Being A Single Goddess Prepper

Being a single women it is always on my mind "how do I stay safe when SHTF?" Let's face it as single woman we are targets and as a prepper you are a rich and easy target. I know this is gonna ruffle feathers but I am being a realist. I don't care what conflict, war, or civil unrest the female population is the one that is the most exploited and desimated.

The whole purpose of my blog is to show women how to survive and thrive.

So the first thing I want to touch on is

No person male or female can do it ALL alone

I don't care what gender you are, you can not do security, forage for food, tend garden, food storage, livestock care all by yourself. Believe me I love being single and self sufficent but I know when the world as we know it crumbles I can't do it all on my own.

So right now while you can,  I urge you to really make a list of your options, do some research and cover your bases now.

1. Look at your current situation.

Take your inventory of your current situation. Are you renting or owning? Can you have a garden or livestock? What are your current preps and how long could you survive? Do you have a support system family or friends that can support you? and have your back? If there is no way you have safe shelter, a way to grow food, hunt, scavage, and have those that will help you to do all these jobs you have to start making a plan.

2. Look for a group.

If you do not currently have a group or support network look for those individuals now! Facebook has a ton of local groups. American Prepper Network. Yahooo Groups. Survivalist Singles. Go to Prepper Expos thats a great place to meet people. I can tell you right now it's very difficult being single and dating because like my last date when we were speaking about tv shows we like and I said I like Doomsday Preppers he started laughing and said "You must like watching kooks and stupid people wasting money" Needless to say that was the first and last date for that guy! Let's face it it's hard being a Survival Goddess!!
This is the first on being single and prepping so I would like to hear your thoughts and hear your comments.

Be prepared, not sorry

When To Bug Out - Make The Plan NOW

Like most preppers I talk about bugging out, my bug out bag, and my bug out location but I want to touch on....

When do I bug out and what's the plan?

When To Bug Out - Bug Out Plan

I hear so many preppers say I am going to bug in I have everything I need right here.

But what if??....

* Your location is over run, your supplies are taken and your forced out? Or in case of a natural disaster you have to get out of it's way?

Do you have alternate supplies stored and a alternate safe location? What are the triggers that will put your plan in motion?

* What if your separated from your family at the time of bug out? Do you have a rally point?

In many a crisis we have seen family searching for other family members. Don't be one of these families.

* Plan, Drill, Repeat

I can't stress this enough, plan and drill with your family so it is all second nature and your not standing around looking at each other wondering what you do next.

* Make sure your bug out bag is season ready.

Depending on the time of year should determine what is in your bag. If its winter your don't need bug spray in your bag. It's useless. Take that few minutes at the changing of the seasons to get your bag ready for that season.

Be prepared, not sorry

Goddess (72 Hour) Survival Bucket

We all have our bug out bags, but right next to my bag is my survival bucket. Where I work I can get plastic buckets for free and I use them for cashe' on my route to my bug out location. The survival bucket is an extension of my bug out bag. Both can be grabbed and carried on a moments notice. In my bag is the essentials to survive, my gun, ammo, fire starting tools, fishing button, snares, first aid, MRE's,  water purification, change of clothes and socks, thermo blanket, and ax so if some reason I am separated or can no longer carry my bucket I still have what I need to survive.

In my bucket is the extensions, toilet paper, MRE's and cans of food, hygiene products, bottled water, water purification, more first aid supplies, and a radio. As both are emptied they can be consolidated to my backpack and the bucket can just be used for just water. Now realize that both of these are designed to get me to my next cash. This is not the DO all.... it is just designed to get me to my next cash. So there is planning involved to know your routes and have your cashes buried.

These buckets can be designed for each member of the family. All size of buckets with lids can be purchase at home improvement stores such as Home Depot, Lowes etc. so even children can have the size bucket they can carry and let's face it.... in a bug out situation every little bit of supplies help! As crazy as it sounds even my dogs have their own packs....everyone carries their own supplies!

Now you can purchase these buckets from several different online companies but for a fraction of the price you can build your own and for the same price you can build a few of them. Just think if every person that experienced Hurricane Katrina had a bug out bag and bucket, a bug out plan and route to escape.......how many lives could have been saved? How many people would have not been dependent on FEMA or the Red Cross (which took days to arrive)?

