James,
First, thanks for all that you do. God bless you and your family. Second, to reiterate what you’ve already posted, the five gallon buckets sold at Home Depot and Lowe’s are not food grade buckets. They are stamped with the number 5. Yesterday I discovered that the buckets in the paint department at my local Wal-Mart are marked Food Grade. They are selling for $2.50 each, which is half the price of those at Home Depot and Lowe’s. Also, the lids, which have rubber gasket seals are selling for .98 cents each. Be sure to check your local bakery. Many of them have the 2 gallon and 3-1/2 gallon buckets for free. Hope this helps. – H.W.
JWR Replies: This expands on what I wrote in the Rawles Gets Your Ready Family Preparedness Course. I concur that bakeries are a great place to find used food grade buckets for little or no cash outlay. Also ask at delicatessens, catering companies, or other vendors that utilize foods bought in bulk.