Streamlined LTFS Plans & Preparation?

 

Of all the things I needed to downsize in preparation of my out of state move I found my long term food storage (LTFS) really tugged at my heart.  All of that hard work, money and time spent to reach my ultimate goal to see if I could create two years of food storage left me feeling rather sad as I dismantled it and gave the majority of it all away.  The BFF and several friends benefitted from this surplus and I’m happy it is helping them, but it was still pretty tough to let it go.  Logistically, it just wasn’t going to be practical for me to try to take it with me.

 

So long, farewell 😭

Nonetheless, I did manage to bring a little bit of it with me which helped greatly as I transitioned into hotel rooms while I completed my new home search.  It proved to be very convenient to have home canned shelf stable items with me to easily make healthy meals in my hotel room.  My 12V camp refrigerator allowed me to take quite a bit of my frozen Butcher Box meat and some butter with me too.  I was able to keep it running with the solar generator which I charged while driving down the road and later once I got to my possible home town I brought it into the hotel and plugged it into the wall.

 

This is all I brought with me including food for the cat 🙀

As mentioned before I packed a banker box as my starter pantry so I wouldn’t have to completely start from scratch.  I also packed another banker box filled with spices, pickles, olives and condiments.  Both of those went into the car for the journey as well.  A third box held three flats of home canned goods.  For daily use items I set up what I needed in two Trader Joes bags and that turned out to be just right for what I needed while in the hotels.

 

Lots of miles ahead with time to think

As I drove across the country I had plenty of time to think and one of the topics I thought about was whether or not I wanted to create a new LTFS and how I might go about it this time.  Ultimately I came to the conclusion I would definitely want to have a LTFS because I truly enjoy doing it and I think it is simply in my nature to want that type of preparedness in my life.

 

I came up with a new plan! 😊

Oddly enough, before moving some of you had requested me to talk about how one might start a LTFS and I was in the midst of writing a couple of blog posts about it when I got the offer on the house.  Now I’m going to change gears a little bit and just take you along as I do it in real time.  I have far less available space this time around and I’ve decided to really streamline what I am going to have on hand, especially as right now grocery prices are so high.

 

I'll be taking advantage of this area over the fridge

I’m very much looking forward to my next great adventure as I begin a brand new long term food storage system.  It will be a good project to work on this winter.  I hope you will all enjoy coming along with me as I get started.

 

My Tireless Retirement - Week 235

 

This week was a quietly productive one for me.  First up was to go to Home Depot and do some “unshopping”.  I had a pile of storage items I realized I didn’t need so I wanted to get those out of the house and my money back.  But, the big reason to go was to make a big purchase.  I bought a new refrigerator.

 

This is the fanciest refrigerator I have ever owned 😍

When I moved into the new house the fridge in the kitchen was in bad shape.  I’m pretty sure it was in someone’s garage and the previous owner used it to replace the one he took with him.  I don’t know that for sure, but that’s my guess.  Especially as this one was scratched, dented and had a lot of dirt sitting on top of it, I suspect it sat in a garage or on a patio somewhere.  Inside it was surprisingly clean, but missing some of the shelves on the door.  The top freezer didn’t seal properly and it wasn’t long before I could tell it was struggling to keep things cool.  That being said, it did last long enough for me to research and figure out what exactly I wanted to replace it with and what I chose, to me anyway, is absolutely beautiful.  I am so happy with my new refrigerator which was delivered bright and early on Monday morning.

 

At Home Depot I also picked up a set of doorknobs with deadbolts for the front and back doors.  Replacing the locks was one of those things that was high on my list, but with everything else on my plate it took me over a month to get this done.  I was okay with waiting because the previous owner now lives in another state.  But still, it was something I felt I should do soon and with only one key I definitely wanted to get it done before I lost it.  I feel very safe here, but having new locks makes me feel even more secure.

 

I treated myself to another new appliance last week.  I purchased a new toaster oven, a size larger than my old one and it has the air fryer function.  I have to say I do love having an air fryer option.  I realized that I don’t want to heat up the big oven on my stove just to cook a small thing like a couple fish fillets, a corn dog or a small pan of cornbread muffins.  I needed something tailored more for the way I actually cook for myself now and this new appliance is perfect for that.  Surprisingly it wasn’t much more to purchase than just an air fryer.

