What is a home store?
A home store is a collection of food and household items that your family could use to survive for a significant amount of time should the need arise. Your home store should include food items such as grains, fruits, vegetables, protein, beans and dairy, as well as household items like toilet paper, paper towels, toiletries, detergents, etc.
Why do you need a home store?
Having a home store is like having food insurance. You insure your home in case it is damaged in a natural disaster, you insure your car in case you are in an accident, you insure your life to the benefit of your surviving family members. You and your family members will be able to rely on the items in your home store should you ever face an emergency such as a natural disaster, food shortage, breakdown in food distribution, civil unrest or even a personal financial crisis.
How much food do I need in my home store?
First you need to decide what emergencies you may need to be prepared for, and how long each emergency situation could last. For example, if you need to be prepared for a severe blizzard, it is possible that you may not be able to get to the store for up to a week (longer if you live in a remote area). If you live in an area that is at high risk for a large scale earthquake, you may want to be prepared to live off the items in your home store for 30 days. If the primary (or only) breadwinner in your family suddenly lost his job, how long could it be before you could afford to buy food again?
Once you answer these questions and consider all of the possibilities, it is time to get started with the Thrive Q Calculator! This nifty little system takes all of the guess work out of food storage. Just enter your family information, decide how much you want to spend and when, then start your shipments.
Please make sure that I have started your customer account before you place your first Thrive order - this will ensure that you always get the lowest prices!
Other item that should be included in your Home Store
- Honey – never goes bad! Edible honey has been discovered in Egyptian pyramids.
- Cooking Oil – will need to be rotated regularly as even the highest quality will only last about a year. Corn oil in an opaque container is best. Thrive shortening powder can serve the purpose of cooking oil in many recipes.
- Peanut Butter – while gourmet nut butters may be delicious, they don't tend to have a very long shelf life. Good old fashioned Jif or Skippy will do the trick. It is an excellent source of protein and doesn't need to be refrigerated after opening.
- Tea – lose leaf teas should be stored in an air tight container with oxygen absorbers (you can purchase these online) for maximum shelf life.
- Instant coffee – avoid metal cans as they may rust over time.
- Candy – hard candies will last a long time and will make even the grumpiest child feel better.
- Chocolate – chocolate chips and baking chocolate.
- Maple Syrup – 100% pure will generally have a longer shelf life, but syrup can be made from your Thrive food storage. Recipe available here.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – choose a well sealed, opaque container. Plastic is preferred over metal because it won't rust.
- Yeast – this will also need to be rotated. Store in your refrigerator for a longer shelf life.
- Various Condiments – mustard, hot sauce, vinegar, dry salad dressing mix, peppers, etc.
- Personal Hygiene Items – shampoo, conditioner, bar soap, deodorant, disposable razors, shaving cream, tooth brushes, tooth paste, dental floss, lotion, lip balm and feminine items. Use your super couponing abilities to stock up on these items.
- Toilet paper – use your super couponing abilities to stock up on free and inexpensive toilet paper. When you purchase a package for your home, purchase an extra for your home store.
- Paper towels – washable kitchen towels are best (less waste, reusable) but paper towels are also extremely useful! Aim to store at least one 8 pack for each month of food storage.
- Cleaning Supplies – ask Lindsey for recipes to make your own at home!
- OTC Medications – fever reducers, pain meds, benedryl, topical creams, cough drops.
