Editor’s Note: Although wheat is a great choice for adding to your preparedness supply, there is a downside to this food source. The GMO wheat that is prevalent in many of the store bought products we purchase in this country has been genetically altered to increase carbohydrates thus leading to increased health issues such as high blood sugar levels.

To ensure your bread choices are the healthiest, make sure you look at the ingredient listings. If the first ingredient is whole grains, then that is a good bread choice option. If you are not allergic to wheat, I would advocate having some whole wheat in your diet as there is nutrition in this grain, but there are alternatives available. Some healthy options are: amaranth, barley, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, rice, rye, and sorghum.

Introduction

A month or so back, I went to a local spa to have a back massage; my left shoulder was bothering me.  The therapist, Don, and I talked a bit and he asked what medications I was on; I told him.  I told him that one of my goals was to get off those medicines by diet but I was having a difficult time with it.  He spoke of a book written by Dr. William Davis, Wheat Belly.  Don explained that Dr. Davis, a cardiologist, had found that eliminating wheat from one’s diet could reverse many of today’s medical problems.  He has well over 2000 patients as proof.

So I bought a copy of the book and read it immediately.  I could not believe what I was reading; I had the solution in my hand.  So I implemented the wheat-free diet about a month ago and can state that this works; I have dropped my blood sugar count by 19 points, some 17% in one month.  I have taken myself off the Metformin that my doctor had prescribed; my blood sugars are now well within the normal ranges.

So how does this work?

Type II diabetes is defined as metabolic disorder that is characterized by high blood sugar.  Long term complications that can arise from the disorder can be heart disease, eye sight loss, kidney failure and poor circulation of limbs requiring amputation in extreme cases.

The occurrence of diabetes in the US remained relatively constant until the mid 1980s.

Then things took a dramatic turn for the worse.

History

Diabetes in the year 2013 is as common as Coca-Cola, which by the way is sweetened with GMO high fructose corn syrup.  If you are not a diabetic you probably know someone that is, or at least pre-diabetic.  Depending on whose definition you read, there are approximately 85 million people with pre-diabetes or Type II diabetics in the US.  That’s more than the entire US population of 1900.

So how did we get here?  In a word, diet.  The explosion of Type II diabetes is paralleled by a huge increase in the number of overweight and obese people.  It might be more appropriate to say that the explosion of diabetes is a cause of overweight and obese people.

A trip to your local doctor and a blood test will confirm high blood sugars or you can buy a test kit from most pharmacies.  Modern physicians are mere pawns of the pharmaceutical industry and prescribe a pill for most everything; these doctors have little or no knowledge about diets and natural healing remedies.  Physicians prescribe Metformin in most cases to reduce glucose production by the liver.

So what happens when you run out of medications and cannot get anymore?

Get Rid of The Wheat

A proper diet can and will reduce or eliminate your medication dependency; yes that’s right.  You CAN get off those expensive pills by eating the right foods and avoiding the wrong ones.  How?  By becoming wheat free.  Yes, you heard me correctly.

Did you know that we Americans consume approximately 133 pounds of wheat per year?  That equals to about 200 loaves of bread per year.  Wheat is in everything processed including breads, bagels, starches, flours, beer, cereals, energy bars, processed meats, and even lipstick.

Wheat is the most consumed grain on earth.  But the wheat you eat today is not the same grain that your grandmother baked with. [Editor's note: Einkorn wheat is the closest wheat variety to heirloom]  Through many years of human engineering, modern wheat has been bred to be a super carbohydrate; full of exorphins that instruct your brain to make you feel hungry.

Consuming 2 slices of bread in a sandwich will give you a spike in your blood sugar equal to 3 tablespoons of sugar, greater than a Snickers bar. This spike in blood sugar follows rapidly by hunger that is often satisfied by more carbohydrates.  So the cycle continues and the person continues to eat more and gain more.

So you eat two biscuits for breakfast, two sandwiches for lunch and 4 slices of pizza for dinner not to count those two granola bars at 2PM.  Now that’s a lot of carbohydrates in that wheat you have eaten.  Your blood sugar is all over the map.

But going on a wheat free lifestyle breaks the chain.  Avoid the wheat, avoid the weight, and avoid or reverse the Type II diabetes.

I’m Hungry

No wheat, I am going to starve.  What can I eat?

• Fresh vegetables, lots of them,
• Good pasture raised meats,
• Free range poultry,
• Seafood, wild caught if at all possible,
• Dairy products,
• Bread made with almond flour and flaxseed,
• Cheese, avoid Blue Cheese as its processed with mold from bread.

News to Live By

Cinnamon has made recent Facebook headlines promoting a reduction in glucose levels by some that take it.  Some research on the American Diabetes Association website did produce evidence of a study completed in 2003 that confirmed it.

The study found that after 40 days, test results found that 6 grams of cinnamon taken daily reduced the fasting glucose levels up to 29%, triglycerides 30%, LDL cholesterol 27% and total cholesterol 26%

The conclusion was that if 6 grams of cinnamon were taken daily in diets of persons with Type II diabetes it would lower the associated risks.

Summary

Get rid of the wheat, eat some cinnamon, lose the weight and get off those medications so you will not need them anymore.

Modern Wheat is the Perfect Chronic Poison, Says Expert

Davis, Dr. William, Wheat Belly, First Edition, New York,

Kham Dr. Alam, Safdar Dr. Mahpara,  Ali-Khan, Dr. Mohamad Khattak Dr. Khan, Anderson Dr. Richard ,Cinnamon Improves Glucose and Lipids of People With Type 2 Diabetes, American Diabetes Association,

When we bought our first flock of chicks, we somehow ended up with a rooster in our group. We decided to take advantage of it and allow him to fertilize the eggs and provide us with beneficial fertilizer. I would be lying if I didn’t say that we didn’t bond with this animal. It’s never your intention to create an emotional bond with livestock, but when you care for them day after day, it’s hard not too. Over time, like all roosters, Bernie had become increasingly more aggressive. For months we have skirted around the fate of this rooster, and after we were able to successfully hatch a brood of chicks from our incubator, we decided that today was the day – it was time to kill him. Being a first time homesteader, I firmly believe in stretching myself and developing my skill sets. One of these important skills to learn is caring for and butchering livestock.

