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Building up your stockpile of food can be tough. Not only does it take planning, it also requires some extra money. If 2020 has taught us anything, it's that many of us don’t have enough necessities on hand. Storing up food that is shelf-stable makes you less reliant on the daily deliveries to grocery stores.
While some people do go out and buy an entire year’s worth of emergency food at once, most of us can’t swing that in our budget. However, you can probably squeeze out an extra $20 bill every month.
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Commit to building up your food stockpile month by month and follow these tips on how to do it. While grocery prices vary due to location and stores, we did our best to find the average price of these shelf-stable groceries.
To stretch your budget even further, we focused on buying items that are usually on sale already. Keep reading to learn how $20 per month can get you 239 pounds of food by the end of the year.
Note: This plan includes 111 pounds of water, but we didn’t include that in the total above since it’s technically not food. All right, let's get started…
January
Stretch your budget by purchasing items that are on sale this month. January is notorious for people getting back into shape after the holidays, so take advantage of all the healthy foods and drinks on display.
- 3 cases of bottled water (40 count)
- $8.00
- 111 pounds total
- 1 large box of flavored water drink mix
- $3.00
- 2 ounces total
- 2 canisters of oatmeal
- $5.00
- 5 pounds total
- 1 box of granola bars (24 pack)
- $4.00
- 1 pound, 4 ounces total
Total Spent: $20.00
Total Pounds of Food: 117 pounds, 6 ounces (technically only 6 pounds if you don't count the water)
February
This month is heavy on tailgating foods that correlate to the Super Bowl, so stock up on these flavorful and calorie-heavy foods.
- 2 boxes of Ritz crackers
- $4.00
- 1 pound, 10 ounces total
- 2 boxes of cheddar crackers
- $4.00
- 1 pound, 8 ounces total
- 1 jar of queso cheese dip
- $3.00
- 1 pound
- 1 box of easy-melt processed cheese
- $4.00
- 2 pounds
- 6 cans of refried beans
- $5.00
- 6 pounds total
Total Spent: $20.00
Total Pounds of Food: 12 pounds, 2 ounces
March
While frozen foods aren’t shelf-stable, they are good to stock up on if you have a generator and enough freezer space.
- 10 packs of frozen vegetables
- $8.00
- 7 pounds, 8 ounces total
- 1 bag of long grain rice (20 lbs.)
- $9.00
- 20 pounds
- 3 packages of spaghetti (16 oz.)
- $3.00
- 3 pounds
Total Spent: $20.00
Total Pounds of Food: 30 pounds, 8 ounces
April
There aren’t many sales this time of year for shelf-stable items, so stock up on food that is cheap year-round.
- 8 pounds of dry pinto beans
- $6.00
- 8 pounds total
- 2 packages of black beans (2 lbs.)
- $6.00
- 4 pounds total
- 3 packages of navy beans (1 lb.)
- $3.00
- 3 pounds total
- 5 packages of pasta (1 lb.)
- $5.00
- 5 pounds
Total Spent: $20.00
Total Pounds of Food: 20 pounds
May
With the arrival of Memorial Day, you’ll find a lot of sales on sauces and BBQ ingredients to add to the stockpile.
- 3 bottles of BBQ sauce
- $3.00
- 54 ounces total
- 3 bottles of ketchup
- $3.00
- 96 ounces total
- 4 bottles of mustard
- $3.00
- 40 ounces total
- 1 large canister of iced tea drink mix
- $5.00
- 66 ounces total
- 1 package of disposable forks and spoons
- $4.00
- No weight
- 5 bottles of salt (26 oz.)
- $2.00
- 130 ounces
Total Spent: $20.00
Total Pounds of Food: 24 pounds, 2 ounces
Warning: Shortages Are Coming – Here's What To Get
June
Summer is another time of year when fresh food is on sale, but it won’t do much good for your stockpile. Use this time to stock up on food that you know your family will eat in an emergency.