 

Along with the projects I had the usual everyday tasks to keep me busy as well.  I did laundry, made a batch of chili in my cute little Crockpot, baked cornbread in the new toaster oven, among some other things, and kept things neat and tidy.  I love that every day I can keep house neat, clean and tidy in only a few minutes and the rest of the day is mine to do with as I choose.

 

When the ads changed on Wednesday I did check them out to see if there was anything to tempt me to drive into town.  It turned out there wasn’t anything so I was content to just stay home.  It had been steadily raining all day and night beginning Monday and I think the best part of rainy days is staying home with a cuddly kitty, a hot beverage and relaxing.  Doing only what one truly wants to do. So, that is what I chose to do.

 

Other than my cute little ghosts in my kitchen I had no Halloween décor with me so I had popped into Dollar Tree the previous week and selected two new items to decorate my porch.  I hung them up on Wednesday to welcome the month of October.  It is hard for me to believe it is already October.  The past three months have been quite the whirlwind for me.  I’ve really come a long way in such a short time.

 

So, How Exactly Did I Make This All Happen?

 

When I was doing my retirement planning and getting ready to retire I always knew that selling my home would be a big part of that plan.  I needed to use the equity from the sale of that home to invest and grow my wealth for better financial security.  I always knew that Social Security alone would not be enough for me to live on without a lot of frugality and sacrifice.  In preparation of my retirement I took full advantage of my employer’s matching funds for my 401(k).  I also added a lot to my savings accounts, made sure my emergency account was fully funded, added as much as I could to my health savings account (HSA) and paid off all off my debt.  Only then did I submit my retirement package and start to count the days until I was out of there.

 

While I built into my financial plan wiggle room to account for inflation, I did not expect or plan for things to go the way that they have this past five years.  After filing to start receiving my Social Security benefits I received my new tax assessment on my home from the county.  Utility rates were going to increase as was my homeowner’s insurance, car insurance, etc.  For the first time I realized that my beloved home that I had owned for over thirty years was becoming a burden, both physically and financially.  It was becoming difficult and costly to keep it up and it was beginning to feel a bit like having a full time job.  It was time to do what I had always intended to do in the first place and put it up for sale.  Fortunately I didn’t have to list it with a realtor.

 

Boxes & bins that went into the U-box

I got rid of so much stuff!

Literally through a friend of a friend who knew someone who knew someone I was contacted by a couple looking to purchase a home as an investment.  They made me a very generous offer and without over thinking it (first time in my life that ever happened) I accepted their offer and got to work.  With a thirty day closing I had no time to waste so I spent the first week packing only the things I wanted to take with me.  What was left was priced for an estate sale, put up for sale on Facebook Marketplace or loaded into my car and taken to my neighborhood thrift store.  The truck and motorhome were already sold, which was not part of this plan at all, and I let that momentum carry me forward.  Within three weeks I had sold everything listed on Facebook Marketplace and held my estate sale.  I added everything I had made from those sales to the money from the sale of the truck and the  motorhome.

 

During this time I had also booked a U-haul U-box to come a week prior to closing so I could load the boxes of packed items and get them stored until I landed.  At the time I booked this I had no idea where I was going.  I actually thought I’d end up staying with the BFF while I figured that part out, but as I was doing everything else I was also researching places and looking at all kinds of different houses on Homes.com.  And then I did something I never thought I’d do.  I opened ChatGBT and told it what was going on and what I was hoping to find including a general idea of where I wanted to live and what kind of town I wanted to reside in.  As a result, it gave me some really solid options to look at until I found my place.  It matched my criteria and magically Homes.com had homes in that area that were exactly what I was looking for at prices that fit well within my budget.  I reached out to a realtor and went from there.  Sorry BFF, I will not be invading your space after all.  I’m sure he was quietly relieved.

