Best Foods to Begin Stockpiling on a Budget -

Learning to begin stockpiling on a budget is easier than you think. These are my recommendations on the best 15 foods to begin stockpiling on a budget. Tweak it as you go, but this is a great place to get started. Once you have a good foundation it becomes fun to add new things. I didn’t put water on this list. I feel that having water on hand is a given and this can be more of a list that builds sustenance.

The storage methods I’m suggesting here are more for getting a supply in rotation, not decades of storage techniques. It’s always great to start stocking up the long-term storage but for now this list focuses on a healthy amount to start cycling through.

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Setting up your Foundation

Flour – preferably all-purpose because it can be the most versatile. Put it in your freezer for at least 3 days. This will help to kill any stow-a-ways that might be in there. Sounds gross, I know. After freezing it you can then store it in your food-safe buckets, preferably with a gamma lid for much easier access. Azure Standard is a great option for buying quality ingredients in bulk.
Oatmeal – breakfasts, muffins, cookies, granola, you name it. It can also be ground into a flour.
Yeast – if you’re not working with sourdough, having yeast will allow you to have bread galore. A little goes a long way and it is fairly inexpensive.
Beans – needs no introduction. If stored dried and in food-safe buckets, add a bay leaf for extra protection against bugs.
Vinegar – Great for eating, pickling, and cleaning.
Dry Milk – Dried milk is for more than just drinking. Pancake mix, cream-of-anything mixes, breads, etc. It takes up little space, doesn’t have to be frozen or canned and lasts for quite a while. A little water to reconstitute and you’d be good to go.
Cheese – In the freezer and powdered form. Powdered cheese is great for a quick macaroni and cheese and takes up such little space.
Meat – Try for sales like Buy One Get One Free
Rice – A little rice goes a long way and can be easily stored in food-safe buckets, preferably with gamma lids. I break big bags of rice down into smaller ones to make rotating easy. I still add a couple bay leaves for some extra security against bugs.
Sugar
Pasta – Store it in food-grade buckets and add a bay leaf in for extra protection against bugs. Again, gamma lids will make access so much easier.
Tomato Sauce – This creates such a versatility in your meal options. Tomato soup, vegetable soup, spaghetti sauces, chilis, pizza sauce, bloody mary mix….. The list goes on.
Salt and Spices – Not just for flavoring but great for preserving food and household cleaning.
Baking Soda – Baking soda is great for deodorizing and cleaning as well as baking.
Frozen Veggies – Buy in bulk from places like Costco, Azure Standard, Sam’s, etc. Dehydrating the mixed veggies is a great option to reduce the amount of space they take up but using a freezer/deep freezer is a super easy way to stash the veggies away.
Butter/Oils/Fats – Cooking and baking just got a whole lot easier with these stocked away.

The possibilities are endless for keeping your home and kitchen running smoothly. Adjust as needed but this is a solid foundation. Hopefully you’ll be on your way to finding foods to begin stockpiling based on what works for you.

How should I start storing my food?

This post is meant to talk about getting your foot in the door with bulking up your food storage while not making it complicated. My votes for that? Canning, dehydrating, freezing, vacuum-sealing, and storing in buckets. Try one thing at a time and work up from there.

Food Grade Buckets and Gamma Lids

Using buckets to start storing food is a great beginner-friendly method for some of the bigger bulk dry items. Buckets can come in a variety of sizes so it’s great for starting off small while you slowly put away a couple bags of rice, beans, and pastas.

2. Mason Jars

Any size. Your best bet with mason jars is (depending on how long you’re looking to store it) to buy a vacuum sealer. They’re cheap, super-effective, and take no time at all to use. Go for the bigger jars like quarts or gallons. It’s easier to fill up what you have versus continuing to buy a bunch of new pints.

I have both versions and I like them both. It sounds too good to be true but it’s really not complicated and it’s fast.

Electric Jar Sealer – $25

Manual Jar Sealer – $17

Gallon Mason Jars or Half Gallon Mason Jars – if you’re going to buy jars for bulk items to vacuum seal then I would highly suggest getting the gallon or half-gallon size.

Where To Get Buckets

Bakery Department at your local grocery stores. I did this at Wal-Mart and got used frosting buckets for free but I did have to clean them.
Bakeries. I have a local bakery that sells theirs for $2 to $3. They come washed so I don’t mind spending under $10 for a couple of buckets and then just periodically adding more if I need.
Convenient way to buy a few or a lot
1. Azure Standard
2. Home Depot
3. Tractor Supply
4. Lowes
5. ULine
6. Amazon
7. Etc.

Get food grade buckets. They’ll usually come with regular snap-on lids but it’s worthwhile to consider using gamma lids. Gamma lids guarantees a tight air-proof seal so your goods are better protected and it’s easier to use because they screw on and off without needing the snap-on lid tool.

6-pack 5 gallon buckets with snap-on lids

6-pack 5 gallon buckets with gamma lids

4-pack gallon gamma lids (no buckets)

3-pack gamma lids red, white, and blue for organization

Where can I buy items in bulk?

The great part of the internet is that we have easy access to buying in bulk.

If you’re interested in buying ingredients you can trust to start your stockpile Azure Standard is a must have. It’s FREE to sign up and have access to healthy items without artificial preservatives or pesticides. They also sell household and beauty products. Delivery is to thousands of community “drop points” across all 50 U.S. states. No obligation to purchase.

Venture into canning as another way to increase easy food supply in your house. Start with making jams. They’re straight-forward, simple, and taste delicious.

Best of luck!