Refreshing this discussion for those starting to stock food this year.

I loved reading about food storage with $5 per week.  I have been storing food for at least the last 10 years.  It comes in handy in lean times.  My list would be a lot different than the one posted,  but has a lot of  food listed that would be good starting out.  I store a lot of canned goods, flour, pasta,etc.  I also try to keep stocked with detergent, toilet paper, etc , although that goes pretty fast.  Also, if you have enough space to put out garden,  that is one of the best ways to stock up on the things that your family WILL eat.  And during the months when the garden is in full use, you can take the extra money you save and stock up on other things.  I'm anxious to see what all i can stock up with next time i go to grocery shop with $5.  Be a good challenge for me.  Very interesting post

I really had not thought of stocking up like that before. I usually see a good sale and buy lots, lol. That system does make sense when you customize it to your needs.

 good thread, Brandy.

 I'm saddened by all the "but I don't do that" sorts of comments.

Can't folks take what works, discard the rest and be nice?

I'm making this a challenge of my own.

 I'm about to downsize to an apartment, and I'm actually excited by this. My commute to work will halve (Ok, yeah, I walk 15 minutes now...that's nothing, but the idea of choppping it in half is funny to me!) and I'm in the same neighborhood  in walking distance to the library, light rail and almost walking distance to a grocery.

So I was wondering what I would do to have some food and supplies put by.

Your post gives me a starting point in the method, and I think the second list is a touch more logical to me.

I'll not hijack your thread, but I will post my new thread: 

http://community.stretcher.com/forums/p/9479/97419.aspx#97419

This thread and my price book got me to thinking about how much refined white sugar I buy. I have a ton of intel on the prices of white sugar - not that I bought it everytime I recorded the price, but I'm sure at least half of those data entries are from grocery receipts, and when I buy sugar, I wait until I see a really good price and then buy 20 or more pounds.

I started thinking about where all that white sugar goes. It seems like every few weeks I'm refilling the sugar canister from the big storage bucket under the cabinet. I don't do much in sweet baking at all - cookies, cakes, or the like. Some of it goes to waffles, which I make in big batches to freeze, and some of it went to candymaking attempts this Christmas, but that really doesn't account for but a teensy fraction of where all the sugar must go.

About the only thing I use white sugar for is coffee and tea. Could I really be using THAT MUCH sugar in my hot drinks?

I decided that I must be. I can't think of anything else I use sugar for, except for a few teaspoons in random recipes. I never add sugars to my sauces, I loved the taste of my canned applesauce without table sugar. I don't even leaven my bread with table sugar - I use honey or molasses.

So I've decided that my 2009 resolutions is to learn how to drink coffee and tea without white sugar. Since I have an incredible sweet tooth, what I may end up doing is learning how to not drink coffee or tea!

Joyous:

So I've decided that my 2009 resolutions is to learn how to drink coffee and tea without white sugar. Since I have an incredible sweet tooth, what I may end up doing is learning how to not drink coffee or tea!

I used to drink tea with two heaping teaspoons of sugar! I knew it was 'way too much, so I started cutting back a little at a time. Eventually I got used to the taste with less sugar, then I'd cut back a little more. I still use it in my tea, but only 1 good teaspoon full now. I'll continue to cut back until I can drink it with a scant teaspoon, but don't think I'll ever cut it out completely.  

I know I put at least that much in my tumbler before I leave home in the mornings. My husband is worse about how sweet he wants his coffee, but he doesn't drink coffee everyday like me.

When you think about it, that's really a lot of sugar. A cake may take a whole cup, but how many servings are in it? Might as well eat cake!  

Pat:

Might as well eat cake!

Seriously! And cake might even have some nutrition to it if it has bananas or raisins or something, whereas coffee or tea is just caffiene and comfort!  I completely agree that this is way too much sugar, and I wasn't even aware of it until a few days ago as it started to slowly dawn on me.

Joyous:

And cake might even have some nutrition to it if it has bananas or raisins or something, whereas coffee or tea is just caffiene and comfort! 

That's true! I hadn't thought of that.