We Have a ‘Tariff Pantry’ to Prepare for Rising Costs

Whether you’ve seen Mark Cuban’s advice to go to Walmart and buy “lots of consumables” before prices increase or how some Americans are already stockpiling goods, you may be wondering whether to prepare for the potential impact of upcoming tariffs on your family

We have been bracing for rising costs since the election results came in. My husband and I have spent the last four months building what we started calling our “tariff pantry.” If the prices of groceries and household necessities continue to rise, and our paychecks remain the same, it will bust our budget It’s time to get creative.

What’s a tariff pantry?

It’s always been important for us to keep an emergency reserve of food on hand in case of a natural disaster, as we live in Indiana with power outages in the winter and tornadoes in the spring. Starting in November 2024, our family and several of our friends decided it was time to take that a bit further. We started building “tariff pantries.”

Assuming tariffs raise prices, we will have a good reserve of food and household supplies on hand to fall back on. The right amount to have on hand varies from household to household. Some friends are stocking up on emergency rations in case of major disruptions, but others are just keeping an extra week or two of groceries in the house.

Here’s my approach: If I can have a pantry full of groceries and household supplies now, then I can save money later when costs have increased. If milk skyrockets in price, I can still buy it but keep my overall spending low if I already have other essentials at home.

I’ve used some basic calorie calculations (2000 calories per adult per day) to set aside five to six weeks of food. Although my approach is to use this pantry to supplement my groceries, not as our sole source of food, having several weeks on hand seemed like a good way to calculate our options.

My 4 rules for quickly building a tariff pantry

It’s tempting to run to Costco and buy everything I see, just in case we need it later. But that’s not actually going to create any savings; if I load up a credit card with expenses I can’t immediately pay off, I’m adding to my expenses, not saving anything.

That’s why I’ve set up four rules for quickly building my food reserves.

1. Buy what you can afford.

This means your pantry, like mine, may not be stocked as quickly as someone else’s, or with as much food. But a small emergency supply is better than none at all. Account for food storage needs, like mylar bags, mouse-proof plastic containers, and 5-gallon buckets.

2. The clearance aisle is your friend.

Instead of trying to master the art of couponing, I’m focused on finding clearance and sale items. I buy a little bit extra every time I go to the grocery store. Look for foods with a long shelf life and a distant expiration date.

Speaking of expiration dates, things that are about to expire aren’t always the best for a long-term pantry. However, you can get household items like toothbrushes, shampoo, and cleaning supplies from the clearance section that have no expiration dates.

Apps like Flashfood can give you access to clearance-priced grocery store produce, meat, and dairy that is about to reach its “use by” date. If you have freezer space, you can purchase and freeze these items for long-term use. I’ve added quite a bit of meat to my deep freezer using this method. Use this Food Safety Chart to learn the best timeframe for freezing foods safely.

3. Think beyond the grocery store.

I’m committed to having a garden again this year. I’ve often had a hobby garden that costs more than it helps me save, but my garden has to work harder this year. To save costs, I’m starting plants from seeds instead of buying established plants later in the season—I’ve already started vegetables in peat pots indoors.

Consider what resources may be available in your area. For example, a local Amish grocery store near us often has great prices on seasonings, jams, baking supplies, and canning supplies. Some items, like bulk products from Costco or local suppliers, can be shared with friends.

A good friend of mine doesn’t have the space or time to garden this year, so she’s arranging to trade some of her skills for extra produce from friends’ gardens.

4. Remember Covid-era lessons.

I find myself thinking back to those early pandemic days lately. When we suddenly had to stop going to the grocery store, we learned a lot of lessons about what to have on hand.

This isn’t an opportunity to practice over-consumption or hoarding — rather, it’s a time to be intentional about what we have in stock. For example, don’t buy things because you think you might start baking bread or cooking beans from scratch and changing everything about the way you eat. Also, focus on what your family eats, not what others add to their pantry.

In our family, the point of a tariff pantry is to create a buffer between our spending and the impact of tariffs. By responsibly storing food based on what we actually need and can afford, we’re keeping our costs down. More importantly, we’re giving ourselves some peace of mind at a time when we have little control.