July Goals

Happy 4th of July! With this in mind this is a new month and a great month to stock up on all the BBQ supplies that come with summer holidays. For the month of July we are focusing on storing water, oils/fats, and paper goods. July is a really hot month here in Utah, and having enough water stored should be on our minds all month long. You will need 14 gallons of water per person, and that is the bare minimum for 2 weeks.

WATER- Store your water everywhere that you can and in all sorts of different containers. Soda bottles are great water containers. The clear bottles can store drinking water and the colored bottles can store your cleaning water. (the color from the bottle can leak into the water) I even store water in my empty laundry detergent bottles, clearly marked as water. I will use that water for cleaning as well. (click here to view an earlier post on water) Watch for cases of water to be on sale this month, $2.50 or less is a great price for 24 bottles of water. If your family are not big water drinkers then make sure to store drink mixes in your pantry. The cannery sells a #10 can of fruit drink mix for $6.90 and Emergency Essentials sells Peach, Apple, or Orange drink mixes in #10 cans for $10.99.

If you store your water in 55 gallon containers don't forget to rotate it every 6-12 months, and store it up off of the concrete floor of your basement or garage.

OILS & FATS- 25lbs Per Person Per Year
I know, I thought how on earth could we be eating 25lbs of fats per year. It sounds like a lot, but think of all the times you use oil in cooking, or butter in baking. Or how many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches do you make in a year for your children? Here is a rough estimate of different fats and how much you will need for a year supply per person.

Butter 2lbs (can store in freezer up to 1 year)
Cooking oil 5lbs
Margarine 2lbs
Mayonaise 4lbs (2 jars)
Olive Oil 3lbs (can use for skin care as well)
Peanut Butter 4lbs (4 18oz jars)
Salad Dressing 2lbs (2 bottles)
Shortening 1 tub per person

This list is just a estimate of what one person would use in a year's time. If you don't like peanut butter then you wouldn't store it, and you may need extra in another category. I know I would need a lot more than the 2 packages of butter per person. Start keeping track of what you use and when these go on sale stock up. Look for condiments to be on sale this month for sure. With all of the grilling and holiday's this month, it is a great time to get your year's worth of mayo and salad dressing. Ketchup and mustard also go on sale, store those as well. I know that my children will be more likely to eat things with ketchup and ranch dressing on them. In stressful times I don't want to have to argue with my children about eating the food in front of them, ketchup may just save your sanity. Get your paper goods this month too. I don't want to worry about doing the dishes if our water is turned off, and it is just one less thing you'll have to worry about in a stressful situation.
Grilling is in full force during the summer months and now is the time to find great sales on charcoal. Even if you don't have a charcoal grill you will want to store it. Charcoal stores indefinitely is kept dry (5 gallon buckets work great). Remember to store newspapers, canned heat, or lighter fluid to start the charcoal. For an apple box oven or dutch oven: 1 hour a day = 24 #15 bags of charcoal to be able to cook one meal a day for a year. If you have a butane stove then store charcoal for extra help when cooking. Remember to never cook indoors with charcoal, it produces carbon monoxide and that is a deadly poison.
If you would like more information on how to build your own apple box oven, CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE INSTRUCTIONS.

or HERE FOR MORE INSTRUCTIONS


You now have your assignments for July. Even with summer travel and kids home from school, don't let preparedness get left behind. If you are overwhelmed start with the water storage. You feel immediately feel the peace of knowing you have water to drink and clean with. You will feel motivated to keep going and to slowly build your storage piece by piece. I know that everyone can do it and I am here to help if you need it.
Enjoy the journey!
Enjoy the blessings!
Feel the peace!