 

My little road warrior

With my appointment set at the title company to close on my Boise house I went ahead and booked my hotel stays.  My plan was to use the proceeds from my estate sale to cover all of my travel expenses like gas and food and the proceeds from the truck to handle the hotel expenses.  Amazingly the estate sale did far better than I ever expected and I was able to handle all of my travel and hotel expenses with those proceeds alone.  I still had money left.  It took me three days to reach my destination and the next day the realtor showed me around town and took me to see a handful of homes I was interested in, the first one being the one I was most interested in and it ended being the one I bought.  I had a budget and this home came in well under budget which I was absolutely thrilled about.  Ten days after I arrived I checked out of my hotel and moved into my new house.

 

I didn’t pack  any furniture except for the buffet I use as a TV stand and a night stand.  No bed, nothing to sit on or eat at.  Fortunately the previous owner left behind a rather decent faux leather recliner in like new condition so I had that to start with.  Still do.  Once I closed on my new house (and while I waited a week for the U-box to arrive) I was able to use the proceeds from the truck to get everything I needed – new carpet, a bed frame, mattress and new bedding, a dining room table and chairs, a washer and dryer, a shed kit for the washer and dryer, a kitchen island, groceries and a bunch of other little things.  The money left over from the estate sale paid for applications fees, charges to set up utilities, some more groceries and that sort of stuff.  I still had money left from the budgeted amount for the new house as well as the sale of the motorhome so I ended up rolling that along with the remaining proceeds from the Boise house sale to use to invest in my future and grow my wealth.  By the time all was said and done, I’d done alright.

 

This dining set is perfect!

My new house is a tiny home, a park model RV, in a 55+ community.  I have a land lease that includes my water, sewer, trash and cable.  I pay separately for electricity, internet and propane.  My homeowners insurance and property taxes are less than $350 per year which is a significant savings over what I used to pay and because this home is so much smaller so are my utility bills.  Even with the land lease I am money ahead.  By the time I subtract what I was paying for water, sewer and trash in Boise it makes my rent only $250 a month.  I don’t know anywhere you can rent a home for that price.  Based on my previous expenses this was a very smart move.

 

Blessed with plenty to eat

What this now means for me is that my monthly Social Security check is not only enough to cover my housing costs , but it still leaves me with about two thirds of that income left over each month for living.  I can now afford to live very comfortably on my Social Security alone and still contribute to my savings each month should I choose to do that.  I likely will because that will allow me to replace my car whenever that needs to be done, it will allow me to afford to travel more and it will also allow me to enjoy some other nice things from time to time.

 

Had I continued to live in my previous home things would’ve been really tight and I would’ve needed to regularly dip into my retirement accounts in order to make things more comfortable and cover expenses like a new roof or home repairs.  Traveling would’ve likely been on an occasional basis and there wouldn’t have been much in the way of extravagance.  But now, I can pretty much do whatever I choose, within reason, and that is something I’ve never had before.  This move has given me financial security and freedom for the first time in my life.  I don’t have to worry anymore, which is how our retirement years are supposed to be, right?  To me, that is absolutely priceless.

 

Setting Up My New Kitchen

 

The kitchen was the room I was the most excited about.  It was also the last room I was able to setup because I was waiting on a lot of things before I could really get started.  Mostly I needed the U-box to be delivered as well as the adjustable shelves I had ordered for the cabinets.  And, the most exciting part was a kitchen island I had ordered (my birthday present to myself) that would give me a lot of additional prep space as well as some much needed storage.

 

A good sized pantry for a tiny house

I had purged quite a bit and sold it in my estate sale, but I also kept quite a bit too because, as many of you know, I love to work in my kitchen.  Cooking meals and baking is one of my favorite activities.  I have often said that feeding people is my love language.

 

One of the first things required was to order some adjustable shelving for the cabinets.  The shelves in my cabinets are adjustable but there weren’t enough of them so there was too much empty unused space to be efficient.  The extra shelving I ordered has allowed me to double the shelving and get all of my dishes and Pyrex put away and organized.