I believe that animals were put on this earth to serve a purpose and further believe that as long as the animals are cared for and killed humanely, then their lives had meaning. Our chickens are 100% organic and live a very good life where they have lots of room to roam around and eat to their hearts content.  Like many of you, we are trying to be self-sufficient and raise or grow as much of our own food as we can – on our own terms. Part of the self-sufficient cycle is eating the food sources you have raised. That said, we did a lot of research on homesteading websites and watched videos on butchering before we were ready to do it. This video on killing the animal and this video on cleaning it were very helpful.

Killing and Processing the Chicken

Once the rooster was caught, we wrapped him in an old towel and allowed him to settle. I stroked his beautiful feathers and we all thanked him for his life and the baby chicks we were now caring for. Somehow I ended up with the knife in my hand. I have to tell you that although I have put thought into the fact that we were going to be butchering the chickens, I never thought it would be at my own hand. Nevertheless, I used the knife and cut his throat. I am still trying to process this moment.

He bled out quickly and at one point squirmed his way out of the towel we had wrapped him in. His wings were flapping and blood had splattered all over me – I swear I looked like I had stepped out of a scene from Braveheart. We allowed his blood to drain in a bucket and I went to wash up. As a side note, I would suggest wearing rain boots when butchering animals, as the blood tends to drip on your shoes and makes a mess.

The following are the steps we took to kill and clean the chicken to get it oven ready.

1. Before butchering the bird, have all tools and everything in place before you start. You will need a very sharp knife, rope, a bucket, an old towel and rain boots.
2. Start a large pot or stock pot of water on the stove. You don’t want boiling water, but extremely hot, near the simmering point.
3. Get your chicken and wrap it in an old towel. Find the back of the jaw bone of the chicken. This is where you want to start cutting. With a very sharp knife, use a good amount of pressure and cut the throat of the bird from the back of the jawbone to the jugular vein. To help the chicken bleed out more quickly, try not to cut the windpipe. You can also break their neck shortly following the cut to the neck.
4. Allow the chicken to bleed out completely by hanging it from its feet with a rope. Use a plastic container for the blood to fall into. This step should take about 5 minutes.
5. Dip the bird into the hot boiling water to loosen up the feathers and begin plucking. We set the bird in the hot water for 20 seconds and the feathers easily came off.
6. Wash the carcass in the sink and go over the body ensuring you have removed all quills and feathers.
7. Grab the leg and exert some pressure to the find the joint connecting the foot and the leg and cut the feet off. If you plan to use the entire bird, you can use the feet to make chicken stock.
8. To begin eviscerating the chicken, open the cavity, find the end of the breast bone and with a sharp knife and make small cuts around the area and around the anus area. This is where you will be able to grab the internal organs and such. Try not to damage or break the intestines or it can ruin the meat.
9. Stick your hand into the chest cavity and remove the organs and intestines. There is a slight smell when the cavity is opened. I wasn’t aware of this and wished I had held my breath. Note: You may need a knife nearby to cut any connective tissues inside the cavity.
10. Wash the cavity and the outside of the bird thoroughly and then prepare for cooking.

The Process

I’m going to come out and say that butchering is not my thing and definitely not something I look forward to for family fun activities. I would kill another animal to feed my family, but I’m definitely not a fan. This process really taught me a lot about the cycle of life and how important it is to respect all life forms. After we finished eating the rooster, I wanted to save everything – nothing wasted with this dinner. I plan on making a soup tomorrow out of the remaining carcass.

The hardest part of this was killing the rooster. In all honesty I believe that taking a life would be hard for anyone whether it’s your first time or your twentieth; after all, this is what makes us humans. I have never taken a life and killing the rooster was very difficult for me to do. It is my hope that Bernie, the rooster didn’t suffer and that he was happy until the end.

The next time we decide to butcher a chicken, we will probably do more than one at a time. Although the process of butchering and cleaning went fairly quickly, I would rather have the meat cleaned and ready to go instead of killing one chicken at a time.

The End Result

As a side note, many suggest you butcher your chickens while they are young (less than 1 year old) and still considered pullets. This is when their meat is still tender. My rooster was about 8 months old, so he was fairly young. After cooking him on low heat for 1 1/2 hours, his meat was tough. I’m assuming that since he was male, his meat wouldn’t have been tender anyway. Does anyone have any insight in answering this question?

I hope my experience is able to help some of you who are either considering a homesteading lifestyle or are considering butchering your chickens for the first time. It is never fun to take a life, but I respect this animal for giving my family sustenance.

Essentially, I believed my future would be a life living in fear. What if my husband was injured? How would I protect my family alone? I had tunnel vision and was not looking at the greater picture. Admitting to having fear is perfectly normal when we’re talking about an SHTF scenario. This fear helps us to better prepare our families to take better care of them. Once we remove the goggles for tunnel vision, only then can we realize we have a great opportunity at our disposal. If we want to thrive – we need our communities to thrive as well.

The resilience of our communities is solely dependent on how prepared each of its members are. A prepared community can prevent, protect against, mitigate the effects of, respond to, and assist in recovery from threats that pose the greatest risk.

To make this happen, our efforts must lie in readying our entire community through preparedness-based education and actively putting preparedness measures and supplies in each household. But first, you must ensure that your own home is prepared before you can branch out into preparing a community. Each household should look into creating a preparedness plan, securing preparedness measures of their own and also actively creating security layers outside and inside the home to defend against vulnerabilities.

The Pros to a Prepared Community

In an extended emergency, a prepared community can bind together to share responsibilities and distribute tasks such as gardening, hunting, cooking, purifying water, gathering essential supplies and protecting the community. Knowing what your neighbor’s strengths are will help create a more prepared community.

We are all aware of the strength in numbers, and our odds of survival rest partly in those we can rely on. Having a large group of prepared individuals will help the community thrive for longer amounts of time because multiple parties will have preparedness supplies to draw from. Along those lines, a large group of preppers can diversify themselves through cross training in various essential skills. Individuals bringing a variety of skills binds the group further to create a solid, well-functioning team.

In all honesty, you must realize that not everyone in the community will be on board toward getting supplies in place. Keep in mind that all you can do is prepare the ones who are on board and who see the bigger picture of getting a community prepared.

How To Create a Preparedness Plan for Your Community

It is more worthwhile to teach someone to do something, than to do something for them. The quote, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” comes to mind when the discussion of community-based preparedness is addressed. Rather than relying on the government to take care of our needs, we need the entire community to be well informed as well as self sufficient. We have seen first hand how inundated police and other emergency personnel become during  and after a disaster – we are essentially left on our own until the recovery efforts begin. In an extended emergency, a prepared community can bind together to weather the storm. As a whole, a community should understand the importance of making preparedness a priority. This concept comes down to education.

