When thinking of being prepared food is always a fun topic. Being prepared for a couple of months is no more than keeping more of what you already have on hand.

For many members this is a good idea and is not difficult to achieve. Having a bunch of stuff that nobody in the household will eat is no fun. So look at your canned goods. What is it you use, what could you expand on?

Couple of thoughts about canned goods. Always check the dates when you buy. I have seen the same item on the shelf with a 10 month difference in expiration dates. Always rotate your stock. When I buy canned goods they first go to the downstairs pantry. As the small pantry in the kitchen needs stocked I pull from the front of the stock and then replenish downstairs. I also use a sharpie to date the cans on the label to see the date at a glance. Do not forget about keeping some canned meats on hand as well. A few canned hams and some chicken and beef will help allot.

Speaking of expiration dates. Canned goods will last many moons past the date. 30 years ago there were no dates on most canned goods. As long as they are stored correctly there is no need to just pitch something because the date has passed. I will try and find a chart that I used to have from the various manufactures stating how long after the expiration date THEY recommend.

Dry goods. Always a good idea to have a good stock of pasta and rice on hand. Having some instant potatoes is also good but you have to use it and rotate it out. Rice transferred to a more suitable container is good for a couple of years. Long term storage is another topic for another day. Those pouches of instant potatoes are kind of nice as well.
Gravy's and sauces. I keep both in bulk on hand. Couple them with some of the items above and easy one-dish meals. A bag of salt, a bag of sugar and spices. I keep lot's of spices on hand.

MRE's. Having lived off of them for up to 7 months at a time I have a love/hate relationship. Yes they are long term. Many around here have them as I do but they are a little pricey but they can be stretched and added to to make a meal. Having a few on hand is never a bad thing and I also use them in the car/truck kits we keep.

Perishables. I keep powdered milk on hand. This might be one item that buying a #10 can of from a vendor might be a good thing along with some butter powder unless you use it all the time. Eggs. The Ova-easy powdered eggs are nice to have a can on hand as well. All the above you can get from the links above. bread. You do bake right? If not learn. keeping 25 lbs of flour on hand is cheap. 25lbs will make 30 loaves of bread. Keeping a jar of yeast in the freezer is cheap as well and each 4oz jar is good for 16 loaves.

Everything I have touched on is aimed at getting one started for being prepared for the short term. going a month or two without supplies can be cheap and easy and everyone has to start somewhere.

Enjoy.