Here’s how to store food on a budget for as little as $5 per week! A home stockpile is not just for emergencies. It is one of the BEST ways to save money on groceries because you can always shop for food at the best prices Here’s how to do it!
How To Store Food On A Budget For $5 Per Week
I have lived through extreme poverty, job loss, sickness, 12 moves, the births of 4 babies and low paying jobs, so I know how important it is to learn How to Store Food On A Budget! One of the most loving things you can do for you family is to have a stockpile of food always on hand.
Not only is a food stockpile great for emergencies, but it is so EASY! I mean SUPER EASY! It makes my life so much more hassle free because I’m not running to the grocery store every time I need something. I am able to save much more on my grocery bill by planning ahead.
Here are my top 6 tips for How to Store Food On A Budget. You can do it starting with just $5!
Start slow. Start with just 1 week extra of food. Then work your way up to 1 month, then 3 months, etc. until you have a year’s supply of food.
Figure out how much you need. If you have a family of 2, your stockpiling is going to be totally different than it is for a family of 6.
Don’t buy 15 jars of peanut butter when you have 2 kids that eat 1 jar every month. Buy just the amount that you will use. You don’t have to figure out an entire year’s worth of food at once. Just do a month or two at a time as you build your stockpile.
Buy ONLY foods you normally eat. We hate the taste of brown rice, so I buy white rice instead -brown rice doesn’t store well anyway. Instead of thinking of it as a stockpile, think, “This is my mini grocery store at home.”
DON’T BUY IN BULK! Yes, it’s in caps for a reason. The “prepper” tip to buy in bulk is seen all over the internet, but it’s a really stupid thing to do! Why? Food stays fresher the longer it is in its original package, so don’t buy huge bags of grains like rice and flour. Buy them in smaller bags so you can open them as needed. Do you know how long it would take to use up a 25lb. bag of rice? That is 100 servings of rice. If you have a large family it would go quick, but if it’s just you and hubby, it would take you a long time to eat it! Don’t buy in bulk!
$5 a week? Yeah right! No really, you can do it for $5 a week! How?
- Watch sales. If something comes up on a great sale or on clearance, buy as many as you can afford.
- Just start! Just get something. For $5, you can get 2 bags of beans and 2 bags of rice that will feed your family for at least a week. You could get 5 cans of fruit for $1 each. Or you could get 1 can of canned meat that would be protein for 1-2 days.
To get started, just start. At first, you are just getting some food for survival. Then, as you build your stockpile, you will be using it for your daily cooking.
Where do you store it? Anywhere you can! I have. spare room in my basement where I store our stockpile, I mean mini grocery store, :-) but you can store it anywhere. At our old house, I had 3 shelf units in my basement.
Some other ideas for stockpile storage are:
- pantry (make sure it’s organized and stocked)
- closets
- under beds
- under couches
- small nooks
- under stairs
- as furniture (use an empty trash can and put a circle wooden top with a table cloth for an end table)
“I don’t have room for a year’s worth of food!!!” That’s fine!!! Don’t worry! Just stock up as much as you can. I know a single woman who has a great stockpile of food in just a 4×4 area in her basement.
Use it! Then, as you need items to use daily, bring them up to your pantry. Add the used items to your shopping list and restock the stockpile the next time you go to the grocery store. Make sure to add the new things to the back of the stockpile and use the older ones.
Click here to get our Dining On A Dime Cookbooks 25% Off NOW! They’re filled with tasty recipes and tips to make your life easier!
Thank you for this post. I’ve been looking at “prepper” sites and their stockpiles are way more than my husband and I would eat. Your approach is much more sensible.
Thanks Charla glad it helped
Great information. Maybe update this a little. If you have a food saver sealer buy in bulk and seal in the quantities you will need for a couple of meals. Also, seal leftovers, they will last a month just in the refrigerator if you seal them properly.
