Key Points:

  • Make a list of foods you eat on a regular basis, and determine how much you would go through in three months.
  • Gradually purchase these foods in bulk as they go on sale (see TheFoodStorageShopper.NET for some tips).
  • Combine sale prices with coupons for even more savings as you stock up
  • Use and rotate these foods in all your daily cooking.
  • Constantly replenish the stocks of these foods as they go on sale again.
  • Don’t forget to include non-food items in this step as well. Get a 3 month supply of NECESSITIES such as diapers, medications, toilet paper, toiletries, etc. For a great list and tracker, see our 3 month plan spreadsheet.
  • Benefits include: saving money by buying foods on sale and having foods you normally eat in times of economic or any other type of hardship.

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Helpful Tools:

We have developed a 3 Month Food Supply Excel Worksheet that will help you outline meal plans, convert them into the number of items you need to buy automatically, and then track your inventory including current prices for each product. NEW! The spreadsheet also has a list of “Common Foods Sheet” for you to choose from, and a “Non-Food Items Sheet” tracker!

We highly recommend viewing our short BASIC Tutorial Video before you start inputting information into your spreadsheet. If you aren’t familiar with excel this will make it seem so easy!

For more in depth information on the spreadsheets additional features such as the “Common Foods Sheet”, “Non-Food Items Sheet”, working with copy/paste, and adding or deleting lines, see the EXTRA Tutorial Video.

3 Month Food Supply Printable Forms

For those of you who do not have the excel program, we have made a way for you to make your 3 month food supply plan with these printable forms.  There is an Instruction Sheet, a Menu Plan Sheet and an Inventory Sheet. You will need to print the Menu Plan Sheet multiple times depending on how many different meals you want to plan. There is also a video tutorial to go along with these printable forms found here.

Tools From Our Sister Sites at FunWithFoodStorage.NET:

TheFoodStorageShopper.NET: Training Page on Buying Your 3 Month Food Supply
EverydayFoodStorage.NET: Training Page on Your 3 Month Food Supply
EveryDayFoodStorage.NET: The Pantry List Handout

Online Resources:

Provident Living Website – Recommendations by the LDS church
The Obsessive Shopper Blog – Coupon lists for Utah, Nevada, So. California, Idaho, and Eastern Washington plus a SYSTEM for everyone else

  • sherio
    I love your website....the info is really great! I've shared it with many of my friends and family. I've been saving each new step......but my computer crashed and now I'm missing some of the steps. Is there any way to get the ones I'm missing?
  • Please email us at info@foodstoragemadeeasy.net and we can help you out. Thanks!
  • Susan
    Thank you so much for this! I am planning my food budget (starting with 1 month) and am AMAZED at how much money I will save this month. I have no experience with excel, but am excited to learn!

    One thing I did with the price column - I added another column and multiplied the quantity price to get a total. For example: I need 4 pkg. of spaghetti noodles and they are $1.23 each. I multiplied the two cells to get the total. Then I added up the column with the total amounts! Can you tell I am excited? LOL!
  • janet_bosley
    Roger, thank you you kind of Answered my question I guess I just need to research and find out what kind of foods constitute whole carbs. I understand that if we follow the word of wisdom more fully we use grains and all and meat is "used sparingly" I eat very little of it anyway.
    I am just lazy and always looking for the already put together program (like this one for food storage) havnt found the simple program for Whole carbs and healthy eating yet. It would help if I understood them better I am sure.
    How I would use my food storage if I had to use it would be the way I cook for the rest of my family and just gain weight. I would like to know some of the meals you use with you rstorage. Thank you again for your insight, I know there is a way I just need to find it. I would be glad to share my email wit you if there is a way to do that. If you have the time and desire to share with me.
  • janet_bosley
    How do you use your food storage and not geet fat? I know, I have a major problem when I eat foods with preservatives and sugars and I my body loves Cars especially sugary starchy carbs but they do not love my body and are not kind. So my eating regiment is filled with a lot of fresh veggies and very lean meats, primarily poultry. Is there a way to combine certain grains and other foods and not mess your body up?
  • Roger Weathersby
    One challenge that people have to face and can easily scare people away from this kinda stuff is that there is lifestyle change involved if you are serious about long term food storage. But on the flip side of that, it also helps by forcing us to look at our good and bad habits with eating.

