$20 - canned goods @ Ralph's

On a recent trip to the store with the 'list' I found everything on the 'list' then went to see what kinds of canned goods I could pick up for $20.00. (Now, nobody tell her I spent the $20.00 ok?) Here is what I picked up for UNDER $20.00:

I did not have any goal in mind, cheapest, on sale items were checked first and making sure I was getting the most I could, which would fill the belly, came second. Most of these items could be a meal by themselves or could be added to other items already at home to make a larger meal. While picking cans I made sure to get the ones with the furthest away 'best by date', were not dented and did not have an rust on the can. This is really important if the can has even a little dent, mis shape or discoloration on it, do not buy it!! Check the best by date and compare the cans to get the one with most inside. All of them have the weight printed on the side.

At the end of the trip the bill came out to $18.99. With better math skills I could have added another can to the take! Maybe next time I will use the calculator on my phone, DUH!

Tuna is good on it's own but we should think of it more as a filler for other things or as part of something else. You can add it to bread for a sandwich, into a salad, put into a sauce or a host of other meal ideas.

Potatoes can be made into items for breakfast, dinner or just eaten on their own.

There are a couple different types of vegetables included in what was bought but mixed vegetables are the ones I prefer when buying items for a bad day. The can of mixed gives you a variety of taste and nutritional value, more bang for your buck.

Each set of canned soups are good as a meal on their own. The more 'hearty' type of soups fill the bellies quicker and counting calories is not an issue during an emergency. Having a full belly is more important when you are not sure when the next meal is.

Chilli is always a belly filler. Serve it with the potatoes and the veggies, now you have a meal which will stick to the rib cage!

You can find meals children should enjoy. When you can put a few away in your storage to know you have things the kids will eat. Also we should try to get as many canned items which have meat in them to help in keeping the belly full and make sure you are getting protein when you might need it the most.

Every item in the cans can also be cooked in the can. This is a good idea if water is short, you do not have to wash pans, just throw the can away, also allows you to cook the items over a open fire. Just make sure you use a pair pliers, two sticks or something to take the cans off the fire!!! Also take the lapel off before cooking food in the can! Add a fork or spoon and you can eat right out of the can if need be.

Remember we are trying to feed ourselves and/or our family for just one more meal during an emergency! By walking down the canned food aisle we can pick up an item here or there which could make sure we can feed everyone one more meal. You do not have to spend $20.00, you spend just one or two dollars each trip. Sooner then you think you will have a cupboard full of items you can keep for awhile and make a meal if needed!

As always,

Stay safe!!!!

$20 and the Dollar Store

Driving home today I realized traffic was being kind to me and I was going to be home about a half hour early. On a whim I decided to try something. I gave myself about twenty minutes and twenty dollars to see what I could pick up at the dollar store. I went in with the mindset of having nothing and I was just starting to prepare.

I purposely did not bring my wallet so I would not be tempted to spend more but I did bring an extra twenty just in case. Grabbing a cart I went down each isle only once and did not go back. This gave me just one chance to find stuff. Here is what I came home with.

I did not take a list with me and went off the top of my head. As I went along I tried to grab one or more item from several groupings. These groupings would be water, fire/light, first aid, hygiene and food. This is not a list of stuff you have to go buy just what I grabbed as I went along.

Water

I picked up two six packs of water and a container of bleach. The bottles are obvious and with the bleach more water can be disinfected for drinking, cooking or bathing. The bottles can be used again and keeping the lids when you open them will allow you to carry water with you if need be.

Treating water with household bleach containing 5.25-8.25 percent chlorine

Volume of Water to be Treated Bleach Solution to Add
1 quart/1 liter 5 drops
1/2 gallon/2 quarts/2 liters 10 drops
1 gallon 1/4 teaspoon
5 gallons 1 teaspoon
10 gallons 2 teaspoons

Fire/light

At first I found tea lamp candles, a pack of eight, as I went along I found these emergency candles. According to the burn time on the box and the obvious size difference I put the tea lamps down and took these. Doing some quick math the total number of matches bought in the smaller boxes was higher then if I bought one big box. By twenty matches. Might not sound like much yet twenty matches could be the deciding factor between being warm, having light and even a hot meal. The glow sticks are rated to last several hours and could just be the trick to keep the kids happy!

First Aid and Hygiene

Looking through what was in the aisle I bought the box of band aids which had the largest variety and amount. The Hydrogen Peroxide is a good multipurpose item. The wipes are good for hygiene and first aid when dealing with minor cuts. Also looking through the medication I found the largest number of doses for pain killer I could find. You would be surprised, there are the exact same type in two different boxes. One can have six doses and the one right next to it can have three times that amount. You have to read the containers and get the most you can. The last item, toilet paper. If you have ever run out you will understand the importance of this item!!!!

Food

These might not be the first items you would pick but their is a limited amount of choices. I picked with the idea of one days worth of food in mind. The pancake mix can be breakfast and the batter can be used to also make biscuits or other items. The batter is basically flour and you can use it in the same way to make things. When picking cans, look for the ones with the furthest best by dates, check for dents and if they are dented DO NOT BUY THE CAN! The same thing if you find rust on the can. I grabbed one container of garlic salt to add some flavor. The candy is for the kids or dessert! The Top Ramen has six packets and can easily last longer then one day for one person. Yes that is instant coffee, no it is not a necessity to survive. Well for you coffee might not be, for me it is!!!!!

All together this took about fifteen minutes to gather. Total price was $21.07. Good thing I brought the extra twenty! I did not add in taxes or the CRV fees for the bottled water when I figured I could buy twenty items for twenty dollars. One item I would have added is a flashlight but I did not see one. Odds are I walked right by them.

Although getting started might seem a daunting task, you can see it really is not. A couple of dollars spent on the right items can go along way in making sure your family and you are able to take care of yourself if something bad happens!!!!

Stay Safe!