Educating the masses on emergency preparedness will keep a community level headed as well as be more accepting at what needs to happen in order for the greater community to survive. They will understand what is to be expected during and after a disaster, what their duties are as citizens and how to better  protect their community. This proactive mindset will trickle down to younger generations thus creating a more preparedness based mindset for future generations.

1. Make a plan. Similar to creating your own family’s preparedness plan, ask similar questions to begin the task of community wide education on preparedness. Ask your neighborhood and other members of the community for input on how a community can be more prepared. This will help you find out what your community believes its vulnerabilities and concerns are. Create a questionnaire that lists multiple preparedness-based questions such as:

• What do you believe the most likely disasters to prepare for are?
• What do you believe the biggest concerns are during and after a disaster?
• Do you believe the community is prepared enough to thrive during a disaster? If not, what ways can we make it so?
• What skills do you possess that could benefit the community in a disaster?

Further, find out about the disaster plans at your workplace, your children’s school or daycare center, and other places where your family spends time. Once you have an understanding of what your community’s concerns and strengths are, establish close relationships with local community organizations. Seeing that you are willing to volunteer your time and services to this cause will help them be more willing to make this a priority. Further, getting to know what your local organizations’ protocols are toward emergencies will help your community better understand how to develop action plans, and guidelines for procedures and communication during a crisis. Some questions to ask community leaders and emergency organizations are:

• Should the public become involved in the response? If so, in what way(s)?
• What public or community function(s) has been or may be adversely impacted?
• What geographical area(s) has been or may be adversely impacted if a disaster occurs?
• How many people could be threatened, affected, exposed, injured, or dead?
• How will the community help elderly or disabled persons, if needed?
• If critical infrastructures have been affected (e.g., electrical power, water
• supplies, sanitation, telecommunications, transportation, etc.), in what ways can the community thrive?
• If the medical and health care facilities have been affected, what protocols can be taken to ensure the community has medical care?
• Are escape routes open and accessible during disasters?
• What other agencies and organizations will respond to an incident?
• How can information be communicated to responders and the public to protect itself?
• Does your community have existing mutual-aid agreements with other agencies,organizations, or jurisdictions?
• Has an Incident Command Post (ICP) been established? If so, where is it?
• Who is the Incident Commander (IC)? How can the IC be contacted?
• If the local or state government is not operating, who is next in line?
• What are your community’s warning signals: what they sound like and what you should do when you hear them?
• How will animals be cared for after a disaster?

Some organizations that have mutual- aid agreements would be beneficial to your endeavors. Some organizations to contact could be:

• Emergency Management Agencies (EMAs)
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
• Medical/health/behavioral care providers
• Fire, law enforcement, and other federal,
• State, local, and tribal response organizations
• Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs)
• State, regional, and tribal public health response coordinators
• Humanitarian/non-governmental/volunteer organizations
• Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs)
• Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)
• Private businesses
• Academic institutions (schools of public health, medicine, nursing, etc.)
• Other pertinent agencies/organizations such as churches, meet up groups or already existing prepper groups

2. Make it public. With the information you have accrued, you can report back the findings to your community and begin developing protocols and action plans. At the meetings, have all pertinent information and lists available for the public. I have found that checklists help a lot in organizing information that can easily be read. Meanwhile, keep providing information to local leaders and interested community members. You can do this by:

• Creating a monthly meeting with free preparedness training provided.
• A website with a newsletter to get information out to the masses.
• Participating in public service announcements or putting notices on local cable television are other ways to keep the community informed.
• Forming a partnership with local media outlets can be invaluable for promoting your program and recognizing contributions from presenters and others.
• You can also advertise your page in the free classified sections of local newspapers.
•  Start a face book page for local residents to post preparedness and prepper deals.

Further, setting up activities outdoors such as a barbecue or outdoor preparedness fair to meet the community will also assist in getting your message across. To show your passion for this cause, take photographs of preparedness sessions to promote future sessions or add them to your website and social media platforms. Note: Remember to get releases from individuals before publishing the photographs.

3. Educate the masses. Take a lesson from the major emergency organizations out there – educate, train and implement strategies to help the community feel comfortable about the emergency protocols in place. In a disaster situation, when a community understands what is happening and what to expect, they are more responsive to the situation itself and can easily adapt to their environment. Provide orientation and training to the public on the emergency operations plans, procedures, guidelines, command and management systems, and incident management systems used by your community.

4. Practice makes perfect. Participate in the planning, design, and conduct of routine exercises to evaluate the public’s knowledge on emergency preparedness and response. A critical component to survival is having the right frame of mind to handle the stresses before and after a disaster. Teach a community the importance of mental preparedness and help simulate real disaster scenarios so they are less apt to panic during an actual disaster.

Together We Stand

You have a unique opportunity to share your knowledge and your skills with your community.  We want our communities to be safer, stronger, and better prepared to withstand emergencies. Preparedness efforts should start with your household and expand into the greater community.

Educating the masses on the importance of emergency preparedness, setting up protocols, and cooperating with existing disaster organization’s procedures will help the community as a whole pool resources and sustain themselves in times of long-term recovery.

Help! Our basement flooded and the water got on some of our emergency food? Can I save it?

Angela

Answer:

Hi Angela,

I’m sorry to hear about your home being effected by a flood. Some food can be saved if it has been exposed to flood waters. Floodwater often contains infectious organisms, including intestinal bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Shigella; Hepatitis A Virus; and agents of typhoid, paratyphoid and tetanus. It also may be contaminated by agricultural or industrial chemicals or by hazardous agents present at flooded hazardous waste sites.

According to the FDA, “undamaged, commercially-prepared foods in all-metal cans or retort pouches can be saved if you remove the labels, thoroughly wash the cans, rinse them, and then disinfect them with a sanitizing solution consisting of 1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of potable water. Finally, re-label containers that had the labels removed, including the expiration date, with a marker.”

Moreover, because other food sources could have been tainted, do not eat any food that may have come into contact with flood water. If in doubt, throw it out! Further, do not eat food packed in plastic, paper, cardboard, cloth, and similar containers that have been water damaged. Foods and beverages with  screw-caps, snap lids, crimped caps (soda bottles), twist caps, flip tops, and home canned foods should also be discarded, if they have come in contact with flood water. These containers cannot be disinfected.

