Emergency Preparedness FHE Lesson

Need an idea for FHE this coming Monday night? Click here for a complete lesson on Emergency Preparedness!

10 iPhone Apps for Emergency Preparedness

While the ability to contact someone in the event of an emergency has always been part of a cell phone’s appeal, today’s technological advances have allowed mobile devices to evolve far beyond simply making and receiving phone calls. With the power of the iPhone backed by the talents of the many developers whose products fill the App Store, you now have unprecedented access to emergency assistance, information and alerts through your cell phone. These 10 apps are among the best for ensuring that you’re prepared for any emergency, and are wise investments to make.

1. Pocket First Aid & CPR from the American Heart Association – If you live or work with children, there’s a chance that you will one day be faced with the need to intervene due to a choking incident. With this $1.99 American Heart Association-approved app, you can access accurate life-saving information about how to best proceed in the event of choking, drowning or a cardiac episode.
2. Emergency Survival Handbook – The free version of the Emergency Survival Handbook for iPhone is packed with important information on a variety of subjects ranging from earthquakes to hazardous household chemical exposure. From general preparedness for smaller, everyday urgent situations to catastrophic events, this app touches on everything and will leave you better equipped to face any situation.
3. Intellicast HD – As one of the most advanced weather applications in the App Store, the free Intellicast HD app offers a variety of tools for staying apprised of weather-related risks and knowing when a severe storm is approaching “natural disaster” status. Push alert notifications will also give you real-time warnings from the National Weather Service, so you’ll never be caught unaware by an escalating storm.
4. ICE (In Case of Emergency) – Keeping your emergency contact and medical information at the tips of your fingers is simple with this free app, which will allow you to store one emergency contact and your driver’s license with the lite version. Higher functionality and more features accompany a purchase of the full, paid version.
5. American Red Cross: Shelter View – Should a natural disaster or catastrophic event leave you and your family in need of emergency shelter, this free app will let you know when new shelters are opened and where they’re located in order to facilitate the quickest possible move to safety. Offered by the Red Cross and functional across the United States, this is one free app you’ll definitely wish you had should you find yourself in need of shelter and assistance.
6. iMPrepared – Within the free download of iMPrepared, you’ll get a flashlight, compass, S.O.S signal and access to disaster RSS feeds. Recording relevant contact numbers and medical information will also help you to create a full family preparedness plan in advance, so that you never find yourself in need of such information when every moment counts.
7. POM Alert – POM stands for “peace of mind,” which is something that this $0.99 app offers in spades. Location-based alerts and real-time notifications keep you informed of any essential public alerts that are issued, including severe weather, disease control and Homeland Security information.
8. ubAlert – Disaster Alert Network – When disaster strikes, getting relevant information can be difficult. This free app allows you to connect with others in your area and around the world to access reports and event details, ensuring that you’re able to determine the best way to proceed and supplementing the existing emergency alert and information systems.
9. ELERTS – Whether the emergency in your area is a natural disaster or the result of human action, the free ELERTS app will keep you up to date so that you don’t inadvertently wander into dangerous territory. People on the streets in your area can take pictures to warn others around them of an emergency event, potentially saving lives in the process.
10. FEMA – The official iPhone app of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA is free of charge and contains preparedness information for various potential situations, emergency kits, safety tips and an interactive checklist. After a major emergency, you can also access maps with the locations of FMA Disaster Recovery Centers around you.

Your iPhone may be one of the most powerful devices on the market, but it’s still dependent upon a battery for functionality. It’s wise to invest in portable solar chargers, extra batteries and other power supply alternatives to keep your phone charged and ready to use in the event of power failures and extended outages.

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3 Month Supply of Food: Getting started

Here is what Provident Living Today suggested:

1. Pick out 2 weeks of recipes. Use easy meals your family eats now.



2. Convert each meal to “non-perishable” foods. If you use fresh chicken, use canned. Fresh or frozen corn, use canned. You get the idea.



