David and I are currently in a season of thinking intentionally about our investments and being wise stewards of our resources while planning for the future. All good adulting stuff, right?! We keep saying that these decisions would be so much easier if we just had a crystal ball to know how the economy, inflation, market and 10 million other dynamics are going to play out. Have you felt this too?

One of the speakers at the homesteading festival laid it out so clearly for me when he said, “In a tough economy, no one cares how much gold, silver and stocks you have. If your belly is hungry, you’re not going to be happy. Food is the best wealth you can have on hand.” Food = Wealth! This made so much sense to me!

Maybe it’s because I’m currently a mom to constantly hungry teenage boys and I’m understanding the value (monetary and emotional!) of full tummies. But it also made me think about how I view the changing world; I agree that food shortages are coming – we are already seeing them. Food prices will continue to skyrocket. Ugh. Grocery shelves might very well end up empty. All of this is being predicted more and more; I’m seeing headlines daily about impending food shortages. If this happens as predicted, the richest people are those who have access to food.

I would venture to guess that most of us don’t have weeks or months’ worth of food on hand in case of emergencies. This is an area where we all need to start being more intentional and flexing our muscles. It’s just good, responsible, basic preparedness.

Here are some practical ideas about how to start having more food on hand in your home. I believe this needs to be upgraded to an urgent priority for our households. Acquiring extra food now to store is also a strategy to wait-out inflation, since you can buy and store it now at “lower” prices than what it’ll be in the future.

• Look up articles on shelf-stable and pantry items that are good to have available.
  I like this one: https://melissaknorris.com/…/pantry-items-to-always…/
• Every time you go to the grocery, add on these items as your budget will allow: peanut butter, rice, flour, sugar, oils, yeast, beans, noodles, canned vegetables / fruits / meats, dried fruits and nuts, tea and coffee, frozen foods, oats, popcorn, TP, paper towels, etc (adding a little each time at the grocery will add up over time!)
• Find ways to buy grains and goods in bulk and safely store them.
• Storage ideas: 5 gallon food grade buckets with gama lids and O2 absorbers, Mylar bags (we use these for our long-term food storage), totes under your bed or in a spare closet or basement, install an extra shelf on an available wall, hang a shelf over the door of your pantry or closet, etc.
• Learn to cook from scratch – you’ll see your grocery bill go down! And you’ll find that simple ingredients are all we need on hand.
• Learn how to cook an entire chicken and use each part: meat, use the bones to make broth, etc. Buy a few chickens to freeze. Find a local butcher where you can buy a 1/4 cow.
• Start growing some vegetables at home: in a container on your deck, raised beds, vertical gardens or in the ground.
• Plant fruit trees and bushes.
• Grow or purchase extra fruits and vegetables in season and process them by freezing, dehydrating or canning.
• Get your own chickens for eggs and meat if you can.
• Find local farming sources of fruits, vegetables, eggs, milk, honey and meat if you can’t grow or produce your own.
• Learn how to make your own bread (bonus if you make sourdough bread since it only requires flour, salt and water!)
• Purchase long-term stored foods from companies like 4 Patriots.
• Start watching YouTube videos about food and life preparedness – education is key to this journey!

God gave Joseph in the Bible a heads up that a famine was coming so he could responsibly prepare. Please don’t miss this window to start building wealth – the kind your stomach will thank you for later!  

I’d love to hear your tips for increasing the amount of food you have on hand!

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