August 2008

Emergency Preparedness Series:
Stocking Up the Right Way

When stocking up for an emergency buy supplies that will save you space, time and money. Here are some tips the pros use in stocking an emergency supply room:

Space saver ideas

• Instead of buying cans of soda or bottles of juice, buy powered mixes or concentrated syrup.
• Choose snacks like popcorn or flavored crackers over bags of chips because they stack better and take up less space.
• Select dried or dehydrated fruits like raisins or plums instead of canned fruits.
• Buy concentrated laundry and dish detergents at a restaurant or janitorial supply store.
• Store staple items like flour, sugar and beans in large stackable containers to conserve space.
• Baby wipes can act as toilet paper, paper towels or napkins and they take up less space than traditional paper products.
• In an emergency, paper plates and plastic utensils are the way to go! If possible, buy them or place them in a box so you can stack them to maximize space.

Starting your home inventory
If you want to keep 1-2 years of emergency supplies on hand, you’ll have to operate your storage room the same way a small business owner maintains his or her stock room.

First, create an inventory list. If you’re not quite sure where to start, use these two convenient forms created by
Brigham Young University:

You can also use Microsoft Excel to create your own worksheet. Make single columns for the inventory items, recommended quantities, quantity on hand and purchase quantity. Find reliable vendors that sell the items you need on your list and then fill your inventory gradually.

Find a convenient cool dry place to store your stock items. Group like items together and feel free to use labels for each individual item or category. Separate non-food items from food items. Make sure that storage items aren’t placed directly on the floor in the event of flooding. Go square and avoid items with odd shaped packaging or place them in boxes.

Once you fill your storage area with all the necessary supplies, take inventory every three months and restock as needed. Place newer items in the back and pull the older items towards the front.