The Organic PrepperThis week, I’ve expanded beyond “groceries” – the week to week purchases that are made with meals in mind – and made some bulk purchases that have substantially added to my food supply. Because the last week’s shopping left some food for this week’s eating, I was able to focus more on storage food and basics than on items for immediate consumption. 65 pounds of fruit purchased from a local orchard have provided a great bounty for canning and some sale meat purchases have filled my freezer.
When I received an unexpected $50 this week, I was delighted to put it right into building my food pantry. This little windfall allowed me to make some purchases that would not have been in the budget otherwise. I was also able to supplement my grocery budget by attending a garden swap and exchanging some home canned goods for lovely excess produce grown by local vegetable gardeners.
This week’s purchases:
- 50 pounds of local pears $13
- 15 pounds of local peaches $8
- zucchini, jalapenos, tomatoes and cucumbers (barter)
- 20 pounds of sugar $11.98
- baking soda $0.54 (2 boxes)
- Annie’s Organic canned ravioli $1 (5 cans)
- White vinegar $2.59
- Soy sauce $1.97
- Balsamic vinegar $1.99
- 10 pounds of potatoes $1.99
- Organic animal crackers $1.99 (2 bags)
- Bananas $1.99
- 9 pounds of pinto beans $3.27
- 4 gallons of spring water $3.56
- Whole wheat pasta $0.99 (3 bags)
- Cabbage $1.29
- 4 pounds of cheddar cheese $8.98
- Pasta $0.69 (2 bags)
- 1 lb bags of brown rice $0.69 (3 bags)
- 2 lb of split peas $0.79 (2 bags)
- 3 lb bag of frozen organic mixed veggies $3.48
- 3 lbs of hormone free medium ground beef $7.99
- Bell pepper $0.99
- 3 heads of garlic $0.99
- 6 pounds of bone-in chicken breasts (natural fed) $14.47
- Baking powder $0.99
- Assorted spices $7
- 10 lbs of yellow onions $1.99
- 1 gallon of organic milk $7.99
This week’s total: $127.57
Shopping notes:
*The ability to barter and attend the garden swap greatly enhanced my shopping this week. I swapped 4 jars of home canned goodies and $11 and got tomatoes, cucumbers, peaches, jalapenos, squash, and eggplant.
*Because I got a little extra money, I was able to take advantage of canning specials at the local orchard, netting me 75 pounds of fruit for less than $20.
*I did a great deal of canning this week, which netted me numerous meals in jars, loads of jam, and some lovely condiments – I now have 43 jars of food put up.
*I now have plenty of carbohydrate bases that stretch meals: potatoes, rice, couscous, and pasta.
Stockpile Summary
At the end of our second week, we now have just over a 1 month food supply, including (approximately)
- 20 pounds of meat in the freezer or jars
- 8 packages of pasta
- 10 pounds of brown rice
- 30 pounds of dried beans (some have been canned already)
- 20 pounds of sugar
- 11 pints of homemade jam
- 10 pounds of flour
- 50 pounds of fruit
GRAND TOTAL: $263.55
In case you missed them, here are the other articles in this series:
The Pantry Primer: How to Build a One Year Food Supply in Three Months
The Pantry Primer: Grocery Outlet Victory
The Pantry Primer: Meal Planning While You’re Building Your Stockpile
The Pantry Primer: Getting Started
The Pantry Primer: Building Your Pantry on a Budget with Home Canning
Daisy Luther is a freelance writer and editor. Her website, The Organic Prepper, offers information on healthy prepping, including premium nutritional choices, general wellness and non-tech solutions. You can follow Daisy on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email her at daisy@theorganicprepper.ca
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