Mylar bags are great for this as well. Also dry canning kills bug Lara and seals your jars for things like flour rice ect
Hey, Lee here. You can use Crisco for a heating and light source. Just use the container it came in or fill large glass jars. Place a candle opera candle. Place it in the middle then cover with a clay pot which will radiate heat for a few hours. A 3 pound of Crisco will last up to 21 days when burned for 8 hours a day. Make sure you’ve got rhe glass jar or original Crisco container on a wooden or stone surface.
Cisco is packaged in paper. I melted Crisco and made candles in glass pickle jars. The only reason I’d do it again was if the Crisco was going bad. Not worth the effort.
Jill, you and Tawra, and Tawra’s husband are the best! Thank you for this free e-cookbook. Your all so cheerful, especially Tawra’s husband-he is always so cheerful, always smiling, always laughing-it is contagious! I wish my husband was more like him! You smile a lot too and are also so upbeat and positive, and Tawra too. I will be looking forward to your next video. One question I have is because of rumors I have heard….and Tawra is the best at debunking all of the rumors etc…anyway I have heard that when things get bad, I mean really bad that the government etc will go to homes and confiscate the food that people have stockpiled and say it is for their so called greater good and then who knows what else….any thoughts on this?
You know Rose it is really hard to predict exactly what will happen for something like that. I seen in times past (and some today even) many governments have done that exact thing and that pretty much is what communism and socialism is and that is why Americans fight against those so much because that is what happens when a country is taken over by that. Sadly the way the leadership now is heading it is in that direction but once again we can’t really predict if it will or how soon it will happen.
The only things you can do if you are worried about this is; 1)put some supplies in a tote and bury it. Though they may still find it with metal detectors, if things get that bad. 2)Vote for the candidates that you believe may help this to NOT HAPPEN. 3) Run for office and see what You can do to change things. 4) This should be #1. Pray! Repent of your sins and become born again, if you have not already done so. Even people who consider themselves Christians and have attended church their whole lives may not have done these things. Think about this deeply. Consider if you have done these things. Talk to your Pastor or a Pastor or a trusted Christian friend. What happens is all in God’s plan. It may not be what we want to happen. It will not be pleasant. God will help you through it.
Whatever happens at least you tried to provide for your family! The rest is in God’s Hands. 😊❣️💖
I’m doing pretty well, thanks to you guys, I’m filling 27 gallon tough totes I got on sale at Home Depot. I’m filling them as I shop so is there a certain way I should organize them? I mean should I have a variety of things in each and label them? I have my canned vegetables and fruits stacked in their cases and not in totes. Any suggestions about how to pack them is helpful. Oh, by the way I am so enjoying your talking about the Rapture, etc. My Grandfather was a down to earth Bible preacher and I miss his straight to the point preaching, that’s why I enjoy and learn from you. You’re a great teacher Tawra, I’m 74 and still learning. God bless you all every day, you’re all in my prayers.
Sharon thank you so much for sweet and encouraging words. I do pass your messages on to Tawra. There really isn’t a set in stone way to organizing your totes pretty much what works best for you and the way you will be using them. If it helps any what I do is I have 1 or 2 totes that are filled with a variety of things – that make up a weeks worth of meals. That way if I have to leave very quickly because of flood water or forest fire I have one tote I can toss in my car to have and use. The other totes I would have them filled with like items and label. Now like I said it depends on your situation. For example if I have to stack them 5 or 6 on top of each other I might put a variety in the top one just so I don’t have to unstack each time to get to the bottom tote. You may have to try a couple of different ways too before you find what is easiest for you. I have changed how I have my things arranged about 3 times since I moved in my new house trying to find a more convenient way to use them. I am almost there. LOL OH and yes be sure to label well. To me that is the most important – I label the top and a couple of sides just in case the they get turned around or something. Hope this gives you some ideas to at least get started.