    The idea of the rotation, you dont need to eat one day of storage food in one day, you can make a meal here and a meal there, depending on what you have stored. This all just depends on shelf life of the items you are storing.

    My question is, how would you use your food storage if you really had to in an emergency if you cant when it's not? Life is harder when a situation is bad enough to rely on that stored food.

    What i dont understand here about your question, what is it you are storing that will get you fat? I've actually found my body has adjusted well to stored food rotation, I actually lost some weight and make smarter decisions about my eating. Meat for instance in many other parts of the world is used as a flavoring instead of a main course, and yet thanks to other very normal and natural (as well as storable) foods, they still easily consume enough protein, our main reasoning for consuming meat in the first place.

    Keep in mind that the modern anti carb ideal is not always accurate, you just need to consider eating smarter, more whole carbs that include protein (wheat based products are great for this). In my storage we keep some sugar and molasses, but other than that there's very little unhealthy stuff in the stockpile.

    Keep in mind, decades and centuries ago, people stored food and rotated it as well, yet were perfectly healthy doing so. What's unnatural is the paycheck to paycheck convenience lifestyle we've changed over to that leaves us vulnerable to just about any possibility of something going wrong in life.
  • Roger Weathersby
    One of the wisdoms here is that in rotating your stock of food, you are using the food. You should always ALWAYS test your preps. This includes making sure you are familiar with, can easily prepare, and can/will eat what you've stored. To the extreme, some random person who decided to put away 500 lbs of wheat in their basement who doesn't like wheat and has no idea how to prepare anything with it will be rather screwed.

    On the idea of refrigerated/frozen goods, it never hurts to have them, but i'd never rely on them. Even in places where natural disasters of an epic scale don't generally happen, things unexpected CAN happen. Isn't the idea here to try to prepare for the unexpected?

    Good idea on the spreadsheet. Once a person has completed this, it might be a good idea to look over what you've got and make sure this is realistic based on the situations. You might not get opportunity to supplement your supply, so plan accordingly. Make sure you and your family are getting enough protein, calories and such with what you are storing. You also really should look to vitamin supplements as well.

    And Tang, ye scurvy dogs.
  • mpayne9205
    When I print the Excel forms, it prints on and on an on the first page! Any ideas? I want to print the "entire workbook", but it's as if the first page is repeated to infinity...
  • Can you email us with details at info@foodstoragemadeeasy.net so we can help you trouble-shoot? Thanks!
  • Regina
    Last evening I was on your site and found an excel workesheet that told me how much food (lbs. flour, lbs. wheat, etc.) I would need for a family of my size. As I changed the amounts of adults or children, everything down through the list changed to show what amounts I needed for my family.
    Much to my chagrin, I cannot find this worksheet today!!!
    Can you help me?
  • jwads
    Under Step 4: Education. It is listed under "helpful tools.
  • If you want to expand your storage options, palate options, not to mention not take up valuable freezer space... dehydrate!

    Your frozen fruits and veggies (if you buy them on sale in the big bags) can be dehydrated. Fresh fruits and veggies can be dehydrated. Your homemade cream of soups - can even be dehydrated.

    In my pantries I have store purchased cans, home canned and dehydrated. The reason is variety and palatability. Peas for instance, whether home canned or store can, are mushy. Yes, they can be frozen and do great, but, dehydrate them and you can store even more in the same amount of space. To use, just throw them in with your soups, sauces, etc. or rehydrate. Just don't waste the water that you use, use it for something else, like, your soups, sauces, etc. :o)

    You can make homemade banana chips, apple chips, etc. for healthier snacks to go into storage as well as your 72-hour kits. For long-term storage, just put into mylar bags with oxygen pack (after completely dehydrating), seal, date and identify contents then put them away.

    No, I do not work for any dehydrating company, just someone who likes variety, good food and loves that I can store 2 to 3 times more dehydrated food in the same space as 'regular' food. Example: Approx. 1 cup of corn kernels will dehydrate down to approximately 1/3 cup. How cool is that!

