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Being prepeared for an economic or physical disaster

BEING PREPARED

FOR AN ECONOMIC

OR PHYSICAL DISASTER

Make sure that you have a plan. What would you do if you were given 15 minutes to get out of your home. Do you know what you would take – what is most important and where it is?

If you lost your job or our economic situation got worse, what plans do you have to see you and your family through in the best condition possible.

These are not easy questions and there are no set answers that are perfect for everyone.

Growing up in Alaska, I was raised to always be prepared. People never left the village or traveled to another without some preparation. Extra petrol for the car, food in case of a breakdown (sometimes cars did not pass for hours or a day or two), extra blankets, etc. I lived in an earthquake area and even as a child we were taught to prepare as best we could and what to do if one started.

So I have always had a skeleton plan trying to adapt it to where I was living at the time. I will share my thoughts with you and some ideas I have received from others.

· I have a large plastic box in the garage – different from all the other plastic boxes I have. Inside I have 6 cans of organic baked beans, a few cans of soup, dried soup, 3 Barley Max (I interchange them with new every 6 months or so) It also has toilet paper, paper towels, kleenex, extra plates and cups and some cutlery. Can opener and a couple of knives. An old saucepan and lid, several plastic bags and one large bag with a zip closing. Candles and matches, flashlight and lots of batteries. This stays pretty much the same, except changing the food. There are also two huge containers of water next to the box. I also have a first aid kit in the box.

· On the top of the box is a list, about two pages long. It is my plan of action so to speak. It is similar to this:

WHAT TO BRING IF YOU HAVE ONLY

15 MIN. TO GET OUT OF YOUR HOME:

· This list must be individual but to give you an idea I have listed things such as Passport, Copy of my Will and everything in the safe; cheque book, photo albums, diary, any necessary pills, hope chest, small doll from my mum, jewelry etc. Get the rice. (I have a large container of brown rice in the freezer and would grab that as it would make many many meals!) Grab all the jars of nuts and dehydrated fruit and veggies. I also mark next to each item where it is so I do not have to think about it at that time.

WHAT TO BRING IF YOU HAVE 30 MINUTES

TO AN HOUR TO LEAVE YOUR HOME:

· In addition to the above, all bank information, and insurance information, (this includes pictures of everything in the house I would need to replace with insurance money) pictures on the wall, etc. (I have the most important listed first and then down the line.) This list includes “things” that I really love and would like to keep if possible. My list is very detailed so that I do not waste time. It is important to put where each is at (such as my antique porcelain doll is in the drawer by my bed.)

· Then I have a section that says “extras” ---this just list items that I may or may not need, such as blankets, pillows, tent, camp stuff – that would depend on the situation and where I was planning to go. It is amazing what you think about and put on the list as you go around your home and ask, “would I take this if I only had the car to fill???”

As I mentioned above, everyone has to work this out for themselves – but given a bit of thought in preparation could save you hours of heartache in the future and heaps of stress in an already very stressful situation.

ECONOMIC PREPARATION

I have received very little input about this topic and was hoping for lots of ideas from many people. I will put together what I have received and see what we can come up with productively.

I think there are a few items that would be almost necessary in this situation and looking at the next year or two and the forecast the government is giving us – things are going to get worse before they get better.

· First of all, it is the greatest of comfort to KNOW the Lord KNOWS and He see the full picture – praise His name. Just to trust the future to Him is a precious gift. But I do believe He wants us to use our brains and resources to “do what we can to help ourselves.” With that being said lets begin.

· It goes without saying that we need to cut back and curtail our spending as best we can. We all find ways to do that individually. Every family has areas where they can cut back to save money – it is just finding those ways. It is also necessary to not just cut back for a few weeks, but with our economy and predictions the government is making we need to look at a larger picture. Getting set up for a longer time of financial down turns.

· One of the best ways we can save money is by DEHYDRATING FOOD – there are many times when we have left over veggies, or find veggies and fruit in bulk and can save heaps buying it that way – but not being able to eat it all. In many health stores they have an area where they are selling veggies and fruit quickly. These are good for dehydrating as well. Dehydrating fruits and veggies is very inexpensive and is also one of those foods you can grab on the run – it could be on your list to grab up all the dehydrated fruits and veggies in your cupboard, etc. It is one of those outlays that does cost but in the long run you really save. It is easy to pull out a bag of dehydrated veggies, re-hydrating them, add to veggie broth and make a fantastic soup or stew. Having dehydrated fruit to grab for the lunch box or snacks at night is just awesome and again they are good for you. Dehydrated fruits and veggies can last for months at a time.

· Another idea is a SPROUTER – sprouts are just so full of nutrition and are great to have on salads, sandwiches and wraps. It is easy and almost “fun to use” and inexpensive. Even kids get into the habit of making this good nutrition. (On my list of things to take in an emergency – the “over 15 min” list – is my juicer, dehydrator and sprouter. I know I would need electricity, but when available it would be fantastic to have.

· VEGGIE GARDENS– these are almost things of the past and yet are coming back in full force. It is amazing what you can do even in small potted areas and on decks. You can plants several veggies each season to really supplement your food supply as well as to dehydrate or freeze. Tomatoes, silverbeet and all types of squash and pumpkin grow freely and easily.

· JOINT PURCHASING. If possible find someone that you can joint buy with – such as a box of mangos in season and dehydrating them – boxes of apples and doing the same. You can also buy large quantities of rice together, put the rice in the freezer in containers and have it available year round. It is then easy to grab a container of rice in your emergency list and take it with you. It does not have to be refrigerated but does last well that way.

· CHECK AROUND FOR SPECIALS – Aldi always has their carrots much cheaper than elsewhere. They often have specials as low as under $1 a kilo. If they are good carrots, they will dehydrate well for soups and stews. FARMERS MARKETS are also great places to check out bulk and special prices. Especially if you wait until the end of the day and see what they are willing to let go of at a cheaper price.

· BARLEY MAX – I would make sure that I was taking this on a regular basis. It is chuck full of nutrition and goodness and it fresh veggies are not as easy to get, this really supplements the best of anything that I have used or heard of.