# Simple Start up: Feed a family of 4 for 1 year, and other tips



## charito (Oct 12, 2013)

_I've been surfing online, and have come across some info that some of you might find interesting:

This one is a simple start-up plan.
_

*Feed a family of 4 for 1 year, for less than $300*

You are out of excuses!

This plan is THE fastest, cheapest and easiest way to start a food storage program. You are done in a weekend. AND there are no hassles with rotating. Pack it and forget. It's space efficient - everything is consolidated into a few 5-gallon buckets. You'll sleep content in knowing that you have a one-year food supply on hand for your family should you ever need.

With the exception of dairy and Vitamin B12, this bean soup recipe will fulfill all your basic nutritional needs. It won't fill all of your wants, but using this as your starting point, you can add the stuff that you want.

All of the food and storing supplies listed below plus 2 55-gallon recycled barrels to be used for rain catchment cost me $296, including taxes. I purchased rice, bouillon and salt from SAM's Club. You can buy small bags of barley at the grocery, but if you don't mind waiting a few days, special ordering a bulk bag from Whole Foods was cheaper. All of the beans I purchased from Kroger's in 1-lb bags. Buckets, lids, Mylar bags and rain barrels were from the Lexington Container Company. Their prices are so good, with such a great selection that it's worth a drive even if you are not in the local area. I went on a second-Saturday of the month because that's when they host free food storage courses taught by Suzanne, an energetic, delight of prepping wisdom.

*What you need:*

8 5-gallon buckets

8 large Mylar bags

8 2,000 cc oxygen absorbers

8 gamma lids

A handful of bay leaves

90 lbs. of white rice

22 lbs. of kidney beans

22 lbs. of barley

22 lbs. of yellow lentils

5.5 lbs. of split green peas

5.5 lbs. of garbanzo beans

1 lb. of salt

A big box of beef and chicken bouillon.

A measuring cup

*What you'll do*

Install the gamma lids on the bucket and insert Mylar bags. Place 2 or 3 bay leaves in the bottom and fill the buckets, adding more bay leaves after each 1/3 to full. Place an oxygen absorber in the top. Label buckets with the contents and date.

*Fill*

3 buckets with rice (shake it down good. Get it all in there!)
1 bucket each of kidney beans, barley, and yellow lentils
In 1 bucket store the split green peas, garbanzo beans, salt, measuring cup and bouillon. (I removed the bouillon from the box and vacuum sealed it as bouillon contains a small amount of oil.)
Yep, that's a total of 7 buckets, so far.

I place a broom handle across the bucket and wrap the ends of the Mylar bag over the broom handle to give me some support. Then slowly and smoothly run a hot iron over the Mylar bag to seal all except the last 2 inches. Then I press out as much air as possible before sealing the remaining 2 inches. Make sure your Mylar is completely sealed from end to end. Now, stuff the bag into the bucket and rotate the gamma lid into place. This will protect your food for about 25 years. You'll have excess Mylar bag at the top. Don't cut it off, that way if you have to cut it open to get into it, you have enough bag remaining to reseal.

*Where you'll put it*

It's pretty easy to find a place for 7 to 8 5-gallon buckets even in the smallest of apartments. 
Discard the box springs and lay the kid's mattress on top of the buckets, line the back of a large closet with the buckets. I made a couch-table by stacking buckets two high between the couch and the wall. The buckets are about 6" taller than the back of the couch. Add a shelf and drape and it looks fine; a convenient place for a lamp and books. Get creative.

Feed a family of 4 for 1 year, for less than $300


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## AnotherSOFSurvivor (Sep 7, 2016)

I was expecting some clickbaitish theory but damn, this was actually pretty good. All you need is some siracha or A1 and those beans aint so bad.

Only thing missing is water, which ain't hard to stock but still, solid article/post thanks for sharing


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Good post Charito.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Thanks. Good post.

The bay leaf really works to keep the bugs away. They must hate the odor. I stored spaghetti in plastic boxes with NO mylar bags and NO oxygen absorber for Y2K, and we finished it up about 5 years later. The spaghetti looked and tasted like the day we bought it.


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## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

You didn't add the Spam !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Boss Dog (Feb 8, 2013)

Good one. 

We've just been sliding flats of canned goods under the crumb snatcher's beds. The beds are on risers. When I'm cooking and don't find what I need in the pantry, I just send one of them shopping. They even know the inventory, where the green beans are, corn, etc.


