25 Brilliant Uses for Buckets

 

 

 

 

25 Brilliant Uses for Buckets

 

Get your buckets and start creating! This is a great list of ways to use buckets.  There are so many ways to use them. Have a few on hand at all times. You never know when you might need one for something.

Natural Antibiotic Recipe

 

 

Natural Antibiotic Recipe | Easy + Powerful - Bianca Zapatka | Recipes

 

Great recipe to have in your recipe folder. Print off all of the recipes that you think you will need and keep in a folder where you can get to them. Perfect for when the power goes out and you need a recipe. It is a good idea to have all of your important paper work in one place and a safe place. Water safe place would be the best.

Food Storage Recipe - Minestrone Soup

 A hearty soup that is really tasty.

NEED:

• 2 medium carrots, diced
  
• 2 small zucchinis , diced
  
• 1/2 large onion, diced
  
• 6 celery stalks. diced
  
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  
• 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
  
• 32 oz vegetable broth
  
• 15 oz canned great northern beans, drained
• 15 oz  canned kidney beans. drained
  
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  
• 1 tbsp  dry basil
  
• 1/2 cup macaroni noodles
  
• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
• 2 cups water
  

In a large pot heat up the olive oil.

Add the carrots, zucchini, onion, and celery.

Saute until tender.

Add the canned tomatoes. 

Season with the Seasonings.

Add the broth, noodles, and beans.

Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the water.

Add the minced garlic.

Simmer for about 10 more minutes.  

Just depends on when noodles are done.

Make Your Own Disinfectant Room Spray

Making your own household items is a great way to save money and keep your home clean and fresh!

Here is an easy way to make your own disinfectant room spray:

Ingredients:

* 15 drops lavender oil
* 8 drops orange or lemon oil
* 2 drops eucalyptus oil
* 1/4 cup water

Combine all in a spray bottle; shake well before each use. Mixture can be sprayed into the air. This is just such a great way to refresh the air in your home.

A Bug Out Bag on a Budget

Survival preparation can be an expensive endeavor, especially if your budget is already tight from bills and other every day expenses. It simply might not be possible to afford many of the expensive items needed. But you should not let this discourage you from creating your own bug out bag; there are alternatives that can save you money while building an effective bag for your survival. Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit

Bags

To buy a hiking bag at a camping supply store can range between 60 to a few hundred dollars, for many this is where their plan of building a bug out bag ends. While these bags are excellent their price is simply out of reach if you're on a tight budget. Fortunately there are alternatives that can save you a lot of money while still getting a top quality bag. Remember you don't need something fancy, you want rugged and reliable. Check with military surplus stores, depending on where you live there should be at least one or two within a decent distance from where you live. If you don't mind the bag being a little used you can pick up a rucksack or another suitable bag for as little as 20 bucks (This is exactly what I paid for mine at a military surplus store where I used to live, including tax)

Supplies

Items such as a magnesium fire starter, water proof matches, emergency rain ponchos, and glow sticks can be found at stores such as Wall-Mart for very cheap. While I'm not a fan of the store they offer most of these items for fewer than 10 dollars. Rain ponchos and emergency blankets for example can cost as little as 1.20 (Depending on where you live), they also take no room in your bag so you can store lots of them. For matches you can buy packages' of 4 for around 2 dollars, and magnesium fire starters for as little as 5.

Food

Buying rations can be expensive; sticking with canned food is a cheaper alternative. Canned soup for example can be as a little as under a dollar a can. Check with stores that sell food in bulk as this may save additional money when purchasing larger cans. Remember to watch the salt content; you want to avoid food with high amounts of salt as this can dehydrated you.

Spare Clothes

One should always have a couple changes of warm clothing (Depending on season and your location). To save money on spare clothing there are a couple options. One is to check with stores that sell discount clothing such as Winner's or an equivalent, I've seen winter jackets for example as low as 20 dollars (Canadian). Another option if your budget is really tight is to check second hand stores such as Goodwill which sell used clothing. Remember to always check over anything you buy that's used to ensure it's not to worn out and damaged. Generally these types of stores will allow you to purchase a large amount of clothing for very cheap. I was able to find a whole garbage bag full of useful clothing such as military surplus, jackets, toques, gloves, and even a sleeping bag that is rated to minus 40 Celsius for about 25 dollars, all of it was in like new condition, and the sleeping bag still had the original store tag on it.

