It's Canning Season!!

It’s Canning Season!!
I am so excited it’s canning season!! I don't just stockpile food for a collapse but I rely on it year round. I have to say I got my love of canning from my mother. We were a country family of six and she knew how to stretch a dollar. My Dad would always plant a huge garden because his philosophy was “You plant a garden that will feed your family and your neighbors” and we did! At least 2 acres of sweet corn, pickles, peppers, etc. The summer was 4-H for me but full mode canning for my mom. I never really appreciated this until a about 10 years ago when I was on a fixed budget and was totally done with eating Ramen Noodles, and basically empty carbs and calories. For my birthdays and Christmas’s I asked for storage units and a high pressure canner and a water bath canner. I turned my 2nd bedroom into my pantry/storage room with a chest freezer that my parents also gave me.


That room has been my lifesaver over the last few years. It has provided me with food and Christmas presents (yes Christmas presents). On the lean weeks and sometimes months I just go back to my pantry and I have plenty of food. From Jan 2014 to May 2014 because of financial emergencies I lived out of that storage room, it provided all my food,  toiletries, and grooming products.
This is not something you don’t just kinda do, it takes effort and work. I clip coupons and when things are on sale I stock up when I have the money. Not just food but toilet paper, paper towels, deodorant, shampoo etc. and at one time I had about 500lbs of food and supplies on each of my 2 storage units..that’s 1000lbs of food for a bit of work and planning! My deep freeze I use more for meat and I make casseroles, chili, soups, goulash etc that I freeze in individual containers for my lunches which think about it for a minute…how often do you buy your lunch, how healthy is it, and how much could you save taking your own?


Last year for $58 I made all of my own pasta sauce, salsa, summer in a jar, a few jams, frozen peppers and zucchini, and they were also the Christmas presents that I gave out. How much did you spend on Christmas presents to your family and friends and for your own use on the items I mentioned. And the best thing is what you can is THE healthiest!
So my challenge to you today is add up what you spent on what I mentioned above, your weekly eat out meals, and what you spent on Christmas presents to your friends. So with a bit of effort right now will save you HUGE over the year! Over this summer I will be posting my canning recipes and also I will do the math on how much it costs me vs. how much I would spend to buy it. Not to mention how much fun it is just to do it!!

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

Prepper Recycling

Growing up on the farm my mom was and still is the Queen of recycling, even before it was cool! She croqueted plastic bread wrappers into rugs...yes rugs! She would also take a rag clothes and do the same thing. They actually lasted a long time and when then had had it they were tossed.

Mayo jars will also support some canning lids. Seeds like melon, flower, and herbs were stored in baby food jars in the basement.
And of course rag clothes were also made into quilts.

One of my favorite things which I have just started is getting my garden started indoors. I absolutely love this because it is so cheap and easy. I take my 2 litre soda bottles and turn them into self watering starter grows for my veggies. You cut the bottle in half and and I poke holes in the cap and the plant draws water as it needs it.

How would you like to say goodbye to your power company?

For about $160 dollars you can start generating your own power. I will be putting out a step by step DVD soon on how to build this but with a $20 alternator, a $10 piece of PVC and cap, a $40 converter, and 3 car batteries at $30 a piece... you can start making your own power.

Be prepared, not sorry

Prepping On A Budget Part 2

I am really excited about the feedback I have been getting on this article and please send me your ideas!

Dollar Stores

I love these for first aid/cleaning products and water purification. I can buy two bottles of peroxide, a tube of generic neosporin, a gallon of bleach (for water purification and self defense)......All for $1 each. I also buy a package of Kotex pads that work as a great as wound dressings.

Second Hand Stores

I like these for clothing, camping, building supplies and believe it or not vehicles. Some second hand stores are non profit such as Habitat for Humanity, Boats and Car Ministries, and of course Goodwill. Builders will donate extra building supplies to Habitat for Humanity for write off's on their taxes. If you are building your retreat you can get cabinets, counter tops, doors etc. all at deep discounts.  You can donate your car or boat to the Angel Ministries and take $500 off your taxes, I have done this when I donated a Dodge Intrepid when it blew an engine. They rebuild and resell.

