Shopping for food storage year-round along with my regular grocery shopping has helped me rotate, use, and buy more food storage. Years ago I bought long-term dry foods [wheat, rice, beans, etc.], and stored them in our California basement. But I found that I only used some of my food and not other items. After throwing away expired food that cost me a pretty penny, I decided that shopping year round would be better.
I’ve been watching seasonal grocery store sales for the past couple of years, which has helped me know some of the best times of year to shop. It’s not rocket science; just mom science – observation, experimentation and a bit of snooping. I ask grocery store managers lots of questions. 🙂
You are welcome to print the lists and use them as a guide or rough draft for your own food storage purchases. If you share my lists with friends, please refer them to my blog.
Three Ways to Use The Lists
Plan A – Come up with your own food storage plan, and use the monthly categories as a guide to purchasing those types of foods each month.
Jan. – Beverages
Feb. – Breakfast Foods
Mar. – Tomatoes & Pasta
Apr. – Soup & Beans
May – Condiments/Spices
June – Grains
July – Summer Foods
Aug. – Fruits & Vegetables
Sept. – Meat & Potatoes
Oct. – Oils & Fats
Nov. – Holiday Foods
Dec. – Pantry Basics
Plan B – Purchase the suggested monthly items once a month. Based on Utah sales, one month is about $25 per adult. I’ve spent a TON of time trying to keep the food cost down, and it’s not easy. Could be less if you have more food storage already. If you have limited apartment space, you could work on a 3-month supply for 1 person and see if that fits in your home.
Plan C – Purchase the suggested items for 52 weeks. Best for those on a limited income. You could add one (sometimes there are several) suggested items to your weekly grocery list. You could mix up the suggested items based on sales at the store, and still focus on the monthly category.
No matter how you do it, I hope they help some of you gather your food storage and use it.
“We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve.”—The First Presidency, All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage
I will only post the Lists once a month because I make many last minute changes, and I need time to create each PDF copy. So I’m sorry that I don’t have all 12-months. However, I left last year’s posts on my blog, and you are welcome to refer to them. Understand that there are many changes in 2012. So, if you sign up for my monthly posts by entering your email address at the top of my blog, you will be able to get the monthly lists.
Monthly Food Storage Shopping Lists