In week one we talked about getting over the ‘fear and
perfection’ of wanting/having the perfect pantry.
In week two we talked about where to put your
pantry items.
This week we’re going to
talk about why you want a well-stocked pantry.
What are your reasons for wanting to keep a well-stocked pantry? When you answer this question, then you’ll be
able to answer another question, how much should you stock? How big of a pantry do you want?
Here is my ‘why’ for keeping a well-stocked pantry …
I like the comfort of knowing that
should our income suddenly and unexpectedly stop or be greatly reduced;
worrying about where our next meal was coming from wouldn’t have to be our
primary concern.
I find great satisfaction in knowing
that I’ve done all I can to provide for our needs. If there should come a
time when I/we should need to ask for help this knowledge will carry us through
until we are back on our feet and providing for ourselves again. I truly
believe this a biblical principle that we are to do all that we can and that is
in our ability to do for ourselves before we seek help from others. I
believe that thinking long term is part of that principle. Keeping a
well-stocked pantry is one area in which we try to implement this biblical
principle.
My husband and I are nearing retirement
age, and we are trying to think ahead and prepare for that season in our
life. It is our hope that having a paid for home, an ongoing well-stocked
pantry, and knowledge and know-how will go a long way towards making those
golden years financially easier.
Since my reasons for wanting and keeping a well-stocked
pantry involve long term issues, I want a long-term pantry. Having a long-term pantry would
carry us through a complete growing season plus give us time to shop sales and
keep it restocked, without having to worry about what we were going to eat should a financial setback, etc occur.
So, what are your reasons for wanting a well-stocked pantry
and how much do you want to stock? One
week’s worth? One month’s worth? Three month’s worth? Six Month’s worth? One year’s worth? More than one year’s worth? There are no wrong answers; you need to stock
the amount that meets the needs of your family for the length of time you want?
(Next
week, we’ll delve into the specifics of how to stock the size of pantry you
want.)
Until next time,
patsi
Sharing 42 years' experience of frugal living and pantry building (if you include my frugal childhood, well that would add a few more years to my experience!)
A Working Pantry
My second blog: From This Heart of Mine
She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27
A Working Pantry is a way of life, a lifestyle if you will!
My pantry is intentional, purposeful, simple, practical, frugal and what works for my family. It’s the food items and household supplies that keep my household running smoothly ready and available when they are needed. It’s my contribution to our family’s economy and my work-from-home ‘job.'
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Hi Patsy and I think the reason anyone wants a well stocked pantry is the most important thing as it gives us the motivation to do it, or does at least in our case.
ReplyDeleteFor us having a well stocked pantry is mainly counsel in our church to "prepare every needful thing" D&C 109:8 Organize yourselves; and prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;. We are taught and encouraged to at least stock 3 - 12 months worth of food and all other needs. To us that is everything we use on a day to day basis. Also we look at Joseph in the Bible in Egypt who stored the grain which saved his people from a 7 year famine.
We also stock for reasons of inflation, job loss, no income,illnesses, natural disasters, helping others less fortunate, and of late I have noticed a lot of shortages in the supermarkets on many things too such as eggs,tinned fruits and other items. I don't know whether they are just not ordering enough or there is a shortage of these items. Many items have just had signs on the shelves saying items are not available due to many reasons. It puts our minds at rest knowing we have a well stocked pantry to fall back on to feed our family in all of these instances.
We are currently stocking 9 - 12 months worth of everything we use and would like to increase that further to a couple of years. We now stock everything when we see items on good sales now that we have built up our pantry to sufficient levels. Normally we find that some items only come on sale either 6 monthly or yearly.
Sewingcreations15 (Lorna).
Lorna, very well said and I agree! Just this week we were in a big box chain store and there were several signs in the canned food isle saying there was a shortage on this items and gave a date through the middle of August that the shortage would last.
DeleteFor all of my husband's working years our income was not assured since he was in IT and those jobs are so often outsourced, sent over seas and even just eliminated if they no longer have need of what the employee was working on. I got used to the fact that on any day my husband could come home and tell me that he no longer had a job and so for us to be retired and on SSDI and later SS we are more secure than we have ever been. I always had a deep pantry for those times but I will say that every single job loss resulted on a time of people just bringing food to our door and sharing their gardens, etc. It was amazing to watch God's provision. The very last time my husband was unemployed we heard of a need and gave a family 19 bags of extra food from our pantry and we had not had a job for 7 months at that time.
ReplyDeleteThen 2 1/2 years ago when my husband was in the hospital for 16 days I found my pantry's most critical use. Everything that was needed for several weeks other than some perishables was already in my house. My daughter's in law would say they were going to stop at the store for this or that and I would just tell them where to find what was needed. This was such a blessing! It has also filled a real need when we have had bad winter storms here and could not get out of our neighborhood for a week or more.
I don't really have a time period that I am shooting for with what I have on hand but just keep the space that I have filled. That may not seem to be the bast plan but it has worked for us for decades. After the kids left home I had a real time of relearning and would end up with things that the kids ate but we did not. I think I have it figured out for the most part now and I didn't even overbuy for last Christmas season which had been a real problem for me.