3. Write each converted recipe on a 3 X 5 card. Run each card off 6 times.



4. Times each ingredient by 6 and write how much or how many you need on a shopping list. There you have it a 12 week supply of food.



5. Go shopping!!! Remember to take some help! You can do this in one big trip if you have the money, or gather the supplies over the next few months.
   
   
   Note: Use name brand labels.
   The metal is heavier and stores longer.
   
   
6. Take each recipe and all the ingredients and put them in a gallon freezer bag - right down to the spices and cup of rice.
7. Use Ziploc freezer bags, they hold up better. You can also buy the Jumbo size bags for a large family. Put the spices in a snack size bag. The ingredients like rice or a cup of biscuit mix can go into a sandwich size bag.
   Now put the recipe in and ZIP . . . It’s “ in the bag!” Store them in boxes under the bed or bins in the closet. You want them to be easily accessible.

Keep a few meals ready to eat in the pantry and use them on busy hectic days. Keep the recipe cards. When you have a few stacked up, go to the store and replace the ingredients. This is a great way to rotate your three-month supply of food. Start eating your food storage now and save money.

Things you may not be storing, but you should be!

This woman lived on only food storage for one year and has shared some of the things she definitely does not want to be without in her food storage.  Her blog is found here.  Here is her list of things we should all make sure that we store! -Lisa
 

• White Beans -

White beans have multiple uses. First off, of course, they can just be cooked and eaten. Secondly, they can be cooked, mashed, and added to recipes in place of oil. Just take cooked beans (reserve the cooking water) and blend in your blender with enough water to create a thick paste. (Basically enough water to make all the beans turn into a puree.)

For canned beans: Dump entire contents of can (beans and water) into a blender and blend until it is a thick paste. Substitute for oil in your baking recipe. Think how much healthier that is too!

Finally, and most importantly, white beans make the world's BEST thickening agent!  It's MUCH better than corn starch or flour.  I Just put the dry beans in my wheat grinder and grind into a fine powder that I keep in the freezer for when I need it.  Added to chicken drippings it makes the best gravy you'll ever taste.  Just add the powdered beans and cook at least 3 minutes to allow time for thickening.  So yummy AND healthy!

• Applesauce -

Great for a quick side dish when generally nothing about eating off food storage is quick. Good source for vitamin C when you might not otherwise have access to fruits and veggies. Can also be used as an oil (and sometimes egg) substitute.

• Spices -

Eating food storage can become monotonous. Often the only thing to give it variety is the spices. The difficulty comes in storing them since spices have a very short shelf life of about 1 year. To get around this, I have started using my favorite spices in bulk. That way I am using them and should an emergency arise, I should have plenty on hand.

You can see in the picture how I have them organized. Here is a list of spices I found I needed the most while living off food storage. Your own family's taste may vary.

1. Salt and Pepper
2. Basil
3. Bay Leaves
4. Beef Bouillon
5. Garlic Salt
6. Cayenne Pepper
7. Chicken Bouillon
8. Chili Powder
9. Cinnamon
10. Cumin
11. Dried Onion
12. Garlic Powder
13. Italian Seasoning
14. Lemon Pepper
15. Onion Powder
16. Oregano
17. Parsley
18. Seasoning Salt
19. Thyme
20. Vanilla

• Brown Sugar -

You can also make brown sugar by mixing white sugar with molasses but it's more convenient to store it.  You can purchase it from a food storage website in #10 cans, or you can store it yourself by packing it in mylar bags and sealing them.  I have used brown sugar stored more than 5 years in mylar bags and it was as soft and delicious as the day I packed it.

• Stewed Tomatoes -

Give variety to your meals and they are quick and easy to use.  I store them in a variety of flavors.

• Hand Meat Grinder -

This is not essential unless you want to make wheat meat, then it is a must to get the texture right. You can read more about wheat meat on my blog. I have the recipe I used posted for you as well. Because of how the posts are published you have to start at the bottom of the wheat meat recipe page and then work your way back to the top post.