    I roast red peppers then dehydrate them - grab a handful and throw them into soups and sauces. Makes it that much better.

    Just a suggestion to go along with all the great info that you have, and all the great stuff that you have already done.

    Next time, for long-term storage - we'll get you canning! :o)

    -Christine-
  • Christine, we totally WANT to get into dehydrating and canning. I have done a little bit but I am by no means an expert. It is one of those "scary" things for beginners :) We are gradually getting around to it!
  • tekadog
    I have been getting into dehydration in the past few months and have had fun. A GREAT site to visit is dehydrate2store.com She has some wonderful video's and recipies. Check it out.
  • We'll have to get more tips from you! I've done a little bit of canning but I'm SOOO not an expert yet. And I haven't gotten into dehydrating at all yet.
  • Also... was reading the previous comments and saw that about 10 months ago (I think it was 10) that Admin replied and stated:

    "Another conclusion we have come up with is that an economic crisis (personal or national) is much more likely to occur then some major event that makes you loose power for weeks and months on end. So it would be a really big blessing to have your freezer, fridge and pantry stocked in case of job loss, or injury preventing you from work, or any of the other many things that could happen."

    While this is certainly true - as someone who went through Hurricane Andrew, I can honestly say... weeks and months without power are absolutely viable. So, you cannot always count on power. Which is why I also can and dehydrate. :o)

    -Christine-
  • Christine, we aren't in an area where severe natural disasters typically occur. So that is why we used to have trouble with that concept. We are really coming around and getting excited about preparing for natural disaster type situations now, especially after going through our seven day challenge.
  • carrol
    This site is awesome. I'm always on the hunt for more information on food storage. Thank you so much for making this website for people like me :0)!!
  • EricaD
    I was wondering if there is a way to add another column or two to the excel spreadsheet so that you could list the store where you found the lowest price and the dates the sale happened. That way you could combine your price book with your master shopping list making things a lot easier to stock up.
  • I believe the document is locked to prevent people from accidentally messing things up ;) If you know how to unlock it try that, otherwise shoot us an email at info@foodstoragemadeeasy.net and Julie our excel guru will help you out!
  • caryw
    Great site. You ladies have really done a great job. What program do you use to put the video/spreadsheet together? I do sales training and this was a great tool. Anyway thanks for your site.
  • We use a program called ScreenFlow for Macintosh computers. I think on PC you can use something called Camtasia. Hope that helps!
  • Lisa
    Ok, I am someone who needs to see things. Do you all have a more detailed version of your filled in 3 month supply on excel? I would love to see one all filled out in all of its glory! The little tiny sample on the download just isn't enough for me. Thank you so much for all of the things you share with everyone on here. It has helped me so much :-)
  • Lisa, We are actually going to be organizing a BIG sharing project around three month supply sheets. We want to have all our readers submit their samples so we can help each other get ideas, etc. We will be posting more about that soon. If you shoot us an email at info@foodstoragemadeeasy.net I can email you my sheet all filled out for now if you can't wait ;)
  • Mary
    My son had an awesome suggestion. Since we put our 72-hour kits together at the beginning of the summer he suggested that at the beginning of next summer we take a 3 day camping trip and use our 72-hour kits as our food supply. This way we're using what's in them before they expire and we also get a chance to practice how things may be in an emergency situation.
  • Excellent idea!
  • bmantel
    A method I use in trying to build my three month supply is that I keep a list of items I use during the week. Then when I go to the store, I buy double of what I used to replace it. For example, if I used two cans of green beans, I buy four. Using this method I am buying the foods that I use in recipes that my family eats. It's amazing how quickly the food supply begins to grow.
  • Cambrie
    So I read the comments about how ideally we should only include shelf-stable foods in our 3 month supply but including fridge/freezer foods makes it less intimidating and most likely there wont be a power outage anyway.

