Thrifty Thursday - Stock Up!

This week for my Thrifty Thursday post, I'd like to give you a gentle nudge towards stocking your pantry well with shelf stable foods and dry goods. With the drought as bad as it is, prices on corn, soy, and other crops have jumped as much as 50-75% higher than what it was just a few months ago. Because so many products use corn - from everything like cereal to meat (most grocery stores meats are feed corn) to even some pickles (high fructose corn syrup), we're going to start to see a rise in prices. While it might not seem like a headache at the checkout line at first, we'll probably be seeing a 2-4% increase in the price of everything in your shopping cart soon with possible even high increases. Just when you get adjusted to the higher prices we have now, they get even higher. Sigh!

Make sure when you are purchasing shelf stable goods such as canned vegetables, soups, cereals, etc, that you check out the date on the bottom or back of the product, and make sure if you are buying in extra quantity, that you'll be using it before the best-by date. (After all, if you have to throw it away, it's no longer a bargain!) be sure you are rotating anything you are purchasing by having the first in, first used system: newer purchases and dates go at the back of the pantry shelf, and push last week's purchases to the front of your shelf. (For more info on this, check out my past post Food Storage Friday - FIFO)

You'd be surprised at some of the basic food items that are often good for several years, if you store it properly in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Items such as canned tuna, dry beans, pasta, salt, and chili can often be stored for as long as 2-3 years! (Seriously - we just bought a container of corned beef hash to make Shepherd's pie this winter, and the use by date is 2015!)

If you'd like to take a step towards longer term food storage, Walmart now sells Augason Farms, a line of dehydrated and freeze dried foods like strawberries, flour, and honey powder. While they aren't necessarily cheap at first glance, they do store for anywhere from 3-10 years unopened, and up to a year once opened if stored properly. You'll also find Mountain House pouches (one of the best long term storage brands in my opinion), which are just add water only foods, at places like Walmart, Fred Meyers, and outdoor stores. Both of these are options to try seeing if you can work them into your daily menus, and then move on to different brands/sizes sold through stores like Shelf Reliance Thrive, Honeyville Farms, and Emergency Essentials - all places I personally shop and recommend. I've slacked off on doing individual reviews of these products in recent months, but I'll be starting back up on them in order to help others spend their money wisely, too.