# Use What You Store



## BobR1 (Jan 13, 2011)

Observations made from Y2K until now. 
Lots of people making preperations are not using the food they are storing. Many of the folks who prepaired for Y2K and were not using their stored items, ended up giving them away over the years because they took up a lot of space, and were tired of looking at it.
The ones who are still into staying prepaired made a lifestyle change, and started to use what they stored. I am not saying to use up your storage. What I am saying is to use it, and stay restocked. When setting up your storage, determine what you are going to use. 
*Sugar*: That is an easy one
*Beans*: Navy, Red, Brown and others 
*White Rice*: a little more trouble than Minute to cook, but not much.
*Macaroni & Noodles*: Lots of kinds to choose from
*Oat Meal*: Quick, Regular, Thick, Organic many choices to choose from.
*Flour*: If you really cook, you will use it.
*Corn Meal*: Cornbread is good with beans
*Canning Salt*: Better choice as you might need it for canning
*Powdered Milk*: Better than not having milk
The list above when put back in 5 gallon buckets is a fair start. You can find everything from this list at the local grocery store, or bulk food store, nothing trick or expensive. Other than Flour and Corn Meal the other items have a shelf life of many years. 
Now that you have it, start using it for your daily cooking. It will save you money, and be healthier for you than fast food.

*A good idea:* Make up a cook book of your own geared towards your stored food items. Keep in mind the power might be out, and the microwave might not be working. It is handy to put the rice in a rice cooker in the microwave for 15 minutes, and forget it. Do you know how to cook it in a pan on the stove without getting on the computer and looking it up? Even if you know all of this, your kids might not if you are sick or injured. Information in print is always a good thing.

If you store *Wheat* you can always grind a little now and again just to keep in practice. Better yet, if you have like minded friends, get together and grind a little wheat, and make some bread with it. Better yet cook the bread in your Dutch Oven.

In my opinion you will stay better prepaired if you are using your prepairedness supplies every day, as part of your way of life. You can also determine that you need to stock to go with your BASIC LIST.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Dry Food Study One
A scientific study conducted at Brigham Young University on the shelf life of a variety of different dry foods can be read at both of the following links:
http://ce.byu.edu/cw/womensconference/archive/2005/sharing_stations/pdf/52a.pdf
New Findings for Longer-Term Food Storage
A brief summary of the above web site information shows the following estimated shelf life per dry food item:

*Over 30 years for wheat and white rice.
30 years for pinto beans, macaroni, rolled oats, and potato flakes.
20 years for powdered milk.*


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

I prefer the premise of "storing what you use" instead of the other way around. I am not gonna store stuff that no one will eat, regardless of how good it is for ya.
Most of what I have put back is stuff that I use in every day living and as I use some I buy more and rotate, rotate, rotate--first in, first out. That is what a really nice sharpie is for.. lol


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Store what you use, use what you store. Hmmm....

That's why I have lots of baking cocoa stored (16 cans), not to mention a couple dozen cans of hot chocolate from Costco, vacuum sealed and in buckets! Oh, yeah, and the 10-lb bag of chocolate chips from Costco waiting to be vacuum-sealed and stored! Yummmm!

Had to store a bunch of sugar to go with all that cocoa....powdered milk in case I have to make my own hot cocoa mix after the cans of pre-mix run out....

One track mind here....Chocolate! :gaah:

Got lots of rice and beans put away for the rest of the family! :lolsmash:


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## fancy1 (Jan 18, 2011)

Nice post, BobR1.

We were always ahead of the game, even before the y2k "thing". Some little things that we've learned along the way are:
-store what you eat. No, we don't drink powdered milk right now. But, we do use it for cooking/baking so it does get rotated. 
-store a little comfort food. Having those little jars of canned "cakes" have been a treat when our power goes out (which seems to be more and more frequent lately). Sure I can bake a cake without elec, but they're ready for me if we've had a day of outdoor work. 
-don't be afraid to experiment with what you've stored. Grind a hand full of beans and see what you can create with them. 
-even the little things get you one step closer. A stroll through the thrift shop may yield a good cast iron skillet you don't have, a stainless colander, or even just a new pair of jeans. 
-books! For us anyway, we try to pick up a few used books when we find them. Both the info/how to books and novels. We can work together all day on daily chores, but find that being able to sit alone with a book for a while gives us a little "private" time and you know what they say about Knowledge...


