It has always been my practice to build up my food storage (even in hard times) by buying a couple extra things each time I go to the store. When your grocery list calls for 2 cans of green beans, buy 3-4 instead. This gives you the amount needed for the current week, plus a little extra to go towards food storage. The added cost is pretty minimal and usually isn't even noticed at the time of checking out.
When you're buying $100 or so of groceries $5 worth of extra canned food doesn't take a very big hit on the wallet.
Also- keep in mind that most sales at the grocery stores are on a 12 week cycle. That means the good sales on specific items will only come around every 12 weeks. So if it's a good enough sale and you have the funds- stock up enough for 12 weeks to get you by until the next sale.
Walmart had Kraft Macaroni and Cheese on sale for 50 cents a box a while back- boy did I stock up! I think I bought 2 cases of 24. (it's original price is 75 cents or more a box) so that's like getting it at 30% off) But then taking for granted that their sale lasted a month or two it threw off my 12 week supply! We ran out a good month or so before their sale came back. They are currently doing the sale again and this time I plan to keep buying some here and there until the sale is over and we should be good for 3 months.
The savings rundown of buying Kraft Mac & Cheese while on sale is: 4 boxes a week (based on Summer when kids are home), 16 boxes a month, 48 boxes for 3 months. If purchased at regular price that would cost: $36, sale cost: $24- so that's a savings of $12, which I can then use the savings to put towards other items for food storage :)
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