FoodWaterStorage provides high quality, easy to understand information about why and how to store food and water as a type of food insurance to hedge against uncertainty.
Not sure why you should store food or water? You’re not alone…
Unfortunately, far to many individuals fall into the potentially deadly trap of assuming that grocery stores will always be open, and there will always be food on the table.
It’s ironic that insurance policies such as auto, home, life, pet, rental, etc., are simply accepted but food insurance is often regarded as crazy, impractical, or simply unnecessary.
Simply put, this is most important type of insurance policy there is.
Consider the following...
Storing food was a common practice throughout human history up until the last 50-60 years…
Just a few decades ago, activities such as canning and gardening (for food production & storage purposes) were commonplace across the U.S and much of the world. Hunting was a common activity for the purpose of providing food for one’s family.
Today however, the vast majority of individuals choose to rely on local grocery stores and restaurants to supply them with food.
Don’t get us wrong, we’re not suggesting everyone should drop what they’re doing and become farmers, we’re merely observing that there’s never been an easier time to store food and water (without the hard work) yet so few people are prudent enough to do so.
Why is this?
The science and availability of storing foods has never been greater yet there has never been a time in recent history in which so few people have any type of food storage plan. Some common fallacies people hold in regard to why they shouldn’t store food are listed below.
- Some assume the government will protect them if anything bad or unexpected happens (here are some good studies emphasizing why this isn’t a wise strategy…)
- Some may think they lack the money or space to start any type of food & water storage plan.
- Some may simply think nothing bad or unexpected will ever happen to them or their loved ones. They scoff at the idea of a natural disaster, civil unrest, skyrocketing food prices, or dozens of other events disrupting the way they purchase and consume food.
Whatever reasons they have for choosing not to be prepared by having some type of food and water storage plan, don’t repeat their mistake or let them influence your decision of whether you and your family should have some type of plan.
A food insurance policy never loses value…
In other words, if nothing happens that would disrupt food or water supplies, you can simply eat the food that’s been stored. If done properly, a food insurance policy is the only type of insurance policy that is guaranteed to provide as much value, if not more, as it originally costs.
Here are some of the most common questions we get about food and water storage...
Doesn’t storing food and water take up a ton of space?
Not nearly as much as you think…
Whether you live in a small 1 bedroom apartment in the city or a McMansion in the suburbs, you probably have enough space to store at minimum, one month of food for yourself.
Planning is key in determining just how much food and water storage you can accommodate.
Food grade buckets with Gamma Seal Lids are not only stackable, but also able to accommodate between 20-30 lbs of food on average depending on what’s being stored. An average sized coat closet could easily store 100-200 lbs of food!
In addition to traditional bulk food storage, there’s also plenty of other options such as lightweight freeze dried foods, stackable water bricks for storing both water or bulk whole foods, and even pantry rotation systems to help overcome even the most difficult storage challenges.
Is storing food & water necessary when the grocery store is available 24/7?
This may be true…if you’ve never given much thought to how all that food ends up in grocery stores and supermarkets across the US.
The reality of the situation though is that the food chain has many vulnerabilities. Transportation, disease, crises, weather, and many more factors have a very real, and very substantial impact on the food you take for granted in your local supermarket.
It’s pretty amazing to consider just how readily available food is in the U.S. Grocery stores are everywhere in most communities not to mention restaurants, fast food chains, mobile food vendors, etc. You can even order groceries online and have them delivered to your front door!
But have you ever considered where all that food actually comes from? There are many people and processes that contribute to the end product of food in your local grocery store or your favorite restaurant. The chart below provides a crude, high level overview of the food supply chain.
If just one or two links in the food supply chain are damaged or disrupted, the impacts can be felt globally (the U.S. exports a large amount of its crops). This is one reason why having a long term food storage plan is so important. Without a long term food storage plan, you’re at the mercy of hundreds of variables outside of your control.
How much does food insurance cost?
Nothing more than you’re already spending…
There are many ways to incorporate a food storage plan into your existing budget. By simply moving $30-$50 monthly from your existing grocery budget, you can have roughly 150-200 lbs stored up within 6 months depending on where you get your food.