What should you do with that good-sized tax refund you get every year? You can blow it on meaningless toys or a trip somewhere. You can save it for a rainy day. However, those things won’t keep you alive though when a financial crisis or job loss happens. 

You need to invest your refund into your preps, mainly food storage. 

My tax refund is a welcome gift every year. I don’t ask for a refund and make sure I pay just enough taxes to not pay in. However, with the child tax credit and earned income credit, I get back a goodly sum every year. The first thing I do is to pay off any outstanding debts I may have. 

The next thing  I do with my tax refund is to do a major food stock-up. I place orders online for pantry staples and freeze-dried food. I go to Aldi’s and do a major trip(s) because I can buy food there by the flat. I also really take advantage of the loss leaders at my local grocery stores for some great deals. 

I do not try to go broke when doing this stocking up. That is foolish. I shop the deals, use coupons for things I will actually buy, use store cards and coupons, and use online or phone apps like Ibotta and SavingStar. Just because you feel temporarily rich doesn’t mean you should just throw your money away. Saving money and possibly earning money back is still important. 

You do not have to do this stocking up on one trip or one day. Take your time, plan according to your needs, and shop wisely. You also do not want to attract a lot of unwanted attention by leaving the store with 3-4 fully loaded carts. Then your friends and neighbors will be banging on your door for food when they get desperate!

What should you buy when you are stocking up? Walk into your pantry and look at what you have. Think about what you normally buy. Don’t buy a lot of applesauce if your family doesn’t like it. Buy what you use now, just in much greater quantity. 

If starting or building food storage causes you to panic, I have some great tips in these articles:

Top 10 Items You Need For Your Food Storage

Nourishing Foods For Your Food Storage

What Meats Will Meet Your Needs?

Could You Please Pass The Legumes?

What Place Do Grains Have In Your Food Storage?

What Do You Plan To Put On Your Food?

Spicing Up Your Food Storage and Pantry

How much food should you buy to store? I would start with one month of food and work your way up to a year or longer. You don’t know when a crisis could happen and you will be unable to get groceries. Having enough food on hand to get through these times is crucial. 

Do yourself and your family a favor: invest your refund into your food storage.

Thanks for reading,
Erica

Sharing is caring!