I will give you my best advice, but please study all these price lists yourself to make your decisions.
There are three places from which I have purchased food storage and emergency supplies.
Emergency Essentials is a mail order catalog and website which has dehydrated food, water barrels, solar radios, emergency blankets, all sorts of things besides food. They have a monthly group special, for example for August they have a cheaper price for freeze-dried cheddar cheese, but at least 6 cans must be ordered to get that price. I have purchased many items and many different types of food from them over the years. I think their group specials are sometimes a very good deal. Group orders qualify for free shipping. When you do a personal order, they charge shipping.
(I would like to offer the group orders every month in our ward. If someone wants dehydrated chedder cheese, call me or email me, we'll see if we get 6 orders.)
I do not recommend buying Emergency Essentials' buckets and #10 cans (the big coffee-can size cans) of dehydrated and freeze-dried foods, because the church leaders seem to be getting away from that type of food storage. I think we are being steered toward buying smaller containers of items we actually eat, so most times we can get those types of food items at the grocery store or at Sam's.
Also, personally I am not buying buckets of wheat, rice, etc. any more, because they are so big. It is easier to find places to store the #10 cans. (However, notice that a 50 lb. bag of wheat from Walton Feed is only $18.40, that seems to be the very cheapest way to buy wheat. But then you'll have to can it or store it somehow, it will get bugs in it if you don't.)
I also don't recommend Emergency Essentials' 72-hour kits (I think you can make better ones yourself) or their "One Year of Food Storage for One Person" (it costs a whole lot and its nothing I would eat.) I also don't think you should buy a year's supply of MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat). Those are super expensive and very pre-prepared. I would rather cook my own stuff using basic ingredients.
Walton Feed: This is a grain company which specializes in large quantity shipments at a good price. They ship to many LDS stakes up and down the east coast, plus probably lots of other people too. In many things I checked yesterday, their prices for bulk food were all cheaper than Emergency Essentials (but of course I didn't check every item on the list.)
LDS Church Distribution Services: For some reason, the Church is the best place to buy wheat, pinto beans, rolled oats, and white rice right now. I don't know how they can sell it at these prices. In the Church's Family Resources catalog, 2010 edition, the prices for #10 cans of wheat, pinto beans, rolled oats, and white rice were all much cheaper than Emergency Essentials, and all a little cheaper than what you can order from Walton Feed. And shipping is FREE.
Here are the price comparisons for those four items (I used the prices from the 2010 Family Resources catalog that came with my Ensign a few months ago, the website might have updated their prices.) :
#10 can of Hard Red Wheat:
LDS: $4.37 a can (must buy case of 6)
Walton $4.20 a can
Emergency Essentials $7.50 a can
(Note: Yes, Walton is cheaper. BUT IF you're only ordering cans of wheat, the LDS Distribution will ship it to your house with free shipping. The Walton Feed order also has free shipping, but you have to meet the truck on the specified day and help unload the truck.)
#10 can of Rolled Oats
LDS: $3.41 a can (must buy case of 6)
Walton: $5.70 a can
Emergency Essentials: $5.49 a can
#10 can of Pinto Beans
LDS: $6.25 a can (must buy a case of 6)
Walton: $8.50 a can
Emergency Essentials: $10.95 a can
#10 can of White Rice
LDS: $5.33 a can (must buy a case of 6)
Walton: $7.60 a can
Emergency Essentials: $8.95 a can.
The LDS Distribution also sells starter cases for $29.75 which include 2 cans wheat, 2 cans rice, 1 can pinto beans, and 1 can rolled oats.
I will be ordering these 4 items for my family on my own through LDS Distribution, and you can too. Those are the only food items sold through LDS Distribution.
You may wonder if you should just go to the cannery and can these foods yourself. I would rather just buy them pre-canned. The LDS Distribution price is so excellent, just buy them. Here's how to order from the LDS Distribution Center: visit ldscatalog.com or call 1-800-537-5971.
(CORRECTION ADDED AUG. 17: I may have misspoken. Check out the "cannery" prices at the Family Home Storage Center http://providentliving.org/pfw/multimedia/files/pfw/pdf/122384_Jan2010WE_HomeStoragePriceSheet_US_71140_000_pdf.pdf
The prices seem to be better than I expected.)
I will be ordering other things for my family from Walton Feed. I get my alfalfa sprouting seeds from Walton, and powdered whole eggs (#10 can for $18.10). Those are just 40 cents cheaper than at Emergency Essentials, but shipping is free with Walton so it is still worth it.
I also noticed that the 55 gallon water barrels are much cheaper through Walton Feed ($57.60 at Walton, $74.95 at Emergency Essentials), and the 15 gallon water barrels are cheaper at Walton too ($32.30 at Walton, $44.95 at Emergency Essentials.)
ALSO, DID YOU KNOW THERE IS A WHEAT SHORTAGE?
I read this on CNBC on Aug. 5, 2010-
"On Tuesday investors were attempting to gauge the future of food prices, after Russia said it would temporarily halt grain exports.
Russia's worst drought on record has devastated crops in parts of the country and sent international grain prices soaring as markets have speculated on restricted supply from one of the world's leading exporters.....
On the news wheat markets immediately jumped to nearly two year highs."
http://www.cnbc.com/id/38577000
Kellene Bishop did a whole article about the shortage of wheat in other nations besides Russia.
http://www.preparednesspro.com/blog/did-i-mention-that-a-wheat-shortage-is-imminent/
This is definitely something to think about. I'm buying some more wheat.
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