Stock Your Pantry for an Emergency

Woolworths Milk Standard Uht Milk - $2.49 x 3

Essentials canned fruit range - $1.70 x 3

Shopping Total = $12.57
(grab an extra item if you can afford it and still sneak into the budget!)

Woolworths Quick Oats - $2.99 x 1

Woolworths Burrito Tortillas (15 pack) - $5.10 x2

Shopping Total = $13.19

We’ve used heaps of tortillas for this plan - they (and the oats) don’t last as long on the shelf as some other carbs (like rice or pasta) but in a pinch they don’t need to be cooked to eat, and we reckon you can rotate them regularly (just make sure you always replace a bag when you eat it!).

Essentials Tuna Chunks in Springwater (425g) - $5.89 x 1

Watties Beanz (Taco Flavour) - $2.39 x 2

Woolworths Tomato Soup - $2.25 x 2

Shopping Total = $15.17 - Just over budget - You’ll have to forgive us!

Pro tip: Tuna in oil is $1 cheaper and has more calories! Or looking for a vege option? Add a few more cans of beans instead.

Want to make things a bit cheaper? If you usually have spices and tomato paste/canned tomatoes in the cupboard you could substitute the flavoured beans for plain beans for $1.18 a can but these ones are so easy.

Fantastic 2 minute Noodles Multipack $4.00

Essentials Peas Dehydrated $2.20

Essentials Peanut Butter $2.39

Woolworths Essentials Baked Beans $1.10 x 2

Shopping total: $10.79

Way under budget! If you want to, take the opportunity to stock up on a item you know your whānau will make use of, or upgrade to a nicer brand if it’s in your regular rotation (Indome Noodles, or Watties Baked Beans etc).

Dehydrated peas here might seem a bit odd, but they’re a great source of protein! Shelf stable, and much nicer than mushy, canned ones! Super versatile, if you want to use them in your rotation shopping, you can just chuck them in any stews or soups!

We’re also putting peanut butter on the list, as it’s a crowd favourite, so easy to have an extra jar on hand all the time, and it’s packed full of calories!

Woolworths Muesli Bars $2.49 x 2

Oki Doki cream biscuit range $1.55 x 3

Woolworths Rice Crackers Range $1.99 x 2

Shopping total: $13.61

Good snacks will keep up the moral during an emergency!

Snacks can add up fast, so we’ve tried to pick a variety of snacks here, that also keep costs down! But you can chose options that work for your household, and rotation shopping (or ones that don’t if your snacks always get munched the moment they make it through the front door!)

Civil Defence's advice is to have 3 litres of water per person, per day, for three days - minimum (and don't forget your pets).

Buying water can be expensive, so what other options do we have?

You can prepare your own containers of water in soft-drink bottles. Don’t use plastic jugs or cardboard containers that have had milk in them.

You can store water in the freezer! (if you have space). Label them, and rotate them every so often. These can help keep food cool if the power is off and can also be used for drinking.

Your hot water cylinder and toilet cistern are valuable sources of water! Check that your hot water cylinder and header tank are well secured. Do not use water from the toilet cistern if you are using chemical toilet cleaners.

If you don't have bottles to fill with water, or the time and energy - you can buy water - the cheapest we found in Brighton was a 6pack of 1.5L bottles for 70c a litre. - You'll need one pack of these per person.

But look - any water supply is better than none! So get storing!

For advice on how to fill and store your own water bottles check out Civil Defence:

https://getready.govt.nz/.../house.../supplies/storing-water