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## Akaalbany (Apr 8, 2010)

I set up a recipe box and it is with the stored food with a label on it It has everything from how to use the wood stove in simple language to how to can various items. Also a photo gallery of local edible wild plants. Since kids are of the you are a nut job conspiricy theory jack a - - Guess they will be one day looking at me with a mouthful of my stored food Maybe eating those words??


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

Akaalbany said:


> It has everything from how to use the wood stove in simple language to how to can various items.


I sure could use that! We just got a wood stove & I don't know how to do anything with it yet. (I don't even know why it has those holes with lids on the top).


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Emerald said:


> I prefer the premise of "storing what you use" instead of the other way around. I am not gonna store stuff that no one will eat, regardless of how good it is for ya.
> Most of what I have put back is stuff that I use in every day living and as I use some I buy more and rotate, rotate, rotate--first in, first out. That is what a really nice sharpie is for.. lol


Absolutely---I have stored for two years and not ONE item is anything we don't eat...

Okay....I have spinach...I am not eating that stuff---husband got it...:dunno::ignore:

Fancy1 says---at. No, we don't drink powdered milk right now. But, we do use it for cooking/baking so it does get rotated.

I starting using for cereal, macaroni/cheese and cooking too..I wanted to get used to it and put chocolate in...it isn't as good as Amish milk, but it's not bad..


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## fancy1 (Jan 18, 2011)

Anything that I cook/bake that calls for "milk", I use either powdered milk or powdered buttermilk. We're trying to watch our fats, so this helps a little. 

AND I use powdered milk in my hot chocolate mix! Yep, lots of cans of cocoa out there if for nothing else but hot chocolate! mmm. Just mix up a canister full and I'm good to go for a while. Just add hot water and I'm happy.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

fancy1 said:


> AND I use powdered milk in my hot chocolate mix! Yep, lots of cans of cocoa out there if for nothing else but hot chocolate! mmm. Just mix up a canister full and I'm good to go for a while. Just add hot water and I'm happy.


Yah, a fellow hot chocolate drinker! My new best friend! Fancy, come by for a cup someday, ok?


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## carolexan (Dec 28, 2010)

We store what we eat and I have a notebook of recipes ( inside plastic sleeves to stay clean) for everything stored. For example cornmeal, not just for cornbread but you can make gruel, a good soup using stock, milk or water to boil the cornmeal. I use cornmeal to make dumplings for cabbage,salmon patties and even a pudding...yum Then too, I use cornmeal in soap, and body scrubs. Finally grandma taught me how to make a chest plaster for a cold, out of cornmeal and mint or eucalyptus. I have done the same with each staple I store in bulk.

Jay Jay I had to giggle at your spinach remark. My Dh would probably shoot me if I didn't keep spinach stocked up....he thinks he is Popeye! LOL!


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## GoldenBoys (Oct 8, 2010)

gypsysue said:


> One track mind here....Chocolate! :gaah:


Didn't you know that chocolate is one of the main food groups? :dunno:


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

GoldenBoys said:


> Didn't you know that chocolate is one of the main food groups? :dunno:


Nope, I missed that one! Glad to know it though! 

Did you know that a balanced diet means "mind" and "body", meaning some things are good for the body, some things are good for the mind!

BRING ON THE CHOCOLATE! Woo-hoo! 

Oh wait...if I need food for the health of my mind, that might imply something about my mind... :gaah: :ignore:


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## GroovyMike (Feb 25, 2010)

Chocolate is a vegetable - I mean really its made from BEANS!

