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Buying & Storing Bulk Foods,
Grains & Beans
Buying grains, beans, nuts and other foods in bulk, especially by the 25 or 50 pound sacks, saves a great deal of money over smaller 1 pound packages. And of course it saves an absolutely enormous amount of money over various kinds of pre-prepared packaged foods. Most "Natural Food" stores, Co-ops, and some regular grocery stores are usually pleased to order bulk items for you. Plus you can also order bulk foods on the internet. But it is almost always considerably cheaper to order heavy bulk foods through your local store because they usually don't charge for shipping since your order arrives with the rest of their re-stocking items.
By saving money on food, (and lowering our desires for expensive consumer items), we can not only stretch our budget, but we may eventually even be able to work less than 40 hours per week and thus spend the newly available time in worthwhile spiritual pursuits such as:
• Quality Family Time
• Doing selfless service for those less fortunate than ourselves
• Devotional Singing
• Reading spiritual books (see Recommended Reading List)
• And so many other worthy endeavors!
Emergency Preparedness
It also helps to have bulk food in storage because it gives us several months' of emergency food supply just in case there is a regional or national emergency of some kind that makes it difficult for food to be delivered to our area stores. Most grocery stores only have 2-3 days worth of food in them because they rely on "just in time" delivery of restocking items. Notice how quickly the store shelves empty out when there's a weather report of a big snowstorm approaching! By taking care of ourselves, the emergency services in our area will be freed up to help others who didn't prepare as well as we did. Plus we will be helping the farmers who supply the bulk grains and beans by providing an additional market for them. So it's "win-win" for everyone!
In fact, for the same reasons it is also a good idea to have a radio and flashlight or headlamp that can be simultaneously powered by a hand crank; a built-in solar panel; and batteries. Plus it can be really handy to have a solar battery charger for charging AA & AAA rechargeable batteries and also some sort of water purifier.
There are many helpful websites which provide information on emergency preparedness and which sell these kinds of products.
What Kind of Grains Might We Consider
Buying in Bulk?
Gluten-Free Grains:
Brown Rice
Brown Basmati Rice
Millet
Buckwheat
Quinoa (soak for 10 minutes & then rinse, before cooking)
Corn
Rolled Oats (usually considered Gluten-free)
Grains that Contain Gluten:
Barley
Wheat
Bulgar
etc
What Kind of Beans?
Lentils
Lima Beans
Small Navy Beans
Pinto Beans
Black Beans
Kidney Beans
Soy Beans
Etc
What Else?
Soy Textured Vegetable Protein
Sunflower seed kernels
Peanuts
Dehydrated nonfat milk
Cocoa Powder
Popcorn
Raisins
Protein Powder
Various favorite canned foods
Dehydrated vegetables
Protein bars and treats
Water
etc
Storage Containers:
Large containers for 25 & 50 pound sacks:
Use plastic or metal garbage cans with tight fighting lids so that bugs can't get in. If you have especially persistent mice or other rodents, then use metal garbage cans. And it helps to put cedar shavings or spray the interior of the lid with cedar oil or some other natural insect repellent that isn't toxic to humans. Store them indoors in a pantry, closet, or dry basement, not outdoors.
Smaller Containers for Kitchen Shelves:
1 gallon plastic jars (the kind protein powder comes in)
1 gallon glass jars (the "restaurant size jars for mustard, pickles, etc) (Caution: glass jars can break in an earthquake so they are not ideal in areas that are seismic prone.)
1 gallon plastic storage containers
Good luck! After doing even a few of the above mentioned ideas, most people feel a much needed boost in practical self-assurance, confidence and "can-do-ness". Plus it brings the family together in a constructive activity.
Please also check the following:
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