• Cheese Making Tools -

Even though you technically need cream to make good cheese (I tried it with powdered milk - YUCK!) I'm still storing rennet and cheese wax on the off chance there is milk available.  Again, not essential to survive but sure would be nice.

• Spreadable butter -

This is what I missed the absolute most while living off food storage.  I eat SO much toast and it's just not the same without butter.  There aren't a whole lot of options here.  Currently I have my freezer stocked with cubes of butter which is one option.  Some people "can" butter and swear by it, but others say that is very unsafe due to the botulism risk.  I did finally come cross one brand of powdered butter that was edible enough to reconstitute and put on toast, however, I used oil rather than just water to reconstitute with the following recipe:
1 TBLS butter powder
1 scant tsp water
1 scant tsp veggie oil
pinch of salt or sugar (depending on which you prefer - I preferred the sugar)

• Lemon Juice -

Good for flavoring and it can be added to reconstituted powdered milk to create buttermilk.  Plus, you can use it for water bath canning tomato sauces which must have bottled lemon juice added.

• Sprouts and Gardening Seeds -

When living off food storage adequate vitamin and mineral consumption can be a problem.  Fresh sprouts pack an enormous punch relative to their size.  In a long term emergency situation, they may be the only fresh food you can get your hands on.  You don't need a fancy sprouter, a simple canning jar with nylons, or cheesecloth in place of the lid will work beautifully.  One thing to remember, if you stored your wheat using dry ice, or if it has been subjected to high temperatures, it will not sprout for you.  I keep a couple of #10 cans of wheat in the house so that I know I have sproutable wheat available.

Garden seeds are also invaluable. They would allow you to supplement your canned goods with fresh produce. You can purchase seeds many places online but local seeds are best since they are climatized for your particular locale. You can buy them vacuum packed and store them in the freezer and they will last many years. If you are feeling very adventurous, you can let your garden go to seed at the end of each season and save your own seeds. Just remember that in either case you MUST purchase non-hybrid seeds. Otherwise your plants will not produce seeds of their own and you can not perpetuate your garden beyond one year.

• Vitamins -

Eating off food storage can leave our diets lacking in vitamins and other nutrients.  Vitamins can help keeps us healthy.  Vitamins also do not have a very long shelf life so I buy in bulk and use them now so that we always have a fresh bottle

The 6 Enemies of Food Storage

1. Heat – The longest possible shelf life is attained when food is stored somewhere between 40 degrees and 72 degrees.  For every 18 degrees above 72, food will lose its’ nutritional value by half, and over time, it will lose much of its’ original flavor, texture, and appearance.  If you can keep your food consistently cool, you’re in great shape.
2. Humidity – It’s important to keep food as dry as possible.  An air-conditioner or a dehumidifer can help as well as making sure the food is packaged with as little moisture as possible. Store food off the floor and away from outside walls where moisture might seep in.
3. Oxygen – Over time, oxygen changes the appearance, flavor, and texture of food.  When fats oxidize they become rancid.  Use oxygen absorbers, rotate food to reduce the chances of oxidation, and pay attention to the other five enemies of food storage.  Working to eliminate oxygen will also kill any bacteria, and vacuum packing food can help with this.
4. Pests - Many dry foods can be popped in the freezer for at least four days to insure that microscopic insect eggs will never hatch.  Keep food in air-tight containers.  Make sure there aren’t any food particles on the shelves or floor, and keep all food storage areas very clean.  If mice are a problem, well, you know what you’ve gotta do.
5. Light – If possible, keep your pantry area dark.  Light can and will affect the flavor and appearance of food, but it’s also the easiest enemy to keep at bay.  If you have food stored in clear containers, keep them in labeled boxes with lids.  It won’t be as attractive as all those pretty jars filled with homemade preserves and canned veggies, but they’ll last longer.
6. Kids – So far, I’ve lost entire boxes of granola bars, energy bars, and two or three cases of Capri-Suns have mysteriously been emptied.  Perhaps a kid-proof lock on the pantry door can take care of this particular hazard.

