source: marthastewart.com via Amy on Pinterest
The following is from contributing writer Amy
Many people prepare for an emergency by protecting the things they own, so that if something does happen, their items can, for the most part, be replaced. Homes and cars are insured. Important papers are stored in a safety deposit box at the bank or a fireproof safe in your home.
You may even have an emergency fund for your money, but do you have one in your pantry?
Having items on hand for an emergency keeps you from having to run to the store at the last minute and risk paying full price or not being able to get the items at all.
I live in southern Oklahoma, so we deal more with tornadoes than earthquakes, snowstorms, or hurricanes. We did have a crazy ice storm earlier in the year, where it was nearly impossible to get out of our homes for a few days. This is where having an emergency fund in my pantry came in very handy.
Some items I like to have on hand for an emergency when I do not have access to electricity are:
- Peanut, Almond, Sunflower or other favorite nut butters
- Bread
- Jams or jellies
- Granola and Granola Bars
- Dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, apples, and strawberries.
- Nuts like Almonds, Cashews, Walnuts, and Pecans.
- Crackers
- Local, raw honey
- Canned fruit
- Dry cereal
- Fun snacks like Chex Mix or Fruit Roll-ups
By having an emergency fund in your pantry, you can be prepared for whatever weather (or other calamity!) comes your way. Running to the store (or multiple stores) can make everything even more chaotic. When you have quick and easy food items on hand, it makes dealing with an emergency so much easier.
For more ideas and recipes, check out my Pantry Emergency Fund board on Pinterest.
See what the rest of the Eat Well, Spend Less crew has to say about Preparing for an Emergency:
- Aimee at Simple Bites
- Carrie at Denver Bargains
- Jessica at Life as MOM
- Katie at Good Life Eats
- Katie at Kitchen Stewardship
- Mandi at Life Your Way
- Shaina at Food for My Family
- Tammy at Tammy’s Recipes
What are your tips for having an emergency fund in your pantry?
About Amy
Amy is a youth pastor’s wife and homeschooling mom to three girls, ages 7, 5, and 3, and lives in a small town in Oklahoma. She loves Jesus, coffee, labels, writing, and plopping down with a really good book. You can connect with her on Twitter or follow her on Pinterest.
I love this idea, but how do you stock bread? Doesn’t it get moldy?
@Mary, Hi Mary! Some people freeze bread, which would keep it from becoming moldy and would be usable after defrosting. But you are absolutely right that long-term storage in a pantry is not possible! Thanks for commenting!
-Amy
@Mary, I know my Mom often freezes bread so that it doesn’t rot before she can eat it.
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What a great idea!!! Our family is working very hard to have a stockpile of many things and this list is perfect!! Thank you!
@Sandi Koele {Lucy Doo}, Awesome! Glad it was helpful 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
-Amy
Dried milk, if your family tolerates it, you can also cook with it and it’s great for squash plants! Dehydrated vegetables.
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@Cheri, Definitely! Thanks for contributing, Cheri!
I would add canned soups to this as well. For the most part you could, in an emergency, open a can of soup and just eat it. We can a lot of our own things so we generally have meat on our pantry shelves as well. 🙂
@Tabatha, Tabatha, that is very true. Thanks for adding that!
although, not the most popular choice but canned meats, like chicken, tuna, and blech, even spam. we even keep stuff like canned sardines(hubby and the older will eat them) and vienna sausages. Non condensed canned soups and canned chili is also good in a pinch(warm up quick). I also make sure I stock plenty of seasonings and dried herbs so the sort of bland stuff can be doctored up a bit.
We went through the ice storm in 2007 here in SW missouri and were without power for 3 weeks. I had a newborn at the time and it was really convienent to go out to eat for every meals during that time. Nor could anyone stand the sight of peanut butter after about 3 days.
@april, These are great ideas, April! I believe I had canned tuna on my written list and forgot to add it to the post! Thanks for contributing 🙂
gah, should read really WASN’T convienent…said newborn is now 4 1/2 and was talking to me…
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What a great way to put such a positive spin on this concept. I love it: “a pantry emergency fund.” Quick, easy to eat items are great for the short term (a few days) and I keep many in my pantry for just that reason. If it is a short term emergency I probably won’t feel much like cooking anyway. However, if access to food is cut off for more than a few days, you are going to get sick of those foods pretty quick (like April mention with the peanut butter). For this reason, I like to keep pre-cooked freeze dried produce, meat, cheese, yogurt, etc that I can just add water to and have meals similar to those my family eats every day.
I know this post is old but one of the most important things to have on stock is water. I always keep a case of bottled water on hand in case of an emergency.