By Rick Swanson

In an increasingly unstable economy and a questionable job market, many people are looking to ways of being more self reliant. One of the many ways people are doing this is through food storage, at least a years worth for many families. Having a supply of food stored away for emergencies is a good idea, and can be used to feed a family in the event of lay offs, as well as in emergencies that require spending a lot of money, such as medical and vehicle emergencies. If you don't have enough room for a years worth of food storage, that is okay! A few months worth will often be enough to get your family through rough times.

In fact, many people keep three to four months worth of the food they already use, and rotate items. A kitchen pantry cabinet may be fully stocked with the food items regularly used, and on shopping days regular items are purchased, and then rotated to the back of the stock so older items are never going to waste. If food storage sounds like something you would like to do, then the first thing you'll want to do is figure out where you will be keeping it. For many, a freestanding cabinet placed in the kitchen works well.

There are many different styles, brands and sizes of freestanding cabinets, so you'll need to choose one that matches not only your kitchen decor, but your storage needs as well. If you are planning on going with a two months supply of food, Target's "pantry with wooden double doors - natural" is one good option. Its large size and four shelf design can easily hold two months worth of the canned goods you regularly use, and probably many of your dry goods as well. This cabinet can be purchased both at Target.com, as well as through their catalog.

While there is little we can do about the economy, there is plenty we can do to become more self reliant, including preparing ourselves for hard times. Food storage is just one of the many ways to do this.