One of the challenges of building up food storage is just getting started and taking action. Just thinking about collecting all that food can scare someone into putting it off. It is easy to come up with excuses, like:
“It cost too much money.”
“We don’t have storage space.”
“It too much time,” OR
“What if nothing happens?”
Unfortunately, there is no denying the need to get started storing up some food, if only for practical reasons such as possible unemployment, not having to run to the market for common ingredients, and short-term emergencies such as a hurricane or a bout with the flu.
I think the easiest way to get started is to start buying multiples of things that family likes to eat. Canned food seems to be a painless way to start: just buy an extra can of a few items such as canned corn, canned peaches or tuna each time you shop. Also buy extra breakfast items such as oatmeal, or cereal to get started. Before you know it, you have a week’s worth of food. Later, as space and budget allow, other forms of emergency supplies can be added such as MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) and dehydrated food. Just remember to only buy foods that the family will eat to avoid waste. Examine the expiration dates while at the store, and reach in the shelves to find the packages with the latest expiration dates. Rotate the items and use the ones whose expiration dates are approaching. Once you have a week’s worth of food, then move up to two weeks, then a month, then go from there.
Mark over at Everydaysurvivalguy came up with a good system for building up a year’s worth of emergency supplies, including food storage. Follow the link on my blog roll. The series is called “Must Have Preps for the New or Less Committed.”
The Apartment Prepper's Blog 
This is exactly how we started, by just buying extras of things we already buy. My hubby recently got a little extra overtime pay and we used that to buy an extra case each of the canned veggies we already buy like corn, green beans, etc. We also started buying a few extra things each week that are quick and no cook like crackers, peanuts, jerky, etc. We’re saving slowly to invest in some MREs and other long-term foods.
When I first started prepping, I thought that the task was daunting. I was wondering how I was going to get a year’s worth of food in my two bedroom apartment. I realized shortly after that, that I did not need a year’s worth of food in the apartment, but just enough for my BOP (Bug Out Plan). The real issue is going to be food at a BOL, rather even getting my hands on a remote BOL that makes sense. But I digress.
I ended up looking at what I currently ate, and what was storage worthy for roughly a year at a time. Many blogs I read and books said to eat what you store and store what you eat, so I have been slowly buying those items that will store easily that I know I will eat. Yes there is the rice and beans, but there are proteins (canned chicken, tuna, turkey, etc) as well as rolled oats, salsa, dehydrated vegetables, flour (yes I know this may be a no-no), a dozen or so MREs, Emergency Ration bars, and much, much more. I reckon I have about three months of food here at any given time for a short term Bug In, or to load up my car with and get the hell out of Dodge.
Thank you so much for linking to my weekly One Year Food Storage Plan!
At the end of one year, if followed correctly, you and your’s should have a correct amount of food and sundries!