I am pleased to now add another category to my blog, other than Minimalism, Budget Artist, and LGBT: Prepping, or, as some like to call it, Doomsday Prepping. I don't believe in doomsday anymore, but I do believe in hard times. We all go through them, whether it's on a national scale or not. So it makes me feel better to have plenty in the freezer, or better yet, non-perishable items that don't require energy to store. So if you can, I encourage you to, as you clean out your space, consider using some of that freed up room to buy some "Eating Insurance" for your family and your pets.
Once, when she was fearful of losing her job, my mom made herself feel better by buying a couple of canned whole chickens with her usual groceries. Having extra protein made her feel better about providing for herself and her family. But whole canned chickens are expensive, and so my meat of choice is mackerel. But I've taken her idea of stocking up, and used it to make myself feel better in general. I don't seem to be in danger of losing a job, but knowing that I have security still makes me feel so much better about the future.
I hope to, eventually, have at least six months worth of food stored for myself, my family, and my pets. I am working towards that goal now.
Here are some things I've learned so far:
1) Shake the cans. A strange lady in the supermarket once told me cheerfully to "shake your tuna," which I later learned was slang for vagina. But it was in the seafood aisle, so I think she wasn't sexually harassing me. By shaking the cans, you can determine how much juice is in there, and how much is meat. The less sloshing, the more food is in there. With some things, it all sounds the same. But if you shake a few cans and hear a difference, then grab the ones with more meat.
2) Weigh the drained ingredients. I found out that a "Net Weight 15 Oz." can of mackerel was actually about ten ounces of meat, not including juice. The juice is good to have, especially for cats and soups, but it is not why you buy canned meat. So that affected my price calculations, because I don't want to overestimate how much weight in food I have. Also weigh your container separately, because they are usually at least an ounce or two themselves.
3) Keep track of price, weight, and drained weight. A 15-ounce can of mackerel, which I buy for a dollar, is actually only 2/3 meat, and a full 1/3 water. So instead of about 7 cents an once, it is actual 10 cents an once. Instead of a little over a dollar, it is $1.60 per pound. It is still the cheapest meat I can find at this time and place, but it feels good to know the actual price of the food. Whatever juice I get is just a bonus.
4) Buy what you (or your pets) actually want to eat, anyway, so there is no waste if you don't need it.
5) Look at the dollar stores. The cans of mackerel I buy are from the dollar store. It happens to have the cheapest price, in my area and for this product. But with other products, it is not the cheapest, or the best deal.
6) Buy "stinky" fish as much as possible. In addition to protein, oily fish, such as my mackerel, has lots of B vitamins and fatty acids--very good for you. Ironically, it's much cheaper than tuna or chicken, too. If you hate it, just remember that eating it twice a week or so is good for you, anyway, so you could consider it a health supplement.
7) Buy a few extra hand-crank can openers. Don't get caught hacking at all of your cans with a knife. It's messy and dangerous.
8) Decide where to store the cans. If you stack a bunch of cans together, you may want to reinforce the floor with plywood or something. But you don't have to store them all together. Just be sure to keep track of how many you actually have.
9) Don't bother with processed meats. Spam and Vienna sausages, for example, are much more expensive per once, and not very good for you. Have as few additives in your meat, and your pets' meat, as possible.
10) Buy slowly over time. You can build up your stash slowly, if it seems overwhelming--like saving a few dollars at a time, it adds up. Buy a few more cans than you eat week, and save up the rest separately from your normal groceries. Or use your "discretionary" income, if you have any. Buying yourself some security will feel a whole lot better than buying another piece of clothing or gadget.
No comments:
Post a Comment