Are You Ready?

Time To Rotate!

2011-03-21T23:18:00.000-07:00

How often are you supposed to rotate your storage? Every 6 months is a good rule of thumb. Normally I would say do it at daylight savings time, but the last couple of years have changed that. Darn March to November time change. But still, think April and October. This is the perfect time to use up the items that are getting too old and replace them. This is also a great time to replace your smoke detector batteries. Mine have been chirping at me recently. They know it's time.

Quick side note- Did you Know???? Smoke detectors are only guaranteed for 5 years? I found this out from our local fire department at Pack Meeting with my Scout group a few months back. Scary, huh? AND if you have natural gas in your home you need to have a CO (carbon monoxide) detector too. One is also required in garages now by code law in new construction homes (as of last year? built homes). This is to help prevent deaths from cars running in enclosed garages and/or a leak from the furnace system.

OK, back to food storage. As I've stated before in other posts, you don't have to have number 10 size cans of wheat packed for a 30 year shelf life to call it good. You need to have what your family regularly eats stocked on those garage shelves (or where ever you store it). Use coupons to save money and stock up when something is on sale. Don't forget the non-food items too. It can be very easy to get a year supply of toothbrush/toothpaste and deodorant when it's on sale, and for super cheap! A few months back I got our year supply of these items (for a family of 5) by shopping some good sales and spent about $15 total for the whole year! There are many blogs out there for getting grand deals with coupons and utilizing the store sales. Here's the one I like the best.

I know it sounds tedious, but for 2 weeks, keep a log of every disposable and consumable item (non-food) you and your family uses. These need to be in your food storage reserve. Also make sure you have batteries for flashlights, flashlights that work, am/fm radio, and a camping stove with fuel. These are very minor items that make a major impact if you don't have them.

So... rotate, restock, and plan! You can do it!

On The Go

2010-07-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

So we all know that we need to have 72 hour kits, one for each person in your family. But where are they stored? Most people keep them in the closet or garage, which is just fine. Did you think about what to do if you're away from home and your supplies? Keeping a 72 hour kit in your car is a perfect way to stay prepared. Yes, this does mean having 2 kits per person, but you will be prepared no matter where you go. Emergencies are not picky and don't wait for the most convenient time for you to happen.

Also, there are some extra things you will need for being away that you don't need when at home. Have quarters in your kit for using payphones. Have some sort of bathroom/waste system on hand, including toilet paper. You'll need a shovel and hatchet as well. Have a pair of walking shoes in the trunk. You don't want to be stuck trekking miles in heels! You'll need a shelter too. Sleeping in the car may not be an option at some point. Make sure you have water!!! As a good rule of thumb, keep the gas tank filled at least 1/2 way at all times. You may need to take off quickly and without notice. There's no time to stop at the gas station! Don't be stuck on the side of the road with no options. You may also consider keeping a gas can filled in your vehicle too. Plastic ones don't seal the fumes well, so I suggest a metal one, such as a "jerry can."

Make sure you have the items that your family needs. Every family is different in their needs. One family may need to have formula and diapers, while another may need diabetic supplies. Pack what you use and will need. Be prepared!

The Next Step

2010-06-26T02:38:00.000-07:00

Originally posted on June 18, 2010

When most people think of emergency preparedness, they think of food storage, water storage, batteries, flashlights, maybe even a radio. But there is so much more. Not to overwhelm you, but there are also 72 hour kits (families need a separate one for every person!), clothes, blankets, planned escape routes, predetermined meeting places, code words, emergency out of state contact, plan "b" (or maybe even "c"), back up fuel, alternative cooking methods, alternative heating methods, back up generators, medicines (including daily prescriptions), toilet paper, soap, toothpaste, deodorant, toothbrush, hair brush, sanitary pads, etc... There are so many "little things" that we use day to day that we just don't think about but are necessary for long term. There are larger items, like a cook stove or generator that may not be feasible to store in your situation, but maybe someone you know has one you can use with them in an emergency or maybe they'll store it for you in exchange to use it with you.

This weeks goal is to record every day for two or three days, all the items you use or ingest from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed. The list may shock you. Make sure you are including these items in your storage kits. Gals, remember mother nature. You don't want to be caught without a plan!

Use last week's tip and just buy an extra something here and there when on sale, and put it away. It's an easy way to get prepared.

Fundamentals

2010-06-26T02:30:00.000-07:00

Originally posted on June 11, 2010

Food storage? Emergency preparedness? Family plan? What are these? Why do I need them?

Ummm, how do I put this nicely.... YOU NEED THEM! No matter where you live in the world, what station of life you are in, these are part of life's essentials that I don't see being taught enough, if at all, in a lot of areas. My church is very big on being prepared and doing it correctly. You don't want all your efforts wasted. Case in point- why save and store up 50 pounds of dried black beans if you don't eat or like them, let alone know how to cook them? Store what you have in your normal diet. If an emergency arises sure people take what they can get, but why purposefully be mean to yourself?

We will start with the beginning... Do you have ANY food storage? How old is it? Go look. If the can's dates are older than what's in your pantry, switch them! Make sure you are rotating properly. Just like you're supped to check and replace smoke detector batteries, check and rotate your food at least every 6 months. If you have the funds to, there are nifty shelves I saw an ad for in LDS Living that rotates for you. I'll have to find the magazine and put the link on here later (if you want instant gratification, try googling it- "rotating food storage shelves". There's lots of ideas of how to build it yourself or buy a system.)

Don't have anything saved up? Easiest way to start is to buy a couple extra bottles of ketchup, box of noodles, cans of tuna....whatever you eat and can afford. Put it in a different place than your normal foods (garages usually work... or under a bed... in a closet, you get the idea) just as long they are not going to get eaten just because you haven't had time to go shopping yet for the week. These are meant for EMERGENCIES (loss of job and no food stamps or money for food constitutes as an emergency). It's amazing how much a little here... a little there... really ads up! Please do not have instant gratification for this process. Yes, there are kits out there to buy a whole year supply of food at once and be done, but they cost thousands of dollars. Unless you have that amount of funds (NOT CREDIT) available to go do that, I advise you not to.

Costco and Cash-N-Carry are great places to get bulk foods and cases of canned goods for a very reasonable price. If you shop there normally, buy an extra case or two and stash them in the garage...under the bed...closet...you get the idea.

There are also a few companies out there that specialize in food storage and freeze-dried foods. These would also be awesome places to consider buying from since fruits and veggies cannot be stored fresh, and home-canned or store cans can take up a lot of room. Freeze dried foods just need to be reconstituted, so keep that into consideration as well (you'll need to store EXTRA water).

Goal time! This week check your stock, rotate, and add 3 full meals worth of non-perishable food items (include spices used in the recipes!)