    So here is my question: I'm noticing that in many of your recipies you have foods that are not freezable (such as sour cream or cream cheese). So do you just have a 3 month supply of these foods in your fridge? How do you do that?! Also, don't you keep all of your bread mixes in the fridge? You must have a pretty full fridge?
  • Cambrie, I'm not sure which recipes of ours you are seeing that use sour cream and cream cheese. For three month supply we have chosen to only use items which are shelf stable or frozen foods. We also try to include things that could be substituted for frozen foods such as canned meats.

    As for bread mixes in the fridge ... we make our bread from scratch with fresh ground whole wheat and other shelf stable ingredients. So nothing needs to go in the fridge. I will admit though I am considering buying a separate FREEZER because I am finding so many great deals on foods I want to stock up on that need to be refrigerated or frozen.
  • what a great inventory tracker- the video helps a lot too! i've been working on this so great timing too! http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/babysteps/step-3...
  • Cindy
    Thank you so much. I try to create my own excell program for organization but I found yours. YOu saved me so much work and it seems easy. You did a great job.
  • Chris
    Just to add to others comments about storing non-food items. I agree that our use of a three month and one year food supply is more likely to come about due to economic crisis than major natural disaster. I have learned by watching several families near me lose jobs recently that food stamps and other programs will amply cover food needs for families, but may not be used for non-food items like toilet paper, cleaners, hygiene products, etc. These are the items that families in our area are needing church assistance for. In a time of crisis, I can tell you that I would love to have the comfort of using my preferred tampon brand, preferred toothbrush, and preferred deodorant. It is definitely something to keep in mind as we build our storage up.
  • Natalie
    Thank YOU!!
  • Natalie
    I just finished inputting all my ingredients onto my spread sheet but was wondering if there is a way to put in alphabetical order so I can find the ingredients easier?? Also, I thought I could put the ingredients in order....fresh fruits, dairy, meats, etc. Any tips??
  • Julie - Food Storage Made Easy
    Natalie
    Select all the rows that your ingredients are in (from the first one to the last one), then click data... then click sort. If it says something about expanding the selection, say YES... that will make sure the amounts you have filled out will go with it :)
  • Dochiny
    Thank you a million times over for creating this spreadsheet! I've had a general idea of the foods I'd need, but try as I may I could never get it together. I am a spreadsheet nerd and I've gotta say I love the way you set it up. I can now say I have my own master list for food I need! I am so stinkin' proud of myself for getting this done! Jodi, Julie, you two are the best. Thanks for sharing your talents and ideas with all of us.
  • heather
    ew-la-la! this is a great 3-month spreadsheet. i had to watch the video to understand how it all worked, but it's awesome that you put it together to share. I've been so baffled at how to realistically figure out my 3-month. I'm going to do this and see how it works for us. Thanks!!!! you gals are super.
  • Mary R
    Ladies,
    Excellent job ! I appreciate all the hard work you both have put into this web site. It makes it easier for everyone else. The new spread sheet is wonderful !! terrific !! I especially like the bold colors . It is much easier for my eyes to track back and forth. Thank you both .
  • Rebecca
    Thats so much for the information on Open Office!!! That was a big help and its FREE!!!!
  • Lainee
    Wow, this is awesome... just what I have been looking for! Thank you.
  • mom27kidz
    For everyone having trouble using the excel version because you don't have excel--I found a solution that is free!! There is free software avaliable on the internet called open office. It allows you to use almost any processing program out there without having to buy it. I just Googled open office. Some sites will want you to pay for it, so look for a site that has it for free. Hope that helps!
  • Addie
    Hey glad to see you got my earlier comment post on open office. Check out openoffice.org this propgram has worked GREAT for me. Everything seems to work just like your tutorial. Thanks again for your hard work!
  • Jodi
    You need to have excel or a program that will open excel files. We've heard that "open office" will open excel files. If you can't get it to work simply use the pdf version and write in your meals by hand. Hope that helps!
  • Rebecca
    3 Month Food Supply Excel Spreadsheet

    I can't seem to download the Excel Spreadsheet, do I have to have the program, Excel in order to download? Thanks
  • Lisa
    Thanks Jodi, that is what I was thinking, but I wasn't sure. I did watch the video and it was very helpful.
  • Jodi
    Lisa, For the size column you can either put 16 (for a 16 oz jar if that is what you normally buy) or 1 (for ONE jar and then make sure to list 16 oz jar of mayonnaise as the ingredient name so you remember the size). I tend to prefer the ounces right in the size column.