PS I always enjoyed preachers like your Grandfather too sooo much. : )
a prepper stockpile is for long term and some to share or barter. long-term idea is that you will eventually eat it if you have to use it. many also rotate stock.
D, ,
I like it for my apartment:small size. Thank you for your common sense.
I have tried numerous times to get the stockpile cookbook. But it never shows up in my email including my spam. Can you help me with this?
Thank you ,Jill, Twara, Mike and family for all you do for us. I purchased both of your cookbooks and love them!
God bless you.
I resigned you up Angela I can’t think what the problem could be. If you are using a phone to try and get it you might try your computer other wise I am sorry I am not sure what else to try. See if this works this time.
I am having the same issues. I have ordered maybe 6 times and never received a copy.
Barbara sorry you are having problems. Some peoples devices aren’t letting them sign up for some reason. I’m afraid some of these things are out of our control but I did try to sign you up again so watch your email and spam to see if it comes through to you.
The same thing happened to me. I’ve tried 4 different times
and each time you thank me, but I never receive it. I’m really
anxious to get it and start with your list. Is there any way you
could please resend it for me, too? Thank you so much. I
really appreciate it.
I can’t get it either.
Good post – love your dining on a dime cookbook. So practical.
Thank you so much Maggie
The empty trash can with a top on it is brilliant. I was wondering where to put my stuff and this fits the bill perfectly. Box stores have both a tops and cans.
Make sure your trash cans are metal animals can’t eat thru them.
What kind of jars are those that are on the book cover? I’ve never seen that type before. It looks commercially canned/jarred. Where do you buy these?
On the free cookbook we use stock photos so I’m afraid I can’t tell you.
I’m now a widow, and I do buy in bulk, I have for years. I just reuse the items that I’ve purchased in glass jars and label them with the item, amount and date. If it’s flour or rice I put a bay leaf in the jar as that keeps it fresh. If some canned goods are on sale, I will purchase a couple more for food storage and rotate them out. I also stockpile TP and paper towels as well as extra rubber or protective gloves.
I can’t wait for the series you’re going to do with Jill!! Your tips are so down to earth and practical. I look forward to your new videos each week. One more thing to share, thanks to your tips and tricks, we are officially debt free! Praise God
Oh my Sarah hearing comments like this with our viewers success stories make our day – it truly does. We really get so excited for you guys when we hear about it. Thank you for letting us know it is working for you and we really are proud when you all “make it to the finish line” :) :)
Love my Dining On A Dime E Cook Books.I use them all the time and they are such simple meals. Makes my life so much more stress free on deciding what to cook. Thank you for writing them and making meal planning so much simpler 🙏
You are welcome Beulah. When we wrote them it seemed like there weren’t many just simple everyday cookbooks. There were mostly fancy gourmet ones mostly so thanks for letting us know they are working for you.
I do buy the 25# bags of staples. But I take the 5 gallon Mylar bags, cut them in half, iron the edges sealed, cut in half again and wind up with 4 one gallon bags. I then use these to split up those 25 # bags into about 5 smaller bags, sealed with o2 adsorbers. Best of both, price per pound And smaller bags- that bugs can’t survive in because no oxygen. In a bucket I might have 4-5 different staples.
This was a great post! It takes a centsible and sensible approach to stocking. The items you recommend stocking are for simple everyday meals. Thank you for the printable list and thank you for the great job you guys do to encourage all of us to live within our means and save money.
Thank you so much Shawn for taking the time to let us know. So glad it is working for you.
I am so looking forward to the new cookbook.
Remember if you lose power you won’t have a refrigerator or freezer. I bought a solar generator that can be used inside to periodically power freezer and frig.
We used it last year during power outage.
Hi Chris. Where did you get your solar generator? I’m shopping for one about 1500 watts. Any suggestions?
Hi, Peggy, I bought mine from 4Patriots but it’s 1800 watts.
