We don’t like to think about the possibility of any emergency, and definitely not one that might last for an extended period of time. With Hurricane season fast approaching, we do need to give it a little thought.

When we first moved here, I was totally unprepared for the two hurricanes that hit us back-to-back. We had not even had a chance to get to the grocery store, but we made it through with what we had. Fortunately, we are a little better prepared for emergencies now, but something could always take us by surprise.

Here are some printables that I have made to help us stay stocked up:

I have it written out in two ways, one is a way to slowly build your emergency pantry through the year, which is great if you have limited funds. The other is a way to get your pantry stocked in 12 weeks or less. You may even find it important enough to devote a chunk of any income tax return towards this goal.

You can change them to fit your needs. Don’t buy things that your family won’t eat, and don’t buy massive quantities if you have a smaller family… we are shopping for about a dozen here. I have also included a list of other things that would be good to have on hand. Remember to think about your elderly, disabled, and younger family members as well as your pets. Just remember to rotate your groceries as you get them, and to replace them as they are used!

We don’t have a lot of space for a dedicated pantry right now, but I have squeezed in some shelves here and there to hold supplies. Our extra toiletries, first aid, and hygiene products go in the Master Bathroom, while extra cleaning supplies are kept in a locked cabinet in the laundry room. I have large food-grade buckets to store the extra bagged goods, and other groceries are kept in pest-proof containers.

It is also nice to keep a supply of easy board games, puzzles, and cards on hand because extended power outages can get boring. If you have the funds, you may want to invest in a generator as well as an emergency radio.

We try to keep some cleaning wipes and baby wipes on hand because no power generally means no running water. We also have a Berkey Water filtration system to ensure that we always have clean water to drink.

We pray that you never have to experience a disaster, but if you do, we hope this can help you to be better prepared.

God Bless!

Here is a link to our printable grocery list as well:

Weekly Meal Planning and Grocery List Printable