Written by Bernie Carr
You don’t have to look very far for news sources to know that food shortages are going to get worse. President Biden has issued the warning that food shortages are real, as he spoke at a press conference at a NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium.
“With regard to food shortage, yes we did talk about food shortages, and it’s gonna be real,” Biden said during a press conference at a NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium, following a meeting with other world leaders.
“The price of the sanctions is not just imposed upon Russia,” he added. “It’s imposed upon an awful lot of countries as well, including European countries and our country as well.”
SOURCE: FoxNews
Inflation is not the only problem
We’ve talked about the U.S. inflation being at the highest level in years. Add that to high gas prices, tight oil supplies, lack of fertilizer (a larger percentage that was previously supplied by Russia) and no wheat production in Ukraine, and you have the perfect storm of all these factors putting pressure on food supplies and delivery.
What can you do to prepare?
Continue to build your food storage
Stock up your food storage now, while foods are available. Buy more while items are on sale. The basics such as rice, beans, flour, sugar, pasta.
Supplement your weekly buys with additional non-perishable items that your family eats that have a long shelf life, such as canned meats, fish, vegetables, pasta, rice, beans. Mark down the expiration dates with a sharpie marker so you can keep track of them and use your supply before they expire. Some foods are still good past expiration but they can and will go bad if you hang on to them too long.
Don’t forget to buy pet food for your pets.
Buy in bulk
Buy in bulk if you have a warehouse club membership and have some space to store, or split with friends and family. You can at least share the savings. Learn how to store foods for the long term so these bulk items last for years.
Grow your own herbs and sprouts
Herbs are very easy to grow, even if you don’t have a lot of space. Herbs are also expensive so you will save some cash if you have fresh herbs readily available. Try mint, parsley, cilantro, basil.
You can even grow food from scraps you normally might have thrown away.
Try your hand at microfarming or sprouting. Sprouts are inexpensive and you can grow a lot in very little space.
Avoid wasting food
Stop wasting food.
Use your freezer wisely and to make foods last longer.
Dehydrate foods you can’t consume right away.
Acquire new skills such such as canning or pickling to help you save money on your food budget now as well prepare for difficult times.
Build your savings fund
As prices increase, you will need to have extra money saved up. You need a cash emergency fund in case of disaster or if you lose your job. Having an emergency fund will help you avoid going into debt if you have an unexpected expense or have to cover increasing food costs as prices rise.
The way things are going, we all have find ways to be more frugal. Check out my frugal living section for more ideas.
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Bernie Carr is the founder of Apartment Prepper. She has written several books including the best-selling Prepper’s Pocket Guide, Jake and Miller’s Big Adventure, The Penny-Pinching Prepper and How to Prepare for Most Emergencies on a $50 a Month Budget. Bernie’s latest e-book, FRUGAL DIY has just been released on Amazon. Her work appears in sites such as the Allstate Blog and Clark.com, as well as print magazines such as Backwoods Survival Guide and Prepper Survival Guide. She has been featured in national publications such as Fox Business and Popular Mechanics. Learn more about Bernie here.
