Tuesday, October 21, 2008

New Motto!

Today I read an email that a friend sent me. It was a talk by President Packer recently given in a Salt Lake City ward. Let's just say the fear has been instilled! It wasn't a talk full of doom and gloom, rather more of a warning. We have been counseled for years to be prepared and I must say that I am one of those that is NOT prepared in any way! Lately the thought of food storage has been weighing heavily on my mind. I am always telling Brandon how we need to get one started. He claims our pantry is good enough (but has also given the green light to go ahead, it is me dragging me feet.) Let me tell you, it wouldn't last that long, and tuna and baked beans don't go well together. Anyway, in this talk President Packer states the following;

"Eat it up, Wear it out. Make it do or do without."

I want this to be my new motto for life! We have been so fortunate to be so blessed, but with such troubled times now and in the future I fear that our blessings will not be so material rather they will be spiritual. So with that talk I am motivated to begin my preparation for the tough times ahead. My sister-in-law always says, "it wouldn't be a trial if it wasn't hard." How true it is, and unfortunately I am afraid that we all have trials lying in front of us.

While we live in troubled times, it is easy to forget what a glorious time we live in as well. Medicine, technology, the church, education, and many many more things are all stronger, better and more advanced than ever before. I hope that I can teach my family the joys of life while dealing with the downs. I also hope that we don't allow our trials to befall us before we seek the Lord. I am guilty of this, but trying to be better. We need the Savior in our live's and in our homes.

So now that I am motivated to become prepared, I am looking for some helpful hints. If you have any food storage tips PLEASE let me know where to begin! I am clueless and needless to say a bit overwhelmed at where to start!

12 comments:

Heather said...

A little over a year ago I was clueless on the whole food storage thing! I had no clue where to start. I started building a 3 month supply for my family and then built from there. If things when on sale and I could afford more, I stocked up as much as I could.

I have a link on my blog myfoodstoragedeals.com, she has a bunch of great resources to get started. You don't have to be a member to print off her worksheets or read her tips. I love getting the weekly updates on what's on sale, that way I can stock up when it's on sale. That's the BIG key, don't buy it unless it's the lowest possible price.

Hopefully this helps. I can talk to you more about what works for me if you want.

Clements Family said...

I agree completely with what Heather said...also, if you get the newspaper, or know someone who does, get the coupons that come out weekly on sunday. Sign up at www.pinchingyourpennies.com and they have AWESOME emails that they send out weekly about what to buy. My friend got 113.00 worth of medicine for free (with a rebate). So check it out!!

Our Little Family said...

I am totally with you on this one. We have no room for it in an apartment and I have no clue where to start! Help me when you have it all donw to a T!

Aaron said...

Call Catey

She will help

Hannah said...

Hi-
I found your blog when I was googling food storage.

If you need any extra help, feel free to check out our blog! It's a step-by-step guide for beginners and non-beginners alike. We also have lots of recipes that use only non-perishable food, which is helpful for many people.

Good luck with everything!
Hannah @
http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/

the Tonioli's said...

I totally know what you are talking about. These are the best tips I have learned over the past couple of years.
1-Don't stress!
As long as you are doing what you can, the Lord will bless you. At first I was so worried because it felt like we hardley had a thing, I began to panic. This only made it possible for the spirit not to guide me.
2-Go slow!
You will be surprised at how much it will build up just by buying a few extra things every month.
3-Concentrate on a specific area
These are the areas that I have focused on. For a few months I will focus mainly in one area until I have an adequate supply. (unless there is a really good sale on something else) Pastas, Baking supplies,Flour & Wheat, Sugars, Fruits, Veggies, Beans & Rice, Cleaning supplies, Laundry supplies, Paper products, Personal hygiene, seasonings & herbs, etc.

Good Luck! Another thing that I have learned is that food storage is a constant process.

Ben Katie & Peyton said...

I read the same talk today and thought the very same thing.I am clueless when it comes to food storage and I need to get on the ball. Good Luck

Ben Katie & Peyton said...

I read the same talk today and thought the very same thing.I am clueless when it comes to food storage and I need to get on the ball. Good Luck

Sara said...

Ha, I was just talking to some girls about that talk last week and we all felt the same way! Thanks for the reminder, though! A friend of mine has been trying to get me into coupon shopping lately and the little bit I have done has saved me tons of money! I also got $103 worth of medicine and other stuff free from Rite Aid last week! Check out this awesome website: couponcravings.com. All teh coupon and rebate stuff can be kind of overwhelming but just start small and work your way up! I just started with my 72 hour kit and now I am working on my 3 month supply. There is a lot to do- but you are right there are no excuses, now is the time to do it!! Let me know how it goes!

Catey said...

It's really so much easier than it seems, and unfortunately than most people make it out to be.

Just getting started is the hardest part!

Oh, and please tell me that ALL of you people got the follow up info that that email was totally bogus? No, President Packer did NOT say those things, and the Church has asked that those emails not be forwarded to avoid false quotes of GA's. : ) Not saying it wasn't good advice and all, but you know....

Andrus Family said...

Hey you - it's been too long! We need to hang out with you guys soon. Hope you're doing well...

Missy said...

Hi Rach Train! It's Melis! I was just talking to my sister-in-law about this. She told me her friend wrote down a week's worth of menus (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks) and listed all the ingredients needed to make the dishes. Then she multiplied it by 52 and bought it all in one shopping trip. Sounds easy enough, right?

Well, I don't have the cash flow to support a year's worth of extra groceries at once, or the stomach to eat the same thing week after week (maybe in an emergency I guess), and the trouble with buying it this way is everything expires at the same time. But we could start on a smaller scale. Plan a few menus, buy extras for a couple more meals and put it in your food storage. It's a start!