Your water sources may also be tainted. If the water is not potable or is questionable and bottled water is not available, then follow these directions to purify it:

• Use bottled water that has not been exposed to flood waters if it is available.
• If you don’t have bottled water, you should boil water to make it safe. Boiling water will kill most types of disease-causing organisms that may be present. If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle, and draw off the clear water for boiling. Boil the water for one minute, let it cool, and store it in clean containers with covers.
• If you can’t boil water, you can disinfect it using household bleach. Bleach will kill some, but not all, types of disease-causing organisms that may be in the water. If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle, and draw off the clear water for disinfection. Add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water, stir it well and let it stand for 30 minutes before you use it. Store disinfected water in clean containers with covers.
• If you have a well that has been flooded, the water should be tested and disinfected after flood waters recede. If you suspect that your well may be contaminated, contact your local or state health department or agriculture extension agent for specific advice.

Again, I’m sorry to hear about the flood and I hope that some of your emergency food can be saved. Best of luck!

Tess

Indians once referred to the mighty tornado as the “Finger of God” because it has the power to spare or destroy.

Tornados can occur in every state and has the capacity to strike with little or no warning. The damage from a tornado results from high wind velocity and wind blown debris. Because they can occur in any state and also accompany tropical storms and hurricanes as they move onto land, each family should make preparations before a tornado strikes.

Tornado Facts:

• They may strike quickly, with little or no warning.
• They may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms in the funnel.
• The average tornado moves Southwest to Northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction.
• The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 mph, but may vary from stationary to 70 mph. The maximum speed is over 300 mph.
• Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water.
• Tornadoes are most frequently reported east of the Rocky Mountains during spring and summer months.
• Peak tornado season in the southern states is March through May; in the northern states, it is late spring through early summer.
• Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 pm and 9 pm, but can occur at any time.

What’s the Difference Between a Watch and a Warning?

Tornado Watch - Tornadoes are possible. Remain alert for approaching storms. Watch the sky and stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio or television for information.

Tornado Warning - A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Take shelter immediately.

Signs of a Tornado

Always be on alert when a strong storm is approaching – with the right conditions it could turn into a tornado. Look for these additional signs:

• Dark, often greenish sky
• Large hail
• A large, dark, low-lying cloud (particularly if rotating)
• Loud roar, similar to a freight train.
• If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared to take shelter immediately.

Preparing for a Tornado

These swirling vortexes of destruction can cause fatalities and destroy in a matter of seconds with paths of up to 1 miles in width or more. Therefore it is in one’s best interest to prepare beforehand. Pre-planning is critical in helps your family react more quickly and fluidly to the situation at hand. Sitting down as a family to discuss protocols, procedures and what they should expect during a tornado will help them grasp the severity of the situation.

Make a Plan

The first thing you should do to prepare for any emergency is to sit down with your family and create a preparedness plan that includes pertinent contact information, alternative emergency locations, and have important papers safely put away or downloaded onto a flash drive for easy carry.

Sometimes certain preparedness subjects can be hard for small children to understand. Children have a psychological need for security and stability therefore, prepare your children by building their natural resilience to these situations. Read more here.

Further, if you store food and water for emergencies, plan to have meals that will require minimum fuel or electricity usage. There are many layers of a preparedness pantry, so depending on how long your want to prepare for, you may want to start off with shelf stable foods such as canned goods, just add water meals, freeze dried meals, etc.  For a calculator for how much food you need to be prepared, click here. You must anticipate that you will be without power until restoration efforts begin, so keep easy to make meals in mind. Also, don’t forget to store lots of water. You must have water for drinking, food preparation and for sanitation issues.

Communications is an important aspect of tornado preparedness. Ensure that you have a

In any emergency, always listen to the instructions given by local emergency management officials.

Sheltering in Place

Your family could be anywhere when a tornado strikes–at home, at work, at school, or in the car. Discuss different shelter areas to go to during a tornado. Moreover, talk with members of how they can  protect themselves from flying and falling debris.

According to the American Red Cross, “the key to surviving a tornado and reducing the risk of injury lies in planning, preparing, and practicing what you and your family will do if a tornado strikes. Flying debris causes most deaths and injuries during a tornado. Although there is no completely safe place during a tornado, some locations are much safer than others.”

At Home

 Pick a place in the home where family members can gather if a tornado is headed your way. One basic rule is AVOID WINDOWS AND MIRRORS. An exploding window can injure or kill.

The safest place in the home is the interior part of a basement. If there is no basement, go to an inside room, without windows, on the lowest floor. This could be a center hallway, bathroom, or closet.

For added protection, get under something sturdy such as a heavy table or workbench. If possible, cover your body with a blanket, sleeping bag, or mattress, and protect your head with anything available–even your hands. Avoid taking shelter where there are heavy objects, such as pianos or refrigerators, on the area of floor that is directly above you. They could fall though the floor if the tornado strikes your house.

If you live in a mobile home, bear in mind that these do not offer adequate shelter. They can turn over from high wind velocities. If you live in mobile home, evacuate immediately and go to the lowest floor of a sturdy, nearby building or a storm shelter from a tornado. Get out immediately and go to the lowest floor of a sturdy, nearby building or a storm shelter.

Car Safety

The least desirable place to be during a tornado is in a motor vehicle. Cars, buses, and trucks are easily tossed by tornado winds. DO NOT TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO IN YOUR CAR. If you see a tornado, stop your vehicle and get out. Do not get under your vehicle.

If you find yourself in a car when a tornado is hitting follow these safety protocols:

• Immediately get into a vehicle, buckle your seat belt and try to drive to the closest sturdy shelter.
• If your vehicle is hit by flying debris while you are driving, pull over and park.
• Stay in the car with the seat belt on. Put your head down below the windows; cover your head with your hands and a blanket, coat or other cushion if possible.
• If you can safely get noticeably lower than the level of the roadway, leave your car and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands
• Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer in a low, flat location.
• Never try to outrun a tornado in urban or congested areas in a car or truck. Instead, leave the vehicle immediately for safe shelter.
• Watch out for flying debris. Flying debris from tornadoes causes most fatalities and injuries.

Outdoors

If you are caught outside during a tornado and there is no adequate shelter immediately available, do the following:

Avoid areas with many trees.
Avoid vehicles.
Lie down flat in a gully, ditch, or low spot on the ground.
Protect your head with an object or with your arms.

Long-Span Buildings

A long-span building, such as a shopping mall, theater, or gymnasium, is especially dangerous because the roof structure is usually supported solely by the outside walls. Most such buildings hit by tornados cannot withstand the enormous pressure. They simply collapse.

If you are in a long-span building during a tornado, stay away from windows. Get to the lowest level of the building–the basement if possible–and away from the windows.