Be prepared, not sorry

To Survive...It Will Take A Village

Most preppers are a very solitude lot...we don't want anyone to know what we have, where we are, and we protect it to the death. After having a conversation with a dear friend that is also a prepper his advice is spot on...

If you think in WROL you will hold on to what you have on your own you might as well give up now..

There is no way 1 or 2 people can do it all. Security, hunting and gathering, tending to livestock and gardening, preserving food, and all the everyday tasks that will come with this new frightening life.

It will take a village to survive

If you watch Doomsday Preppers like I do, look at the ones that you think will be successful in surviving a collapse...Southern Prepper 1 has aligned with Engineer 775 are a fantastic example of a team/village coming together to survive. I have been given permission by Southern Prepper 1 to show this video. Take a look it really has such good advice. Thank you SP1!

I urge you to take that time right now to find that village so that you may survive. I currently hold Meet and Greets to find that village. Now in honestly you will encounter those people that really are not serious. They have watched a episode or two of Doomsday Preppers and have that sense of panic which will wear off in a couple months when they understand how much time and dedication it takes to prep.

Don't show your hand until you are absolutely comfortable

Personally it takes along time for me to be comfortable with someone to even share where I live. Take your time getting to find and know your tribe. Spend some weekends camping and practicing skills with your potential village members. Evaluate how their lifestyle and goals align with yours..

*How do their skill sets fit into your village
*What do they bring to the table in skills and preps
*Do their philosophies in survival, life, and religion align with the village
*Most of all what is their personality...will it work within the village

I can't stress enough to look for that village now so that you may be comfortable with each other. These are the people you are going to entrust yours and family's life to.

Be prepared, not sorry

Home Remedies 2

Cuts

Like I said I grew up on a farm and home remedies were everywhere. My Granddad farmed with teams and he told me that when they would get a cut he would chew some tobacco and then place it on the cut and wrap it and as it dried it would draw the poison out.

When summer hit I would be barefoot from June until September and when you do that on a farm you are going to step on rusty nails. My Grandma used the same concept on me as my Grandpa did with the horses except she used bread and milk. She would soak the bread in milk and tape it where the wound was (usually the bottom of my feet) and let it dry. Now granted my mom was not so secure in the home remedies and would always run me to the doctors for a tetanus shot.

Earaches

A home remedy I have discovered on my own was I had a son that suffered from frequent earaches. The doctors wanted to put tubes in his ears but I heard nothing but horror stories on that so that was not going to happen with mine. My Grandma when I had earaches would heat up some olive oil and place it in my ears along with a hot water bottle placed on the ear. With my son I used olive oil along with a hair dryer set on low blowing into the ear. My son never had ear tubes. (becareful on the temp of the oil not to burn inner ear)

Cold Cough

In the earlier post I gave you my Grandma's recipe for cough syrup and now I will give the additive my Dad did. If you have ever noticed if you have the nastiest cold if your outside you don't cough? Why is that? I have no idea but when my kids or myself had a cough I would give them a shot of the homemade syrup and make sure it was COLD..either I reduce the heat to their room or I would drive them around in a cold car. Now be sure I do the same to myself.

Cough/Sore Throat

I talked about cough remedies earlier and the key is the Lemon. Something about that lemon stops that cough and sore throat. The other is honey. I tend to suffer from a sore throat all winter but honey in tea works for me.

***The materials contained on this website are provided for general information purposes only and do not constitute medical professional advice. SurvivalGoddess.blogspot.com does not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage or other liability which may arise from the use of information, or products featured on this site.**

Be prepared, not sorry

Prepping On A Budget

Being a single woman and lately on the roller coaster ride of unemployment I have to prep on a very limited budget. This next statement is very sexist so I apologize but men tend to want the shiny new, things that go boom, explode, and or cause great bodily harm. But women tend to gravitate more naturally toward the practical and go for the needs versus the wants. Men may be the hunter gatherers but women are the hoarder, storer, and preparer for the next critical moment. I think it is that mother bear instinct where we are always thinking ahead. The problem with all this which I have seen in the prepper world is that the man tends to allocate most of the prepping budget to what he wants and the woman tends to go with the flow. But believe me you can prep on a limited budget and here are some of my favorites.