Other Places To Look

The key for anyone looking to do anything on a budget is to think outside the box and look in areas that most would overlook. Other places to look for supplies for your bug out bag while keeping the cost down are the following

-Garage Sales

-Flea Markets

-Liquidation Stores

-Dollar Stores

-Craig's List (Be careful with online shopping, there are many scam artists out there)

-Going out of business sales

-Classifieds

These are just a few ideas to get you started. To find more useful post apocalypse survival information and tips check out my website The Razors Edge a post apocalypse survival guide.

A little about me

I am a former Canadian Forces soldier who has served the military honourably for 7 years. My website http://www.therazors-edge.com is a collection of that military experience mixed with my fascination for the apocalypse and end of the world related topics. I wanted to create a practical real life guide that can help you survive if our civilization collapses.

The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster

Food Storage Recipe - Potato Casserole

 Simple recipe to throw together. 

16 oz. wide egg noodles 

 6 C. prepared mashed potatoes

  1/4 C. butter 

 2 large onions, chopped  

garlic, minced 

 1 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese 

Preheat the oven to 350 F. 

Grease a casserole baking dish with some butter.  

 Prepare the noodles by following the instructions on the package and cook them until  they are done.

In a large pan over medium heat heat up some butter. 

Saute the onion and  garlic  for 2 min. 

Get a large mixing bowl and Mix together the potato with onion , garlic mix, a pinch of salt and pepper.

 Place half of the cooked noodles in a greased casserole dish. 

Spread the potato onion mixture over the noodles.  

 Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top of the potatoes then layer the remaining noodles over that.  

Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese on top. 

Place the casserole in the Oven and bake for about 40 minutes.

50+ Freezable Foods That Will Save You Time and Money

 

 

50+ Freezable Foods That Will Save You Time and Money | Andrea Dekker

 

Being able to have a full freezer can actually save you some money. There are so many things that you can freeze. I free bread that I buy that has been mark downed. Meat  that is on sale. So much more. Garden all summer and freeze the veggies that you grew.

Making a Hobo Stove -

 

 

 

Making a Hobo Stove -

 

Always looking for ways to reuse #10 cans! This is a great way to reuse one and easy to make. Very useful item to make. Anyone can make one and it could come in handy.

8 Ways to Make an Extra $1000 a Month On a Small Homestead — Practical Self Reliance

 

 

8 Ways to Make an Extra $1000 a Month On a Small Homestead — Practical Self Reliance

This is a great list of ways to make extra income when you have a homestead. My son sets up at farmer's markets, sells eggs, etc. My younger son is now making handmade soap to be able to take to the farmer's market with his brother. There are so many ways to create income. Try to have several at once.

 

 

13 DIY Composting Toilet Ideas to Make Going Off-Grid Easier

 

 

 

 

13 DIY Composting Toilet Ideas to Make Going Off-Grid Easier

 

Another great article with DIY ways to make a composting toilet. 

Food Storage Recipe - Tomato & Tuna Spaghetti

 This dish brings together 2 common pantry items. This is a simple recipe and yummy.

NEED:

8 ounces spaghetti

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 garlic cloves , chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can of tuna 

1/2 cup shredded Romano cheese

Pepper to taste

In a large pot bring salted water to a boil. 

Cook the spaghetti as the box states.

In another pan on medium heat add the olive oil.

Let the olive oil heat up and add the garlic and saute it until it gets aromatic.

Add the tomatoes to the pan with garlic and heat that up.

Add the tuna to that , breaking it up. Cook this tomato , tuna mixture until warmed through.

Add a small bit of the Romano cheese to the sauce.

Turn down the heat and wait for the spaghetti to cook complete.

Once the spaghetti is done , drain it. Reserve some of the water.