That said store what you eat is good advice. Whenever what you normally buy goes on discount - buy all you can up to what you will use for the max shelf life.

There is no reason to buy canned goods at $1.00 each when you can buy them on sale at 50 cents and let them sit on the shelf until needed.


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## HarleyRider (Mar 1, 2010)

Did I hear right, or am I mistaken, that GypsySue was planning on moving to Hershey, Penn so she could be closer to her favorite supplier???


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## BobR1 (Jan 13, 2011)

We have Gamma Seal Lids on about everything in our present Using Out of Inventory, and I keep adding one now and again as I add something new.
We are using 5 Gallon buckets from Wal-Mart , etc with 4 Mil Bucket Liner Bags that are tied off with waxed nylon string. 
The wife stores powdered milk in 1/2 Gallon Fruit Jars.
She keeps quite a bit of pasta in glass jars also from 1/2 gallon to 3 gallon. Kinda decorative in jars. 

The wife has a few additional dry items stored that are not on my original list above. Homany Flakes in both White & Yellow, Dehydrated Potato Slices, and powdered eggs. I would imagine you would have to order them, if you wanted a little more variety. If you run into items like this at a bulk food store it would be nice. Not so sure if it would be a good buy ordering it and paying shipping however.

I was just thinking about this. People with limited storage space might want to stock up with friends. Some bulk items come in containers larger than a 5 Gallon bucket full. A good example is Oat Meal. A 50# Bag will fill three 5 gallon buckets full. I was looking at a 100# bag of beans the other day. It would fill several buckets also. Buying in bulk is cheaper, if you do not have the room, and have friends stocking up, split up a bag. It will save you and them money. I just picked up a 25# bag of Sugar and a 25# bag of flour, they will both fit in a single 5 gallon bucket. 

I was just thinking about this also. A good grain grinder is expensive. If you have friends stocking up, split the cost and have a community grain grinder you can share. Much better plan than not having one at all.

Lets here some more ideas.


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## fancy1 (Jan 18, 2011)

gypsysue said:


> Yah, a fellow hot chocolate drinker! My new best friend! Fancy, come by for a cup someday, ok?


OK! It's hot chocolate in the afternoon


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

HarleyRider said:


> Did I hear right, or am I mistaken, that GypsySue was planning on moving to Hershey, Penn so she could be closer to her favorite supplier???


I'm pretty sure they are in Mexico now as the town was extremely upset they moved their operation; I now buy generic, Berryhill, from Aldi's..no Hershey's for me.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

JayJay said:


> I'm pretty sure they are in Mexico now.


Seriously? :ignore: That's just wrong.


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## Eli-2 (Aug 17, 2010)

I store only the things we eat pretty much on a regular basis.Is there anything you store that you do not pull from.Other words do you store items,for example do you store say 50 lbs of beans or wheat or sugar in buckets and mylar and not draw from those supplies but still eat that paticular item from the pantry?
Does that make sense?


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

HarleyRider said:


> Did I hear right, or am I mistaken, that GypsySue was planning on moving to Hershey, Penn so she could be closer to her favorite supplier???


My Ex and 2 daughters have lived in Hershey for 6 years. The girls told me that after about a year, the smell of cooking chocolate makes them nauseous. They still love to eat it though.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Eli-2 said:


> I store only the things we eat pretty much on a regular basis.Is there anything you store that you do not pull from.Other words do you store items,for example do you store say 50 lbs of beans or wheat or sugar in buckets and mylar and not draw from those supplies but still eat that paticular item from the pantry?
> Does that make sense?


Eli--I'm new here, but you lost me.


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

I rotate some of my older preps to the local food bank. Sadly most of what they have is beyond it's shelf life.