Yard/Garage Sale

I have purchased most of my prepping supplies at these little treasure chests. Canning supplies, camping equipment, fishing and hunting equipment, and the list goes on. When my sons were young I purchased a military cabin tent that could house 6 men and had a vent opening that a wood stove pipe could run through for $100 that normally run used for about $800. My sons and I wore that thing out,  it took all of use to put the it up but there was so much room that it was incredible and made out of the heavy canvas and not the flimsy nylon. I have purchased a $79 fishing rod and reel for $6, a water bath canner for $1, a -20 degree sleeping bag that look absolutely brand new for $2.50, the list goes on. One word of caution sometimes you are getting such good deals that you buy more stuff than you actually need. Always look at something and say to yourself "Do I really need this?"

Estate Auctions

I LOVE THESE! What I love about these is the variety of things you can obtain. I tend to lean toward the auctions that are farm. I purchased a counter top hand crank meat grinder for $5.00, a whole box of mason jars and canning supplies for a $1.00, and the best thing about these auctions is you will not have to drag your prepper man kicking and screaming to them because majority of the time these auctions have tractors, farming equipment, hunting/fishing equipment, and ............GUNS. A word of caution here also, because these are auctions and you are bidding against others you may get carried away and spend more than you intended. What I normally do is I go early and scope out everything that I want, write it down along with the limit I will pay for it and that keeps my spending in check.

Part 2 will look at some other ways to prep on a budget.

Be prepared, not sorry.

The Threat Of All Show And No Go

My grandpa used to have a saying about people who tried to pass themselves off as something they wasn't and that was "All show and no go". In the prepper community we have that and unfortunately they are going to be what I think, a huge threat. These individuals have the mind set of the most guns and stored food will survive and that may true for a "limited amount of time"....

But what happens when WROL goes into overtime?

With no skills to grow food, hunt, improvise or barter what will these people do? A hungry pseudo prepper is going to be a very dangerous person. I always use the aftermath of Katrina as an example because that's what it will be like. Being hungry, thirsty with just enough tactical experience and the moral compass lowered to the mentality of "It's you or me" they will, by force try to take what they need. If they have a military background they also know that strength lies in numbers and may recruit their own private army.

The harsh truth...

I'm sorry but the truth is harsh and a WROL situation is not going to be going back to the Little House on the Prairie days, its going to be survival of the fittest and the most adaptable. Within hours of Katrina blowing thru the looting, rape, and murder began. This past summer with the unbearable heat people were using their AC at astronomical rates and there was a suburb in Wisconsin where the power grid went down for three days. Within only three hours of that grid going down there were armed gangs that began robbing and looting. That was was only three hours what happens when it months or years?

Don't show your hand..

If your like me I like to attend the prepper conferences and network with other preppers but I always keep in mind not to give away too much and choose carefully who I network with. This also goes for the survivalist boards etc. because I have met some pseudo peppers that quite frankly scare the hell out of me and I don't want to be around them right now let alone in a WROL situation. But on the other hand I have met some fantastic preppers that I have learned so much from and very grateful for it. The reason I started this blog was to help women take an active roll in prepping and their survival but still I don't give away information that would put myself in danger in the future.

Skills, Skills, and more Skills...

As I wrote earlier I believe it will be survival of the fittest and the most adaptable that will survive. When I say the fittest I don't mean that so much in the physical sense but the person that knows how to hunt and fish, how to grow food and preserve it, how to barter, how build shelter and fire, first aid, and has tactical sense. I am always trying to learn new skills because you can never in my opinion have enough knowledge. Many preppers play and rely on their strengths because they feel that will get them thru.....it won't. You have to be adaptable and the skills to adapt to the given situation. My strengths are hunting, fishing, and farming but yet I know this will not carry me thru. I need the tactical experience to protect myself and what I have so, I continue to learn. Work right now the skills you are lacking in so when the time comes you are not "All show and no go"

Be prepared, not sorry

What If You Knew....

As preppers we are always preparing for what we think will happen in the future, whether our scenarios of the future is a collapse of the power grid or economy, nuclear war, zombies, and the list goes on and on, we are are always preparing. BUT..

What if you knew.....