If there is no time to get to a tornado shelter or to a lower level, try to get under a door frame or get up against something that will support or deflect falling debris. For instance, in a department store, get up against heavy shelving or counters. In a theater, get under the seats. Remember to protect your head.

Office Buildings, Schools, Hospitals, Churches, and Other Public Buildings

Extra care is required in offices, schools, hospitals, or any building where a large group of people is concentrated in a small area. The exterior walls of such buildings often have large windows.

If you are in any of these buildings:

Injuries from a Tornado

Injuries sustained from a tornado can be serious and life threatening. Do not attempt to move seriously injured people unless they are in immediate danger of further injury. Get medical assistance immediately. If someone has stopped breathing, begin CPR if you are trained to do so. Stop a bleeding injury by applying direct pressure to the wound. Have any puncture wound evaluated by a physician. If you are trapped, try to attract attention to your location.

Reconnecting with Family Members

When disasters are concerned, things can go awry very quickly.  And in some cases, families can become separated.  When a family is separated from one another, providing pertinent information to medical personnel or first responders becomes more challenging due to heightened emotions from the stressful situation. Click here to learn how to create personal ID cards for children and to have essential information stored for this situation. After a disaster, let your family and friends know that you are safe and well to bring peace of mind to concerned family members. This website is designed to help make that communication easier.

Emotionally reconnecting with family members can also be difficult. Due to the trauma involved in surviving a natural disaster, some children will exhibit symptoms of post traumatic stress. Click here to learn how family members can help their child get through this difficult time.

To conclude, the best way to prepare for a tornado is to frequently check supplies and have family members practice where to go and what to do during a tornado. Practice makes perfect and helps to calm fears when and if this natural disaster occurs.

The United States gets an average of 5.9 hurricanes, 1,000 tornadoes and 10,000 severe thunderstorms. These storms bring unpredictable circumstances and can cause immense damage. But, rather than fear the unknown, it is best to put worries aside and be prepared.

The following are some important steps for ensuring you have the tools to brave potential storms.

Before the Storm

1. Create an emergency plan that all members of the household know.
2. Make a checklist with essential preparedness items to help you stay organized.
3. Store your emergency storm kit of must-have items in a reachable location. Remeber to include items such as a battery operated radio, flashlights, batteries, candles, matches, bottled water, blankets, non-perishable food, can opener, first aid kit, list of phone numbers, prescription medications and games to pass the time.
4. Listen to the news and local forecasts to give yourself as much notice as possible.
5. Remove dead or rotting trees and branches that could fall and cause injury or damage during a severe thunderstorm.
6. If a strong storm is imminent, play it safe and postpone outdoor activities.
7. Secure outdoor objects that could blow away or cause damage.
8. Get inside a home, building, or hard top automobile (not a convertible). Although you may be injured if lightning strikes your car, you are much safer inside a vehicle than outside.
9. Shutter windows and secure outside doors. If shutters are not available, close window blinds, shades or curtains.
10. Unplug any electronic equipment well before the storm arrives.
11. Secure a back-up generator, such as a Generac portable generator, and place it off the floor in case you experience flooding.
12. Make sure your generator has plenty of fuel to provide alternative power in case the electricity goes out. Note: Ensure your generator is in working order by checking the oil and adding fresh fuel with a bottle of  STA-BIL Ethanol Treatment to keep the fuel fresh and combat damage from ethanol in today’s gasoline. Run the generator for a few minutes. If the generator does not start, add a bottle of Start Your Engines! Fuel Revitalizer to clean the fuel injectors, carburetor and intake valves and get the engine up and running quickly.

 Additional Tips For Preparing for a Strong Thunderstorm

1. Obey evacuation directions in dire situations.
2. Make sure your cell phone is charged and keep a charger with you.
3. Set your refrigerator and freezer controls to the coldest settings to keep food longer should the power go out.
4. Fill your car’s gas tank just in case you need to drive to safety.
5. Take out a reasonable amount of cash in case ATMs are out of order.
6. Tie down any large objects outdoors that may get thrown during a storm (e.g. patio furniture, toys) and place valuables inside in a safe place off the floor.
7. Ensure a supply of water for sanitary purposes by filling your bathtub, sinks and other large containers with water.

When a Storm is in Progress

1. Stay indoors and away from windows or glass doors.
2. Take refuge in a small interior room or closet or below ground if possible.
3. Listen to the news for updates and directions on how to proceed using your battery-operated NOAA Weather Radio for updates from local officials.
4. Avoid contact with corded phones and devices including those plugged into electric for recharging. Cordless and wireless phones not connected to wall outlets are OK to use.
5. Avoid contact with electrical equipment or cords. Unplug appliances and other electrical items such as computers and turn off air conditioners. Power surges from lightning can cause serious damage.
6. Avoid contact with plumbing. Do not wash your hands, do not take a shower, do not wash dishes, and do not do laundry. Plumbing and bathroom fixtures can conduct electricity.
7. Do not lie on concrete floors and do not lean against concrete walls.
8. Avoid natural lightning rods such as a tall, isolated tree in an open area.
9. Avoid hilltops, open fields, the beach or a boat on the water.
10. Take shelter in a sturdy building. Avoid isolated sheds or other small structures in open areas.
11. Avoid contact with anything metal—tractors, farm equipment, motorcycles, golf carts, golf clubs, and bicycles.
12. If you are driving, try to safely exit the roadway and park. Stay in the vehicle and turn on the emergency flashers until the heavy rain ends. Avoid touching metal or other surfaces that conduct electricity in and outside the vehicle.

Disclaimer: The items featured in this giveaway were provided by Gold Eagle Co. and will be sent to the winner directly. Opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own. I have not been compensated for this post in any way.

Could it be any more clear that you are on your own after a disaster?  If you are not prepared, you, too, will be at the mercy of FEMA, waiting months for the President to get around to authorizing aid, huddled in a tent through the frigid months of  winter or shivering in a home ill-equipped to be off-grid.

It’s vital to recognize that this can happen – right here in North America.  It’s happening right now.  As you  read this, nearly 2,000 families on this continent are trying to stay warm, clean, fed and healthy without electricity or running water. It’s not just something that occurs in places like Haiti or Thailand.  Our grid is so susceptible that it can be taken out by an ice storm, a summer thunderstorm or a confluence of events like Superstorm Sandy.

Maybe your refrigerator stops making that weird humming noise and gives up the ghost altogether.

Perhaps your car begins leaking colorful fluids in the driveway.

