Stockpiling, Emergency Preparedness, and Food Security

Wondering why you are seeing this post on a couponing site?  View my posts here and here to find out why I believe these issues are important.

Stockpiling-- Here are the weekly “best buys” I found for adding to your stockpile.  Some of the stores are regional.  If you do not have a store listed in your area, or if you do not eat the items mentioned, then consider taking $1-$5 from your weekly grocery budget to use for building your stockpile. 

If you find some deals I missed, please post in the comments section. The scenarios are from the websites I’ve linked for the sales and match-ups.

Kroger Atlanta/Knoxville area--

• Cattleman’s or Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce, 18 oz, $1 ea
  -.50/1 Cattleman’s BBQ Sauce printable (makes it FREE)
• Starkist Tuna Pouches $1 ea
  -.50/1 Starkist Pouch product printable (sign up for sweepstakes) (makes it FREE)
• Bounty Paper Towels, Single Roll, $1 ea
  -$1/2 Bounty PG 8/02
  -.25/1 Bounty Towels Or Napkins PG 8/30
  -.25/1 Bounty PG eCoupon

Ingles--

• Cascadian Farm Vegetables or Potatoes 8-16 oz $2 ea
  Cascadian Farm organic Fruit Spread 10 oz $2.50 ea
  -$1 off Cascadian Farms product printable
  -$1 off Cascadian Farms product printable (IE) or printable (FF)

Walgreens--

• Chex Mix 99¢
  -$1/2 Chex Mix, SS 8/09, 8/02
  -.50/1 Chex Mix, printable or here or here
• Wrigley’s Extra Gum 3-pack B1G1 at $2.69
  -$1 off Wrigley’s Extra Gum 3-pack, SS 7/12
• Reese’s Candy 2/$2, Earn a $1 RR when you buy one
  Use $0.55/1 coupon from 8/23 SS insert
  FREE plus $0.10 in overage after coupons and register reward

CVS--

• Buy $10 in Dove Chocolate, Earn $5 ECBs Limit 1
  Use $1/1 coupon from 08/16 RP insert

Deal Idea
$10.50 when you buy three Silky Smooth Bags $3.50/each
-$3 when you use three $1/1 coupons from 8/16 insert
Pay $7.50 out of pocket and get $5 ECBs back

Target--

Get a $5 Target Gift Card when you buy 5 selected Fiber One Products: includes cereal and granola bars for $2.50 each and the Fiber Ones toaster pastries were $1.79

Best deal
$12.50 when you buy five boxes of Fiber One Cereal
-$2 when you use two $1/2 coupons from 8/2 SS insert or printables here or here
-$5 when you use five $1/1 GM cereal Target printable coupon
=Pay $5.50 out of pocket and get $5 Target GC back. That’s only 50 cents for five boxes

Another scenario:
$8.95 when you buy five boxes of Fiber One Toaster Pastries
-$2.50 when you use five $0.50/1 coupons from 8/2 SS insert
=Pay $6.45 out of pocket and get $% Target GC back

If you are interested in the granola bars, then you can use the coupons in the 8/2 inserts or this $0.40/1 printable coupon.

Three Rivers Market/Co-op Advantage Stores-- 

• Organic Rolled Oats--89cts/lb—FANTASTIC PRICE
• Organic Thompson Raisins--$2.49/lb—GOOD PRICE
• San-J Tamari Soy Sauce $1.99, 10 oz--Pg 155 September Weight Watchers Magazine 55ct/1
• Traditional Medicinals Organic Teas $2.99--Go here for $2 coupon, $1/1 Co-op Advantage Coupon Booklet
• Country Choice Organic Sandwich Cremes $2.79, Go here for $1/1 coupon , 50ct/1 Co-op Advantage Coupon Booklet
• Thai Kitchen Instant Rice Noodle Soup 3/$2, Go here to sign up for the newsletter—says it will send coupons , 50ct/1 Co-op Advantage Coupon Booklet

Earth Fare--Sales Valid September 2-8, 2009

• Organic Pink Lady Apples--$1.27/lb

 

Emergency Preparedness—A friend forwarded me information they had received from the state of Tennessee about National Preparedness Month.  Here is the note from the Tennessee Department of Safety Commissioner:

Today marks the kickoff of National Preparedness Month, a time set aside each year to promote emergency preparedness.  I encourage all you to take the simple, yet necessary, steps to make sure you and your loved ones are ready for an emergency. 
Being ready for an emergency goes beyond making sure the batteries in your smoke detector work or that you have extra food in your pantry.  Emergency preparedness includes assembling an emergency supply kit, making a family emergency plan, staying informed, and getting involved in your community preparedness efforts.
Tennessee's Office of Homeland Security is taking the necessary steps to prepare our state for any emergency, and I urge you to take this month to do the same at home. Check out the two attached brochures which provide details on creating an emergency kit and plan.  Also visit www.tn.gov/homelandsecurity each day during National Preparedness Month for a tip on how to enhance your own emergency preparedness and to explore ways that you can get involved in your community.  For additional help on getting your family prepared, call 1-800-BE-READY or visit www.ready.gov.
Remember, emergencies can happen at anytime, anywhere to anyone.  Take the time this month to get your family READY!

Among the many ideas listed on a pdf also sent out were steps to make sure you know what to do if an emergency occurs while your child is in school.  Since our daughter has just now started preschool, this is something that I had not given much thought to yet.  I plan to talk with the school principal to learn more about their emergency plans.  Below are some questions to ask your child’s school or daycare.

Schools and Daycare
If you are a parent or guardian of an elderly or disabled adult, make sure schools and daycare providers have emergency response plans.
• Ask how they will communicate with families during a crisis.
• Ask if they store adequate food, water and other basic supplies.
• Find out if they are prepared to “shelter-in-place” if need be, and where they plan to go if they must get away

Food Security—In the East TN area, gardeners are now beginning to prepare for planting fall crops.  This weekend, I planted turnip greens and beets in one small bed.  This weekend will mark the first of another two months of planting that I have planned for the gardens at our home.  I’ll plant succession crops of lettuces, kale, spinach, and more turnip greens.  I’ll plant some peas, though most often we are not able to get many peas from the plants before our hard frost.  Instead, I’ll use the peas for pea shoots to add to salads and stir fries.  Then in October I’ll begin planting bulbs, daylilies, raspberries, and possibly some nut trees in the front yard. 

Whenever possible I try to add plants to the garden that are either edible or medicinal as well as beautiful.  The blueberries we planted last fall have year round interest, and they will grow to add a nice hedge between our property and our neighbors.  We look forward to having so many berries that the kids in the neighborhood will be able to enjoy them as they walk to and from the bus stop. 

How can you use this for your home garden?  Plant a few greens this fall (lettuces, spinach, kale, Southern greens, etc).  They are easy to grow, take up very little space, and require little maintenance.  They can even be planted in pots as long as you monitor the water they receive.  When you are picking perennials to add to your landscape, consider edible plants or herbs  instead of strictly ornamental varieties.  Not sure which ones to add, contact your local agricultural extension agency to ask about what plants they recommend for your zone.