Are you satisfied with a solar generator? I’m thinking of getting one, but so far I don’t know anyone who’s experienced working with it. Is your 1800 watts powerful enough to run a refrigerator? Could it power a small window A/C – not at the same time as the refrigerator, just one at a time? Could you back-feed the house for lights, or run the washing machine, or run the water heater for a shower? Of course, one major appliance at a time. I was even thinking of getting two: one to run the refrigerator, and one for the small bedroom A/C, and of course the TV for news & lights, etc.
Could I ask what kind or where you got it. I am trying to talk my husband into getting one for us. But since I need to do the looking I feel so. unsure of where to look. Also how well did yours work?
I have always had one backup of items I use but when the pandemic hit my one spare wasn’t enough. I had let my freezer and pantry become too minimalist and had to go and buy a lot of food to build up my pantry again, I had gotten it down to one week of food. I love how you have both showed that you don’t have to stock pile huge buckets of food as that never appealed to me. I have to work out my plans for storage but I am looking forward to building up my 3 month stockpile. Love you guys, Mel from Australia
Thanks Mel. I am like you I can’t physically deal with the buckets of food myself and just could not mentally deal with keeping track of all of it plus shifting moving and lifting and on and on so our small stockpile seems to work a little easier all the way around so glad it will work for you.
Hi Tawra!
Thanks for all you do! I am unable to get the printable that you referenced. I add my name and email but it says that my email is not good but it is a good email. Can you recommend another way to print this, thanks!
Barbara I think Mike has tried to contact you but you have us in your spam blocker so you need to put us in your OK senders list. This tip might help others too if you are having trouble.
Hi Jill, the list hasn’t come to my email yet. I checked spam, junk, trash, spam filters, etc. I have received email from living on a dime before so I am not sure what’s going on now.
Ok Lori will send to Mike and see if he can figure it out for us. Sorry you are having so much trouble.
Many years ago, I taught a number of “food insecure” people this. And, back then, $5 went a longer way. These were food stamps recipients. One week, get 10lbs chicken leg quarters and freeze in your meal serving size. Next week, $5 would buy 20lbs rice (under $7 all the time now locally). You could get 10 cans of veggies for $5. Pasta and pasta sauce the next couple of months. They found with a few bulk items like these, they no longer ran out of food before they got their food stamps. Yes, they are a bit more expensive now but I get a pound of pasta for .77 or .79. Pasta sauce for under $1.50 each on sale and so forth. The flipp app uses your zip code to highlight local sales for most local stores. That is how I know how much the lowest sales are. You can save so much.
how do I get the list?
Janet scroll down to about the middle of the post and it has a place for you to fill in your name and email there.
Fantastic post! Thank you for the list. It makes everything so much easier.
You are welcome Cheri. I am so glad it will help you.
Looking forward to getting started, thanks for the food list and wonderful videos.
You are so welcome.
I am not finding anything about getting the list. How can I get it? Love your stuff!
Thank you so much. I signed up for you Kathleen so be sure to check you inbox of your email and it should be in there. If you don’t see it check your spam too- sometimes things get stuck in there.
HERE IS ANOTHER IDEA FOR AN OLD SOCK OR SINGLE KNEE HIGH HOSE, STUFF A BAR OF SOAP IN IT SO YOU CAN BATHE AND WASH UP AND THE BAR IS PROTECTES IF IT FALLS IN DIRT ETC. THANKS FOR ALL IDEAS, LOVE ONE ANOTHER.JUNE
I am new to your channel and love the good since talk. I am 76 years old and live with my son and daughter in law. they are not big on prepping so your suggestions are something I can do and they won’t even notice it is being done! I don’t know how to do the canning I see in your videos, do you have some that tells how to re-package or can? Thanks for doing all this stuff for all of us that know the good times won’t last for ever.