A family emergency could call you away at the last minute, requiring a lengthy drive and hotel stay.

Personally, a medical emergency has occurred with my daughter, resulting in a long drive to see a specialist, some unexpected meals out, and the purchase of a parking pass at the city hospital. It’s a cringe-worthy expense of several hundred dollars, not to mention the possibility of other costs related to the care of the injury itself. My friend Y (*waves at Y*) very graciously offered a bit of help with the fuel expenses.

I said, “Oh, that’s okay. I’ll just take it from my emergency fund.”

Y replied, “Have you ever written on the topic of the emergency fund?”

So, yeah – the emergency fund. What a relief to have one! Having that money, sitting there, takes what would been an enormous worry out of the equations so that I can spend all my mental energy helping my child. Whatever the personal SHTF event may be, having some money set aside to deal with it is every bit as much of a prep as a one year supply of beans and rice.

How much do you need?

One of the first things that money gurus recommend to people trying to get their finances on track is that they set aside an emergency fund. As someone trying to be prepared for any eventuality, it only makes sense to have something put away for a rainy day.

Everyone’s financial situation is different, so instead of a cookie cutter suggestion about how much money to keep on hand, consider your expenses. If you lost your job suddenly, and for some reason, never got another pay check, how much money would you need to survive for 1 month? 3 months? 1 year? While putting aside a year’s worth of expenses would be the penultimate goal for many, being able to cover 1-3 months of expenses will allow you a little bit of breathing room should financial disaster strike. (If you don’t know how much the household expenses cost each month, it’s time to figure that out!)

What currency should you use for your emergency fund?

Although many preppers are not fans of fiat currency, it’s still important to remember that in the world that exists today, government issued currency is most likely to be the unit of trade needed. If your car breaks down or you have to replace the refrigerator, you probably aren’t going to be paying for those items with gold ingots or silver coins.

I suggest that you keep a cash emergency fund of one month of expenses. This money is instantly available for life’s little surprises. Generally speaking, this will be enough for impromptu car repairs, appliance replacements or other small unexpected events.

Once your emergency fund is greater than the amount needed for one month, however, you may want to consider diversifying from simply cash. Precious metals are always a good option. While many people do not consider themselves “liquid” with their savings in PMs, it is nearly always a simple matter to exchange them for fiat currency. You have an added benefit with precious metals, in that they hold their value, unlike the dollar, which is consistently declining in value. I was initially overwhelmed by the idea of investing in gold and silver, thinking that it was for “rich people”. However, that is not the case. You can make a small investment with each paycheck and be secure in the knowledge that if disaster strikes, you have currency that will retain its value.

After you’ve gotten your emergency fund past the 3 month point, you can continue to convert your savings to precious metals, or, if needed, you can increase your tangible goods like seeds, storable food and home defense items.

Where should you keep your emergency fund?

Most folks keep their savings in the bank. It’s just the way things have been for over 100 years. However, some of us have become aware that banks are in precarious straits. Just last summer, we learned that deposit accounts are no longer legally protected. As well, the Federal Reserve passed a policy that in the event of an economic crisis (think “bank run) that accounts can be frozen to preserve the liquidity of the banks.

For most of us, banking is a necessary evil. Our paychecks are directly deposited. We pay our bills online. Our mortgage payments are automatically debited. My recommendation is not to leave in any more money than is required to meet these expenses. I personally withdraw everything beyond the bills coming out between pay periods.

For the reasons mentioned above, safety deposit boxes are also not a place you want to keep your savings. If the banks doors are locked, your precious metals and cash are locked in too, and you will have no access until the bank reopens. In the event of a disaster, that might be a very long time, if ever.

Some people consider their credit cards to be an emergency fund. Credit cards are not an emergency fund. Let me repeat that. CREDIT CARDS ARE NOT AN EMERGENCY FUND. You might be able to pay for an unexpected expense using one, but this is not ideal. By the time you pay the interest over the next few months, you will be paying far more than the cost of your purchase, miring yourself deeper into financial problems. And yes, if you have to use a credit card to pay for an emergency, you have financial problems.

Consider investing in one or more fireproof safes. Be creative about where you hide them, and when you’ve selected a spot, bolt them into the floor. Keep your cash and PMs at home. Remember, if you don’t have it, you don’t own it. Some people bury PMs in a cache.

When budgets are tight, how can you bankroll your rainy day fund?

If you don’t have some rainy day money, it is of the utmost importance that you fund this right away It’s time to change your financial lifestyle. This isn’t really fun, but the economy is continuing to freefall (despite with the White House and mainstream media would have you believe). The day is coming soon when these cuts will be mandatory. Isn’t it better to make the cuts now while our dollars will still help us to prepare?

Most of us have some places that we can cut the budget. To put it into perspective, a fancy frozen coffee concoction from Starbucks is about $6. Today, in Canada, the price of silver is $29.67 per ounce. One week without Starbucks =1 ounce of silver. Exercise some “tough love” and strip your budget down to the bare bones until you have a months worth of expenses put aside.

Sell something. Do you have a basement full of unused relics? Exercise equipment, old furniture, unused appliances -all of these things taking up valuable storage real estate can help you to establish your emergency fund. Hang on to things like gold and silver jewelry, though – it will increase in value.

Get a second job. You don’t have to plan to work two jobs indefinitely, but spending one day a week babysitting or taking on a different part time job can help you get your savings into the comfort zone.

What constitutes an “emergency” worthy of dipping in to the fund?

Once you have your emergency fund established, you might wonder, “What can I spend this on?”

Ideally, nothing. The goal is never to spend this money. This little safe full of money squirreled away is there for situations that cannot be addressed with your regular income.

Here are some things that are NOT emergencies:

• Trips to the mall
• Concert tickets
• Vacations
• Your 346th pair of shoes
• A celebratory dinner at a nice restaurant
• Cellphone bill

As yourself a few questions. Will it cost me more money if I do this later rather than sooner? Is the expenditure related to a safety issue? Is the expenditure related to a health issue? When will you have the money to pay for this out of your regular income?

• Refrigerator
• Car Repair
• Medication/Medical Bill
• Washing Machine (not in all situations, but if you have a baby in cloth diapers it’s pretty vital!)
• Utilities that will result in reinstatement charges

Only you can judge whether or not an event constitutes an emergency. If you must use money from your emergency fund, make it a priority to replace that withdrawal as quickly as possible.

*****

If you don’t have an emergency fund, take your preparedness to the next level. Get financially prepped for those unexpected “rainy day” moments.

