co. (SRE)