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Household Reserve

Guide index

Guides

Start with a plan, then shop, store, and rotate. Every guide is sourced and dated; the calculator is the fastest way in.

Ten pages, four jobs: plan, cost, store, and rotate. If you are new, read the 3-month plan first.

Start here

The quickest path from “how much” to a printable plan.

ToolFood storage calculatorSize the dry staples, category split, water, and budget for your household.Plan3-month food supplyWhat to buy, how much, and the 13-week purchase pace.PrintableEmergency food checklist3-day, 2-week, and 3-month quantities you can print and check off.

Plan and cost

The numbers behind the plan, and what the food actually costs.

DataHousehold Reserve Cost IndexMonthly USDA Thrifty Food Plan cost for 2-, 4-, and 6-person households, with CSV.ShopNon-perishable food listThe category list, buying order, quantities, and what not to buy.WaterEmergency water storageHow much water, food-safe containers, rotation, and treatment.

Store and rotate

A reserve is a shelf you can read, not a closet you forget.

Shelf lifeLong-term food storageShelf life for canned goods, rice, flour, oats, beans, honey, and oil; containers and rotation.SystemPantry inventoryA printable inventory and the 10-minute monthly FIFO check.SafetyFood for a power outageFridge and freezer times, the keep/discard table, and no-cook meals.

Method

Where the rates come from, what is excluded, and how to correct us.

MethodHow we estimateThe four planning rates, the category ratio, sources, exclusions, and corrections.

Keep it current

The cost index updates monthly; the guides are reviewed when a source changes or a page is materially edited. Every page carries a checked date.

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