What if you knew for sure in 6 months to a year the scenario for which you are preparing is going to happen? What would you change or start doing right now at this moment?

*Are you going to bug in or bug out?
*Store more food?
*Store more ammunition?
*Learn new skills such as hunting?
*Create alternative power sources?

I urge you to spend some time considering this. We all would like to think we have more time to prep but we seldom give ourselves a date to be prepared by? I understand no one can be fully prepared for a life shift of this magnitude but seldom due catastrophes show themselves ahead of time or they wouldn't be a catastrophe right?

There are many shows out right now such as "The Walking Dead", Falling Skies, and soon "Revolution" that all show life being turned upside down and all the characters were caught off guard and thrust into this situation and having to cope the best they can. My personal favorite was "The Colony". To me this was about as realistic you could get (in a controlled environment) without the real thing.

This was a group of strangers that were thrust together after a virus wiped out 90% of the population. They all had to pull together to survive and thrive.

I asked you to sit down with pen and paper and write down what would you start doing at this moment if you knew in 6 months to a year your life would be the scenario you most fear? I would like to hear from you and ask you to share with others.

Be prepared, not sorry

How Do You Keep Your Sanity?

You know we concentrate so much on the basics of what will be required for the day to day survival in the WROL situation, after I watched this video I began to think "How do you keep your sanity or derive any pleasure'?

Alaska Man Goes off Grid

This man is bringing a dog and a Kindle loaded with books to keep him from going stir crazy, but there will be a period of time of withdrawal from society that we will all go through. No computers, tv, cell phone and perhaps for some the only human contact will be in a self defense mode.

Our sanity is just as important to our survival as food and water.

As humans we crave that interaction with other humans, and that part of our brain that needs pleasure. To some people it's music, others its reading a book, or for some like myself going for a run with a friend. I have planned for so many things but no plan for keeping my sanity. In a WROL situation going for a run will not only expend added calories that would be fool hardy to do, but suicidal. There will be no extra power to run mp3 players or e readers. Remember watching Little House on the Prairie? At night they would read and Charles would play the violin. That was the entertainment and pleasure they had.

So in the post apocalyptic world...where will your pleasure come from?



I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas on this.

Be prepared, not sorry

Looking For The Perfect Bug Out Location

First of all I have to apologize for my long break from posting. I have been working 60 to 70 hrs per week and I just have to say I'm plain worn out. Extra money means extra preps that can be purchased. I am also looking to purchase my bug out location and begin building. I have already purchase plans for a cabin to be built totally off grid. So I am looking for at least 5 acres with a well and septic already present and close to another source of fresh water. 

A place fairly secluded and away from the larger metro areas. A area that still has good hunting and soil for growing within a 60 minute area from my present location.

This has been quite the task!

Its hard to find everything I want. I'm curious to hear from those that have purchase a bug out location as to what it is they have purchased and the criteria you had during your search. Did you have to sacrifice some of your criteria or did it change during your search. Can't wait to hear!!

Be prepared, not sorry

Walking The Talk

This post may ruffle some feathers with some but I'm hoping this turns on the lightbuld for others. I know plenty of people that spend countless hours watching You Tube videos, on the prepper boards, and email lists. They have the expensive bug out bag with every top of the line gadget known to the prepper world. They have a stockpile of weapons and ammo that could outfit a small army and just as much food.

But they haven't spent 1 minute putting it into practice.

I met a husband and a wife that were so proud of their bug out bags and these bags had everything you could imagine in it. I asked the wife if she had ever actually carried hers because I'm a pretty good judge of weight and that thing came close to out weighing her. She said "no" so I asked her to put it on and walk across the parking lot and back. She barely made it. If she can't carry it...then it's useless.

You have to have more than a plan.

One man I talked to said he was going to bug in as long as possible then he was heading to this state forest. I asked him "Have you ever spent any time there? Do you know the area? Where are your water sources? Any possible threats?" He just looked at me and said "No but I can make it there" Don't be foolish, have a plan. If possible have your bug out location stocked and ready to go but if that's not possible spend some time getting to know your bug out location. Take you BOB and spend some weekends there and see if its actually going to work for you. Find your water sources, practice building a shelter and fire.

What are you going to do when the cans run out?