Dump the spaghetti into the sauce pan and stir until the noodles are covered with the sauce. 

You can add a bit of the reserved water if you need to.

Top with the remaining Romano cheese and serve.

 

How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?

 

 

 How Many Solar Panels Do I Need? - HubPages

This is an interesting read and could be very useful.

Sharing it for anyone thinking about going solar.  

How many solar panels will a normal household need? It will be different for every household.

Food Storage Recipe - Curly Soup

A great soup that the whole family will love. Easy to make! Should have all of the items in your food storage!

 

 2 Tablespoons dried parsley

1 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoon beef bouillon

1/2 cup of dried onion

1 teaspoon sugar

3 cups tri-colored curly rotini pasta

8 cups of water 

1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes

 

Bring the 8 cups of water to a boil in a large soup pot.

Add all of the ingredients and the tomatoes.

Bring to a boil and then lower the heat. 

Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Don't overcook the pasta.

Serve.

8 Fun DIY Solar Powered Air Heater Plans

 

 

 

8 Fun DIY Solar Powered Air Heater Plans - Solar Living Savvy

 

Low cost ways to supplement your heat in your house.  These are simple to build and can really help with heating cost.

Shelter Ideas Using Tarps

I found this on Pinterest on this Board and just had to share it. There are so many great ideas on Pinterest for prepping and food storage. I have found so many great ideas and tips on there. This one for various shelters using a tarp I really love. We have 6 of the huge tarps that you could cover a whole house with, I know because I had to use one when we lost our roof during the wind storm of 2008! I could make some really awesome shelters with them. The only con about them though is that they are so heavy! LOL



The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster

Food Storage Recipe - White Bean Soup

 A great meal to cook on a cool day. Throw in your Crock Pot in the morning and enjoy a good lunch!

NEED:

1 pound dry navy beans, sorted and rinsed

 2 quarts veggie broth

 1 diced onion of medium size 

4  peeled and smashed cloves of garlic 

2 tsp salt 1/4 teaspoon  pepper 

2 diced medium potatoes 

1 pound  sliced and frozen carrots 

1 cup diced tomatoes

1-2 tsp dried dill

 3-4 tbsp fresh, minced parsley

Place onions, pepper, beans, garlic, veggie broth and salt into the slow cooker.  

Cook under medium heat. 

As you add water desirably, allow it to simmer for four hours.  

When the beans soften, add potatoes and allow them to cook up to the point they are tender. 

  Add tomatoes, carrots and dill. 

Continue cooking until the carrots are well cooked. 

Add parsley then seasoning and stir. You can serve as desired.

The Complete Guide to Off Grid Water Systems for Homesteaders

 

 

 The Complete Guide to Off Grid Water Systems for Homesteaders – Rustic Skills Homesteading

 

Having clean water is the most important thing. Life or death. 

Emergency Preparedness: Solar Oven

 

 

Emergency Preparedness: Solar Oven | ~ Texas Homesteader ~

 

Need to have several different ways to be able to cook a meal. I love solar cooking. It is actually so easy and cooks really good. Learn how to do cooking in other ways without power BEFORE the power goes out. Learn something new every day.

Food Storage Recipe -2 ingredient Apple Spice Cake

 This is super easy and very yummy! 2 ingredients! These type of food items should also be in your food storage pantry. It is nice to have a treat when times are tough. You don't just want to live on rice and beans. 

NEED 

1 spice cake mix 

1 can of sugar not added apple pie filling

Put the cake mix into a large bowl.

Chop up the apple pie filling into smaller pieces.

Add the apple into the cake mix.

Mix together. 

Nothing else.

Add to a lightly greased pan and bake at 350 until done. 

Use a toothpick to check. 

Homemade Fruit Snacks

 

 

 

Homemade Fruit Snacks - JoyFoodSunshine

 

I have such a sweet tooth and I have to have candy all over the house and bags in my purse. I am needing to be healthier. Making my own fruit snacks would be a great way to get away from so much candy.  This would be a fun thing to do, also. Get the whole family involved and create your own flavors. Gummy Fruit Candy Molds

 

 

Oatmeal Maple Bread with Crunchy Walnuts

This bread is so good toasted and buttered.

