I started my stash today and I already feel overwhelmed!

[DonaldDucksTowel]

I’ve been meaning to get some extra bits in for months but with Xmas and general life happening it hasn’t happened

I’m the kind of person who likes the fridge and cupboards to be pretty much empty by the end of the week/10 days before I’ll shop again, I hate waste
So my plan is to just stop letting things run out and to buy one more than I need of a few things each time I shop
But I suddenly feel overwhelmed and I don’t know where to start
And then I read the thread about where people are keeping their supplies and I’m wondering if I need to put things separately somewhere, but then when do you decide it’s time to break into ‘the stash’?
Then I tried to write a list and it’s really really long and I’ve got myself into a bit of a tizz really

I need a good talking to

So far my ‘stash’ consists of 2 packets of microwave rice, a bag of frozen broccoli, 2 tins of baked beans, 2 tins of mixed beans, a ‘pud in a mug’ sachet and a bottle of pancake mix - not gonna get us very far really is it?! 🤦🏻‍♀️

There’s me, DP, 4 DC including an under 1, one with sensory processing disorder, one with dairy & soya allergies and a dog

What do I need to start with? Really break it down for me

Keep it where you would normally until you run out of room.
Longest dates and not perishable- tins - then going in spare bedroom wardrobe and the rest in plastic storage boxes in spare wardrobe.
I did a big Marie Kongo to make room.

Kondo!

I have plenty of room in the kitchen as I don’t normally keep it overly stocked so I don’t need to make room
I think I’ll just keep filling cupboards then and not put things separately yet thanks Clan

The best thing about prepping is that mist of it is in tins so it wont perish and if food priced don't go up/ run out of food etc then you can eat it anyway therefore no waste! Get stuff you like though. Eg...i love mushy peas and they are super cheap so i have lots.
Tinned fruit will be a good desert etc and i love custard so custard powder is a must...dosnt take up much space either!

DonaldD - I wondered when you break into a The Stash also?

I keep trying to put chocolate in my stash and then the news comes on ....

I think figure out a 3 day meal plan and go for there. So I'm thinking
Breakfast Porridge (make up with powdered milk)
Lunch Soup with bread/tuna sandwich
Dinner Pasta and various sauces
Tinned fruit, jelly, custard, biscuits, crisps etc for snacks.
Not loads of variety but it will do.
So a shopping list for the above
Oats
Powdered milk
Tinned soup
Flour & yeast
Oil
Salt
Tuna
Pasta
Tinned tomatoes
Pesto
Jarred pasta sauce
Packet jelly, custard, biscuits and crisps

That’s a really good way to look at it katiesnana and feels more manageable than just ‘what do we use that is non perishable’ which is pretty much what I was trying to figure out

I did the low FODMAP diet last year and can safely say that tinned mushrooms are fine in pasta and on pizza. Not as good of course, but perfectly ok.

I tried some of those Heck green sausages the other night and none of us liked them so they are in the freezer as emergency rations. I think they'd be ok sliced or mashed onto pitta bread with tzatziki.

I wish I had a bigger freezer but I don't so will stock it as best I can and replace things as I use them as best I can.

I second custard powder for custard with tinned fruit.

Philadelphia has nearly 3 months on the date which tastes us to the first week of April so I'll get extra of that as my middle child lives off it. Nutella might need stockpiling as eldest would happily live off that if allowed.

Need to address the hygiene supplies next week.

In your situation I would start with looking at the diet of the child with dairy/soy allergies & the things you buy for them to solve that problem.
Buy those items (if they are long life) first.
Same if the child with sensory processing problems has specific (long life) foods that are important to them.

If everything is dreadful at the end of March, the rest of your family can eat whatever is in the shops, but you may find it harder to cater for specialist diets.
Same goes for making sure you've got a bit of extra dog food.

Obviously you still need to get food for the rest of the family, but they are more flexible in what they will/can eat.

In terms of when I'm going to break into the stash, I have the following penciled in

• significant panic buying making the shops disorderly
• shortages post Brexit - initially only taking out those items which are seeing shortages and buying others normally
• in the event of a utopian brexit, waiting 2-3 months for signs of shortages to start emerging, and if not start munching my way through stocks and reducing supplies

I use my store like a shop. So new items go into the store (not in the kitchen). If I run out of something in the kitchen we take the replacement from the store and write it on a list to buy a new one for the store. Its the best way Ive found to make sure that you don't end up with a load of out of date stuff in the store and all the fresh stuff in the kitchen.

I'm lucky though in that we have a large kitchen with lots of storage and also a pantry type room which we use as the store cupboard.

I also currently have an overflow of a few items (eg loo roll) in the loft but that's only due to Brexit.

SnugglePumpkin thank you I’ve had a chat with DP and I think you’re right and that is exactly what I’m stressed about (plus the fact that we have an asthmatic child too but my hands are somewhat tied there)
So we’re going to prioritise the dc with additional needs and the baby for now and keep their things separately so they don’t get used up before we’ll need them, then just keep stocking the things the others or all of us use in with the rest of it

I’ve also had a thought today - would it be better to actually make meals and freeze, rather than having lots of ingredients around do you think? Then even if an ingredient is perishable once it’s cooked it can be frozen and reheated?

Thankyou for the answers about when you’re planning to break into the stash, I like the idea of just using it as a store I think I’ll adopt that a little bit

Oh it’s just all so bloody stressful 🤦🏻‍♀️

I’ve also had a thought today - would it be better to actually make meals and freeze, rather than having lots of ingredients around do you think? Then even if an ingredient is perishable once it’s cooked it can be frozen and reheated?

In most cases, no, unless you have unlimited freezer space. If some of the ingredients are non-perishable you'd be better off keeping those ingredients on the shelf and freezing the perishable ones. That way you can fit more in.

Of course if there's a favoured meal that's mainly made of perishable ingredients and will survive freezing it may be a good plan.

I might batch cook a few things with lots of veg. We do a pork mince pasta sauce with loads of grated courgette for example.

I actually disagree a little there. Yes all other things being equal if you are trying to make the most efficient use of your freezer space you only freeze things that need freezing. However, in the current scenario where we are able to plan for this in advance, making up cooked and frozen meals in advance could pay dividends. Firstly because if there were any power issues you have meals which are already cooked and could if absolutely necessary be eaten from cold. Not the case with raw meat which will spoil if it defrosts and can’t be cooked quickly. Secondly and most importantly because some meals will use ingredients which haven’t been stockpiled and so if you’ve made them in advance when those ingredients are freely available you will be adding variety to your diet. I can’t imagine making an expensive, veg and cheese packed lasagne in a time of food shortage for example. Thirdly if all of this ultimately proves unecessary we will have made weekday dinners an awful lot faster and easier for a while!

I would recommend a balance of cooked and raw items in your freezer.

Sometimes I freeze the first part of the meal, that is the chopped vegetables or chopped vegetables and white sauce then add tins of tomatoes later.