When the "Bug" Hit

So I always had heard about the importance of food storage and gathering it slowly. Learning to use it. It was something I heard about in different Relief Society meetings and in Sacrament meetings on occasion. I remember my Mom had some random cans of wheat in the garage growing up. I also had a friend who had always talked about it to me. But I had always joked that I would be heading to her house if the worst ever hit. Then in late 2007, the urge to start working on it hit me. And I listened to that prompting. I didn't know what I was doing, or where to start. I just started gathering up pasta at first. My husband and I began to really want food storage, but we literally didn't have two dimes to rub together, we were barely able to afford the weekly groceries. I had always been mindful of bargain shopping and was the one my friends would come to for advice about good deals, but even with all the money we saved there, it still didn't leave money for food storage.
So, we debated and debated what to do. We were able to take some money from the tax returns in 2008 & 2009 to buy some. And I am a big believer in donating to the local charities & thrift stores. We always have a box of things to take to Goodwill or DI sitting around. But, we really de-junked and then had two separate yard sales. With just that money we were able to raise $300 for food storage!
And for holidays and even birthdays we started to get food storage too for each other. It may seem corny to some, but it was something we really were excited for & we felt like it was more important than any other physical/material item we could get for each other.
For my husband's birthday we got 200 lbs. of flour, 100 lbs. of sugar, 50 lbs. of black beans, 6 lbs. of baking soda and 2 gallons of oil (I looked it up on a family blog post, ha ha ha).
The church advises you to slowly build your one week, then your two week, then your month supply & so on. But that idea doesn't work as well for me. It's hard to have my mind in so many different directions, so I focus on one thing at a time. This month we finally purchased the last of our oats. It's something where you have to go with what works best for you.
Where are we now with food storage? Well, we're about 50% with the long term stuff. Most of the bigger purchases are done, now we're onto the smaller priced things, like oil & vinegar, etc. I have been bargain shopping & couponing my life away trying to get a 90 day supply together. Money's even tighter now then it was when we started, so it's been hard and slow. But, I know with the effort & sincere desire, the Lord will bless us to finish it this year.
It's just hard when you want it ... to have wait and slowly do it rather than getting it all at once.