- 24 packages of ramen noodles
- $8.00
- 72 ounces
- 8 packs of canned tuna fish
- $7.00
- 40 ounces
- 5 bottles of pasta sauce
- $5.00
- 120 ounces
Total Spent: $20.00
Total Pounds of Food: 14 pounds, 8 ounces
July
Stocking up on boxes of prepared meals like macaroni and cheese is a good idea in the summer.
- 30 boxes of macaroni and cheese
- $10.00
- 217 ounces
- 1 bag of long grain rice (20 lb.)
- $9.00
- 20 pounds
- 1 bottle of BBQ sauce
- $1.00
- 18 ounces
Total Spent: $20.00
Total Pounds of Food: 34 pounds, 10 ounces
August
Back to school sales bring a lot of savings on easy to pack foods for lunches.
- 3 large applesauce containers (48 oz.)
- $6.00
- 144 ounces total
- 2 large jars of peanut butter (64 oz.)
- $8.00
- 128 ounces total
- 4 jars of grape jelly (30 oz.)
- $6.00
- 120 ounces
Total Spent: $20.00
Total Pounds of Food: 24 pounds, 8 ounces
September
Continue to buy back-to-school items that are shelf-stable and sure to please your taste buds in an emergency situation.
- 8 packs of pudding cups (4 count)
- $8.00
- 104 ounces
- 2 large boxes of instant oatmeal (20 count)
- $6.00
- 60 ounces
- 24 ounces of honey
- $6.00
- 24 ounces
Total Spent: $20.00
Total Pounds of Food: 11 pounds, 12 ounces
October
The arrival of fall brings out the sales for warmer foods that are often shelf-stable.
- 3 packages of condensed soup (4 count)
- $8.00
- 126 ounces
- 6 large family-size canned corn (29 oz.)
- $6.00
- 174 ounces
- 6 large family-size green beans (29 oz.)
- $6.00
- 174 ounces
Total Spent: $20.00
Total Pounds of Food: 29 pounds, 10 ounces
November
Thanksgiving brings a lot of sales for a feast along with the arrival of the holiday baking season.
- 12 envelopes of dry gravy mix
- $4.00
- 10 ounces
- 4 packages of dry bouillon cubes (8 count)
- $4.00
- 12 ounces
- 10 boxes of dry stuffing mix (6 oz.)
- $8.00
- 60 ounces
- 1 large canister of hot cocoa mix (27 oz.)
- $4.00
- 27 ounces
Total Spent: $20.00
Total Pounds of Food: 6 pounds, 14 ounces
December
Stock up on holiday favorites that will last a long time in your stockpile this month.
- 5 bags of flour (5 lb.)
- $5.00
- 25 pounds
- 2 bags of sugar (4 lb.)
- $5.00
- 8 pounds
- 2 packets of yeast (3 count)
- $2.00
- 2 ounces
- 2 bottles of cooking oil (48 oz.)
- $4.00
- 96 ounces
- 2 bottles of peanuts (16 oz.)
- $4.00
- 32 ounces
Total Spent: $20.00
Total Pounds of Food: 41 pounds, 2 ounces
If going by this suggested shopping list, you would stockpile 367 pounds of food in one year for only $20.00 per month! Remember to stockpile foods that you and your family already enjoy.
Now admittedly, a year is a long time. If you're concerned about an imminent disaster and want to prepare more quickly, find out how to build a 2-week emergency food supply.
Note the expiration date before adding it to your stockpile, and remember to put newly purchased items in the back so you use the older items first. Keep your stockpile in a dry and cool area of your home, and check it regularly for evidence of pests or dampness.
Also, keep in mind that many locations have discount grocery stores that are even cheaper than the prices listed above. Shop around and buy in bulk when you can if it is cheaper! If you have a larger family, you may also want to increase your monthly budget to help cover the cost of extra mouths to feed.
By spending just $20.00 per month, you can build up your food storage cache and be better prepared for the future.
Note: If you're new to food storage, be sure to read our Beginner's Guide To Emergency Food Storage.
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