>>391364
For cheap food storage go to any Costco or Sams Club and start buying in bulk: beans, rice, pasta, grits, oatmeal, split peas, various nuts, powdered mashed potato mix, powdered milk, powdered peanut butter, spices - anything that lasts long-term. Including plenty of instant coffee (as much as I hate it too it's cheap and it lasts a long time!). Remember canned foods last a lot longer than the expiration dates, some last as long as 5 years past the "expiration" but you will want to rotate these and replace the oldest ones when you go shopping in the future.
As far as bartering? Ammo, food, tobacco and booze will be the new currencies for America when the system collapses. Get to know your neighbors and assess the skills you have and they have. Skills can be used as a means to barter too, for services. Plenty of women would be willing to prostitute themselves when SHTF for basic necessities. That will be COMMON. But beware! So will backstabbing!
