Have you ever thought about stockpiling goods like food and other supplies for an emergency, but don’t know where to start?
Keep reading to find out why you should have an emergency stockpile, what you should have in a stockpile and where to start.
I have wanted to write this post for quite a while.. but too be honest was worried about what everyone would think.. especially if I wrote it during the height of the pandemic. With hoarding and panic buying happening during lockdowns, if I mentioned the idea of stockpiling to people they would look at me as if I was one of “those” people who were buying up all the toilet paper!
But here’s the thing… stockpiling isn’t what you do during an emergency or time of tough times, it is a way to prepare ahead of time ready to be able to survive so you don’t have to “panic buy”. Many people have an emergency stockpile, just do a quick search on Instagram, Facebook or Blogs and you will find many people, not just survivalists or people who live remotely, but everyday people who live all walks of life who have a stockpile… so why shouldn’t you?
Why you should have an emergency stockpile?
There are many reasons why you should have a emergency stockpile.. as I write this blog post we are slowly coming out of Covid restrictions where food shortages where occurring, a lot of Queensland and NSW is locked in because of floods and Russia has invaded the Ukraine (which could impact us in one way or another). For me these are very real reasons to have a stockpile of goods.
But reasons to stockpile go beyond these examples. Stockpiling will obviously get you out of a sticky position if there is a natural disaster. Floods, Fire, Cyclones, Storms, Earthquakes and of course lockdowns for any reason, including pandemics, can occur at any time and without much notice, so having the peace of mind of having an emergency stockpile is very reassuring in these circumstances and will stop you panic buying with the rest of your community. Another reason to have an emergency stockpile is in case you or someone else in your family losses their income through loss of job, sickness etc. One thing we have learnt throughout the last two years is that nobody job is fully secure, so not having to worry about feeding your family for a period of time because you have enough in your emergency stockpile to access while you are re assessing your finances, will be one less burden. Another big reason to have an emergency stockpile is to stop excess buying at the shops. With a stockpile you will always have access to those items you run out of as well as quick last minute meals you can “whip up”. Instead of running down the shops to pick up pasta or milk because you have run out and inevitably end up buying more than you intended, will save you money in the long run by using items out of your stockpile. The last reason is that you will be able to help out others in need from your stockpile, people who are in a worse situation than you, would be so grateful to be able to receive some items from your emergency stockpile.
How to start an emergency stockpile.
Starting a stockpile is not complicated. Firstly you need to decide where you are going to keep the items. Somewhere dry and out of the way is favourable. My first stockpile began as a tub under my bed but now I use cupboard space in my bedroom, the whole family know where it is and have a basic knowledge of what is in it. I know of people who have a spare room for their stockpiles or space in their garage to store their items. It really depends on how much you are going to stockpile and how much spare space you have in your house!
Starting the stockpile from scratch means slowly buying items you want to have in it. ( I will talk about this later in this post!) Stockpiling isn’t hoarding, so don’t go out and buy everything off the shelf and leave it bare for others. You can start by looking through your pantry and putting any extra items that have a long expiry date, away in your stockpile spot, ready for the future. Sometimes these item get lost at the back of the pantry so why not start with them in your stockpile. When it comes to adding to the stockpile, my advice is, as you do your normal shop, put in a few extra items into you trolley for your emergency stockpile. Keep an eye out for items your normally buy and when they are on special, purchase a few of them.. not only saves you money but also is a great addition. Sometimes when I find myself with a bit extra money from my food shopping budget I will do a specific emergency food shop that will only have items for the stockpile, but most of the time it gets added to slowly during my weekly shop. Another idea is to access bulk food through discount food warehouses like Cosco, I don’t have a membership but from what I hear you can buy in bulk so this would be useful. I access a charity run discount food warehouse here in Lake Macquarie who sells all sorts of food and then uses the profits for people in need. It is accessible for everyone regardless of their income status and stocks lots of different goods at discounted prices. Maybe there is a place like this in your area.
What to have in an emergency stockpile.
Firstly what I have in my emergency stockpile could be different to what you have in yours. The main point in putting together a stockpile is to m have what you and your family eat. Also the items in the stockpile should have long expiry dates, I prefer two years plus expiry dated items. I have regular food in my stockpile that you can purchase at Coles etc, but I do know that you can get other items from places like army supplies, camping stores as well as specific online stores that cater for stockpiles.. so maybe they are worth a look as well.
here’s is a basic list of items you might want to have in your emergency stockpile.
Non food items:
Soap, toilet paper, toothpaste / toothbrushes , medications like Panadol / Nurophen/ antihistamines, cleaning products, dishwashing and clothes washing liquid, hand sanitiser, female sanitary items, band aids and other medical supplies.
Emergency Supplies:
Torch, batteries, can opener, pocket knife, pet food (if you have animals), matches, whistle, radio, charged portable chargers and cords, large supply of bottled water and maybe some fuel.
Food items:
Long life milk / powder milk, flour, canned and dehydrated vegetables, canned and dried beans, canned and dried pasta / noddles/ gnocchi, pasta sauce, soups both tinned and powdered, tinned and dried fruit, nuts, canned meat and fish, sugar, tea / coffee, oil, peanut butter / vegemite/ jam, muesli bars, rice, Indian ready to cook meals like Daal etc, dehydrated meals from camping stores, seasonings / salt/ pepper. oats.
In the long run whatever you have in your emergency stockpile it is an investment that you will need to look after and keep safe from rodents, bugs and moisture. Rotate your stock and go through periodically to check expiry dates and making sure everything is ok, adding more items if needed.
Resources:
https://www.kanehealth.com/Documents/Emergency%20Response/stockpilingtoolkit.pdf
https://down—to—earth.blogspot.com/2012/09/keeping-stockpile.html
https://www.instagram.com/justbudgetmums/
ravel Safe
Kerrie
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