Alright admit it- how many of you have joined the panic train and left Costco with a cart full of toilet paper and bottled water? With the coronavirus all over the news, this has definitely been a hot topic for the year! Shelves are being cleared in some stores, and that alone makes things seem a little more terrifying!

I’ll be honest- I’m not particularly scared of the virus itself. However, I AM afraid of something happening economically, either globally or to my family specifically, that makes buying particular items at the store impossible. Whatever your views on the coronavirus, you can’t deny that’s it not a bad idea to have some essentials stocked up- just in case!

From day one of my marriage, I’ve tried to start building a food/essential storage. In our first little apartment, we ended up buying some shelves to put in our second bedroom, and by the time we moved 2 ½ years later, I had those shelves pretty well stocked with canned goods, shampoos, deodorants, toilet paper, etc. When we moved into another apartment, we were given the opportunity to manage, which included free rent. There were 2 apartments we could choose from- and we ended up choosing the apartment that had a big storage closet- so that we could continue building our food storage! (Plus, I liked the idea of moving the canned food OUT of the baby’s bedroom!).

As the years have gone by, we have gradually built up more and more storage, resulting in a pretty good stockpile! And now it’s just a matter of habit- I don’t buy toilet paper when we’re on our last roll, I buy a big old package from Costco about every other month so that I know we always have both bathroom cupboards fully stocked. I can’t remember the last time I had less than a whole package- we just always have tons on hand! I try to do the same thing with everything. I always have 2-3 extra deodorants- as soon as I use one, I add it to my grocery list. Canned foods and pantry staples are a little harder, since my family is growing so fast (feeding 7 people on a daily basis is no joke! Especially when more than half of them are growing at an alarming rate, including their appetites;) ). But I try to follow the same principle- I don’t let myself run out of canned corn, chicken stock, etc; because if I notice that my supply is getting low, I buy more, or I take inventory of my pantry during case lot sales so that I can catch low supplies before I run out.

Maybe you won’t need to use food storage for the coronavirus- but life can be pretty unpredictable and it’s ALWAYS a good idea to have extra supplies on hand.

In 2013, my husband tore his ACL and was no longer able to work at his job. We were just about to have a baby, and this could have been a huge financial stress- but we felt so blessed that we had built up a food storage, because eating was definitely not a worry during that financially-trying time! We had also built up an emergency savings, so we could still buy fresh produce. We were definitely grateful for our food storage!

On a smaller scale, a few months ago, a city pipe broke, and several of us were without water for the day. Luckily, I always have bottled water on hand, so one day without water was not a huge deal for us. A neighbor posted on Facebook that they were desperate for some bottled water, and I was able to share some of our storage with her. I was grateful we had enough to share!

I don’t share these examples to toot my own horn, but to show some real-life examples of how having a food storage was a blessing- even without the coronavirus ;).

I’m far from perfect when it comes to getting my food and essentials storage in order, but it’s something I feel very strongly about- and this whole coronavirus scare has reaffirmed that importance to me. It was a good chance for me to reflect and see which items I should probably keep in stock more sufficiently (such as diaper wipes- definitely don’t want to be without those!!), and a good confidence-booster as to which items I’ve done well with (we’ve got toilet paper and shampoo to last us for months!!).

How do you feel about your current food and essentials storage situation? Do you feel well-prepared if there was a sudden quarantine or if stores shut their doors? Do you feel there are areas that need improvement? I’d love to hear your thoughts! And I’ve love to hear stories you might have of when having a food storage helped your family!