OK. It's week #1! Are you ready for your first assignment? It's that time of year for assessing where you are and where you plan to go. Don't be discouraged if, like us, you aren't really where you want to be just yet. Everyone has to start somewhere, right?
Ready...and....GO!
Purchase Items
1. One fine point permanent marker for writing purchase dates
2. 1 Gallon of Water per person (write date on lids)
info on safe water storage can be found here
3. Jar(s) of Peanut Butter (write date and FREEZE)
**Please note that these items are suggestions and should be adapted for your family's needs. For example, one of our children has a peanut allergy. So I will not be buying three jars of peanut butter. I may buy one or two for the rest of us (his allergy isn't such that the rest of us can't eat it) and one jar of something he can eat instead, maybe some Nutella. Actually...mmm...maybe we'll all eat Nutella.....***
Activity (FHE or Saturday)
Take inventory of all food storage. Make sure it is still usable-maybe open a can or two. Throw out any bulging or leaking cans. Write your inventory in a notebook or spreadsheet by categories.
Dry pack items for January are Quick Oats, Sugar and Cocoa.
February’s items will be Wheat, Flour and Potatoes.
Quote of the Week:
Where do I get Money for Food Storage?
1. “Decide as a family this year that 25 or 50 percent of your Christmas will be spent on a year’s supply.… Brethren, give your wife a year’s supply of wheat for Christmas, and she’ll know your heart is in the right place.
2. When you desire new clothes, don’t buy them. Repair and mend and make your present wardrobe last a few months longer…
3. Cut the amount of money you spend on recreation by 50 percent.
4. Decide as a family that there will be no vacation or holiday next year unless you have your year’s supply.
5. If you haven’t a year’s supply yet and you do have boats, snowmobiles, campers, or other luxury possessions, sell or trade one or two or more of them and get your year’s supply.
6. Watch advertised specials in the grocery stores and pick up extra supplies that are of exceptional value.
7. Change the mix in your family’s diet. Get your protein from sources less expensive than meat. The grocery bill is one bill that can be cut. Every time you enter the store and feel tempted by effective and honest merchandising to buy cookies, candy, ice cream non-food items, or magazines—don’t’! Think carefully: buy only the essentials. Then figure what you saved and spend it on powdered milk, sugar, honey, salt or grain…”
Bishop Vaughn J. Featherstone, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, “Food Storage,” Ensign, May 1976
I found a couple of things interesting about this quote. First--look at the date. General Authorities have been talking about food storage since before I was born! And they are still talking about it! Secondly, the first time I read through this I wondered if it would offend people. I mean, I don't know about you, but I don't have a garage full of boats and RVs I can sell at the moment. But then I read it through again and I realized it really has a wide variety of practical advise that applies to individuals in a wide variety of circumstances. Obviously not every suggestion is going to apply to every situation, but I can bet there is at least one thing in there that your family could do to cut expenses. Personally I plan to focus on paring down our weekly grocery budget.