Now I will say that with a husband with a brain injury we sometimes get tripped up. Apparently he was taking boxed of cereal down from the top shelf of the closet where I cannot really see, in date order, but thinking it was 2018. I can say that cereal 6-8 months out of date is still fine but I am glad I caught the error.
Since we retired and had a drop in income we have been fine. We went through a period of sort of being afraid to spend any money at all which caused a readjustment in attitude and spending habits on it's own without us really having to think too hard about it. But God has continued to be faithful and provide just like He always has, We lack for nothing and continue to have a very well stocked pantry and everything else just like before. Blessed!
Lana, isn't it wonderful to know that if we are His, when we've done all we can do, He provides through other people. That is so comforting to me! It should spur us on to do the best we can to be in a place to help others in times of need … or in other words, be ready and waiting to be used by God to the best of our ability.
DeleteAbsolutely. We cannot out give God. Our part of my husband's hospital bills was $8500. We took that amount from savings and paid all the bills and had $8000 leftover. We still cannot explain it.
DeleteLana, love it!!!
DeleteI started doing it years ago to try and make my life a bit easier. I always worked at stressful jobs with long hours so often the grocery stores were closed or I would be too tired to get off the subway to shop on the way home.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I don't drive so it takes a bit more planning and knowing when I can use my bundle buggy (not in the middle of January with a foot of snow on the ground). And yes, weather is also a factor as I live in Canada. Right now we are sweltering - it was about 90F today but felt closer to 100F with the humidity and it's been like that all week. And then in the winter it can be bitterly cold, windy and very icy - and I walk with the aid of a cane so need to be extra careful. Having a well stocked freezer and pantry gives me breathing room so that I don't HAVE to go out.
Finances are also front and centre - especially as I "got retired" early. I work about 20 hours per week now and I hope it continues for another few years - but there's no guarantee and frankly, my pension just barely allows me to scrape by. Being able to stock up when things are on sale - both food & cleaning supplies and toiletries makes a big difference to the bottom line.
I don't really have a time period in mind - I think I could last for about 2 months at the moment if I was careful with food. For non food items it's probably closer to 6 months.
Margie, you are doing great with what you working with … and still finding a way to make it happen. That speaks volumes about you as a person! You go girl! Keep up the good work!
DeleteHi Patsy and ladies, all of the reasons you stated in your post are reasons for me too ...also with the weather affecting the crops this year more than in years past I am stocking up to hedge rising food prices that we all anticipate. I have started canning the meat in my freezer and am foraging fruits to can or make jam with to add to the pantry too. Though I am not anticipating power outages they do happen and I don't want to risk my frozen meats in that way. So I will continue to seek out bargains to fill in holes and stock up on items I'm out of. Love this series!!
ReplyDeleteGaila, Just this week our local big box store had signs in the canned food isles about food shortages. Food shortages mean rising food prices so you are being wise. It is definitely time to be a smart shopper! Thank you for your encouraging words!
DeleteIn 2009, I experienced the worst year of my life. My daughter was having massive issues in school (she would later be diagnosed with Autism). I was so stressed from work and home issues that I was severely depressed. This eventually resulted in loosing my job. We were drowning in debt, so the job loss made everything worse. Then my dad died.
ReplyDeleteI remember going to the grocery store and adding up everything so I could keep within a very strick budget. The idea of not being able to feed my family was terrifying. So as I rebuild my life again, the need to ensure we had a way to provide food for them was incredibly important.
Further to this, when my daughter was only 3 months old, we experienced a massive hydro black out that was very widespread. It had a very big impact on me as well. Stores and gas stations were closed, as nothing could run without hydro. Our house had a well, so we had no water access once the hydro went out. I had a baby who needed formula mixed up in order to feed her (my breast milk never came in, so I was unable to breast feed)!
So my reasons for having a well stocked pantry is for all these reasons as well as all of the other reasons that everyone else has posted. I, too, do not have a set time of how long I want the food to last. But I do think about short and long term needs when stocking my pantry. I have quick and easy meal options if the hydro goes out suddenly. I ensure I have food that will provide a balanced diet, if we should need to use only the pantry long term. I ensure we keep lots of water (bottled for drinking, as well as water for personal care usage) since we still live in a house with a well. I ensure I buy as much as I can during sales, to save money. I research recipes that are frugal and nutritious that can be made from just our pantry, and ideas of what I can use, should I run out of something (like eggs, or toilet paper) and not be able to get more right away. I grow a garden, so if I should ever need to rely on one for food, I know how to grow one. I have learned how to preserve food and slowly bought the equipment needed, so I can preserve all types of food needed for a balanced diet. But most of all, I take inspiration from our ancesters, who had to learn to live in a very harsh climate here in Canada, and do it without having access to any grocery stores for food.
Rhonda, We've had some really hard times in our lives too and having to worry about how to feed the family just makes everything worse. You have shared some really good ideas, I hope everyone will glean from what you are saying. Your comment is full of wisdom! Thanks for sharing!
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