Your food storage is an investment.  Taking a few extra steps to keep it safe from these six enemies will be worth the effort.

Original post found here

5 Principles of Preparedness

By Phil Burns - Mon Feb 27, 4:24 pm

The Five Principles of Preparedness

 

There are basic principles that keep us and our families grounded that are key to our happiness as a family unit while we Walk the Path of the Prepper.  There is safety and peace that comes from having car insurance, home insurance, medical insurance,etc.  What many families frequently ignore is “Standard of Living Insurance”.  At its heart, this is what Preparedness, Self Reliance, Prepping – however you want to call it – is.  By Getting Started in Prepping, or continuing in Prepping as the case may be, and following these five Principles of Preparedness we can provide our families with the assurance that we will be able to maintain a certain standard of living.  This standard of living is dictated by the level of preparedness we are able to achieve and maintain.

For example, if a family falls into crisis and they have no preparations then once the average two weeks of supplies they have on hand has been used up, they will drop to a poverty standard of living.  If that same family had a month’s worth of supplies stored up, they would have a buffer of a little more than a month before they suffered consequences of their situation.  Likewise, if they had a year’s supply of essentials stored, they would effectively be giving themselves a year to be able to recover and plan in the event of a paradigm changing event.

Standard of Living Insurance, or Prepping, provides us with a hedge against calamity.  There is much talk recently of “Doomsday” events – which are inappropriately and improperly titled.  After all, Doomsday literally means the last day before the end of the earth.  What point is there in preparing for that?  Massive, widespread crisis, such as; an EMP, Nuclear War, Coronal Mass Ejection, Economic Collapse, and so on is a frequent topic as well.  While these things are important to consider in preparing, it is a mistake to hyper-focus on them.  There are many other immediate, closer and more likely scenarios that make sense to focus on such as the loss or major injury of a breadwinner, loss of a primary job, extended sickness, accidents and other personal calamities.  These happen every single day and each of us likely know someone to whom this has happened.  These are the things that are most essential to develop a “Standard of Living Insurance” against.

The most common effect of living an abundant life, as many of us do, is complacency.  As we progress and develop disposable income the complacent tendency is to adjust our standard of living upwards by purchasing a bigger house, a new vehicle, a boat or other recreational toys instead of investing that money to insure the standard of living that we previously grew accustomed to.  It is most prudent to instead, in times of largess, not expand your standard of living right away but to choose to ensure that if the current boon withdraws the family is not affected by it.  Complacency however, leads us down the path of seeing increased income to the home as play, expendable, or rewarding money – all of which it can be with the proper perspective.  That perspective is to view this blessing as an opportunity to ‘play’ at increasing our stores as much as possible, to purchase as many ‘expendable’ goods as possible – that can go into storage, or to ‘reward’ ourselves by adding a more expensive item to our storage that will significantly increase the amount of coverage our Standard of Living Insurance provides us.  It also gives us the opportunity to scrutinize our funds and storage to determine if the family can splurge a little and enjoy some recreational time without it impacting the bottom line of our Standard of Living – but adamantly without changing our cost of living.

Following the Principles of Preparedness allows heads of households to reduce stress, find peace and be comfortable in an ever-changing and tumultuous world.

Practice thrift and frugality

Principle 1

The depression era saying of “Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do, or Do without” sums up the practice of Thrift.  Living thriftily is not a popular concept in our “Staying up with the Jones’s” mentality, but the folly of that mentality is that if one thing goes wrong and your family slips into crisis, you will have to learn all about “Staying above water”.  Living thriftily is a very simple, effective and immediate method to increase your spending power.  Imagine being, instead of a consumer; a creator, a repairer, or simply abstaining.  It is phenomenally financially wasteful to eat at restaurants on a regular basis, in addition to being typically un-healthy, it also takes away from time spent together as a family creating a personal dining experience at home, together.  Thrift is a practice of not wasting anything including time and money.