Craigslist/Backpage

This is a great place but buyer beware of what you buy and your safety. I'm sure many of you have heard about the Craigslist Serial Killer or the person that bought something that was totally a lemon. I will look thru these adds and you can find some gems. I purchased a Coleman lantern, cooler, and air mattress (all only used once) for $12. If you decide you have found something that you want to buy meet that individual in a very public place like MacDonald's and DO NOT GO ALONE!

EBAY

I have to admit I am an Ebay addict. If I haven't bought anything in a month they are sending me a "We miss you" email. I purchased my truck on there in 2004 and I still have it and drive it everyday. It is by far the best vehicle I have ever owned. I purchased 46 acres in Maine in 2001 sight unseen, lived there for a year and sold it at a $10,000 profit. Ebay is a gamble on what you get so you really need to do your homework. On the land in Maine I did a title search to make sure the title was free and clear and I did the same with the truck.

There are gems for prepping everywhere and the biggest thing I want to stress is do your homework and make lists! I make lists for absolutely everything. Lists for what I need in food, ammo, first aid, storage, clothes, etc. With making these lists it will help you keep your spending in check and show what you lack in so you can prioritize.

Checkout the Newest Page..........How I Prepped This Week

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.

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

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 Price Of Prepping

The price of prepping can not only drain you financially but emotionally. Right now the media spotlight is on shows such as "Doomsday Preppers" and "Living for the Apocalypse". We see these very prepared individuals with thousands of dollars in food stores, off the grid bug out locations,  and weapons that could outfit a small army. I am in awe of these individuals and hearing their story and how they have prepped is amazing but.........sometimes I do feel like I am behind and I almost get in a full fledge panic that I'm not near ready like they are. I have seen people that are new to prepping basically throw up their hands and say "I'm so far behind what's the since of even trying" and they quit so if your feeling this way........

Take a deep breath and take a step back.

Remember the people you see on these shows have been prepping for years. Every journey starts with that first step and every step gets you that much closer. I realize with the state of the economy and trying to prep is a challenge but here are some practical ways to prep on a budget and ease that panic mode.

Coupons - I am an avid couponer and with a bit of effort you can save money and prep. For instance I had a coupon buy 1 deodorant and get the second free and the same for shampoo. Right there I was able to save and prep!

Farm Markets - Farm markets are a great place to save money and prep. Many times when you approach these farmers you can buy in bulk at a great price and can these items. For a fraction of what you would spend at the store and some effort you can do alot of prepping this way.

Make Lists - I am a compulsive list maker. I have lists for everything! The reason I make this lists is because it keeps me focused and working toward my goals. Not to mention everytime you check off something on your list you achieve that sense of accomplishment and a piece of mind that you are getting that much closer to your goal.

Network - Sometimes as preppers we get so caught up in the op sec that we isolate ourselves which can breed more anxiety. Now I'm not saying tell any and everyone about your location, stores, etc. I am saying there are plenty of survivalist boards where you can go and talk to people about canning, or what you need in a bug out bag. You can get answers to your questions from like minded people and ease that feeling of anxiety and who knows you may make a few friends along the way. A couple of great boards are http://www.survivalistboards.com/ and http://www.survivalblog.com/. There are also some great podcasts such as www.blogtalkradio.com/theprepperpodcast and www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/

Set Small Achievable Goals - Set small achievable goals for your prepping. Start out by storing 3 days of food, then, 7, then 14 etc. You will be amazed at how this will add up before you know it and remember each step gets your closer.

Learn New Skill Sets - Knowledge is power and when SHTF it's also priceless. Take a first aid course, many times these are sponsored and cost little to nothing. You Tube is amazing for gaining knowledge, this past week I just typed in "Homemade Smoker" and I got all sorts of great ideas! Many times a new skill set will cost you little or no money but could make that HUGE difference later on.

It is possible to prep on a budget without the drain on your bank account or your sanity.

Be prepared, not sorry.