⅔ cup granulated sugar

  2 cups Bisquick

  ⅓ cup toasted walnuts (chopped) 

 ½ cup oats (quick cooking variety)

 ½ cup full-fat sour cream 

 2 medium eggs

  ½ cup canola oil 

 ⅓ cup pure maple syrup

  ¼ cup whole milk  

 Preheat the main oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 5x9” loaf tin, set to one side.

Combine the sugar, Bisquick, walnuts, and oats in a mixing bowl. 

Beat in the sour cream, eggs, canola oil, maple syrup, and whole milk until the mixture is smooth and lump-free. Transfer to the loaf tin. 

Place in the oven and bake for just over an hour until set in the center.

Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Almond Fudge Protein Bar

 This almond fudge recipe is made easily. 

NEED

3 tbsps chocolate for melting

 1 tsp vanilla extract

 1/3 cup honey

 ½ cup almond butter

 ½ cup rice crispies or rice cereal 

1/3 cup vanilla protein powder

 ½ cup quick oats

 1 cup oat flour 

 Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray then set aside.

 In a mixing bowl, mix together quick oats, oat flour, protein powder and rice cereal. Set aside.

 In pan set over medium heat, add the honey and almond butter. Stir until the butter is melted and well combined. Add the vanilla extract.

Remove from the heat and pour the liquid mixture to the dry mixture. Stir until well combined.

Pour the batter to prepared loaf pan and spread the mixture evenly. 

 Place inside the fridge to cool before cutting into bars.

10 Camping Ideas You Probably Didn’t Know - A Little Craft In Your Day

 

 

 

 

10 Camping Ideas You Probably Didn’t Know - A Little Craft In Your Day

 

Anything that will make camping easier is a good thing. Having fun while camping is the most important thing and if things can be done easier that will make it more fun.  I share as many camping ideas as I can on this blog. I love to camp.

 

Nuclear Survival Kit List | 16 Essential Items

 

 

Nuclear Survival Kit List | 16 Essential Items | TruePrepper

This is a must read!!  Gives such a great list of items that would be very useful. Faraday bags to gas masks and more.

Food Storage Recipe - Bacon Ranch Chicken Tacos

 

Chicken tacos with crispy bacon and a creamy ranch dressing. This is a great way to use up rotisserie chicken. I have even used canned chicken before, too.

 NEED

2 cups cooked shredded chicken 

1/2 cup ranch dressing 

1/2 cup cooked bacon, crumbled 

8 small tortillas 

1 cup shredded lettuce 

1/2 cup diced tomatoes 

 

Mix shredded chicken with ranch dressing. 

Warm tortillas in a skillet or microwave. 

Assemble tacos with chicken mixture, crumbled bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes.

 

Food Storage Recipe - Peanut Butter Waffles

1 egg to 1 tablespoon of peanut butter makes amazing waffles in your mini waffle maker!

Such a simple recipe and makes a quick snack or breakfast for someone.  

Solar heater diagrams

 

 

Solar heater diagrams

 

Getting ready for winter now. Perfect time to do it. I have 4 South facing windows that I need to do this on.

 

Radiant Warmth for Pennies per Day | The Warmth Within

 

 

 

Radiant Warmth for Pennies per Day | The Warmth Within

I am going to make several of these. I like the style of this better than some of the others that I have seen.

Anything to help with the heat bill or help with warming a room if power goes out in the cold weather. Simple to put together. Not too high cost. You could get everything for it from a thrift store. Now I am going to be on the hunt for more clay pots. 

Food Storage Recipe - Homemade Potato Chips

 Potato chips are getting so high that I stopped buying them. A Local Church gives away free potatoes a few times a year and I have a 10 pound lot that I decided to try out making my own potato chips. They actually turned out great and You can season them anyway that you want to. I like salt & pepper, but you can use ANY seasoning. 

Clean your potato and slice it as thin as you can. 

Put olive oil on them and layer them on a baking sheet. 

Bake them for about 10 minutes.

Turn them over and bake for another 8 minutes.

