How to STOCKPILE FOOD for those that cannot afford to do so....And for FREE!

Our stupid ass local grocery store will NOT accept coupons printed off the internet.

Which top chain grocery stores do? I will have to do some traveling. :p

The other great thing about using coupons is all the stuff you

can get for FREE that you do not use. What I mean is, getting

a lot of items that you do not use and DONATING them to the

homeless shelters that are in need now more than ever! I will

me taking 60+ bars of deodorant, about 25 tubes of toothpaste,

15 boxes of cereal and many bags of rice, beans and other dry

goods in for donation this Friday. Just remember that if we

are feeling inflation here at home, all the homeless shelters,

charities and others are a lot more in need now then ever!

Even if you choose not to coupon, please take any extras you

may have to someone in need :)

* Chocolate - unsweetened 18 months
* Coffee, vacuum pack - One year
* Milk, canned - One year
* Molasses - Two years
* Nuts - Eight months
* Oils/salad dressings - Three months
* Peanut butter (unopened) - Six months
* Sauces, condiments, relishes (unopened) - One year
* Shortening - Eight months
* Syrups - One year
* Tea - 18 months

The important thing to remember when buying in bulk, is that a deal is only a good deal if you actually use the products that you purchase.

I spoke with a sugar chemist that works at sugar refinery and he said molasses doesn't really ever go off. It slowly releases tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide that can sometimes be seen on the surface as a foam, particularly when it is warm.

As you can tell, grocery prices and starting to go through

the roof! A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine introduced

me to using coupons while items are on sale.


I have never used coupons because I always thought that if

you bought more than one item, let say a box of cereal, I

thought that you could only use one coupon. The truth is that

you can use a coupon for EVERY item you purchase!



She gave me a list of websites to visit that matched coupons

to current sales. Come to find out when you do this, you can

get A LOT of items for FREE! I cannot tell you how amazed I

was after learning this! For instance, yesterday I made a trip

to my local Harris Teeter which is having a super doubles

coupon sale. This means they will double coupons up to $1.98

in value. This means if you have a coupon for $1.00 off, it

doubles to $2.00 off. If you have a coupon that is $1.50

off, well then it is $3.00 off! I purchased about $220.00

worth of groceries for $42.00 with most of that being tax.


Some of the sites to visit if you are interested:

[link to www.afullcup.com]

[link to www.weusecoupons.com]

[link to www.wral.com]



For FREE printable coupons:

Coupons.com
[link to www.coupons.com]
Print out Internet coupons for your favorite products!

Smartsource.com
[link to www.smartsource.com]
Print out more Internet coupons for your favorite products.

RedPlum.com
[link to www.redplum.com]
Print out Internet coupons for your favorite products!

Pillsbury.com
[link to www.Pillsbury.com]

BettyCrocker.com
[link to www.BettyCrocker.com]

MamboSprouts.com
[link to www.mambosprouts.com]
Good place to find coupons for organic products

EatBetterAmerica.com
[link to www.eatbetteramerica.com]

Stoneyfield Farms Organic Coupons
[link to www.stonyfield.com]

EnjoyLifeFoods.com
[link to enjoylifefoods.com]

Hope this helps someone out!





How Long Does Stored Food Last?
Meat and Poultry - Uncooked

* Chicken and turkey - Nine months
* Steaks, beef - Six to 12 months
* Chops, pork - Four to six months
* Chops, lamb - Six to nine months
* Roasts, beef - Six to 12 months
* Roasts, lamb - Six to nine months
* Roasts, pork and veal - Four to six months
* Stew Meats - Three to four months
* Ground meats - Three to four months
* Organ meats - Three to four months

Dairy Products

* Butter/margarine - Six to nine months
* Cheese, soft and spreads, dips - One month
* Cheese, hard or semi-hard - Six months
* Eggs in shell- Do not freeze
* Ice cream - One month
* Milk / Cream - Three weeks

Dried Food Items - Shelf Life

* Baking powder/soda - 18 months
* Bread Crumbs - Six months
* Cereals - Six months
* Coffee creamer, dry - Six months
* Flour/cake mixes - One year
* Gelatin/pudding mixes - One year
* Herbs/spices - Six to 12 months
* Milk, nonfat dry - Six months
* Pancake/pie crust mixes - Six months
* Pasta/noodles - Two years
* Potatoes, instant - 18 months
* Rice, white - Two years
* Sugar, granulated - Two years
* Sugar, brown, confectioners'- Four months

Fruits & Vegetables

Commercially frozen fruits will last up to a year in your freezer. Commercially frozen vegetables have a life-span of only eight months. Another option for storing these items for long periods is canning them. If you plan to buy these items in bulk, on a regular basis, it would be a good investment to consider purchasing a canning machine to insure the food is kept air-tight.
Beans

Dried beans kept free from moisture can last for several years. This is an excellent way to stretch your money, plus beans are full of protein for healthy eating.

Drinks

Most juices that you buy, such as apple juice, can last 3-5 years un-opened. If you are unsure of how long your juice will last, contact the manufacturer consumer phone number.

Optional Items

* Chocolate - unsweetened 18 months
* Coffee, vacuum pack - One year
* Milk, canned - One year
* Molasses - Two years
* Nuts - Eight months
* Oils/salad dressings - Three months
* Peanut butter (unopened) - Six months
* Sauces, condiments, relishes (unopened) - One year
* Shortening - Eight months
* Syrups - One year
* Tea - 18 months

The important thing to remember when buying in bulk, is that a deal is only a good deal if you actually use the products that you purchase.