Frugality dictates that we live within our means and “Waste not, want not”.  It requires us to be prudent with how we spend our money and to cautiously and guardedly decide how to distribute it.  Why do Americans work themselves so hard and as soon as the paycheck comes in, they throw it to the wind as quickly as they can – leaving them with no reserves, no safety and no peace?  It is because we have come to accept abundance as our standard.  We foolishly assure ourselves that there will be a check next pay period – which there normally is, until there is not.  It is the high possibility that at some point something critical will happen in our lives that brings us to the conclusion that it is very likely that at some point, that check will not be there.

One massive waste that Americans have become very comfortable with is living on credit.  We have become extremely complacent with our finances in this regard.  Instead of doing without for a short time while we save, we finance everything and as a consequence, pay financing fees and interest that we somehow justify as necessary.  It is not necessary that we ever pay financing fees or interest for anything, even a house, if we are willing to be prudent.  Instant gratification is the bane of thrift and frugality.  We Americans have deceived ourselves into believing that we ‘deserve’ to live a better lifestyle than our parents (which took them a lifetime to achieve) – when in reality – we DESERVE to be secure and at peace in our lifestyle.  It is ironic that as a society, we will dicker over $3,000 on a new vehicle and then finance it for 5 years – wherein we condemn ourselves to paying several times that in financing fees and interest.

What good have we done ourselves by shaving $3,000 of off $30,000 when we just finance it?  If you’re willing to pay astronomical fees for the pleasure of immediate gratification, amortizing $3,000 does NOTHING to our monthly bill.  A frugal person would take 3 years and save monthly as much as they would have paid out on their car payment with a little bonus savings here and there over time.  In that short period of time they would accumulate enough cash that they could go into the car dealership and lay down a pile of $23,000 in cash and say they want to walk out with either their money or that $30,000 car.  They’re going to walk out with the car because the dealer wants the instant gratification of the cash versus selling an amortized note at a discount.

Living a thrifty and frugal lifestyle is truly simple.  Use it up.  Wear it out.  Make it Do.  Do Without.  Waste Not.  These things lead us to not being left wanting when a crisis strikes our family.  These two highly empowering tools not only give us the ability to build up our Standard of Living Insurance, they also bring an assured peace and allow us to live a truly abundant lifestyle where we are in control of our money instead being a slave to lenders.

A Prepper who successfully follows this principle for a few years will find themselves in a position where they are able to spend time not working without it affecting the family in an adverse manner.

Seek to be Independent

Principle Two

Debt can be crippling and crushing to a family, making them unable to move forward due to the demands of making payments on things they potentially don’t even own anymore.  Seek to become Independent from debt!  Learn to abhor the idea of being forced to labor and earn money that is not yours as a consequence of choosing to “live a little better” by going into debt.  Living independently means being free to choose what is pertinent for you and your family to do with your money.

As you avoid going into debt and gain greater control of your money, establish savings that will grow and serve you as you become the master of your money.  Learn to budget and responsibly manage your money as it is a very powerful tool to either enslave or empower you.  You can begin to build wealth while you’re getting out of debt by putting together a wise plan like the ones Dave Ramsey teaches in his Financial Peace University.

Independence doesn’t just mean money though.  Seek to be Independent of the influences of the world such as; caffeine, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, un-healthy yet addictive food, medications (where possible) and so on. All of these things not only make you a personal slave to addictions, it also indentures your wallet to spending wasteful amounts of money to satiate your personal weaknesses.  Strive to become Independent of all these things and you will not only find a healthier you, you will also increase your income as you free a daily outgo to servicing your demons.

Live Independent of the entrapping influences of society as much as possible.  Free your mind of thinking you need a better looking car, a prettier house or better clothes.  Do what works for YOU, not what you think others will think highly of.  Live independent of the fear of judgement of others and become secure in your own person.  There seems to be a farcical belief in our society that we should appear as wealthy as possible.  The idiocy of this belief is that it fails to take into account just how damaging it is to our self-esteem, our lives and our livelihood.  Break free of these childish societal ‘norms’ and live a life independent of the influence of advertisers, marketers and peer pressure!

