How To Plan For A Life Turned Upside Down

"Do your best to change the world, Do your best to be ready for changes in the world"

~Chinese proverb~

When was the last time you had a power outage that lasted for more than three hours? Has your neighborhood ever flooded or come through a landslide? Have you ever been laid off and unsure where grocery money was going to come from? Has wildfire ever threatened your home? Have you ever been suddenly thrust into an unsafe situation?

The world as we know it is different for everyone. The many ways our world can, and is, changing is staggering. So a radical change to our world as we know it can be anything to suddenly being without power for days (which happens to more people than you may realize), to a massive flood (been there, done that), to an unforeseen job loss, nearby chemical spill (which yours truly has lived through) ... you get the idea. Even in a minor power outage, we cannot pump gas, pay for anything electronically, and eating out if there's no power at home is not an option either. You will not be able to cool your home by either A/C or fan in a power outage, you won't want to be looking in the fridge every 15 min, and what about flushing the toilet? Let's not forget food shortages brought on by a massive snowstorm or being cut off without transportation after a flood or snowstorm (been there, done that too). So, the number of ways our world can change radically is staggering. But we don't have to wring our hands and moan, we can do something, lots in fact.

I am well known for having backup plans on top of backup plans. Once, it was only for childcare, but as the kids grew, having a Plan B, and Plan C, and so on, spread throughout my life. In these challenging times, we can plan for many life surprises, and not only end up in control of our lives but also change our mindset. Think about it, if you can plan for a sudden layoff, your attitude changes. Let's say one day, you and 150 of your co-workers are informed your factory is closing next month. This has happened to so many people, I can't count that high. So, how do you plan for this BEFORE it actually happens to you? Times are hard financially and you're only living two paychecks ahead of panic, so investing $200 in stocks isn't going to happen anytime soon. But let's set aside the investing, money security for a minute. Let's think about something more basic. Food.

If you're laid off and you have some food put by, your attitude towards this crisis will be different than the outlook of someone who has not planned for just such an occasion. It will still be a huge upset, but you won't have to wonder how you'll feed the spouse, two kids and the family dog. I've been there, and I can tell you that visiting a pawn shop to trade in jewelry so I can feed the kids isn't fun. So, when you go grocery shopping, make a list. If your grocery list calls for three cans of kernel corn, buy four cans. If you were going to get two pounds of ground beef, and you can afford it, get three. I know you might not be able to do this all the time, very few people can. Every time you go shopping, look realistically at your list. One week get a couple extra cans of vegetables, the next shopping trip, get a bit of extra meat. The next shopping trip, consider getting a home first-aid kit, or improving on one you may already have.

The next thing you need to do is keep track of these extras. I used to work in retail, and we had a system of rotation that is summarized by FIFO.

"First In, First Out".

If it's easier for your family, get a permanent black magic marker and write on the can or box the date you bought it. Meat can be wrapped and sealed in a freezer bag. Be sure and write the date purchased on the bag before the meat goes in. If someone in your house bakes, consider buying an extra bag of flour. (TIP: if you can freeze it for a few days before putting it in a storage container. That way you won't be unpleasantly surprised by small, black, wriggling things. We found this out the hard way)

Using this method of buying a few extras as we could, we've been able to set aside large tubs of coffee, drink crystals, peanut butter, meats of all kinds, yeast for baked goods, pasta, a variety of sauces, and the list goes on. I remember having to visit the pawn shop before the grocery store. I recall all too well that feeling of fear, depression, and hopelessness. I also remember living in Northern Ontario and being snowed in with my spouse-at-the-time being gone already for a few days. I didn't drive, but I had a toddler to feed. Again, having food stores made all the difference in my attitude and outlook.

The wisdom of food storage cannot be overstated. Everyone, regardless of income level, tax bracket, location or age should consider doing what they can to put some food by. The more, the better. Give careful thought to storage, record keeping and how all that can be achieved cheaply.

No Sheeple Here

Where does a "prepper" end and self sufficiency begin?
When one realizes that prepping is all well and good, but unless you have the incredible fortune to have 5 years worth of supplies squirreled away, you're going to have to learn how to be self sufficient.
In fact, many advocates of self-sufficiency started  on the path to prepping.

When I say "prepping", I'm not talking about tinfoil-hat-wearing-rifle-toting-live-underground types.
Generally, I'm talking about the folks who put food and basic supplies aside in times of just-in-case.
Just-in-case could be shortage of work, extended power outages, store shortages, road closures, natural disasters, and the list goes on depending on geography, financial climate, etc.


Digital Journal explains it like this;
"The heart of the prepper message: No power, no stores open. No stores open, no food. During the Los Angeles riots, truckers refused to deliver to supermarkets because it was too dangerous. People living day-to-day who have consumed the limited amount of food they have begin to get desperate, and, in the case of a massive or multiple disasters, government assistance may or may not be forthcoming. Indeed, the government itself may be the problem."

It's an easy stroll from a "prepper" mindset to one of self sufficiency.
For example, one day I can be thinking about buying freeze-dried fruit online and three days later I'm planting my own strawberry beds so that I won't have to buy strawberries online next year. The money I save not buying the fruit online can be diverted into a dehydrator.
See? No message of doom and gloom, but rather, think ahead.

