Why a Year of Emergency Food Storage?

I’m prepared, but I’m also a realist, so I imagine that for every one of us preppers, survivalists, or believers in long term emergency food storage, there is almost certainly a naysayer who might call us eccentric, over zealous or paranoid. But if you understand the value of being prepared then you know there are a lot of good reasons for storing food and maintaining well-supplied survival kits, whether it’s for a month, six months or an entire year. Some people are shocked to learn that having a year of food storage isn’t all that uncommon, and the reasons for doing it aren’t so different than the reasons we have when we buy extra canned goods every time we go grocery shopping. People see a viable need for planning long term, and they want to be ready. Of course some of us build a year’s worth of food storage over time, and others make the investment all at once. Regardless of the pace, here are a few things people may have in mind when storing 365 days worth of food.Dodging Inflation-If you’ve been to the grocery store lately then you know that food prices have been heading in one direction. The words I’m about to write are often used as a scare tactic, but they’re also very likely to be true: The price of goods may never be as low again as they are today. Many people have been experiencing depressed wages and infrequent pay increases, making it hard to swallow the reality of climbing prices and a flat income that don’t increase with the cost of living. When thinking about it in those terms, the truth is if you buy emergency food storage today you’d actually be saving money over the lifetime of the investment. Ability to Offer Charity in a Crisis-Let’s think differently about our provisions for a minute. If someone invests in a year’s worth of emergency food storage for one person that provides three servings of food every day, then that also means they would have a six month supply for two people, or a three month supply for four people. In other words, food can be divided and shared with friends and family who may not have been as diligent as you in planning. There are a lot of people who think it prudent to have a year of food stored away for every member of the family, and that may very well mean you’ll have the ability to help other people if necessary. Assistance During Financial Hardship- The past five years have been tough on a lot of families, and last year unemployment was higher than it has been in nearly 30 years. I myself know two educated, intelligent, clever people who were both out of work for over 12 months. That’s enough to put almost anyone in a tough spot financially. When a person’s livelihood and wellbeing is on the line there’s no choice but to cut back on how we spend and what we buy. By investing in it when you can, food storage can help ensure that when money is tight, you’ll always have food to put on the table. In the end, it all boils down to pursuing your food storage goals. Whether that means you’d like to go to the pantry rather than the grocery store every few weeks, or you’d like to possess enough goods to sustain your family long term. Whatever your objective, be sure and stick with the plan that you feel is best. If you find the logic in a year’s worth of planning, rest assured you’re not alone. In all honesty, can you ever be too prepared? To borrow part of a quote from author and motivational guru, Denis Waitley, “Expect the best, prepare for the worst…” ---Jared Matkin---Jared Matkin is a Salt Lake City based freelance writer and outdoor enthusiast who is continually on the lookout for innovative and usable products designed to help improve the way we live.