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## Eli-2 (Aug 17, 2010)

@JayJay
Sorry, I should have asked "Does anyone have preps they won't draw from until TSHTF situation occurs.But, continues to maintain a large inventory which is rotatated on a daily basis.I'm trying to decide what method is best for me to stock preps with extended shelf lives and put them aside say years from now before drawing from them and continuing to stock a months,3 months or a years supply of the almost the same preps to use on a daily basis using first in first out method.Or just continue buying and putting things away as I use them,using the buy 2, eat 1,put 1 away system.Does that make sense or did I confuse you more.All this is really new to me and gets overwhelming,when I realize how far behind I am.:gaah::nuts:


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

UncleJoe said:


> My Ex and 2 daughters have lived in Hershey for 6 years. The girls told me that after about a year, the smell of cooking chocolate makes them nauseous. They still love to eat it though.


Harley and Uncle Joe, that's very funny, because I grew up near Burlington, Wisconsin and attended school there...right across the railroad tracks from the Nestle factory! When the wind was right the smell of chocolate drifted all through the school! Once a year we marched over there for our tour and got a little bag of candy bars!

My brother worked there for 2 years after high school to earn money for college. They were allowed to eat all the "broken" bars of chocolate they wanted. They could help themselves to all they wanted! In a very short time they were so sick of chocolate that it wasn't even tempting any more!

He was working there when they first introduced the $100,000 bar. He told us about it, and brought us samples before it was ever test-marketed in public. Never was my favorite, though. I like the plain red-wrapper milk chocolate bar.

Because I am motivated by treats, it works out well for me to hold out for what I really like. Saves a lot of calories by skipping all the marginal stuff!


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Eli-2, I *think* I get what you're asking.

Folks on this thread are talking about using their food storage as they go along (store what you use, then use what you store) - but I think you're asking if there are some items that you put aside and don't touch, because they're packed for the long term. 

For me, it depends on the item. For the items that have a couple of years of shelf life, they're on a rotating system. For items that have a really long shelf life if packaged properly - those items stay packed. For example, I have 5 gal buckets of rotini, spaghetti, noodles (20-30 yr shelf life) and sugar (indefinite shelf life) packed away with mylar and oxygen absorbers, and I'm not going to touch those anytime soon. Whenever I need those items on a day-to-day basis, I have smaller packages in the pantry that I use.

Does that answer your question?


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## nj_m715 (Oct 31, 2008)

BobR1 said:


> Oat Meal. A 50# Bag will fill three 5 gallon buckets full. I was looking at a 100# bag of beans the other day.


Where did you find those? I can only find oatmeal in 2# cans ($1.75/$2.00) and beans in 1# bags ($.70/$1.25). When I did find larger bags the price per pound was higher. Bigger should be cheaper. :dunno:


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

nj, here's some bulk oats for you. After I finish plowing, I'm going to stop at the store and make sure it's cheaper in bulk.

Regular Rolled Oats 50 LB


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Eli-2 said:


> @JayJay
> Sorry, I should have asked "Does anyone have preps they won't draw from until TSHTF situation occurs.But, continues to maintain a large inventory which is rotatated on a daily basis.I'm trying to decide what method is best for me to stock preps with extended shelf lives and put them aside say years from now before drawing from them and continuing to stock a months,3 months or a years supply of the almost the same preps to use on a daily basis using first in first out method.Or just continue buying and putting things away as I use them,using the buy 2, eat 1,put 1 away system.Does that make sense or did I confuse you more.All this is really new to me and gets overwhelming,when I realize how far behind I am.:gaah::nuts:


I can't answer--others more knowledgeable than I can.
I don't purchase 2 or 3...I wait till I have the funds(save) and buy bulk, or cases(12) of canned goods, 10 of inexpensive things, like $1 dish detergent.

Like I found Libby's peas, corn, and green beans for 45 cents, I bought 2 cases of each..twice!!! At Kroger's they are sometimes 80 cents, so I saved.

Need some peas, corn, or green beans?? come on down!! LOL

I have opened my buckets a couple times and used things like oats, and started using powdered milk for taste testing.

