Monday’s Guest Blog – Why is Food Storage Important?

Syndicated radio host Dave Ramsey advises his listeners to set up an emergency fund that consists of three to six months of living expenses. The fund is for “just in case” situations like job loss and medical or auto emergencies–basically a source of cash for unexpected tough times.  Along this same line of thinking, it is also smart to consider setting up an emergency fund of food. There are a couple reasons for this, and it’s not just about “gloom and doom” situations.

It’s a money-saver.  Think of all the money you could save if you could hold off of buying food until it is at rock-bottom prices.  No more last-minute running to the grocery store for this or that, no more (or, not as much) buying at full price.  If you have a well-stocked pantry of foods you regularly use, it will save you so much money in the long run.  It also teaches planning and budgeting skills.

It brings security and peace of mind.  Last year, Abbie and her family had a tight month financially with some car issues. The one expense they could confidently cut was their food budget. Abbie stopped going to the grocery store completely except to get a few things like milk, eggs, and some produce. Did they starve? Not at all! They ate delicious, nutritious meals from their food storage. In fact, no one even noticed she hadn’t been shopping as long as they didn’t look in her fridge. 

If hardship falls on your family, whether it be through job loss or whatever, how to feed your family shouldn’t have to be something you worry about.  With a food storage, you can be confident that your family will continue to eat well through your hardship.

It helps us help others.  I don’t know about you, but Abbie and I are regularly asked to bring meals to people, for various reasons: they may have just had a baby, someone might be sick, or maybe there was a death in the family or other hardship.  Because of our supply of food, we are able to whip up a meal without much thought, and without much warning.  We can just open the pantry and see what we’ve got available.  Thankfully, many people we know have the same abilities because they have food storage, too.  Food storage can be a great blessing not only for your family, but for your friends and acquaintances who you can help.

A supply of food should be built up slowly according to both your budget and plan. Do not go into debt building your food storage—that’s neither frugal or responsible. Don’t “hoard” food either. Only buy what you need and what your family will enjoy eating. Then use it when you need it.

Remember, don’t be overwhelmed when it comes to building an emergency fund of food–take it one step at a time. Start by making
small goals like storing one week of food, then two weeks, and so on. Then when you hit those bumps in life, feeding your family will be something you don’t have to think about.