Pantries and Preparedness. How to build up your pantry with not much money.

This has been such an interesting week! It is even hard to pick a subject and stick to it! After over six months of weekly pantry posts I thought maybe I would be worn out and run out of things to talk about! But no. I am just learning! Even today I have about six things in mind that I want to get to!
But in the main I want to talk about how can we build up our pantries when already groceries are costing us a lot. How are we meant to ever have enough spare money to do this? It can seem a huge task and impossible.

We have really established (or I have!) that a pantry with a good amount of supplies is really important. After six months I am getting closer to a stage where I can feel more secure with what we have.
One thing I have learned from Patsy, Teri and others is that you get there step by step, little by little and by consistently doing what you can with what you have.

The photo's today are of Magnolia Trees all flowering just now in Adelaide... we have about a dozen on our block and next street over. I love them and they are all pink! The flowers are huge!

Some time ago I invited everyone to send in their pantry pictures, stories, tips etc. (This still stands I love to see your pantries and hear how you did it!) Teri's pantry was just a joy to see. And I have some more to post and others coming in shortly which will be wonderful!

This week Vicky wrote to me. Her letters inspired me enormously as she has covered why she built up her pantry, why she thinks it's important and some of the ways she did it. I will let her do the talking here....

 "I know lots of people have no pantry whatsoever they shop for dinner daily. I know people who don't worry because they think the government is going to take care of them. A few ladies have told me they don't want the "clutter" of a well stocked pantry. Since my husband lost his job in January I am grateful every single day that I have my pantry. And I feel that it is our jobs to make sure that our families are fed."

(I have heard comments like this too Vicky! Also several ladies have told me they have had negative comments about preparedness. This is a funny one. If a person has a collection of 1000 DVDs or something no one says a word. But staples that keep people alive, that is a different matter! Interesting isnt it?)

"When we decided years ago that I would quit my job to be a stay at home mom I decided it would be my full time job to save money and that is kind of how I got started. Then I got serious about my pantry and preparations due to feelings I was getting almost like I was driven and not sure why. So one night when I went to bed I asked God am I doing the right thing or am I just being nutty? Well that very same night when I was watching tv 2 different preachers were preaching about preparing and having food and water. I took that as a sign that I was on the right path.

That was years ago. I wanted and needed to learn to be a good steward of our resources.

I am so very thankful now that I maybe have forgone some things, stuck to a budget and put a lot of effort into my endeavor. Over the years I was able to give a little help to those who truly needed it and the big one my husband lost his job in January and we are mostly living from our pantry and along the way we are almost debt free!"

I asked Vicky about affording to add to the pantry when money is tight....

"After doing the normal things like shutting off lights and t.v.'s and cutting back cable and things like that I really started to pay attention to things. Like what? Ok I will tell you.

I stopped letting my kiddos be grazers! I was finding half of this and part of that in the trash and half full glasses that never got finished so I changed the house rules to meal time and 1 snack and only a half a glass of anything at a time since half was getting dumped anyway!

I stopped being a short order cook! Your choice is what is put on the table or a pb sandwich and a glass of milk and I would tell them what was on the dinner menu and they opted for the sandwich I adjusted the amount I cooked.

I simplified meals. Who says buttered noodles and green beans isn't dinner! When money is really tight it can be, but I made simpler more economical meals that didn't drain a week's worth of food in on sitting. Fried cabbage and noodles, more soups and stews with bread, etc.

For newbie moms this can be important or not depending how you look at it but, kids don't know what sugar tastes like if you don't give it to them. None on the oatmeal, cream of wheat, cheerios none! Apple juice was a treat all until the age of 5 or 6. Why that age? They started school enough said. Honestly though if I cut them up bowls of different fruits they were in heaven! Yep no sugar or whipped cream on strawberries either. I always encouraged them to try and enjoy foods as they are; carrots and potatoes that taste like carrots and potatoes not covered up. And the money you save during those years is a big plus!"

I thought this was excellent! Thank you so much Vicky you have made so many good points! 

I LOVE what Vicky says about making saving money her job! There is so much we can "make" this way! And the way Vicky saves in other areas in order to build up her pantry. To me this hits the nail on the head!

If we think we will find extra money and then we will stock up it might never happen! But if we try all kinds of things to save and channel that into our pantries then big things happen!

Gradually we have covered a whole series of ways to build up a pantry. Preserving what you have or bargains you might find, purchasing major specials and stocking up when the price is right. Bartering with what you have. Learning new skills, gardening, gleaning, gathering and everything we can think of. Making the most of opportunities! 

The way my brain works I do better if I have a plan. ie if I think an effort will save me a few dollars and then I will have a few dollars I really don't find that exciting. But if I find a way to save and I think "I can add to my pantry with this!" I find that exciting!  Because of this I have so many challenges going and some completed that are helping me build up supplies. 

One recent one was a use it up freezer challenge. That used up lots of bits and pieces. We do need to rotate what we have stored. For three weeks my grocery bill was much lower. I added a lot to my pantry in those weeks with the money saved. That was a win/win challenge!

My make all my Christmas presents challenge is doing the same. I can build up our pantry and emergency fund with the savings.

Any swap or challenge that will work for you can hugely add to your supplies! 

We are all different. Giving up something that is unhealthy and expensive can be a huge win all round... like soft drink or take away or something. Converting a weekly cake and coffee was mine. That $7 became part of my pantry fund. You can do a lot with that! If I choose half price items, things we can and do use, that becomes around $700 a year worth of groceries in my pantry. And that was just one way I found...

We have talked a lot about scripture and the Proverbs 31 woman not being afraid of the winter as she is well prepared. Others I love are about working hard in summer to store up for the winter and ants being wise and hard workers. The ant comparison I have always loved! And it does not go unnoticed... Patsy has an ant on her blog header and on her E Book. Because it is entirely appropriate!

Now this all ties in with what we are talking about here. I thought I really understood the verses about ants. I had it that,yes, they are very hard little workers, always busy! They are strong and industrious! They know when winter is coming and you can see them out working like little troopers getting ready! It is truly amazing!

So I thought I "got it" and I loved it. Working hard, bit by bit... diligence and consistency! 

Then this week by complete chance (or something else?) I saw this clip. It only takes a couple of minutes to watch it is very...

Eye opening!

In order to understand the references to ants please take a minute to watch this!  It is not boring! It is truly an eye opener and it spoke to me and my understandings and shook them up! There is so much in this!

Can you think of some ways that you can creatively add to your pantry? How do you manage to add, build it up and make progress? Our little ant buddies follow the bit by bit, keep at it method and it works!

I hope you are having a lovely week! It is wet and stormy here but I am enjoying the Magnolias!
With thanks to Vicky for sending me so much helpful information.xxx