If I need a can of mushrooms or mandarine slices, I'm sure to delete from my inventory..but like I said, I don't need to replace it 'cause I have like cases of 12 or 24.....just like to know what I have; if it gets low, inventory will tell me. :2thumb:


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## Eli-2 (Aug 17, 2010)

"Folks on this thread are talking about using their food storage as they go along (store what you use, then use what you store) - but I think you're asking if there are some items that you put aside and don't touch, because they're packed for the long term" 
goshengirl,

Thanks,that's what I was trying to ask,just couldn't put it together.I kept trying to wrap my head around how do you rotate a years supply of preps,plus storing buckets full of preps and cases of diff foods then having to work with exp.dates,and we just don't eat that much,there are only three of us.But,I'm prepping for at least 5.Folks were talking about preps and storing and then drawing from those preps and.....so on.I'm slowly catching on,and continually adding to it on a daily basis,WHEW! Thanks again.:thankyou:


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## nj_m715 (Oct 31, 2008)

I have some things like wheat,rice and beans in mylar. I don't touch it, it will last a very long time. The gets rotated and normally grows a little if I can help it. 

Since we are now ahead of the game we use from the pantry and replace it in bulk too. 

Uncle Joe, Aldi's has Oatmeal (quick and old fashion) for $.75 per pound if you buy the large 2-3# can. Shoprite is a little more, but still under $1/lb. Bulk should be cheaper, but I ran into the same thing on beans. Aldi's has 2# bags of pinto beans for $1.30 and north white for $1/lb. At most other stores the beans are creeping up to $2/lb. I would have grabbed extra pinto's but I spent a lot at the Shoprite can-can sale. I'm ok on beans but light on veggies, fruit, soup and stock. We stocked up on veggies at .40$ for a 15oz can and pasta sauce at .88$ for 26oz. The only way to beat those prices around here is to raid the dented can box.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

We don't have an Aldi's. One of our local stores has the 3# box for #1.13 a lb.

I don't fall for the "special price" label anymore. I shop by the "per pound" price that is listed in small numbers under the price. I once saw sugar that was 0.10 cheaper per lb in the 5# bag as opposed to the 25# bag.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

UncleJoe said:


> We don't have an Aldi's. One of our local stores has the 3# box for #1.13 a lb.
> 
> I don't fall for the "special price" label anymore. I shop by the "per pound" price that is listed in small numbers under the price. I once saw sugar that was 0.10 cheaper per lb in the 5# bag as opposed to the 25# bag.


I hear ya'...a little IGA store here had sugar, 4 lb. @ 1.55...can't beat that.... .38 cents a lb...I don't think.

I don't just go item shopping, I buy what price is good that day...If I'm patient, what I am low on will come around...but, now????

I'm getting antsy again.

Aldi's is the best on many items..I had a home-based pre-school(yep, I have a skill when TSHTF)and stopped Savealot and started Aldi's...

Yep, the two 5 lb. bags of rice at Chinamart was cheaper than the 10 lb.bag!!


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## nj_m715 (Oct 31, 2008)

My wife falls that all the time. She'll get the name brand sale item and by-pass the cheaper regular price store brand. Forget about asking her to look at per unit prices. She's a smart hard working girl, just gotta her away from the money. I buy a lot more for a lot less since I took over most of the shopping.


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## BobR1 (Jan 13, 2011)

Nj M715
We have a Sheplers Grocery Store which I believe is Menonite owned. They have bulk bags of Oat Meal, Flour, Beans, Rice. Most of the canned food is Salvage Scratch & Dent.
The 50# bag of Oatmeal we just picked up was $24.09.
I have found Sugar & Flour at a Wal Mart Super Center in 25# bags. The price was about the same as Sheplers.
We have a Amish Bakery and Bulk Food Store in Tipton Missouri. (East of Sedalia on HWY 50) A very good place to stock up. They carry more different kinds of flour than I ever dreamed they made. Same thing with Pasta. They carry bulk powdered chedar cheese. Etc. If you are in the area, this is a great place to stop. Have your trunk empty when you get their.

