Fast Track Tip #8: Make Dating Your Preps A Habit

Something we all do is consult lists.  There are lists of things to do and things to buy as well as lists of important numbers and lists of friends and relatives.  There is a problem with pre-existing lists, however.  If we adopt a list as our own, we are also adopting some other persons view of our own reality.  The solution, of course, is to adapt a list to our own needs.

Circling around to our preps, chances are you have a list of basic items that you have been working through as you accumulate supplies and gear for rainy-day, emergency needs.  Heck, some of those lists likely came from Backdoor Survival.  A good example is this one: 20 Items to Kick Start Your Food Storage Plan.

I have always been a big believer of keeping track of what I use and how long it lasts.  Taking this to the next level, I believe that Sharpies were invented so that prepper’s could mark the purchase date on all of their goods.  Sharpies and labels, that is.

Today, Backdoor Survival Contributing Author Rob Hanus shares his take on labeling your stuff with a date and keeping track of your stuff – with, what else? – a list.

Date Your Everyday Items

Do you know how long a tube of toothpaste lasts you? What about your contact solution? How many rolls of TP does your family need for 30 days? How long will a pound of coffee last you?

Marking dates on your supplies can help you answer these questions, which is important, as it avoids having to guess and gives you valuable information on how long certain supplies last. And knowing this aids you in knowing how much to buy for storage.

You should get into the habit of marking the date on anything that you consume on a regular basis. You’re either marking the date of the day you bought it or the date you opened it, depending on the item. Food should be marked with the date of when you bought it, because once opened, it’s usually consumed rather quickly.

If you use a can rotator, you only need to mark the last can you put in, as you can estimate the dates of the other cans. Also, if you buy supplies at the big box stores, like Costco, BJ’s or Sam’s Club, you don’t need to mark the date on every case in the case, simply mark the case or box itself.

Having dates on the cans becomes important when those “stragglers” get pushed to the back of the shelf and lost for a year, or two. Or three. Or seven. There has been more than one occasion when we have been clearing out the pantry for a periodic cleaning and found something that is older than half a decade, hidden behind something. Finding that is a good reminder of how difficult it can be to do proper food storage rotation and illustrates how useful something like a can rotator can be.

Once you start marking dates, it will, of course, take awhile before you start seeing answers to some of these questions on how long things last. For items that you consume at a faster rate or are in smaller quantities, you’ll probably start learning how long they last fairly soon. Other things, like toothpaste, contact solutions, or that 25 lb. of flour, will take longer to determine.

Keep a log of all these items and how long it takes you to consume them. There’s nothing worse than going through the trouble of marking everything with dates, only to forget how long something lasts.

Being prepared is a mindset. It’s not just about beans, bullets and band-aids. It’s about looking at the signs and signals that are occurring now and being able to project or forecast how it might affect you and your family in the future, then taking steps to mitigate these effects.

Don’t Rely on Product Labeling – It is Bogus

In my opinion, labeling your products with the date purchased is far more useful that marking them with a manufacturers “best used by” date.  I have found that most of the manufacturers dates are  artificial and simply an indication of how long they

According to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic, “Americans are prematurely throwing out food, largely because of confusion over what expiration dates actually mean”.

The report authors say the re-education could start with a clearer understanding of what the dates mean.

“Use by” and “Best by”: These dates are intended for consumer use, but are typically the date the manufacturer deems the product reaches peak freshness. It’s not a date to indicate spoilage, nor does it necessarily signal that the food is no longer safe to eat.

“Sell by”: This date is only intended to help manufacturers and retailers, not consumers. It’s a stocking and marketing tool provided by food makers to ensure proper turnover of the products in the store so they still have a long shelf life after consumers buy them. Consumers, however, are misinterpreting it as a date to guide their buying decisions. The report authors say that “sell by” dates should be made invisible to the consumer.

So there you go.  I have consumed canned goods that are over 10 years old and suffered no ill effects other than being a crazy old prepper lady!

The Final Word

As with everything preparedness related, the needs of you and your family are going to be different than the needs of your neighbor or someone on the internet that is telling you “this is the way it is”.  By keeping track of what you use and in what quantities, you can better gauge the amount you need to set aside to satisfy future needs if the SHTF.

I am sincere when I say that even with my own website, what you read is a recommendation and that your mileage may vary.

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!

Gaye Levy, also known as the Survival Woman, grew up and attended school in the Greater Seattle area. After spending many years as an executive in the software industry, she started a specialized accounting practice offering contract CFO work to emerging high tech and service industries. She has now abandoned city life and has moved to a serenely beautiful rural area on an island in NW Washington State. She lives and teaches the principles of a sustainable and self-reliant lifestyle through her website at BackdoorSurvival.com. At Backdoor Survival, Gaye speaks her mind and delivers her message of prepping with optimism and grace, regardless of the uncertain times and mayhem swirling around us.