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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

That resource has been out for a few years. Not that it is bad, but you would want to continue to build off of that for some obvious reasons.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Thanks for the list. I would add to it a variety of spices. We eat rice and beans on a regular basis. Get bored with the same flavors day after day.


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## charito (Oct 12, 2013)

That start-up plan is in its simplest form - having something to eat, to survive for a year. 

I've got long grain rice that's not stored properly, just right here in the pantry, and I've had it for who knows how many years now (I'm more into either jasmine or Uncle Ben, that's why I haven't been using it often).....and it's still good! Storing it as instructed adds more shelf life. And yes, we can build on it. 

Hubby complains of the plain, boring rice-and-bean diet that plan has in store, but it's just food to survive. At least you have something that is also good for long-term.


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## charito (Oct 12, 2013)

Targetshooter said:


> You didn't add the Spam !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I'm dreaming of a "wall of Spam" - floor to ceiling - between walls!!!


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## charito (Oct 12, 2013)

Oats! I have oats and rice, but only canned beans, and a good supply of other canned stuffs.
I'll have to start getting dry beans.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

I like the plan. Might just do it to supplement what I have.

I concur the need for some spices. Add add more salt, black pepper, dehydrated onion mild/hot peppers garlic oregano basil rosemary thyme sage.....

Also some cooking oil, dehydrated eggs/milk, rolled oats, molasses/honey/sugar.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Lack of vitamin c will cause scurvy in about 4 weeks


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

Maine-Marine said:


> Lack of vitamin c will cause scurvy in about 4 weeks


Add some dried rose hips, or a few bottles of multivitamins (everybody should have a few)


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## jim-henscheli (May 4, 2015)

Also some supplies for wine making.


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## Real Old Man (Aug 17, 2015)

charito said:


> _I've been surfing online, and have come across some info that some of you might find interesting:
> 
> This one is a simple start-up plan.
> _
> ...


I really hate to burst everyone's bubble, but the above only provides about 500 calories per day for one person. Starvation diet (courtesy of the Nazi's) was pegged at about 1,500.

Sounds like someone got the numbers wrong.

Also 90 pounds of white rice ought to cost right at $90. 300 for what's listed sounds really high


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## Real Old Man (Aug 17, 2015)

For those that think I"m blowing smoke. This is what a British Soldier's ration (approximatley 4000 calories per day) was supposed to look like

The standard Army ration pack, containing identical food for every soldier, was not introduced until after the conflict. Men carried emergency "iron rations" in a tin and in 1914 the war department set out its aims for feeding troops.

These allowances, supposedly per person per day, were: 1¼lb fresh or frozen meat, or 1lb salt meat; 4oz bacon; 20oz of bread or 16oz of flour or 4oz of oatmeal; 3oz of cheese; 4oz of butter or margarine; noz of tea, 4oz of jam or 4oz of dried fruit; pinch of pepper; pinch of mustard; 8oz of fresh vegetables or a tenth of a gill lime juice; half a gill of rum or 1pt of porter; maximum of 2oz of tobacco.


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## Operator6 (Oct 29, 2015)

Each of the 4 people would receive :

0.43 pound of rice per week

0.10 pound of barley per week

0.26 pound of beans/lentils/peas per week


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## charito (Oct 12, 2013)

Real Old Man said:


> I really hate to burst everyone's bubble, but the above only provides about 500 calories per day for one person. Starvation diet (courtesy of the Nazi's) was pegged at about 1,500.
> 
> Sounds like someone got the numbers wrong.
> 
> Also 90 pounds of white rice ought to cost right at $90. 300 for what's listed sounds really high


Thanks for that caloric info. 
If I'm not mistaken, caloric intake depends on ones' age, sex and amount of activity one does. As an example, for a middle-aged woman who leads a sedentary life, the recommended calorie intake is at least 1,600 calories.
Sedentary is characterized by having less than 30 minutes physical activity a day.

Folks who think of following this start-up plan can adjust their cache accordingly, depending on how much they'd want to prep for how long, and for how many people.

Adjustment comes easy.
It's the actual start-up - how to start - that seems to freeze some folks from actually *start* doing some prep.

As for the pricing......we can't really expect the same. Prices depends where you are.
Some folks wouldn't be able to do this start-up plan for a year's supply in a month either. It doesn't have to be for a year right away.....it could be for a month, or a week....depending on what you can spare in buying these.
Some folks are simply hindered by the cost.