For those of you with a little bit of money squirreled away, have you ever experienced an event that made you relieved that you had an emergency fund? Your comments can be very inspiring to those who are new to preparedness!

One of the easiest ways to save money is also one of the simplest. For some people, it’s one of the most difficult.

Stay home.

That’s it – nothing fancy at all. Just stay home more.

Now, before the flurry of emails begins, I’m not suggesting that you become a mad hermit up on a mountain, only trekking to the village on foot once a year to buy salt and sugar. In fact, as I write this, I’m on vacation with my daughters. (The first one in five years!)

Actually being on vacation is what inspired me to write this. I noticed some of the little things we spend money on when we’re out and about. Because I work from home, I am not “tempted” by all the things there are to spend money on very frequently. While I don’t think that we should stop living and enjoying life, during your everyday, non-vacation life, there are a lot of financial benefits to finding most of your entertainment, companionship and solace from the comfort of your home.

Transportation

The first big savings of staying home more frequently is the cost of your transportation. With fuel prices skyrocketing, you’ve probably noticed the pain each time you go to the pumps.

Group your errands. Obviously, you have to go to work and run errands. By grouping these things into fewer outings, however, you will save money on fuel. Stop by the grocery store on the way home from work instead of making a special trip on the weekend. If you go to a gym, go on the way to work and use the showers there. If your kids are involved in activities, consider doing some errands while they are engaged instead of dropping them off, going home, and going out again to pick them up.

Walk. Are you within walking distance of any of the things you have to do? If so, walk to the Post Office on your lunch break. Walk to work and school if you’re near enough. Not only will your wallet thank you, so will your health.

Food and Beverages

We live in a pretty rural area. We do our grocery shopping once a month because it’s a drive of an hour and a half. While we always take some drinks and snacks, nearly every single time we end up buying something during our time away. Maybe it’s a treat like ice cream in the summer or hot chocolate in the winter or even lunch at a restaurant. Since it’s only once a month, I plan this into the budget. However, when you’re out every day, these treats really begin to add up.

Bring your lunch, your drinks and your coffee. When I worked outside the home, I always brought my lunch and refilled my water bottle at the cooler. Many of my coworkers went out for fast food every day at lunch. They came in with a drive-thru coffee cup in their hands, went to the vending machine for a coke and a bag of chips. When you hit a drive-thru every time you go out the door, the price of leaving home goes up.

When you grocery shop, make a plan. When you go out for the explicit purpose of buying food and beverages, it’s best to make a list. Bring a drink with you, so you aren’t tempted to grab an overpriced bottle of water. Eat before you go so that everything in the store doesn’t looks so delicious that it makes its expensive, full-price way into your cart.

Entertainment

It seems like a lot of people can’t have fun at home anymore. Maybe I have a warped perspective of fun, but I really enjoy gardening, doing arts and crafts with the kids, making popcorn and watching a movie together or just reading a book. Our society has become so overstimulated that people constantly require more and greater stimulation in order to not feel “bored”. Take for example the folks who are glued to their iPhones while spending time at a place that should be entertaining in and of itself. We once saw an entire family at a restaurant, each with their own device out, eating food and ignoring one another. Because we don’t go out that often, I guess it’s more of a treat, so we are fully engaged in it. I’ve noticed that going to the backyard to play is no longer interesting enough – it has to be a water park or an amusement park for many kids to be excited about it.

By learning to entertain ourselves simply we can get a lot more happiness out of a lot less money. By developing some productive hobbies, we can be creative while meeting needs. By being active in our pursuits instead of passively entertained, we can be healthier in mind and body.

And while we’re on the topic of entertainment – shopping should not be “entertainment”. When you shop as “something to do” you are bound to spend money on something you don’t need. I have daughters, and they really don’t love my theory on this, but we shop when we need to get something. We don’t just go hang out at the mall. If it’s time to buy some school clothes, I allot a certain amount of money and time, and when it’s gone, it’s gone. I do the same thing with Christmas shopping. The mall is fraught with ways to drain your money – you get thirsty and buy a bottle of water or another drink. You weren’t hungry but the smells from the food court are so tantalizing you can’t resist. That display in front of the store has doohickeys that are ONLY a dollar.

It’s Not You, It’s Them

Don’t feel bad if you’ve read the suggestions above and recognized yourself. People go to college for 4-6 years just to learn how to part you and your money. Advertising is a multi-billion dollar industry. Western society is based on commercialism.

A 2007 article in the New York Times said that the average city dweller is subjected to more than 5000 ads every single day. It’s a barrage that hits you not only when leaving your house, but when turning on the radio, surfing the internet and watching television.

Add this to the endangered list: blank spaces.

Advertisers seem determined to fill every last one of them. Supermarket eggs have been stamped with the names of CBS television shows. Subway turnstiles bear messages from Geico auto insurance. Chinese food cartons promote Continental Airways.US Airways is selling ads on motion sickness bags. And the trays used in airport security lines have been hawking Rolodexes.

Marketers used to try their hardest to reach people at home, when they were watching TV or reading newspapers or magazines. But consumers’ viewing and reading habits are so scattershot now that many advertisers say the best way to reach time-pressed consumers is to try to catch their eye at literally every turn.

“We never know where the consumer is going to be at any point in time, so we have to find a way to be everywhere,” said Linda Kaplan Thaler, chief executive at the Kaplan Thaler Group, a New York ad agency. “Ubiquity is the new exclusivity.”

Recognizing that you are the target of commercialism run amok is the first step in resisting the marketing schemes. Your awareness that you are being manipulated makes you less likely to think, “Wow, that sounds great! I have to have it!”

Be sure that you are the one who decides where your money should be spent. Identify your priorities (preps, your stockpile, a better location, lessons that will improve your chances when/if the SHTF) and avoid the marketing machine as much as possible.

By centering your life around your home, you can stay focused on your goals. You can begin to see your home as a retreat from the stressors of the world instead of a grim place you’re trapped.

Sometimes you can make a clean break and other times you have to remain “just friends”.

The US government actually has a name for people who have no bank accounts – they call these folks “the unbanked”. The FDIC defines the unbanked as “those without an account at a bank or other financial institution and are considered to be outside the mainstream for one reason or another.” Another term is “the underbanked” – “people or businesses that have poor access to mainstream financial services normally offered by retail banks. The underbanked can be characterized by a strong reliance on non-traditional forms of finance and micro-finance often associated with disadvantaged and the poor, such as check cashers, loan sharks and pawnbrokers.”

