How Much Food Should I Store?

I have been taking an inventory of the foods we have stored this morning. I didn't write dates on a few of the cans and I have no idea when I bought them. Others have dates so I know when I bought them and about how long they will last. Nothing like a pandemic to motivate you to take stock.  

 Yesterday I talked about the different types of food I store. Today, I wanted to share a couple of food calculators, so you could decide how much you want to store for how many people. Set aside some money each month for extra food and make a plan how you will spend it. For example, if I want to get food for one month, I will figure out how much I need and how much it will cost. Then, I will buy the food with the money I have set aside each week until I accomplish my goal. 

 The food for these food storage calculators are for long term storage. This is food that doesn't need to be rotated very often at all. Some of it lasts 25 years under optimal storage conditions. If purchasing long term storage is not your focus right now, figure out what kind of food you want on hand, how many people to buy for and for how many weeks. Once you figure out what you need, buy it with the money you have set aside for extra food until you meet your goal. 

 Here is one long term food storage calculator. Here is another. They are a little different, but you can get a basic idea from them. If you don't use wheat, or don't have a wheat grinder, then it may be best to just buy flour, pasta, rice, oats, quinoa, or any combination of those for your grains. Adjust the plan to fit your individual dietary needs and likes.