They don't look exactly like what you get at the store in a bought bag, but they taste so good. Hard to stop eating them.

Take them out and season them.You can use anything! Salt & pepper, seasoned salt, ranch dressing powders,  garlic salt, etc.

Great chips and they are a great addition to a sandwich or a hamburger.

17 Homemade DIY Fire Starters You Can Make {That Actually Work!}

 

 

17 Homemade DIY Fire Starters You Can Make {That Actually Work!}

 

This is a must have list to keep and actually do the things on it.

Have to be able to have fire to cook, clean, keep warm, etc.

 

DIY Alcohol Stove for Emergency Kit

 

 

 

 

DIY Alcohol Stove for Emergency Kit ~ Great Camping Hack! - Or so she says...

 

This is a neat little hack to create a small alcohol stove. Small enough for your camping pack or bug out bag and be able to cook. 

 

 

Food Storage Recipe - Homemade Electrolyte Drink

 A Homemade drink that is full of electrolytes. A lot healthier than sugary drinks.

Orange flavored 

1/2 cup of fresh orange juice

1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice

1 cup of coconut  water

1 cup of water

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

1 teaspoon of raw honey

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and pulse for about 30 seconds and serve.

Food Storage Recipe - Vegetable & Chicken Pilaf

 NEED:

1/3 of a package of boneless and skinless chicken thighs

a pound of fresh green beans

1/2 pound of fresh carrots, diced

1 cup of white rice

3 cups of chicken broth

1/2 cup of frozen peas

Place the chicken in the bottom of the crock pot.

Add the green beans and carrots around and on top of the chicken.

Season with salt and pepper.

Pour 2 cups of the broth. 

Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours.

After that cooks for about 4 hours add the rice, 1 cup of broth, and the peas.

You can also add the juice of a lemon. 

Cook for another 1 to 2 hours on low.

Or however long it takes for the rice to get done.

 

20 Ways to Purify Water Off The Grid

 

 

 

20 Ways to Purify Water Off The Grid

 

Having clean water is a must! You cannot survive without clean drinking water. Even if the water looks good you should still purify it.  

Disaster Prep List For The Beginner!!

 Grab a tote and fill it up with the things on this list. Keep the tote where you can get to it if something happens and all of the items in it are useful for a disaster.A good tote will keep things safe from water and more. Keep the items safe for when you have to have them they are there. You should have more items than what is on this list, but this is a start for new preppers. You should at least have this. Should be enough for a couple of weeks. To start out. From there you should add to your items and build up a large pantry.

1. Water

2. Non- perishable food

3. Emergency Radio

4. First aid kit

5. Flashlight

6. Blanket

7. Candles

8. Can Opener

9. Prescription Medicines

10. Pet food

11. Warm clothing

12. Cell phone or handheld cb radio

13. Matches

14, Whistle

15, Cash & extra keys

16. Basic tool set

17. Baby items

18. Important documents and list of emergency contacts

19. Hygiene items

20. Mask for dust etc   

This is just a start. ADD TO IT. STARTING SMALL IS A START. It does not have to cost a lot to start prepping. 

Power in the Apocalypse (How to Build a Wood-Gasifier)

 

 

 

 

Power in the Apocalypse (How to Build a Wood-Gasifier) : 6 Steps (with Pictures) - Instructables

 

I wish I was more handy. There are so many ways to create power and if you are handy than it would be an awesome thing to be able to do. Having power in an off-grid apocalypse situation would be the best. 

3 Powerless Cookers You Can Make Using Scraps

 

 

 

 

 

3 Powerless Cookers You Can Make Using Scraps

 

Everyone has to know several ways to cook without power. There will come a time that you will be in a power outage of some kind and will still have to cook some food or boil water to be able to have clean water. Learn the many ways now before you need them. Find what works for you. 

 

Food Storage Recipe - Apple Pie Bread

Woke up to a cool morning and decided to try this out. Super good and was an awesome dish to have with my coffee.

 

NEED:

1 can apple pie filling, mashed

1 yellow cake mix

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup self rising flour

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 medium chopped apple

 

Whisk all of the dry ingredients together. 

