Tracking What You Use

There are lots of different lists and calculators that are helpful when you're trying to figure out what you need for your food storage. In fact, I use the 3-month Food Storage Template, created by Prepared LDS Family and this Food Storage Calculator.

But everyone uses different things at different rates. The last year or so I have been marking food items and cleaning supplies to see how long they last and then I can have a better idea of how much our family really needs for 3 months.

This has helped me a lot. For example, I started tracking how long my dishwasher soap lasted. I found that I used one bottle in two months. Now, I keep one extra in my storage room so that I have my 3 months worth all the time.

Another thing I have learned is that I don't have enough peanut butter. We can go through a jar a week sometimes. Holy cow! So now I know that I need to really watch for a good sale on peanut butter.

Items like oils might be a good idea to "track" due to their relatively short shelf-life.

Although it sometimes looks silly to have permanent marker on half of the items in my fridge, I have found some comfort (in my own nerdy way) in knowing how long certain things last at our house so that I can plan accordingly.

In addition to writing on the items themselves, I have a notebook that I use for keeping track of my food storage inventory. In this notebook, I also make notes about how long things last or what I need to stock up on. It isn't fancy...in fact, it's kind of a mess. But it helps me to easily figure what I have and what I need in my food storage.

Not matter what method works for you, having some way to track what you use and knowing what you have and need will help you reach your food storage goals much faster and easier.

Note: I didn't say fast and easy. Accumulating a 3-month supply of food and other items is neither of those things.

Happy tracking!