    Then when you input the amount for that meal you would do it as a fraction of that 16 oz jar. So half a cup is 4 oz so you would put in 1/4 or 0.25 for that amount. Then the spreadsheet will calculate how many "1/2 cups" you would need in 90 days and give you the number of 16 oz jars you'd need to buy to equal that amount.

    If you haven't watch the tutorial video yet, check it out. It really helps!
  • Lisa
    Question...I am a little confused on how to list some of the sizes for different ingredients. For example if a recipe calls for 1/2 cup of mayonnaise how would I list how much I need? Would I list it by cup size? I certainly don't need a whole jar of mayonnaise to make the recipe. What is the best way to list it?
  • Wow! Thank you! I always wanted to write in my site something like that. Can I take part of your post to my blog?
  • Angel
    I am not LDS but have been on a few yahoogroups and have LDS friends and what I am hearing is the LDS church itself is updating and expanding its storage ideas.
    They too realize that stating you must store a years worth of beans and wheat etc is a daunting task to most people and as stated, if folks feel overwhelmed alot will do nothing.

    I started with the 2 week plan and long term staples like buckets of wheat, beans, and cases of #10 cans from different places like Emergency Essentials and the LDS site.
    Slowly I added more and more as has been suggested to gain the 3 mo, then 6 mo. up to a year and beyond.

    Once you get your first 'layer' in it all becomes cheaper too because you can replinish on sale as suggested here. You save money.

    There is just nothing like filling your pantry and seeing all those cans and jars and boxes all lined up.

    I store they everyday stuff for months and years too.
    If you use it, most canned things last 2 years. Rotate it and there will be no problem.
    Tuna, corned beef, Spam are all things you can store for short and long term. I have tuna dated 2012.
    Spam I think lasts forever or at least 20 years lol.
    My kids LIKE it so I store it.

    So YES store more everyday foods beyond the 3 months. The key is to fill in your gaps along the way so you dont have a weeks worth of macaroni and cheese and 10 years worth of tuna.
  • Nike
    This program ROCKS and has been an absolute LIFESAVER! I have been working on food storage for the last three years, but knew that I had lots of gaps. Sure I have a room full of food and lots and lots of wheat, but I constantly felt like there was nothing to have for dinner. I had been looking for a way to round out my food storage and make it more "everyday" based instead of just "long term" based.

    Well, I downloaded Julie's amazing excel program at the beginning of November and immediately knew where my gaps were - yeah! I focused that month on making sure that I had a solid three month supply of our typical meals. I AM SO GLAD THAT I DID!

    The LAYOFF fairy hit our house the day before Thanksgiving with no severence package. We have been LIVING on our food storage since that time and guess what ... we're fine. Thanks to Julie's program, I knew exactly how to prepare for an emergency I never thought would come, and so soon.

    Being unemployed is no fun, but I can't tell you how much peace there is in preparation. Having a well stocked, well rounded pantry has meant stability and high moral at our house. It has meant that our kids aren't scared about what's going on because our meals snacks are still the same and Mom and Dad aren't worried about buying food vs. paying the mortgage.

    This program is so easy! Julie did all the hard work. All you have to do is drop in your menus, ingredients and BAM! - instant shopping and inventory. I am their number one fan ... someone who has already given this system a real life trial and thinks it's great.
  • Admin
    Tracy,

    We have pondered over and over again this VERY topic. We finally came up with a couple of conclusions.

    While storing ONLY items that are shelf stable, and require no power is probably ideal - it can be so intimidating and overwhelming that people just get stuck thinking they have to do THAT and don't do ANYTHING.

    Another conclusion we have come up with is that an economic crisis (personal or national) is much more likely to occur then some major event that makes you loose power for weeks and months on end. So it would be a really big blessing to have your freezer, fridge and pantry stocked in case of job loss, or injury preventing you from work, or any of the other many things that could happen.