 

Perfect fit! 😍

For a very long time I have wanted a kitchen island, but in my old kitchen there was simply no way to make that work.  In my new kitchen, however, it was entirely possible.  I ordered one to compliment the style of my kitchen and it I absolutely love it.  It not only has given me an extra work surface, but also the storage I needed to house my collection of vintage cookbooks, food storage containers plus it stores my toaster.  It has three drawers in it too so one is a dedicated junk drawer, every kitchen needs one of those, the next one holds my measuring cups and spoons and the bottom holds my plastic freezer containers.  I find I use it a lot while working in the kitchen so it was a terrific investment.

 

All put together 😊

One of the selling features of this house for me was the size and layout of the kitchen.  It is larger than my old one and with the island offers me far more counter space than I have ever had.  The pantry is slightly smaller than my old one, but still very workable.  I may add additional shelving in the future for better storage, but for now I’m pretty happy with it.

 

The pantry holds plenty

This kitchen is also the newest style of kitchen I’ve ever owned.  The gas stove is nice to cook on and I’m slowly starting to bake in the oven.  This is the first time I’ve had a gas stove in my house, but I’ve always had them in my RVs and in my camp setup so they are not completely foreign to me.  In fact, when I’m cooking I often feel like I’m camping.

 

It's even Jack approved 😺

I’ve enjoyed setting up my new kitchen and will continue to enjoy reorganizing, switching things around and tweaking it as I settle in to my new cooking and baking routines.  Finding solid storage solutions and creating efficiency will be an ongoing project for a while, I’m sure.  I really do love this new kitchen and it truly is my favorite room in the house.

 

This Month's 2026 Grocery Spending - August & September

 

As I had mentioned before I arrived at my new with a starter pantry of items I brought with me in the car so I wouldn’t have to start completely over from scratch.  That turned out to be a very wise decision.  I moved into the house with only one week left in August and a shopping list to round out what I already had and a $300 budget to do it with.

 

My first trip to the grocery store 🥫

My first order of business was to put in a nice sized Butcher Box order to fill my little freezer on top of the refrigerator.  I had brought some frozen meat with me, but having that Butcher Box order arrive made me very happy.  A trip to Wal-Mart allowed me to get most of the items on my list and I was back to making home cooked meals in no time.  Despite needing quite a few items I was happy to come in under my budget.

Not too bad! 😄

My 1st Wal-Mart delivery order turned out pretty well

The first week of September my goal was to continue cooking delicious meals and see if I could finish procuring the items I wanted which would allow me to have a fully stocked kitchen once again.  I attempted to shop in the stores and did fine at Safeway, but the local Wal-Mart is being remodeled and on the day I went there it was total chaos.  I ended up going home and placing a delivery order instead.  That worked out better than expected.

 

Safeway haul

My next trip was to Safeway because their ad had more of what I was looking to buy that week.  Each week I look at the local store ads and I check and compare to Wal-Mart prices.  This particular week Safeway was the winner!  I went in and only purchased sales items with the exception of a pound of lard.  Wal-Mart didn’t have it and Safeway did.  Now I can make pie crust and I’ve been wanting a really good quiche lately.

 

A little bit of extravagance 😎 

I took advantage of an online Swiffer sale and picked up two boxes of floor dusting cloths and a box of Mop & Glo floor wipes.  Now that I pretty much have all bare floors, except for the bedroom I thought these would be advantageous in helping me keep up the floors.  This purchase is kind of an extravagant treat for me and they should last a really long time too.

 

I got this chicken for $1.77 per pound at Safeway

This Wal-Mart delivery order finished the list!
I will be very happy when they are done remodeling

These past couple of months I wasn’t so great at taking pictures, but I was really good at getting items on sale or at the best possible price.  Now that I’m feeling like I’m back in the swing of things, and with fewer move-in tasks on my plate, I should be better at documenting my shopping trips next month.

 

One of you lovelies bought me coffees so I put it to very good use 😍

The items marked in yellow are for my new LTFS

Next month in October I plan to make my way to the “big city” and do a winter ready stock up so you won’t want to miss that.  My final totals for this month came in at $98.44.  I think I did really, really well.  What do you think?