When I am stockpiling I like to take a sharpie and clearly write the experation date on the top or front of food packages so I can be sure to rotate the older stuff first without the hassle of tracking down those small print dates.

Donna Miller has a blog post for those who still feel overwhelmed by storing foods. If you have not read it, check it out!

Here's a plan

Kim, I am single but usually have 4 cases of stewed tomatoes on hand -- can be used as is or blended for pastas; chopped for salsa -- also a very low cal veggie.  Walgreens and CVS always have some kind of TP on sale; Walgreens often has the Skippy PB for register rewards, tomato & spaghetti sauce too.  On sale frequently but not with Register Rewards at Walgreens is canned tuna, chicken, roast beef, corned beef, ham and spam -- I think they've also had canned crab/shrimp/salmon, but seems I always miss that one, but great to use register rewards to buy those things.  I also go to a restaurant supply store and buy my Splenda -- it comes in a box with 1000 packets, so I have several glass canisters full when I buy it, lol!  They also have really large bags of pasta, 3# and 5#, bags of bean soup mix and barley. 

I buy Tall Kitchen bags and black garbage bags there in boxes of 100 which last a long time (when needed, as I do use grocery store bags for trash too).  Prices are very reasonable on those at restaurant supply stores.  Prices are high on these items at grocery stores because of name brands and packaging in boxes of 10 or 20. 

Hope this helps!

 How to survive a depression- stocking food.

One thing I noticed was "In some locations, storing food is prohibited or limited by law. When packaging and storing food, always obey local food storage laws and sanitation guidelines." Does anyone have those kind of restrictions where you live?

udwe:

One thing I noticed was "In some locations, storing food is prohibited or limited by law. When packaging and storing food, always obey local food storage laws and sanitation guidelines." Does anyone have those kind of restrictions where you live?

I have never heard of that. Is this something new? 

I noticed it on that blog for the 6 to 8 mo pantry.

udwe:

"In some locations, storing food is prohibited or limited by law. When packaging and storing food, always obey local food storage laws and sanitation guidelines."

 I have never encountered it myself.

i have never read anything about storing food restrictions.  it would be hard for someone to know what you were storing unless you were in a rental or housing complexes and they had regular inspections.  of course, there would be someone in the world that would buy [50,000]boxes of pasta and try to store it and rats and insects would be gnawing at the stock and it would be a disease hazard. " that was meant as an exaggerated amount"  I THINK

udwe:

One thing I noticed was "In some locations, storing food is prohibited or limited by law. When packaging and storing food, always obey local food storage laws and sanitation guidelines." Does anyone have those kind of restrictions where you live?

The only place in the US where I have encountered a prohibition on storing food is in certain extended care facilities. They want all the food in the dining area to cut down on cleaning.  In some foreign countries, there are laws on the book to prohibit hoarding of food, mostly leftover laws from WW I & WW II.