There are plenty of great emergency foods and supplies you can buy online, but if you want to stock up without spending more money than necessary, your best bet is to get a membership to Sam’s Club (or Costco). It costs about $50 a year, but you’ll save so much money buying things in bulk that it’s more than worth it.
Sam’s Club doesn’t have everything in bulk, though, but they have enough to cover all your basic meals and needs. In this video, Reality Survival lists 25 items you can get at Sam’s Club.
He counts down from 25, so that’s where we’ll start…
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- Bread flour
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- White vinegar
- Vegetable oil
- Dog food
- Contractor bags
- Toilet paper
- Coffee
- Oatmeal
- Pancake mix
- Pancake syrup
- Tea bags
- Dried beans (he counted 13 twice)
- White rice
- Honey
- Peanut butter
- Jelly
- Canned tuna
- Peanut butter powder
- Canned chicken
- Pasta
- Pasta sauce
- Canned soup
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Canned goods
Bonus items:
- Soy sauce
- Seasonings
- Baking soda
My husband and I buy a lot more than just these items at Sam’s Club. We also get soda, diapers, dish soap, trash bags, paper plates, plastic utensils, and several other things. Everyone has their own shopping list. The point isn’t to get this exact list; the point is that if you’re not shopping at bulk stores like Costco and Sam’s Club, you’re missing out. (Although I would skip their delis, bakeries, and produce sections.)
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Watch the video below to see him walk around Sam’s Club and comment on these items. He spent about $350 for everything on his list, but at a regular grocery store, these things would have cost several hundred more, so the membership is definitely worth it.
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i buy canned goods and soup at aldi’s cheaper than at sams club.
Aldi’s might be good for certain items but if I’m not mistaken, they don’t carry name brands and overall have limited offerings, which is why they are cheaper. Save A Lot has the best selection of off brand canned vegetables for the cheapest price I’ve found.
FYI, Both flours and pancake mix have relatively short shelf lives. I think Mac n cheese does too. Just remind yourself to rotate to keep it g=fresh.
I would think that all great preppers would shop around and compare prices before they actually do the shopping. The real shopper is the one who also compares the internet pricing. This is a process of saving money and buying only the items that are needed. We also have a large storage area with items that we canned ourselves. (yummie). Don’t forget that a generator could be a god-send and that mobility is very important such as a vehicle that is serviced and fueled.
I found that’s cheaper to make your own mixes (pancakes, seasonings, soups). Buying a freezer drier might seem expensive but if family members buy it together it’d pay for itself.
Thank you for your good advice.
A Food dryer and if possible a dry freezer are great investments, especially now that we still have electricity.
Good idea don’t have 50 dollars just sitting around here will hopefully be able to stay were i am and then i hopefully can do this
I keep cash and especially Rolls of Quarters. So many things you could get from vending if the power is still on. Also keep you from having to pay $1 for something that’s cheaper.
Other important items could be instant potatoes, dry milk powder, evaporated milk, sardines, beef jerky, dried fruit, popcorn, cocoa powder, vanilla, wet wipes, soap, bottled water and candy.
Don’t forget the most important item…. toilet paper.
I traveled most of my adult life staying in hotels and using their toilet paper. I was stunned when I retired to find out wife and 2 small kids were using 2 large rolls (245 sheets per roll) each day. So 60 rolls per month. Anyway, it adds up and I have 400 rolls in storage now. It really uses a lot of space and you have to have it sealed because the mice love it. In a real SHTF world you should consider alternatives. In the Army we used leaves, corn leaves, banana leaves, etc. Know your leaves and don’t use poison ivy, oak, or sumac.
Corn starch, beef and chicken bouillon cubes, bisquick,
Another good investment and that it’d pay by itself is a food dryer. Buy in bulk and dry your own fruits and veggies. Then you can mason jar your own JAW meals.
I make my own “nutella” and save it in a vacuum sealed mason jar.
I shop at both and buy the large bags of potatoes, apples, pears, etc. to slice and dehydrate. That will leave a few for us to eat. Also here In North Alabama we will be picking those big beautiful strawberries in a couple of weeks out in the field. Nothing better than picking your own.
We have 3 Major supermarkets in my area and Aldi’s. I used to shop at Sam’s/Bj’s but have found that I can do just as well or better at the supermarket and not take a $350 hit to my checking account. The only thing I saw on your video that I could not beat by using seasonal sale promotions and loss leaders was the Rice. That was a wonderful price for 50 pounds of rice. ($15 if folks missed it) I might have to get a friend who has a BJ’s membership to pick me up 100 pounds.
Another factor that keeps me from buying such large quantities is the spoilage factor after you open that 3000 ounce bottle of oil. Will I be able to use it up (when rotating stock) before it spoils? A family might, but the 2 of us won’t, so I like to buy that type of thing in smaller containers so I don’t lose them to spoilage when I do open the oldest one. (remember you are using the OLDEST one each time, so the time til it goes bad is shorter than if you opened one fresh from the store with 2 years left to it’s expiration date) (And no, I don’t think the dates on the package are magic, just an indication of how much time you have to use it up….your nose will tell you the truth)
Great technique is FIFO or First In First Out with everything that has a spoilage or use by date. That includes anything you make at home and store. Even gas, other fuels, batteries, etc.. Set up shelves with items segregated and rotate appropriately.
Reading this list of foods made me think of something I read on another blog. In the process of “prepping” one must stop and think about the possibility of not having the utilities for cooking. If that becomes a reality a fireplace, barbeque, or propane stove would come in very handy. On the other hand, what if propane runs out?? What if a person DOES NOT own a “bug out” spot in the middle of nowhere? Or what if a person lives in or near a metro area where utilities are going to be questionable at best? Then what? May I suggest at least some survival foods in individual packages or in #10 cans. Some can be found at Wally World and “cup a noodle” meals can be found almost everywhere very cheap. My point here IS NOT to find fault with any suggestion or list. Rather, my point if to suggest we think OUTSIDE the box “just in çase”.
I have a plus membership at Sam’s Club that has additional discounts and a rebate program which more than pays for the membership renewal each year. I use whatever of the rebate that is left after renewal for a little extra stockpiling.
Or a designated wash cloth u can wash and reuse if not to grossed out in a servival mode or emergency no need to stock all that toiley
Sterno gel fuel cans. Used to cook and heat when other sources aren’t available. They have large packages of them in the catering section of store.