Every couponer’s dream is to have a Stockpile of food, household essentials, and non-perishables stored safely in their home. And if you go a step further by canning, freeze drying, and jarring your own foods, it is vital that you have a safe place to keep everything. At first, your stockpile might only take up a couple of shelves in the hallway closet, but as it grows you have to think of long-term storage solutions. Here are some smart tips for safeguarding the stockpile of goods you have painstakingly put together.

Find a Cool Dry Space in Your Home

If you look around carefully, it is likely that you can find some extra space to store your stockpile. However, not all places you can find extra space may be suitable for storing things on a permanent basis. For instance, if you have a sunny extra bedroom you definitely don’t want to keep your cache of jarred and canned foods in there. The sun can make foods expire prematurely. Likewise, attics, sunrooms, and any area that can’t be kept cool and dark is not the best choice for keeping a stockpile.

Choose a Spot with Plenty of Room for Expansion

For those with impressive stockpiles, having a separate building seems to work best. Whether it be a garage, a shed, or even a specially constructed structure, you have to consider the fact that you are trying to keep and use your assortment of preserved foods for years to come. Steel buildings have traditionally been used by disaster preppers, couponers, and others who need space to store large collections of items. Durable, weather-proof, and inexpensive, steel buildings are as secure on the outside as they are cozy on the inside. Buying and assembling steel building kits will enable you to grow your stockpile without concern of running out of space.

Check on Your Stockpile from Time to Time

Even after you find an area where you can keep all of your canned goods and extra everyday essentials stored safely, you can’t just leave them there. Dedicated preppers and couponers regularly check on their stockpiles, looking at Expiration Dates, organizing, and sorting their items. If you can’t use any foods before they expire you can donate them to a nearby shelter or even host a dinner party and feed the entire neighborhood. Sometimes you will want to give away things as you find less of a need for them in your own life, like when your baby grows to be a toddler and you no longer need to have 25 extra containers of baby wipes for a rainy day.

Couponing, saving money, and preparing for the future by purchasing in bulk is a good idea, provided that you have the space as well as a good plan. Absolutely nothing lasts forever, not even MREs. Keep expiration dates in mind and take a look at your stockpile every once in a while. The more space that you keep freed up, the more opportunities to grow your collection you will find. You never know when you are going to need to dip into your stockpile, so keep everything neat and easily accessible.

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