It's an engaging, a creative use of the grey-matter between our ears. One that takes responsibility for ourselves. One that says we can think for ourselves, no sheeple here, thank you very much.


Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/doomsday-prepping-comes-of-age-reaches-cities-affluent/article/384096#ixzz34og7c5uA

Beat The Flood! Take That Power Outage!

Do you still have spring in your neck of the woods? Or maybe it feels more like summer? We're still enjoying mild spring here, and while there is a part of me that is worrying about August, I love being able to be warm in these last few days of March. All winter, I've been doing research into extending my growing season; both being able to start early and finish late, and have the veggies survive this. The other day it occurred to me that if we're this mild now, what about August? Some veggies bolt in heat, so then I began to wonder if I shouldn't be looking at ways to keep my veggies from baking in the ground! We're getting pretty good at thinking outside the box around here, and we certainly can't afford rows and rows of shade cloth, as much as I'd like to. So on a walk one day, I got to wondering what could be acquired inexpensively for a person such as myself, who is trying to provide relief for hot plants.

In every thrift store I see sheer curtains. I myself have gotten rid of a few in my time. But I wonder now if they might be sewn together, even by hand, and then rigged into some fashion of row cover. A frame could be built fairly easily from small saplings, cast off branches or the like and then the homemade row cover applied over top. But how to keep those sheers where you want them, and not off  into the next yard or the swamp? Hose, cut into 4 or 6" lengths, and then split lengthwise, can be used as a poor mans clamp. Again, there are lots of thrift stores out there that may have hose, or even something similar that sparks your imagination. Think outside the box. Think repurposing. Think, 'how can I use this to keep it out of the dump?'
Now I'm not proposing you become a pack-rat, just start thinking of the things you see in a new way. The more we can keep out of our dumps and landfills, the more we can use what's already been manufactured, the more money we'll save.

What kind of spring weather do you have where you are? Is your area susceptible to violent spring thunderstorms? Does your area flood frequently? Are you  at the mercy of road traffic? Do you have frequent power outages? Now might be a good time to go poke through your cupboards. Go ahead, I'll wait.

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Ok, now that you've done that, ask yourself, 'if I was cut off from the grocery store, would I be able to eat for three days?' Think about what you like to eat. Do you eat out more than at home? Do you excel at box meals that require only a microwave? Let's think outside that box for a moment. Even hamburger helper can be broken down. It requires meat, ok, but the price of beef is going up, we don't want to break the bank cooking at home. Do you have access to ground chicken? You can mix ground chicken and ground beef, or use only ground chicken if you'd like. There's very little taste difference anyway, at least with store bought meat. So you have meat, now think about your favorite pasta. Egg noodles? Scoobi pasta? Elbows? Bow ties? Whatever your favorite, that's the one you want to get. Next, you want to get a can or two of your favorite vegetables. Peas, carrots, corn, okra, beans...whatever your favorite veggie is can be dropped into your special dish. Don't forget to get a manual can opener! An electric one won't do much good if your in the grip of a four hour long power failure and you're hungry! So that's one idea for dinner. But what if you live in an apartment, like me, and when the power goes off, your stove won't work? That's a whole new level of creativity. Can you operate a small camping stove out on your balcony or patio? Do you have a barbeque? You'll want to make sure you have an alternate way to cook or reheat your food.

What about water? Let's say you need a gallon a day for drinking. Add a bit more for washing, even just what we call a bird bath. (Wet washcloth, scrub any potentially stinky areas). Do you have pets? Add some water for them too. I still find it outrageous that a lot of folks pay hard earned money for something that falls from the sky. Rarely will you ever see me buying bottled water. Save your milk jugs, pop bottles, juice jugs or whathaveyou. The bigger, the better. Rinse them out well, remove the labels if you can and put a capful of regular home-use bleach into the jug/bottle. Not the lemony kind of bleach, mind you, just regular, run of the mill bleach. Fill the container with warm water, the warmer the better, and give it all a swirl. Put the cap back on, turn the vessel upside down to make sure the upper parts are disinfected too. Dump that out, maybe your toilet can use the added clean, and rinse the vessel very well with repeated fillings and rinses of water. If you don't mind your tap water, you can fill your jug or bottle with that. We use a water jug with a built in filter here (which reminds me, I need to get a replacement filter for it), and I fill our jugs and bottles from the filtered water. I date the bottles with permanent marker and set it side somewhere out of the way. I doubt I have enough to last a month, but I know we'd all have enough water to last a week anyway.

So now, in theory, you've thought about food, water and a way to heat that food. You might want to invest in some candles for light too. There are a gazillion choices out there, from the scented variety to the basic emergency style. No matter which you get, always think about candle safety. Make sure those candles aren't tippable. If flashlights are more your style, there are plenty of sturdy LED flashlights and lanterns out there. Next time you're shopping or mall crawling, wander through a store that has sports equipment or camping equipment. Keep a thought for quality and safety, always. There are so many choices out there, you don't have to compromise safety or cost for quality.

I hope all this has gotten you thinking about how to beat your next power outage, wash out, flood or whatever might put a crimp in your daily life. It never hurts to be ready for anything that might come our way.