Agree totally with that. We just buy extra of all the stuff we normally eat and use the best buy date and our rate of consumption to determine how much.
So, for example, if we are buying Tuna with a 2 year use buy date, and we plan to eat Tuna once a month, then we would stock 24 cans for the two of us. That would be enough for our immediate family, and grandkids for about 4 months.
The only “kit” I really like is the LDS Starter Kit. You get six number 10 cans. I each of beans, flour, red wheat, oats, rice, flour, and hard white wheat. All good for at least 20 years, except the flour which is only good 10 years.
At a cost of around $30.00 per case, it’s not a bad price. I just check the boxes for any slightly dented cans if any, and those I would pull out and cycle into our current supply and replace at a future date.
Each kit is roughly enough for 1 person for 1 month, so stocking up and tracking how much you have or need to aquire is pretty easy.
All except the flour will be good long after Hubby and I are dead, so the kids will inherit prepper food, unless we have to use it first. I know that they don’t stock up very much due to small budgets, so I do as much more as I can so that I can share with them.
We grow and preserve many of our own veggies, as well as wheat, rye, fruits, rose hips, and books on forage foods and recipes that we try out now and then. It’s lots cheaper than the store, and we have the added advantage of real organic produce with absolutely no pesticides, and better taste than you get in the grocery.
LDS church has online ordering for food storage, and you don’t have to be a member (as far as I can tell). It’s already packed for 20-30 year storage for most items, and the prices are reasonable. I haven’t checked shipping because I buy from them locally. The quality is good too - the potatoes, oatmeal, flour, macaroni, and sugar taste as good as major brands, even years later. I’m a little annoyed with the rice because it takes a little more water than the label directions claim and still doesn’t taste quite as good as typical rice. Their milk powder (20 years?) is good too but not available online yet. Their apple slices are fruit, and last forever, but not something I would eat often except for the nutrition. According to rumor, they will have onions and carrots with 20 year or 30 year shelf lives fairly soon (whatever that means).
I wouldn’t store just the LDS food, but it is a cheap and comparatively compact way to store massive amounts of calories for several decades. For variety, I have oats, wheat, potatoes, and rice in roughly equal amounts. Once you have that, it’s easy to supplement the beans, sugar, and starch with MREs, spices, cans, and hunting/gathering for other needs.
They told me that because they had a wider selection to choose from now, and also because the starter kit was seen an introduction to the pre-pack program, the starter kit was no longer considered necessary. That's a shame. If you are looking for a smaller combination of items together, you can not get that but must buy larger amounts of individual items instead (by case). Could always split a purchase with someone though.