Recovering from two hurricanes and facing the possibility of more named storms before this year's season is over makes many Floridians evaluate the contents of their fridge and freezer with a new perspective. I found myself wondering how long things like jelly and condiments can go without refrigeration after losing power for four days. Ultimately I turned to Google and used some common sense but it hurt to throw away hundreds of dollars worth of food knowing I would have to replace all of it. I also came up with a plan to decide on exactly which items I would need to add to my weekly grocery pickup order in order to prepare our upcoming meals. There's nothing worse than being halfway through a recipe only to discover that you don't have eggs or butter or some other staple you would normally have on hand.
If you have an iPhone, I highly recommend using the Reminders app to quickly create a grocery list with checkable bullets beside each item. You can do this using nothing more than your voice. Using the Reminders app allows you to use the "Hey Siri" feature to tell your phone to add an item to your grocery list. For example, as I emptied the contents of my refrigerator into a large garbage bag last week, I was able to say "Hey Siri, add worcestershire sauce to my grocery list" in an effort to keep up with items I knew would need to be replaced. I’m pretty sure I mispronounced worcestershire sauce but Siri was a champ and added it to my list, nonetheless. This hands free method worked really well for knowing what I would need to restock my fridge and freezer. Here are some more tips for restocking after a storm:
Make a list. Most of you know that this frugal teacher loves a list. It's something I'm kind of known for. Whether you make a list on your phone like I recommended with the Reminders app or choose to create a handwritten list, knowing exactly what you've thrown out makes it a lot easier when it comes time to restock. Be selective with what you put on your list. Just because you had to throw it out doesn't mean you absolutely need to buy that item again (like my microwavable bottle of Smuckers hot fudge topping). Look over your list with a critical eye and decide which items are used the most often to narrow down what you have to buy in the short term and which items can wait.
Don't feel like you have to buy everything you lost right away. It's okay to restock your fridge and freezer with just the items you'll need for the next week or two. This is Florida, afterall, so there could be another storm that hits our area before hurricane season ends on November 30th. Add items to your grocery cart or pickup order a little at a time so you can restock gradually without going over budget (you do have a weekly grocery budget, right?). Remember - there are sales cycles with grocery stores that follow a pattern. Certain items are set to go on sale during certain weeks and this is decided months in advance. Watch your sales flyers and catch items you need to restock when they go on sale. If you miss a sale, they typically repeat in 6-8 weeks. If you want to read more on sales cycles, see my article on stocking your pantry, as the same info holds true for perishable items.
Apply for assistance if you need it. It's worth filing a claim at disasterassistance.gov if you need financial assistance after a storm, including if you need help with food and other essentials. Some people will qualify for FEMA's $750 emergency aid to help with things like food, water, baby formula, and medications. The process and amount of aid is still being decided but filing a claim is the first step, and it's worth taking the time to do so. The worst that can happen is that you're denied financial assistance, but many people I know have already received a $750 direct deposit.
I hope this info is helpful and that all of my readers fared well through back-to-back hurricanes.
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