The point is to give an idea how to go about it in the most practical, simplest, cheapest way. 
I'm sure there will be other suggestions/articles on how to start - it's just finding what ideas will be most comfortable for you (and your pocketbook).

The beans-and-rice plan is more for long-term. A good *foundation* to build up on. We love oats. So our foundation includes lots of oats (along with the sugar, salt and cinnamon).

If you're aiming for just a year of food....most canned goods are good for more than that. Just remember to check the best before date. If it'll expire this year, I don't buy them even when they're on sale, unless I plan to use them before they expire.

It's advisable to add vitamin supplements in the plan. Powdered milk and chocolate powder, and other powder mix drinks (protein, energy etc.,) will also have to be looked into.


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## charito (Oct 12, 2013)

Folks on medication MUST include their meds in the plan. 
I don't know how to get hold of additional prescription drugs (to have something on stock).....does anyone knows?


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## Real Old Man (Aug 17, 2015)

charito said:


> Thanks for that caloric info.
> If I'm not mistaken, caloric intake depends on ones' age, sex and amount of activity one does. As an example, for a middle-aged woman who leads a sedentary life, the recommended calorie intake is at least1,600 calories.
> Sedentary is characterized by having less than 30 minutes physical activity a day.
> 
> ...


You missed the whole point of the post. What you posted won't provide one *One* person with 600 calories per day much less a family of four. This is a sure recipe for disaster


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## charito (Oct 12, 2013)

Here's and excerpt from an article:

*How to Stock Your Disaster Pantry (for 1 Month)*

"We need to debunk the one-size-fits-all solution to how much food you need," says survival instructor Cody Lundin, author of the excellent disaster-survival manual When All Hell Breaks Loose and pony-tailed star of Dual Survival. "Age, sex, weight, height all factor in. Just ask any mom with three teenage boys who play football if they will eat the same amount of food as her neighbors with younger kids."

The first step is to figure out the basal metabolic rate-the amount of energy a body uses at rest-for each member of your family. Keep in mind that in a disaster situation, people aren't usually at rest, so add more food to compensate. Visit a site like this one to calculate your family's BMR. Our sample family has a husband and wife in their 40s (4400 calories per day), and a son and daughter between 9 and 13 (2400 calories per day). We then added 1000 calories as a cushion, putting our requirements at 7800 calories per day and 234,000 per month.

Remember, you don't have to buy it all at once. Each week, add a few extra items to the shopping list until you've filled up your basement shelves to your satisfaction. We built up a sample store of goods for this photo as a guide to the sorts of foods that store well and could keep a family of four well-fed and sane through the aftermath.

First in First Out (FIFA) is the time-honored rule of thumb when it comes to rotating food in and out of your disaster pantry. Use the year-old bag of white rice for regular meals and resupply your stock with a fresh bag.

What's wrong with 250,000 calories worth of chocolate bars? If that's all you have, then nothing. But because we're talking about preplanning, we filled our pantry with enough food to build a 30-day diet made up of 55 percent carbs, 25 percent fats, and 20 percent protein. That puts us within the 2010 dietary guidelines suggested by the USDA for all age groups.

The downside of all that rice, beans, dried pasta, dried milk, and instant coffee is that it takes water to bring them to life. Our month's pantry requires 78 gallons of water.

Rice and beans can get old, so lay in some guilty pleasures for the kids. A $1 can of SpaghettiOs Meatballs is power packed with energy: 480 calories, 7 grams of fat, 11 grams of protein, and 32 grams of carbs.

"Canned goods are great for a disaster supply," Lundin says. "They're already cooked, they don't need to be heated, you can eat them right out of the can, and they've got an expiration date printed on them."

The first step is to figure out the basal metabolic rate-the amount of energy a body uses at rest-for each member of your family. Keep in mind that in a disaster situation, people aren't usually at rest, so add more food to compensate. Visit a site like this one to calculate your family's BMR. Our sample family has a husband and wife in their 40s (4400 calories per day), and a son and daughter between 9 and 13 (2400 calories per day). We then added 1000 calories as a cushion, putting our requirements at 7800 calories per day and 234,000 per month.

How to Stock Your Disaster Pantry

Of course, don't forget WATER!


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## charito (Oct 12, 2013)

Real Old Man said:


> You missed the whole point of the post. What you posted won't provide one *One* person with 600 calories per day much less a family of four. This is a sure recipe for disaster


No I didn't miss your point. So, the supply is good for three months or so?