    We're trying to make sure we have our long terms foods- grains, legumes, baking supplies in stock, and rotating them - but for the 3 month-supply we have found that doing the normal foods you normally eat is a MUCH more attainable goal and easier to start. Once you have that done, sure, explore the more shelf stable stuff, or canned meat, but it's better to start somewhere.

    More then anything we have learned that starting with small steps, you figure out what works for you and each next step becomes so much EASIER. We are so grateful for all we have learned.

    Good luck. We know exactly how you feel.
  • Tracy
    Trying to wrap my head around the new 3-month supply concept, and I have a question. In the FAQ section on providentliving.org, it says that this should consist of non-perishable foods with a stable shelf life. Does this mean things that will require nothing from our fridge, or does it include a well-stocked fridge and freezer as well? I like to have a good stock of meals in my freezer that just require heating or reheating.

    Now, I realize the if I were without power, that I'd lose that gold mine of frozen storage, so I shouldn't rely solely on that. But if I stocked up on only shelf stable things - like canned chicken, which I don't like as much as the stuff I cook, dice and freeze - I worry that I'd never use it before it went bad. What are your opinions on that?

    Thanks so much for taking the time to do this for me (and everyone else out there). It is really a blessing to have so many things explained so plainly, so that I, who am easily intimidated by things I've not tried before, can get a grasp on all of this. I hope you see many blessings for all you're sharing and the time you sacrifice.
  • jweiss08
    Personally - if you can manage more then 3 months, I don't see the problem. I think the reason 3 months is good is because it really is an attainable goal for everyone. We've noticed that the recommendation for how much you should store has gone down over the years and I think it's because people (like us) found huge goals too hard to tackle. Good call on buying extras when you get your non-food essential items. It feels much less of a burden if you are constantly buying bit by bit, little at a time.
  • Misty Sutton
    Ladies, I am really curious as to what your opinion is about storing normal food items beyond the 3 month supply. Luckily most of the recipes that I already use at our house a very basic, start from scratch recipes (as I have an almost non-existant grocery budget). I already use a lot of flour, rice, beans, and so forth. But what do you think about storing a year supply of other items, such as canned vegetables, sauce mixes, or soups. I know that it is best to try to grow your own garden and can your own items, but those mason jars get pretty expensive.
    Also, as far as the non-food essential items, I came up with an idea that's a little cheaper and doesn't put a huge burden on my already meager grocery budget. Each time I run out of a commonly used item, i.e. toothpaste, contact solution, bath tissue, I simply buy the double pack and put half of it away. It makes it cheaper per item, and I don't really notice as much that I'm doing it.
  • Wow, this is amazing! Thank you so much for putting this all together. I have been trying to figure out a simple and organized way to do my 3 month supply, and this is absolutely perfect. Exactly what I needed! Thank you!!
  • Sarah
    Please disregard comment about column D. I figured it out. :)

    I also had the same problem as Laura King, but I fooled around with Edit at the top of page. I can't remember what I did, but it worked.
  • Sara
    Column D will not allow me to type anything in. It says it is a protected cell. Any way around it?

    Thanks for a great program!!
  • pam romero
    I read a comment from Laura King and I have that same problem. I am only downloading it into Word. Let me ask a stupid question....do I have to have Excel to download this and use it? If I fill it all in and not download it, then it will disappear, right? So if I don't have Excel then am I out of luck?
  • Jodi
    Debbie, we totally agree with you about the non-food items. No toilet paper ... eek! In the bullet points above we DO address this briefly, but it's not included in the spreadsheet. People seem to really want it included so most likely in version 3.0 of the spreadsheet it will be added. We'll post when we do the upgrade. Thanks for pointing it out!
  • Debbie G
    Hi Ladies,

    This is such a great site. I am now working diligently to purchase my three month supply of normal foods. I want to interject a critical point that I have incorporated as I really felt the need to do this step for myself. I have begun the process of purchasing the basics of personal hygeine in this step (just a three months supply for now). I have three girls, a husband and myself, and I could not imagine being without tampons, wipes, toilet paper or shampoo, laundry supplies, etc. so, I have begun to purchase enough of one thing, each week that will last 3 months. Hope that helps. I have had to live off food storage before as my husband was out of work for several months. I was so glad that we had these items available to us.

