If you’ve ever felt like the world is too big, too confusing or just downright overwhelming to tackle on your own, then this blog post is for you.
I know what it feels like when it seems like there are so many things in front of us that we can’t do anything about because they’re just too big. It’s not true though!
Building up a well-stocked and functional food storage is very important. No matter what you are doing in life it is a good idea to having one month, one year or 25 years of food storage.
What disasters can happen in your area. What about a pandemic, a job loss, or a war. So many things can happen being prepared is always a good idea.
Why Stock Up on Food at Home?
There are many reasons I think it’s important to stock up on food at home, here are four:
- Saves Money – Buying in bulk means the per-unit price is less. You’ll save money on fewer trips to the store as well as having fewer opportunities for those impulse buys.
- Saves Time – While fewer trips to the store mean saving money on gas, it also means saving time during the week. Though you may initially need to spend more time in the kitchen or pantry organizing the bulk buys, once you have a system in place, you’ll start seeing the time savings rack up.
- Food Security – If food security isn’t important to you after the events of the past few years and what is on the news now, it should be. Having a well-stocked pantry means you’re prepared when the unexpected happens. Empty grocery store shelves won’t cause you panic, and will give you peace of mind. If you or a family member is ever out of work for an extended period of time. Furthermore, what you pay for food today will always be less than what you’ll pay next year, even if inflation is down.
- Less Waste – Every bit of the packaging, on smaller quantities of food, has an energy cost, a labor cost, etc., all bumping up the price per unit of the product. Furthermore, those smaller packages don’t always have the exact amount of food you need. We’ve all been there; you only need to cook 2 cups of rice for dinner, but your package has 2 1/2 cups. So you cook up the entire bag, package up the leftovers in the refrigerator, and, many times, end up throwing the rice away a few days later. When you buy in bulk, you don’t feel obligated to “use up” the rest of the package, just because it’s there.
so lets take a step-by-step approach to start a food storage
Be prepared with knowing what we have.
The first step will be to go through your pantry and see what you got.
we can not have a good pantry if we do not know what we got.
What I did was go thorough my cabinets and pantry and pulled everything out and while I was at it cleaned the inside of them. Then I went through the stuff that was in there and threw stuff away that we did not like and really old.
I had a pen and paper and wrote down stuff that I knew I used and was missing.
Keep your passport handy at all times – don’t put it in a safe or locker
Don’t leave your passport in a safe.
I don’t want to sound like your mother, but you should keep it with you at all times because if it’s stolen then that could cause problems when going through security or leaving the country.
Always keep your passport in a place you can easily access it in case you need to make an emergency exit.
- Update apps to your destination’s currency to track your spending
You can track your spending more easily if you update the apps on your phone to the destination’s currency. That way, it will be easier for you to check how much money you have left so that there are no surprises when it comes time to pay.
If you’re traveling, it’s a good idea to set your phone to the local currency so that all of your transactions are automatically labeled with their correct prices.
Fiddling around with exchange rates all the time is not worth it!
Book flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to get the cheapest fares
The best time to book a flight is on Tuesday or Wednesday. That’s because most people are looking for flights over the weekend, so you can find some great deals if you have patience!
I first learned this trick from my flight attendant friends – and I can now confirm it works amazingly well! I’ve saved thousands of dollars by simply following this one travel hack.
Use Google Maps offline so you can still navigate even without a connection
If you’re driving or walking between places and don’t have a data connection, use Google Maps’ offline mode. It’ll still give you directions and useful information like the distance to your destination, what streets to take, and how long it’ll take to get there.
You can also download a map of your places of interest ahead of time, and then you get to use it anywhere – even on things like subways!
Carry a credit card from home country as well as one from destination country
If you are traveling to another country, it’s always a good idea to bring your credit card from your home country with you. You don’t want to rely on just one or two cards when travelling because that could be risky if one of them gets lost or stolen.
I always bring my credit card from home, as well as one from the place I’m going or alternatively an international card such as Revolut. In case anything happens, I always have a way to get money and communicate with people at home.
What are your own best travel hacks?
Traveling can be a stressful and terrifying experience, but it doesn’t have to be.
By following these simple tips, you will always know what to expect, where your passport is at all times, how much money you’re spending on flights and accommodations (and when), and most importantly, that you are ready in case of emergency.
What are some of your own best traveling hacks? Share them with us below!