According to the Retail Council of Canada, the average Canadian visits a couple of grocery stores just over five times a month.

I typically shop weekly too, but that changed in January when my mother died. I didn’t want to do much of anything, including grocery shopping. On those days when a trip to the store felt like too much, I relied on the food in my pantry.

Then, in March, my family experienced a medical emergency. For the next month, I spent most of my time at the hospital caring for my father. He was expected to recover—but he didn’t. His condition suddenly and unexpectedly worsened, and he died.

The grief I experienced left me unable to do virtually anything, including shop for food, for the next eight weeks.

My husband picked up perishables here and there, but for the most part, we didn’t have to shop. Everything we needed was already at home in our freezer and pantry.

I’ve always been a believer in shopping sales and stocking up to avoid paying full price. Living 40 minutes from the nearest grocery store makes a quick trip for a loaf of bread both inconvenient and expensive.

In 2020, keeping extra food on hand was necessary during the early days of COVID-19. Over the years, a well-stocked pantry has saved us time and money—but I hadn’t realized how much peace of mind it would also bring. During the emotional upheaval of losing both my parents within six months, not having to think about groceries was a quiet gift.

Whether it’s the loss of a loved one or another life crisis, I now fully understand the importance of having food on hand for those times when going to the store just isn’t possible.

Some might say: “That’s what online grocery orders and delivery services are for.” But what if you live in a remote area, where delivery is expensive or unavailable? What if you can’t order online at all? In New Brunswick, we’ve seen weather-related emergencies that knock out electricity, cellphone, and internet service. Hurricane Arthur in 2014, and several wind and ice storms since, left people in the dark for up to two weeks.

Life is uncertain. You never know when something will happen that disrupts daily routines.

The provincial government’s Emergency Measures Organization advises people to keep a three-day supply of food, water, and other essentials on hand. In my opinion, that’s nowhere near enough. I typically keep enough staples to last three to six months.

Buying extra when it’s on sale and putting it away just makes good sense. I’m saving more than half off the regular cost of groceries. I recently saw a statistic that said the average Canadian family of four will spend more than $16,000 on groceries in 2025. My husband recently tallied our grocery spending over the past six months: less than $3,000. That’s largely because we didn’t shop—we relied on our pantry.

Now, when I look at our pantry shelves, they’re bare or nearly so. I’m back to watching grocery sales and rebuilding our stores, because I know another emergency will come. And if nothing else, at the very least, we’ll be able to eat—even if we don’t feel much like eating.

Next week, join me as I restock our severely depleted pantry—and share tips to help when your cupboard is looking like Old Mother Hubbard’s.

Laverne Stewart has spent her entire career as a writer, journalist, and communications professional. She’s won multiple literary and journalism awards for her work. After a year in radio, she made the move to TV news, spending 11 years with CTV in Halifax, Saint John, and Fredericton. Stewart has also worked in government communications, most recently in the Office of the Premier. Stewart is a published author and now works on feature stories from her community and beyond. Her life is full and happy thanks to the people who are in it. She is married to her husband Robert. She is mother to Mary Louise and Nicolas. Also included in her family is Sally, a Labrador retriever, and three cats; Dusty, Joe, and Clancy. She can be reached at lavernestewart24@outlook.com.