15. Building Your Emergency Food Pantry with Jessica Cardwell of The Faithful Preppers

In today's episode, we learn practical steps to getting started with food storage, budget-friendly tips, small spaces & faith-based preparedness.

In this episode of the Mama Bear Survival podcast, Emily talks to Jessica Cardwell, founder of The Faithful Preppers. Jessica shares her journey from being a newlywed with an empty pantry to becoming a thoughtful, faith-based prepper.

We discuss everything from building a sustainable food storage plan to maintaining a preparedness mindset without fear.

Key Takeaways:

• Getting Started: Begin with a three-day plan for both food and water. This simple step can help you feel more confident and less overwhelmed.
• Budget-Friendly Preparedness: Jessica shares her tips for building a pantry without breaking the bank, including how to save money by rethinking everyday purchases.
• Faith-Based Approach: Learn how Jessica integrates her faith into her prepping journey, promoting a mindset of peace and service rather than fear.
• Family Focus: How to involve your family in preparedness activities and make it a fun, educational experience for your kids.

Episode Highlights:

• [00:05:04] Emily and Jessica start the conversation, discussing the initial overwhelm of starting a preparedness journey and how Jessica got into it during the early days of COVID-19.
• [00:18:48] Jessica shares her backstory of returning to an empty home after her husband’s internship and how that became a turning point in her life as a prepper.
• [00:30:15] The significance of faith in Jessica's preparedness journey and how her church community encourages a mindset of preparedness without fear.
• [00:38:22] Emily and Jessica discuss practical first steps for food storage, starting with simple, shelf-stable foods and the importance of rotating your stock.
• [00:47:50] Tips on budgeting for preparedness, including how to use current spending habits to fund your preparedness efforts.
• [00:55:15] The importance of mindset: approaching preparedness as a long-term, incremental process rather than a sprint.

Action Items:

1. Start Your Three-Day Plan: Make a checklist of food and water for three days for each member of your family. Start with what you already eat and build from there.
2. Set a Preparedness Budget: Allocate a small portion of your grocery budget to extra items each week—whether it’s an extra can of soup or a gallon of water.
3. Check Out Jessica's eBook:  Everyday Food Storage is a comprehensive guide to creating a food storage plan that fits your family's needs and lifestyle. 
4. Connect with Jessica: Follow her on Instagram @thefaithfulpreppers for more tips and resources and checkout her site at The Faithful Preppers. 

Partner: 

This episode is sponsored by Refuge Medical: Learn more about the USA-Made First Aid & Emergency kits at refugemedical.com - save with the code: MamaBear