    Thanks for the great website! :)
  • Billie
    HOLY SMOKES!! My husband and I stumbled across your site today while looking to find info about grinding wheat. I am seriously impressed! You all have done an AMAZING job! I am definitely inspired, and will most certainly pass your information along. Thanks so much for all of your hard work!
    Billie
  • Tara
    I just taught a class to bunch of the ladies in my church on how to use this spreadsheet, and it was a hit! They all loved it and thought that it was very helpful.

    Thanks for all of your hard work, this site has helped our entire congregation obtain our food storage easier.

    I am sending it to my mother in law, who is going to have a class at her church.
  • That is a fantastic tool. I can't wait to show my wife, as we've been working hard to get our 3 month supply up. I hope lots of people follow you on Twitter and join your facebook page.

    http://Twitter.com/ZoomJer
    http://tinyurl.com/JerryAulenbach

    -Jerry
  • Jodi
    Corby, it is definitely worth it! Julie has made great use of hers already. I am a bit behind because I am having conflicts about what recipes to use. Haha. Hopefully I will get caught up soon.

    Prepare B4 Emergency, I'm glad you found our site and hope that it helps you as you get started. We have found that by working on this site it keeps us motivated and accountable and helps us do a better job at working on our own food storage.
  • Corby
    Thanks for your spreadsheet! The video made a hgue difference in understanding how to use it! To set it up, it will take ALOT of time, but I can see in the end- it wilbe worth it! Thanks again!!
  • Prepare B4 Emergency
    Thanks for the information and the Excel Sheet! I can tell you have allocated a great deal of time to create your site. I just happened across your site and have not yet begun my food storage process. With all this information you have Greatly Simplified what would otherwise be an Overwhelming Experience! Thanks Again!
  • jweiss08
    and it made sense... good explanation :)
  • jweiss08
    Thanks John- I'm getting ready to upload a new one that allows for more ingredients and a couple other little details, I'll include these new formulas when I do it. I wasn't terribly worried about the DIV/O Errors cause they go away once people fill the sheet out, but it would look cleaner without them for sure.
  • John
    Great site with lots of useful information. I wanted to give you an updated formula for your spreadsheet that will reduce the DIV/0 errors in the cells with formula's.

    For the PLAN, use this formula: =IF(B4=0,0,B4/D4)
    For the INVENTORY AND SALE SHEET, use this: =IF(D2=0,0,D2/E2)

    The IF statement says if a cell equals zero, then put zero, otherwise run the calculation. Hope that makes sense.
  • Tara
    Thanks, it worked. This website is great, thanks for putting it together.
  • jweiss08
    When you hit the drop down box, scroll up in the little box. If you don't have that many ingredients, then it seems blank because it's showing you the lower half of the list (and if there aren't a lot of ingredients it's blank) .
  • Tara
    When I try to use the drop down menu it has no options. I put the ingredients in column A, but when I go to C62, it has no options in the drop down box. Is there something that I am forgetting to do?
  • Jodi
    Laura, what version of excel are you using? We've had other people download it just fine so I'm thinking it must be a problem on your end somehow.
  • Laura King
    When I try to download the 3 month plan worksheet, it says that it is read only, and by the time i get it, I had 155 errors. What do I need to do.

    Thank You
    Laura M.King
  • jweiss08
    The water containers were $6.88 each at Walmart. We looked around at a bunch of stores and these seemed very reasonable. I considered doing the pop bottles, or juice bottles idea, but figured I don't normally buy that stuff anyways, so I may as well get these. If you buy juice or pop, they are good bottles to store in also.
  • Can't wait to try some of your methods out. I also use the milk jug for our 72- hour kits. I'm trying your method I want to see how yours compares to price and weight of mine. Also, do you have a price on how much the water containers are from Walmart? Good luck on your adventure and I'm excited to follow your game plan.
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