Prepper families who learn to live independently will find themselves prospering greatly – in ways that may not be apparent to the enslaved masses of society.

Become Industrious

Principle Three

Learn, Explore, Do.  Manage your circumstance to your advantage, be enterprising and fully explore opportunities that come your way.  Seek always to discover ways to create benefit to you and your family.  When opportunity presents itself, work hard at redefining and reshaping yourself, your position and your knowledge to be worthy of the success that opportunity can provide.  Be resourceful, always looking for a new way to create what you need in order to succeed.

Common ways to be industrious include furthering your education – your whole life – and constantly working to develop new skills.  By exploring opportunities, we are able to assess their potential, weigh risk and make a decision as to whether our conclusions merit committing to an opportunity or walking away from it.  By improving ourselves constantly, we open up even more opportunity that can potentially bring success.
Idly standing by and waiting for success to land in your lap is a poor strategy.  Being industrious means getting up and attempting something – even if it has the potential to fail.  The Farmer who fails to put in a crop because he doesn’t think there was enough snowfall during the winter loses out when spring rains finally bring plenty of water.  When you commit to something, work hard at it, throw in everything you’ve got.
Getting up and going is truly the only way to end up somewhere else.

Preppers who industriously seek out opportunity will soon find the one that will create a change in the direction their lives have been heading.

Strive Towards Self Reliance

Principle Four

The Principle of Self reliance is predicated by, and builds upon the first three principles.  They are unavoidably intertwined and interdependent.  Self Reliance is, in its simplest form, being able to create or provide all needed things  as the result of labor using a developed skill or talent and being able to provide resources as a result of a judicious practice of storing needful things.  Therefore, becoming Self Reliant is the actual process of developing skills and talents while putting away resources.

When combined with Thrift and Frugality, Self Reliance is providing needed things for yourself that you would otherwise have had to pay money for such as; growing a garden, sewing or repairing clothes, building furniture, building a home, fixing your vehicle and so on.  It is being willing to enjoy the fruits of your labor versus the blandness of buying something commercially produced.  It is accepting things for their functionality, not for the logo that was stamped on them in a plant somewhere.  It is being willing to use something that may be less than perfect in its manufacture but is pure in intent and purpose, knowing that the next one you create you will be able to work out flaws and produce something better.

Self Reliance, when combined with Independence, drives us to be truly reliant on ourselves in all areas.  It teaches us to discover a vocation where we are able to create an expandable income using our talents and labor instead of falling into a career where our income is constricted by salaries and our progress in hindered by being boxed into a job description.  A truly independent person creates income opportunities for themselves and others while staying free and clear of debt and interest.  A Self Reliant person builds their own storage and is not dependent on a grocery store to be stocked and operational for them to feed themselves and their family.

Your Industriousness should not be just financially motivated.  Self Reliance is the act of being free of needing others, including companies, the government, or your community to provide for or support you.  It is learning how to; make soap, grow your own food, provide your own energy, defend yourself, create the things you need and so on.  It requires research, learning, experimenting, failing, experimenting more and finally succeeding – in gaining a new skill, accomplishing something new or developing a new vocation.  An industrious and self-reliant person is truly a creator and experiences the joy of creation on a daily basis.

A Prepper who begins to become Self Reliant experiences a mental shift and begins to see things such as a grocery store as a warehouse that is utilized to stock up their own storage.

Aspire to have a year’s supply of every needful thing

Principle Five

The natural outgrowth of becoming truly Self Reliant is to feel compelled to store things up that are essential for our family’s ensured safety, comfort and existence.  Every needful thing teaches us to consider the possibility of storing up a supply of every item that we purchase which we truly need.  What is a need?  Simply put, it is something that it would be difficult or impacting to have to live without.  This includes; food, clothing, water, heat, power, home medical supplies, fire starters, light and so on.

