Buying in Bulk
ByMerissa
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Want to build a stockpile but don’t have much money on your grocery budget to spare? Here are some tips on how to create a stockpile with just $5 per week!
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How to Create a Stockpile with $5 Per Week
One of the questions I seem to get asked most often is…. “I want to build a stockpile but how do I find the money to do it?”
Can you spare $5 a week? If not…what can you cut out of your week to find $5 to help build your stockpile? Just how important is having a stockpile to you? Can you make it a priority over something else in your life that costs $5 a week?
Let’s chat for a minute about having a stockpile…..
–Learn Everything About Buying in Bulk Here!
I’m no zombie prepper. I’m not prepping for the end of the world. I’m not prepping because I think aliens are going to attack the earth and we might have to hide in bunkers until they are gone. I’m prepping to be prepared.
What if we lost our availability to go to town for groceries?
What if the prices were raised temporarily so we couldn’t afford to get the basic things we normally get?
What if our co-op truck can’t make it here and we have to go without ordering our groceries for a few months?
What would happen in the event of a job loss where we would need to save as much money as possible to pay other bills?
In the event of any of those situations, having a small stockpile on hand is a good idea.
Can you imagine having only a few days worth of food in your home at a time? I just can’t picture that! In rural South Dakota where we live we have a pretty good chance of being snowed in or stuck at home for much longer than 3 days, so having less than 3 days worth of food would just be unsafe for us.
Ok, back to building a stockpile with that $5 a week….Before you start this challenge, keep this in mind. Be realistic about your stockpile. Don’t stock up on things that your family can’t or won’t be able to eat. If there is a week where you aren’t going to buy what’s planned, just buy double of something that you definitely can use from another week.
Building a Stockpile Weekly Buying Guide
Make sure to spend no more than $5 per week buying the item listed. Before you buy, also make sure you have proper food storage containers for everything.
Week 1 – Spend $5 on Rice
Week 2 – Spend $5 on Beans
Week 3 – Spend $5 on Sugar
Week 4 – Spend $5 on Salt
Week 5 – Spend $5 on Baking Soda
Week 6 – Spend $5 on Milk Powder
Week 7 – Spend $5 on Dried Onion
Week 8 – Spend $5 on Dried Garlic
Week 9 – Spend $5 on Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Week 10 – Spend $5 on Baking Powder or Yeast
Week 11 – Spend $5 on a Whole Grain
Week 12 – Spend $5 on anything else
Now comes the real challenge….just how much of each of these items can you get for just $5 a week? Do your very best to make that amount stretch as far as possible!
Are you ready to join me on this challenge? By the end of 12 weeks, you aren’t going to have the biggest, most impressive stockpile there ever was, but you will have a nice amount of basics set aside for an emergency time. Of course, a full stocked stockpile will have more items than this (hopefully you will be able to preserve some meats, fruits, and veggies too!) but this list will build a great basic foods stockpile.
To help keep you motivated, here is a fun chart that you can print out and keep in your pantry or in your kitchen to keep track of your progress.
Building Your Stockpile (free printable checklist)
Not sure where to store your stockpile? Make sure to check out these Small Space Storage Ideas.
This blog post on How to Create a Stockpile was originally posted on Little House Living in March 2014. It has been updated as of April 2020.