Gloria so glad you are liking our channel thank you. We don’t do a whole lot of repackaging or canning really. There are other preppers who do but we do more buying things on sale that are already canned. Even though we are not against canning at all it does take some work and by the time you add up the time spent, paying for the ingredients it is really cheaper to buy canned goods on sale, for prepping for us anyway it is. We also don’t do things like repackaging or canning flour because it will last for a couple of years in the freezer and often that long in the pantry in a plastic or metal container. I personally just get those large metal cans that Christmas popcorn often comes in. You can get them for very cheap at thrift stores and garage sales. Plus things like flour most use often enough that they get rotated out and used so I don’t really worry about them expiring.
Keep it simple and as easy as you can. There are other preppers out there who do do a lot of canning so you might check some of them out if you really enjoy and want to do that.
I have ALWAYS kept a small grocery store-type pantry, but have lived in rural areas most of my 62 years. My mom always kept a stocked pantry, so going to the grocery store was limited to every 4-6 weeks. (Mom didn’t learn to drive until in her late 40’s, so she made her grocery hauls count.) Once you have things fairly stocked, it needs to be managed in order to reduce ‘out-of-sight, out-of-mind’ items that go bad because you forgot you had them. In an attempt to ease the job of rotating out pantry stock of grocery items, I shelve mine by year of expiration. Because heat rises, I keep non-food and non-perishable items on very top shelf; current year items go on second shelf, etc. I currently have a 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 shelf of grocery items. This helps me decide what I need to cook with a quick shelf glance. Around the end of year or start of new year, I move items up a shelf. This rotation method provides opportunity to check condition of cans, jar seals, packages, etc. When shopping, I am mindful of expiration dates, so I don’t end up with everything going out of date about the same time requiring major time and money to replace items for subsequent years. And, yes, some items can safely go past the exp date, but this method has worked well for my family over the years that went from 2-person to 6-person and now one-person household while keeping me stocked out for 3 years.
Wow great tips – thank you Cathy.
Can I buy the book in book format, stock pile. I don’t have your other books.
Caroline we don’t have the stock pile book in book form.
I tried to sign up for your free printable for stockpiling but it wouldn’t accept my email address. How can I get it? Is there another way to contact you? Thanks, Denise
Hi! I received the same message when trying to get the free e-cookbook. Is there another way to get this? Thanks!! Love your channel!
I signed up with my gmail account and didn’t get the book,but remembered that with my iPad I have an iCloud email account, used that and it was through instantly, if you can, maybe try a different account, work, family member , even ask a like minded friend if sh would use her address to sign up as long as it was a different company.
Thank you all so much for your resources on your website and all of your YouTube videos. I learn so much from you guys!!! I have bought a few of your books and ebooks. God bless your whole family!!!
Sincerely,
Michelle.
Thank you Michelle. We do appreciate encouraging words from our readers. Thanks bunches. : )
Having issues receiving free cookbook. I checked in my spam folder and it was not in there. Love your channel.
Sherry sometimes we don’t have control over that – it is the server or something like that blocking things. You might try another email if you can.
I’m so glad I saw this. I’ve been doing it ever since, and that’s only been about a month. Mine looks amazing already! I cleaned out the closet under my steps with shelves. It’s cool so it’s the perfect place for my stockpile. Hitting sales and using coupons has helped a lot. I also put my list in a plastic sleeve, print off my grocery list and take both to the grocery store with me. Thank you so so much for this!!
I would like the free book on how long Ken goods last. It was supposed to be free and I can’t find it thank you so much for your great videos. Diane
It is free Diane it was just down the page a little farther. You should be getting it, you just need to check your email now and if it doesn’t show up be sure to check your spam for it too.
Hi! Grrreat videos! May I please have the free PRACTICAL STOCKPILE COOKBOOK?
Blessings to you and your family
You are signed up for it. Check your in box where it will let you know and if you don’t see it be sure to check your spam too. Go to our website if you still have problems and let us know.
I also am unable to access a location to download the free stockpile cookbook.
Could you please provide the information.
Great info on your you tube site. please keep it up.
