3 Month Emergency Food Supply @ Costco
I was recently in Costco and saw the stacks of these 5 gallon Emergency Food Supply buckets that claim to be a 3-month food supply for one person! Imagine, $109.99 for 3 months worth of food, in one bucket, and weighing in at 25 pounds. Where was this when Y2k was coming?
Von and I talked about buying some of these, they would be great for an emergency at home or on the road.
Each bucket contains 55 separate packets, consisting of 10 different items; (5) Ala King, (6) Potato/Bakon Soup, (5) Sweet Corn Chowder, (5) Western Stew, (5) Rice/Lentil Soup, (5) Barley Vegetable Soup, (5) Cacciatore, (5) Country Noodle Soup, (5) Blueberry Pancakes, (9) Whey Milk. Each packet is stated to make 5 separate servings, with a stated yield of 275 servings per bucket. The directions are to choose 3 servings from any of the various packets per day.
While pulling together the information about these food buckets, I ran across a lawsuit that has been filed against Costco by Richard Pope for fraud and miss representation in selling these buckets. Pope did the math and figured out that the average serving provides less than 500 calories per day.
The USDA recommends a minimum of 2,000 calories per day. 500 calories will not cut it! To make his point he shows that the concentration camp victims were fed almost 1300-1700 calories per day. How long on this diet before you start looking a little ragged?
The summons was filled in June of 2006. I have not been able to find out if anything has happened. Costco is still selling the buckets. Hmmm… Maybe 1 bucket would last a month?
Ben Casbon and I did the math for a nutrition class at CBC, and back then we were eating around 700 calories a day. I could imagine living off of 500.
Comment by Geoff — February 23, 2007 @ 11:18 am
I know how skinny you are.
Comment by YeOleImposter — February 23, 2007 @ 11:49 am
What I would wonder is what is the shelf life of the bucket? Do you have to buy a new one every few months and just throw the old one out? That’d get kind of expensive!
By the way, that’s crazy Geoff! I took that class and was consuming like 2700 calories a day. I wonder if you were doing the math right. ;-)
Comment by Pat — February 24, 2007 @ 11:00 am
The stuff is advertised as having a shelf life of 20 years!
Imagine spending $110 and having all your food purchased for 3 months. Less than $500 for a year’s worth of groceries.
Of course 45 of the 275 servings are just an 8 oz glass of whey milk.
I think someone should make a YouTube diary of living off one of these buckets! Kind of like the Monkey Chow Diaries
Comment by YeOleImposter — February 24, 2007 @ 2:11 pm
Do it, Gary! Do it! The Y2K Chow Diaries!
I dare you!
I double dog dare you!
Comment by Matt Winckler — February 26, 2007 @ 10:54 am
Has to be someone young, with nothing to loose…
Hey, Geoff…
Comment by YeOleImposter — February 26, 2007 @ 12:54 pm
Sure. As long as coffee is on the rations list.
Comment by Geoff — February 27, 2007 @ 9:17 pm
I just bought one of these buckets clearanced at Costco for $30. I think it’s better than nothing. As far as calorie intake goes, does anyone know how much you actually need to survive each day. That’s what were talking about survival not your normal day to day routine. You may be weeker and thinner, but will you be alive on 500 calories a day. I’ve read that your body can go several days without any food, but water is a necessity.
Comment by Michelle — July 3, 2007 @ 11:00 am
On clearance? Hmmm. Might have to go down to Costco and check it out. I think that if you used one of these for 1 month’s food supply — or even a week during an emergency — then you would be fine. Just don’t buy 4 and plan on it being sufficient for a year.
Comment by YeOleImposter — July 18, 2007 @ 10:43 am
Maybe I should get one. It sounds like it is the only diet that would work (at least without costing a fortune).
PastorDIC - who is a Christian, but looks more like Buddha.
Comment by PastorDIC — January 7, 2008 @ 8:21 am
can you tell me what state and city are you in that the buckets for 30.00. I want to get some:)
Comment by tiffany — February 8, 2008 @ 12:03 pm
who actually counts the calories they eat a day? because most people don’t.. i think that this is a good idea and an easy way of eating on the go. but it could get quite expensive if there 109.99 just for 3 months!
Comment by Christopher Evans — July 15, 2008 @ 1:03 am
Christopher Evans: “but it could get quite expensive if there 109.99 just for 3 months”
Really? I’d love to see your food budget, and what you live on. As a single guy, I could probably make it on $100 month, but I eat very well.
$110 would probably carry me through 3 months in survival mode (beans, rice, eat the neighbor’s pets), but I’m ex military, so I’m used to roughing it a bit.
Comment by Mick Mankford — September 7, 2008 @ 5:54 pm