*ADJUSTMENT.*

Buy more, to make it a year!

Anyway, if you read my reply to your post, though the article doesn't say it, I - and several folks who's been prepping - had acknowledged that you've got to build up on it!

That's what this thread is all about - tips! 
I'm sure folks seriously contemplating to start prepping, wouldn't just stop reading after that one article!

You've brought up a very important point about caloric intake....so we're addressing that.

Another thing too, what if there's no power to cook, and you're in the dark? 
You have to have ready-to-eat food on top of that!
At least that's the way I see it.


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## bigdogmom (Aug 28, 2015)

I used a variation of this list to get started. I knew it wouldn't be a years worth for four people but I also needed a starting point and this gave it to me. 

I have built on the list and now truly have a years plus, mostly rotatable and I don't really count the original list and figure it is the back up to the rest of the food.

Droid did it!


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

@charito,
I think its a good list. While it may or may not last 4 people 1 year, it sure is better than a sharp stick in the eye!

Carry on...:vs_wave:


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

Maybe it won't last a year but it's a start. Something is better than nothing.


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## Urinal Cake (Oct 19, 2013)

Ok WTF is Gamma Lids?


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

Urinal Cake said:


> Ok WTF is Gamma Lids?


https://www.amazon.com/Gamma-Seal-L...TF8&qid=1475587735&sr=1-4&keywords=gamma+lids


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Mad Trapper said:


> Add some dried rose hips......


I did some checking on this. Please do not suggest rose hips as an alternative to fruit for scurvy! using it (alone) can actually cause conditional scurvy and lots of other things. using it as a supplement MAYBE but DO NOT use it as the alternative too a good diet of fruit

https://www.drugs.com/sfx/vitamin-c-with-rose-hips-side-effects.html


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## charito (Oct 12, 2013)

*How To 'Start Prepping' When You Feel Overwhelmed
*

Preparing our families for what lies ahead is one of the most important things we can do. Having food, water, medical supplies and a means (preferably more than one) to defend you and yours can be the difference between getting through the bad times - or not. However, getting started in preparing yourself and your family can be quite overwhelming and discouraging. I've been there.

You have to start where you are and with what you can afford. 
Some folks can throw $10,000 right away into preparedness, while others can barely scrape up a couple hundred dollars. At first, focus on four different areas: food, water, medicine and defense. Everything else will come after you have handled this. Store food properly. After you have one month of food, start on another month. So on and so forth.

More......

How To ?Start Prepping? When You Feel Overwhelmed | Off The Grid News


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## Urinal Cake (Oct 19, 2013)

Annie said:


> https://www.amazon.com/Gamma-Seal-L...TF8&qid=1475587735&sr=1-4&keywords=gamma+lids


I ordered a dozen as Home depot was $7.95 plus tax


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

New member here, but not new to prepping. When I read the initial post here, my first thought was something ain't right here. I calculate only 167 lbs of food and that is claimed to feed a family of four for a year... and do it for only $300? On top of that, the vast majority of the food is rice, which is exceedingly low in calories compared to say beans or wheat. A lb of rice only has around 600 calories where the same lb of beans or wheat will run around 1600 calories. I plan on a minimum of 1 1/2 lbs of staples per person/ per day, which should average around 1800 calories, with extra nutrition/calories coming from harvested/hunted meats. I also plan based upon a worst case scenario, where the event occurs in the fall, which means months before gardens can kick in.

So by my figuring, a family of four would need at a minimum 2000 lbs of stores to survive a year... not 167. My storage plans are based on my family/group to survive 4-5 months on stores, so my ballpark goal is 200 lbs per person that will be staying with or near me. Also, seems to me a very critical food is missing from the OP's list... hard wheat berries. Both red & white hard wheat make up the single largest item in my stores. It, like beans, is packed with calories & nutrition. But just as important is the versatility. Think about it, how many ways can you fix rice & beans? Now compare that to wheat, where you can have pancakes, biscuits, bread, cakes, cookies, etc., etc. The wheat berries can be easily sprouted to even add more nutrition. I buy the wheat berries from Sam's Club online and from Walmart online, where I get free freight.

For dairy, I store the superpails of powdered milk. My favorite, by far, is Morning Moo's, which comes in a 30 lb. pail. And yes, Spam is a major component of my stores and buy it by the case from my favorite prepper store... Sam's Club.


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