Thanks, Hal
Just scroll down this post to where it says email address and name and fill it in.
Looking for a copy of your Stockpile Cookbook .
Thank you.
Be sure to check your email for more info
Love you all. Been watching for years.
Stockpile cookbook, please.
Be sure to check your email JJ.
I’ve been a fan for a long time and really enjoy your videos! I have all your cookbooks and love all the recipes I have tried so far. The ingredients for the recipes are what most people already have in their pantry and they are easy to make.
I’d love to get the Stockpile Cookbook, but I can’t find anywhere to put my email address to request it. Please help.
Thanks!
Thank you Julia so much for sticking with us for so long. If you scroll down past the first few paragraphs it will have in the center of the page and it says in red Stockpile on a budget with a picture below it then right below that is where you put your name and email address
Jill, I just found the reason I could not see the sign-up area. My computer does not show the area to sign up for the stockpile cookbook (maybe because it’s old). When I used my Kindle Fire to look at your website, the email area shows up! My computer goes directly from the “Don’t Buy in Bulk” paragraph to the “$5 a week….” paragraph with the whole section showing the cookbook picture and sign-up area missing. I’ll bet that is the reason a lot of people are having trouble seeing it. I have now received my copy.
Thank you so much!
You are welcome Julia and thanks for letting us know on that. Sometimes that is all that is happening. Hope you enjoy your copy and it helps.
Would like the stockpile cookbook, please. Ty, vm.
Not sure which you meant Ona but here is one of the books we have https://shop.livingonadime.com/search?q=stockpile
Thank you to both of you, and Mike also, for encouraging people to be prepared. I was raised by a mother who lived through the depression & was very frugal. She passed that trait on to my sister and me, and we’re both grateful for it. I so enjoy watching all of you because what you say makes so much sense, and finally I hear people teach what I seem to have practiced by myself during all these decades. I was never in such a dire need as you have been, but I have been poor & have had to make do with what I had. Buying on sale, not charging, and only acquiring needed items have led us to a comfortable way of life after so many decades. However, I’m still as frugal as I was in the days when I didn’t have any money to spare. I don’t need to be so frugal, but what we now have is a gift from the Lord, and I feel it would be wrong to waste it or misspend it. I wish that people would understand how simple it is. With the current unrest, I’m afraid it’s just a matter of time before things get worse, yet again. I have fully stocked my pantry for months ahead & rearranged my storage to keep it easy to access and rotate. Everyone wants to be right, but if there’s a time I want to be so wrong it’s now: I want to have prepared needlessly!!!
Hello. Writing from Michigan here. Wondering what your thoughts are on storing our stockpile in our garage? Thanks.
Laura of course it depends on what the weather is like where you live. I don’t store it in there because where I lived it would get over a 100 degrees in the summer and way below freezing in the winter which is not good for the stored food. Also you have to be very careful what type of containers your food is in because mice and bugs will be attracted to that food and you can have a major problem then. Mice can chew through hard plastic. I will store some water in the garage though making sure there is room for expansion in case it freezes. Heat can also affect the packaging of some foods causing the food to taste a little off. It is ok to eat but just might taste strange.
I have tried twice to get the $5 prepper thing and it does not go thru to my email. :(
What about Chicken broth? either is can or box. Will they last a long time? I now not forever but a long time?
It will stay at a minimum 4-5 yrs and usually much longer than that when stored properly.
Tawra, Mike and Jill thank you for all you do. I did add you to Favorites in my email and was able to finally get the free e-cookbook.
You are very welcome Sonia and glad you got it to work for you.
Your YT channel in very interesting. Really enjoyed the one with the preaching and explanation of the Gospel. Ty. May many heed and be saved.
Have you heard the jaw-dropping, 2-in-1 teaching at LivingWaters.com called Hells Best Kept Secret/ True and False Conversion?
Thank you for posting this. It was very good. We do like both of these guys.