According to the government, the above scenarios are crisis situations which must be rectified for “your own good”. There is legislation on the table in many states to set up banking facilities for the unbanked and underbanked. The assumption is that most folks who do not deal with a bank are too poor to do so. This could be true in many cases: high minimum balances, bad credit history, NSFs, and account fees can all preclude having a bank account for those in difficult financial straits.

However, the government has a couple more reasons to insist that everyone should have a bank account:

1.) Ease of confiscation

We need only to look at the horrible situation in Cyprus to see how bank accounts are like all-you-can-steal-buffets for the powers that be. A suggested theft TAX of up to 20% of the money in Cypriot bank accounts may be levied in order for the country to meet it’s staggering debts in the terms of the proposed EU bailout. The banks of Cyprus are loaded with the money of residents and businesses of other countries that have used them as a tax haven. The banks have been closed for several days and frantic customers are left to withdraw the maximum daily balances from ATM machines in an attempt to salvage what they can. Many people fear the banks will never reopen their doors.

Think it can’t happen here? I wonder if the people of Iceland, Greece, Ireland, Hungary, Argentina, Spain, and Portugal thought that too.

2.) Surveillance

The second reason that “everyone should have access to banking services” is the digital trail that it leaves. Every dime you receive and spend out of these accounts is part of an intricate system of surveillance. When your money goes into a bank – any bank – Big Brother knows about it. It’s a simple matter of compiling information via your social security number (or other federally- assigned number) to find out how much you make, how much you have, and where it comes from. This can be used to prosecute you for tax purposes, to locate you through where your pay comes from, and to follow your personal money trail for a variety of different reasons.

It can also be used to track your spending – Big Brother can find out that you spent $2000 at a gun store, that you purchased online from a prepper supply website or that you bought some books with “questionable” content in order to paint you as a threat.

Unbanking

So, in this day and age, is it possible to get by completely without a bank account?

It’s tough. Most work places prefer to pay through direct deposit. Many landlords, mortgage companies and finance companies do business through direct debit. You’re going to pay some steep fees if this is the route that you choose to go. For some, it might be worth it, particularly if you only have a few transactions in a month.

Here are some places you can cash checks for a fee:

• Check cashing depots
• Some retailers like Walmart, 7-11, and some grocery stores (the number of these is dropping rapidly)
• Pawn shops
• The issuing bank will sometimes cash a check drawn from one of their accounts for a non-account holder
• Some prepaid credit card accounts will accept a direct deposit (in my opinion, this is nearly as unsafe as having your money in a bank account)
• Through a friend or family member’s account (also risky – for both you and the account holder)

Here are some ways you can pay bills without a bank account:

• In person, with cash, cashier’s checks, or money orders
• Through the mail, with cashier’s checks or money orders
• Online, with prepaid credit cards
• Through a kiosk using a prepaid credit card
• At a check-cashing depot or retailer

Underbanking

Your next option is underbanking. For some people this may be the most realistic way to break up with their bank – it’s the “just friends” version. If you have a lot of transactions that go through your account every month, it isn’t necessarily practical to get rid of your account. Keep in mind that all of the above methods of unbanking still have a component of financial tracking. The checks and bills still have your personal information tied to them in most cases.

When you underbank, you still have an account. Set this up with the lowest possible fee and the lowest possible required balance. Shop around to find the best deal. Consider a credit union or community bank instead of one of the big mega-banks. They are slightly safer, emphasis on slightly.

Your paychecks from work can be directly deposited, which will make your employer happy. Employers rarely want to do something outside the norm, and if everyone else gets their pay directly deposited, writing a check for you will make you stand out – the opposite of what you want to do. As well, any other checks you receive, like refunds, tax returns, etc., can be processed through this account.

The goal here is to keep as little money as possible in this account. Banks are no longer the safest place to keep your money, and the .00001% of interest you will accrue is just not worthwhile.

Immediately upon payday:

• Pay all your bills online or through a kiosk out of this account – rent, utilities, credit card payments (hopefully you don’t have those)
• Buy necessities like groceries if you need to reduce the amount in the account for withdrawal purposes
• Calculate the amount of payments that will be coming out of your account between now and your next pay (rent/mortgage, car payment, insurance)
• Remove all money except that required for impending debits and your minimum balance. Get it in cash.

Avoid Financial Surveillance

The government wants everyone to have a bank account for another reason besides quick accessibility for the purpose of thievery. Big Brother wants to know what you earn, what you spend, and where you spend it. Every penny you spend could one day be used against you, as more and more things become illegal in the police state that is taking over the western world.

Use your bank account as little as possible if you’ve chosen to underbank:

• Buy stuff with cash
• Skip registering your belongings by serial number for warranty purposes
• For heaven’s sakes, don’t get one of those “customer loyalty” cards that track every purchase you make and provide you with “rewards” or “points”
• Buy from places that don’t track you, like yard sales, Craigslist, farmer’s markets, roadside stands, your brother’s friend’s sister’s boyfriend.
• Work for cash: this is another suggestion that won’t work for everybody, but if you can do some odd jobs for cash, even if you make slightly less money doing so, this is money that can’t be tracked.

Think about how your purchases tell a story about you that you might rather keep to yourself. Are you buying lots of farm equipment, soil amendments and seeds? Are you buying ammo every week? Are you stocking away large quantities of food or medical supplies? Have you recently purchased 2,347 books on different guerrilla warfare tactics? OPSEC is more than just keeping your mouth shut about your prepperly ways.

Ditch the Dollar

Although you require some fiat currency to function in today’s society, as well as some in an emergency fund, consider using other forms of currency whenever possible. The following suggestions won’t work for everyone, but some folks may be able to ditch the dollar in the following ways:

• Engage in the barter system: trade goods and services with like-minded people.
• Keep precious metals like gold and silver in a fireproof safe for your “savings account”
• Immediately convert fiat currency into tangible goods: food, ammo, home defense items, tools, etc.
• Work towards self-sufficiency – if you buy less, you can earn less: grow your food, repair your own home or vehicle, do things manually instead of using expensive equipment, lessen your dependency on the grid
• Simplify – this goes hand in hand with self sufficiency: find your entertainment from library books and online resources, skip eating out, take a walk instead of joining a gym – the less you feel you need, the less money you will have to earn.

The decision to unbank or underbank is unique to every individual. The further away you can get from “the system” the more privacy and security you will have. The suggestions above are not meant to be comprehensive – they’re meant to get you thinking about how you can disengage. As always, your suggestions in the comments can greatly benefit others!