I have heard so many preppers say "I'm going to live off the land, I'm going to hunt and fish" I then ask them "Do you know how to field dress what you kill?" and the answer I usually get is "Well no but it can't be that hard" Believe me it's very easy to ruin good meat and possibly making yourself ill by cutting into the stomach or intestines and contaminating the meat. Another thing I ask them is "How are you going to kill it?" and they look at me like I'm stupid and they say "I'm gonna shoot it". Why would you want to waste your precious ammo along with risking your safety by letting others hear the shot? I am not going to waste my ammo shooting a squirrel or rabbit when snares work just as well and they don't risk my safety. As far as bigger game learn to use a bow, it is a challenge but that knowledge comes in handy to have.

Put into practice what you have learned because you don't want to learn the hard way after SHTF.

Be prepared, not sorry

Food Prices Increasing....Backup Plans Part 2

As discussed in the first part of this series, food prices are on the rise and we need to make our food dollars stretch. We also need to be creative. I have 1 large room that is dedicated to my preps and I have to be creative on how I use that space. Currently I am installing more shelves along the walls and once that is completed in the center of the room my indoor aquaponics garden will be constructed.

I will construct a frame that will house two large totes on top and two on bottom and I will need two dual aerators. The bottom totes, 1 will contain spices (basil, thyme, etc) and 1 container of beans (Pinto and Great Northern). The two top totes will contain 1 of tomatoes and the other will be green and red peppers.

If you go on You Tube you can find many videos to create your aquaponics but I have include these 2 basic ones to give you an idea.

Be prepared, not sorry

Food Prices Increasing....Backup Plans Part 1

Food prices have skyrocketed since 2010 and now as we near the end of 2011 from January 2010 to December 2011 the price of eggs rose a total 24.8%, milk 12.2%, Beef 14.6%, Vegetables 14.9%, Fruits 16.9%, and grains are at 13.8% but are expected to skyrocket in 2012 due to the many droughts of 2011 and the increased consumption by foreign countries along with the demands of bio fuels.

Only 2% of the United States population produce food.

From my perspective in 2010 to now the price difference in some of the things I buy..

    2010                                                                Now

Totinos Pizza $.98                                               $1.59
1 gal of 2% Milk $1.29                                       $2.89
Bread $.99                                                          $1.89
Eggs $.99                                                            $1.89
Beef Roast $9.90                                                $14.69

I have like most of you had to make that dollar stretch farther than I ever have. I find myself shopping at the Dollar Store more, use more coupons, and really search for deals. When you factor in the price of fuel it may seem like a losing battle. Here are some of the things I am doing to help with these prices and also try to prep.

The store that I do much of my grocery shopping at offers customer rewards each week, like 1 free item (this week it was a free box of pasta) They also award points for every dollar you spend and you can use these points to trade in for free groceries. They always have the buy 1 get 1 free and lately they have been offering soups, box dinners, and meat buy 5 get 5 free (this really helps on the prepping) They have their own gas station and when you spend so many dollars on groceries you get a discount on gas. (usually between 3 and 5 cents per gallon)

Make A Grocery List

I am a compulsive list maker and I always go to the store with a list and very seldom do I buy extra. By making a list and sticking to it you will find that you can keep your spending in check. Most grocery stores send out a weekly deal flyer, you can make your list and coupons accordingly. Also if possible try not to take your children shopping with you because as you mothers know your kids are victims of the advertising world and want what they see on TV so you will tend to spend more if you have them along.

20% For Prepping

Because I am single I spend $100 every two weeks for groceries and 20% ($20.00) of that goes toward prepping. Now mind you I will make a pot of chili (or large batch of something) that will feed me all week plus freeze a few containers.

Pack A Lunch

It amazes me how many people I know that will eat fast food or run to the corner convenience store and buy their lunch? $5 to $10 a day adds up! I have always packed my lunch just to save that money and also I like my stuff better than some heart attack in a sack.

Let me know how you save on the price of food and prepping.

Be prepared, not sorry

The Physical Toll When SHTF Part 2

THE BIGGEST PREPPER CHALLENGE

As we discussed in the first part of this series when SHTF the physical demands of daily life are going to increase and if that day were to come today are you physically ready? If your answer like mine is "no" then I want you to participate in this challenge with me. It doesn't matter how much ammo or food we have stocked if we physically can't meet the demands to survive. Can you physically carry your BOB for miles? What about chopping wood for days on end?