It is obviously not prudent to just purchase a year’s supply of every needful thing.  Instead, it is a goal that is pursued relentlessly by the Self Reliant Person and is adjusted for each item of consideration.  For example, it is quite inexpensive and easy to acquire a years supply of ketchup – at most a family will probably use 2 bottles a month.  Therefore, purchasing 24 bottles would give you a years supply.  However, a year supply of something like water, which is consumed every day, requires a very different approach.  It is not feasible to store a year supply of water unless you have your own water tower.  There are other options available though which include such things as; drilling a well, installing a rain catchment system, being situated near a body of water.  Several of these options would require filtering the water that you acquire.  For the money spent on a filtering system, such as a Berkey filter, it becomes prudent to purchase filtering capability for the system that will last several years.  Each item is adjusted in quantity and time by its own consideration.
One year is not a magic number.  It is, however, a measure which provides us with a lengthy buffer to recover from whatever has happened.  It also allows us to be charitable towards others who have fallen on hard times without it creating a severe impact on us.  Imagine an unprepared neighbor or friend having their bread winner incapacitated for a period of time and not being able to provide for themselves.  You are not impacted by their crisis and because you have a year’s supply stored up, you have the opportunity to assist them by opening your storage to them and allowing them to take what they need without it causing you an economic impact and with very little added risk to yourself.

Begin by striving to build up a 3 month supply, then double it and double it again.  Once you’ve accomplished the first three months, you will have an idea of the amount of time and money it will take to acquire a year’s supply.

The Prepper who is striving to build a year’s supply of every needful thing will experience a dramatic reduction in stress and inverse increase in peace as they begin meeting goals on the path to achieving this principle.

The impact of living The Principles of Preparedness

When teaching these Principles, the question is inevitably asked “What if nothing ever happens that I need my supplies for?”.  To which I respond, “That would be wonderful!”.  Most people don’t get it right away, but let’s consider it.

Consider if you adjusted your life and lived for years under these principles.  What impact would there be if nothing happened that required you to survive off your stores?  Might it be possible that in following these principles you will have created a new life for yourself that is infinitely better than it would be otherwise?  Would you possibly have spent that time living in peace, without stress and with a much higher level of confidence, satisfaction and self-esteem?  I can testify to you that this is indeed what will happen!  In fact, the mere application of these principles in your life will allow you to weather small crises without them even registering a bump in the continuity of your life.  When you are living a Self Reliance lifestyle with a full year’s supply, not having an income for a month is inconsequential.  If you fully commit to living these principles, do you see how this would be the outcome?  Would that serve you to be able to live that way?

Consider also that as you develop a year supply of every needful thing, you are to live off of that supply.  You don’t just package things up and leave them in a corner to gather dust.  You consume your supply each month and at the end of four weeks, go to the “warehouse” (aka grocery store, etc) and replenish your supply with six weeks worth of what was consumed.  This allows you to continuously grow your storage with little to no visible impact to you.  And, if times are tough financially, you can extend to 8 or 12 weeks without it stressing your family.

As you become these Principles, you will experience breaking free of the slavery of debt, a ‘career’, of “keeping up with the Jones’s” and most importantly, the stress of trying to live month to month.  What you will find instead is that you are able to fully experience life and truly enjoy the blessings of your family.
All the while knowing that the secret to a happy life is wrapped up in a little concept called being a “Prepper”!

Article found here from the American Preppers Network.

52 Week Savings Plan

I found this awesome chart here.  -Lisa

Give this super-easy 52-Week savings plan a try, and have an extra $1378 by the end of the year!

On many calendars, each week is numbered, beginning with Week #1: January 1-7.  On this 52-week plan, you save the amount of dollars that corresponds to that week’s number. If one week you find yourself with extra cash, add it to the pot. You’ll end up with more than the $1378 total by the end of December or you’ll have created a bit of a padding for weeks that don’t have any extra cash left over.

Print out this chart or make your own and check off each week as you save. If there are other members in the family with an income, encourage them to do the same. A family with 2 breadwinners could end up with a grand total of $2756.