Unfortunately, when SHTF we probably won't have access to our local grocery stores or convenience stores because they will either be closed or the items we need will be out of stock because everyone and their mother will be on the hunt for the same things: Food and water. So rather than rely on these stores to help us, it's much safer to prepare ahead of time without factoring in their assistance.

Here's how you get started:

Store What You Eat
The most important part of an in-home storage plan is knowing what you eat now and buying what you’ll most likely eat in the future. Having a store full of items you don’t use or need makes your in-home convenience store somewhat of an inconvenience store! It’s truly wasted time, money, and effort if the food stored does not appeal to the family’s taste.

This is an excellent time to review carefully your eating habits—becoming even more aware of the “good” foods your family eats as well as the snacks, treats, drinks, and other “junk” foods to which they’ve become attached.

You manage your in-home pantry in a similar fashion to the local grocery store—as items are stocked, place them behind the goods already on the shelf. As you acquire items for your in-home convenience store, date them so you’ll know which was purchased first. Items with shorter shelf life may be noted and dated “Use by: _______” to assure utilization within their useful shelf life period. Restock as items are used.

Purchase the “Essentials” First
Use the Shopping List as a guide to the most useful purchases for your storage supply. If the only items acquired for in-home storage were the essentials, you would have a life- and health-sustaining diet.

• The advantages of employing the Shopping List are that the lists:
• provide you with a ready-made plan until you gain experience to design your own
• allow you to acquire storage items in an orderly and systematic manner—one at a time—and consistent with your income
• facilitate storing supplies from all categories—insuring greater self-sufficiency
• permit flexibility—can be modified to meet your personal needs
  

Determine Manageable Time Units
If you’re oriented to a week-at-a-time schedule, then plan to store 52 one-week quantities. If you organized on a monthly basis, then plan for 12 one-month quantities—or as we call it in today’s parlance—installments.

Chart Your Progress
There are no deadlines other than those you establish for yourself, and they are only in relationship to your own circumstances. Any progress you make is success––defined as progressive realization of a worthy goal! Put a chart on your wall for your family to see the progress being made.

Look at it this way….. you carefully pack out your camping equipment and bug out bags according to your unique specifications to ensure you have everything you need. In SHTF scenarios in the wild, you have access to game and fish. But if something occurs while you are at home, you are going to wish that you had taken the time to properly build out your pantry and refrigerator. We appreciate all the useful tips from Survival Life above. To view this information and more you read the entire article here.