Growing up on a farm and participating in high school sports, 4-H, and FFA I was in great shape. I continued to work out and up until a year ago I was running 5-7 miles 4 times a week with strength training 2 times a week. But like many people I had a injury and my workouts stopped, I gained weight, and started the mind games with myself saying "Oh I will start working out again next week" and next week comes and I justify not working out by telling myself I have too much work to do around the house or working overtime at work.

Excuses stop now

I love to run and used to run half marathons. It's funny how you can love to do something but sabotage yourself from doing it! One of the best marathoners in history (the penguin) when asked what is the hardest part of training for a marathon answered "getting out the door". He's totally right because once those shoes are on and your out the door the excuses stop and the hard part is over.

In training for half marathons I learned these guidelines which you will need to apply to this challenge.

1. Start slow and gradually work up - Starting any new physical regiment go to your doctor first and get a checkup to make sure your healthy enough to start your challenge. When you start your challenge start slow and work your way up. If you overdo it and are sore or injure yourself you are setting yourself up for excuses and failure.

2. Schedule your workout time - This is a must to ensure that you have that time for your workouts and also cuts down on the excuses. I work nights so I like to run in the morning after work. It's cooler at that time and it also helps me unwind and sleep better during the day.

3. Find a activity you enjoy - This an important component to your challenge. Find something you love to do. I love running, a friend of mine loves her Zumba classes. Let's face it if you don't like doing the activity it will seem like work and a chore and you will find excuses not to do it.

4. Set a goal and reward yourself - When I decided to take up running I set my ultimate goal of doing a half marathon but I had small goals all the way in my training. My first was a 5k and upon completing that I rewarded myself with a fleece running vest I had been wanting. The next goal was a 10k which I rewarded myself with a Columbia ski jacket that I wanted. Then the half marathon was actually the reward. I signed up for the Pacific Shoreline Half Marathon which is held at Huntington Beach California. It was a great weekend trip with 30,000 other runners, a beautiful hotel room that overlooked the ocean, a health expo, and the run was breath taking along the beach with bands every mile. Goals and rewards will keep your motivation up.

5. Make your workout social time - Most of my running time is done on my own but when I was living in Dallas every Saturday morning I would meet my girlfriends at White Rock Lake and we would run the lake (9.2 miles). It didn't even feel like a workout because we were too busy talking about our week, dating, etc. then on Sunday we would meet for yoga with brunch afterwards. Believe me workouts are way less painful when sharing with friends.

The Physical Prepper Challenge - Foundation

The three basics we want in this challenge are

Endurance 

Strength

Flexability 

When SHTF you will need all three of these elements so setup your Prepper challenge to include these.

My challenge will be structured this way.

Endurance - Running 4x's per week
Strength - Weight and resistance training 3x's per week
Flexability - Yoga 2x's per week

I will be making a Prepper Challenge page where we can share our workouts, goals, and experience. Keep in mind that these will apply to the physical demands of the WROL like carrying your BOB, gathering firewood, building shelter, etc.

Will you be the Biggest Prepper?

Be prepared, not sorry

 

The Physical Toll When SHTF Part 1

Can you physically handle the future after SHTF?

Have you thought about the changes your body will go thru after the SHTF? Your diet will change dramatically along with the physical demands. Your day to day living will consist of activities that are grueling physical labor that is needed to survive.

*Gathering/Chopping Wood
*Hunting/Fishing
*Food Preparation and Storage
*Growing and Tending Gardens
*Tending Livestock
*Scavenging

And the list goes on and on.....

Take a good look at yourself right now and ask the question

"Am I in physical shape to handle the SHTF if it happened right now?"

If your answer like mine is "NO" than maybe it is time to start working on that issue right now. The next few posts I will be dedicating to this subject because literally your life and your families life depends on this. If you die in the first few days of a WROL situation from a heart attack game over for you and those who are depending on you.

Thank you EastTennesseePrepper for being brave enough to take on this scenario, show the vulnerabilities, and sharing them with us.

Be prepared, not sorry