Then if you reload, and this is a week day go on to Sedalia and stop by Sierra bullet factory and check out the seconds in the retail store. Next door is Starline Brass they makes shell cases for pistols mostly, and some streight wall rifle cases. This might be handy to know. Go north on 65. About the time you are sure you are completely out of town you will go by a HUGE Warehouse on the right. Turn just past it to the Right. Take the fork left before you get to the warehouse yard entrance. Sierra is about 1 block down on the Left. Starline is the next building past Sierra.

Goshengirl
Good explination on rotation. On long shelf life dry goods (20-30 year shelf life or more) you could just keep restocking your OPEN Bucket, or Smaller Container instead of opening a bucket that is Long Term Packed. You need to be using the same things you are stocking being the point.
Canned Goods need to be used, rotated, and restocked. Along with some other items with limited shelf life. An example is cake mix. We baked I believe 3 cakes in the last month because the dates were close to out. I put 5 new cake mixes back in the pantry last night. 
Flour we are stocking only 25# at a time, which is 1 each 5 gallon bucket. 
Wheat to make flour on the other hand has a very long shelf life, so stock all you want. It will be ready to grind when you are.

INVENTORY SHEET
This is something that might be handy for serious stock piles. Keep track of what, and how much you have. I can imagine having a spare bedroom stacked full of 5 gallon buckets. It would be very easy to loose track of what you have. On a much smaller scale I made some shelving for Y2K that are deep enough for 3 buckets to set on. I have a card on the end of the shelf listing what is in each bucket on the shelf. This way if you need something that is in the back, you atleast know where it is without messing up the order of things looking for it.
On the inventory system you might also keep track of what you want to stock up on, then mark down what you have gathered up. When shopping sales this can be handy.


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## nj_m715 (Oct 31, 2008)

Nice. That's the kind of bulk price I'd expect to find. I grew vacationing and camping near Reading and Lancaster PA in Amish country. I've asked around up there about wheat and oats, but came up empty. I do find good stuff like canning, grinders, hand tools, lanterns etc.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

This works for me___ I use sharpie and masking tape--I list item, when bought/stored, if D.E is added, sometimes the servings amt. and even directions to what's in the bucket--in case I give to less fortunate...sometimes I write the price...like sugar ...4 lbs. $2.00 @ dollar general...just for later references.

I make two masking tape references, one on each side of bucket so seen from both sides.

Oldcoot is right---inventory-- and place it on paper also...delete every time you use items..and update with your receipts by adding when you bring items home..
I even have cagegories on my inventory sheet--canned veg, canned meat, canned fruit, packaged and boxed, medical, hygiene, ...etc..

Can you tell I'm an ex-teacher??:ignore:


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

Eli-2 said:


> Sorry, I should have asked "Does anyone have preps they won't draw from until TSHTF situation occurs.But, continues to maintain a large inventory which is rotatated on a daily basis.I'm trying to decide what method is best for me to stock preps with extended shelf lives and put them aside say years from now before drawing from them and continuing to stock a months,3 months or a years supply of the almost the same preps to use on a daily basis using first in first out method.Or just continue buying and putting things away as I use them,using the buy 2, eat 1,put 1 away system.Does that make sense or did I confuse you more.All this is really new to me and gets overwhelming,when I realize how far behind I am.:gaah::nuts:


That's what we're doing. We have our grocery store stash of stuff we use daily but we also have long term storage stuff sealed in #10 cans or sealed buckets that we won't use unless TSHTF or it's time to use it before it ruins. We use dried potatoes, beans, & rice daily; just the kind you get from the grocery & not out of our sealed for long-term storage stash.


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## Ponce (May 3, 2009)

Tomorrow all the food from one of my freezer is going to the burn pile...being there for the past eight years......everything hard, dry and smelly......lucky for me they were all the dollar tv dinners from Swanson.......will resplendish next saturday.


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