Add the wet ingredients.

Fold in the chopped apple. 

Pour into 2 loaf pans that were greased.

Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon on the top.

Bake at 325 for about 40 minutes. 

30 Smart Ways to Reuse Things That You Usually Throw Away

30 Smart Ways to Reuse Things That You Usually Throw Away - Ask a Prepper

Great ideas for reusing items. There is always something that can be done with anything instead of throwing it out. Could save you money. Reuse items instead of buying new. 

Ways To Use 5 Gallon Buckets Around Your Homestead

 This is just a list of ideas for uses of buckets around your homestead. 

1. Use In your garden.

2. Use for storage.

3. Create an emergency kit in a bucket.

4.Build an AC unit. 

5. Mouse trap.

6. Coin Bank.

7. Washing Machine. Or This idea.

8. A chicken feeder.

9. Make a 5 gallon shower.

10. Make an outdoor sink.

11. Solar powered water heater.

12. A toilet. 

13. Store fishing gear.

14. Build a water filter. 

This is just a short list to give you some ideas. I am sure that there are many more things that can be done with buckets. 

 

 

10 Ways to Keep Warm Without Electricity

10 Ways to Keep Warm Without Electricity

 

It has been cool in the mornings  here. Has me thinking of winter. I'm not ready for winter. Never am. Do not like the cold. BUt, this summer has been so hot and dry. We are in a drought here and my garden did not produce. So this year I am kind of ready for winter and having cool weather.

How To Turn A Car Battery Into A Power Bank

How To Turn A Car Battery Into A Power Bank

 Have as many ways to create power that you can have. If grid goes down you will be able to power anything. Be able to get power when you need it. With this you could link several batteries together to create even more. 

Food Storage Recipe - Simple Bean Dip

My pantry always has a lot of cans of refried beans. This is a simple recipe to doctor that can of refried beans up to make a dip. Grab your tortilla chips. 

NEED

1 (16 oz.) can refried beans 

 1 package taco seasoning mix 

1 tomato , chopped 

shredded cheese

In a pan combine the refried beans, taco seasoning, and tomato.

Cook on low for about 20 minutes. 

Stir it a lot while it is cooking.

Transfer to a casserole dish and top with the shredded cheese. 

Serve while hot. 

Food Storage Recipe - Vegetable and Lentil Stew

A yummy Vegetable and Lentil Stew ! 

 NEED:

1 cup lentils, rinsed 

​​2 carrots, sliced ​​

2 celery stalks, sliced ​​

1 onion, chopped 

2 cloves garlic, minced ​​

1 can diced tomatoes ​​

4 cups vegetable broth

 ​​1 teaspoon cumin ​​

1 teaspoon paprika ​​

Salt and pepper, to taste

 ​​Fresh spinach, for serving

 1. Add lentils, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and tomatoes to the Crock-Pot.

 2. Pour in vegetable broth and season with cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. 

3. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.

 4. Stir in fresh spinach just before serving.

How to Insulate A Greenhouse | 6 Ways To Heat Your Plants

How to Insulate A Greenhouse | 6 Ways To Heat Your Plants

Having a greenhouse is a dream of mine. These are some great tips for keeping your greenhouse warm. I think that having a greenhouse is a must have item. Even a small one. Being able to grow your own food will save your life.

Food Storage Recipe - Quinoa Cheesy Bites

Quinoa is a food that I love. It is very filling and healthy. 

NEED:

1 cup of cooked quinoa

  1 large egg 

 1 cup of fresh spinach, chopped 

 2 carrots, shredded

  1 small onion, chopped 

 2 tsp. of minced garlic 

 1 tbsp. of flour

  ½ cup of cheddar cheese 

Salt and pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix them together thoroughly.  

Form the mixture into small balls that are tightly-packed. 

 Place the balls on a baking tray.  

Preheat the oven to a temperature of 350°F. 

 Bake the quinoa balls until they turn golden brown in color.

 This usually takes a period of 15 minutes. 

 Serve the quinoa cheesy bites hot.