Frugal Survival Tip Of The Day

I already have one of these pressure handwashers from lehman's, but if you are on a budget they can be expensive. So if you are looking for a frugal way to be able to do small loads of laundry during a power outage you can take a large wide mouth bottle and put small things in it , like socks and underwear, fill it up 3/4 of the way with water , add about a teaspoon of soap and shake it up !! The agitation of your shaking it will get the items clean and then after a few minutes you empty and rinse the items. Hang them out to dry!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

We Need More Tools

I had to take my sewing machine apart to change the belt and I was on the hunt for a darn screw driver. It dawned on me right then , that we do not have hardly any tools. How are we going to be more self-sufficient and prepared of we do not have any tools?? What would happen if something needed fixed? How would we cut anything if we had no saw?? I just really think that this needs to be another important thing for me to be on the lookout for. Hope I can find them at thrift stores and yard sales.

It Is Getting Colder!

The past week it has been getting colder and colder and I have come to realize that we do not have enough blankets! So that is the next thing on my stockpile list ~~ BLANKETS!!!
I do not care what kind they are or what they look like - We just need a bunch of them to keep warm. What would we do if the power went off and it was deep winter and we did not have but a few blankets. With extra blankets we can all bundle up, use them to cover doorways so we can at least heat one room, use them to cover windows if we have to, and JUST BE WARM!!!

So now I am on the lookout for blankets! Does anyone know of any good sales??

Wordless Wednesday - What I Am Saving Up For!

10 Best Vegetables to Grow in Fall

Fall vegetables don't require any special care; in fact, you'll spend less time caring for your fall crops because of the favorable autumn growing conditions. Generally, plants will grow rapidly at first and gradually slow as the days become shorter and colder. Here are some tips and ideas for learning how to grow fall vegetables and what are the 10 best vegetables to grow in fall.

You'll be happy to discover that destructive insects won't be as numerous as the summer months.
You will also struggle less with weed control because the weeds will germinate less frequently and grow slower than they do during the warmer growing seasons. Compared to the hot and dry summers, fall usually brings an increase in the amount of precipitation, eliminating another time consuming garden chore of irrigating the garden.

With just a little attention and effort you may be surprised to find that growing fall vegetables in the backyard garden and planters is even more enjoyable than planting a vegetable garden during the spring and summer seasons. Why? It's simple. Cooler autumn temperatures make it a delight to spend time outside in the garden and also provide an advantage when it's time to harvest your fall crops.

Maturing crops including cabbages and root crops will maintain their quality and stand much longer in the garden during the fall season. Leafy greens can be harvested a leaf or two at a time from each plant during the season, leaving the smaller leaves in the center portion of the plant to continue growing and producing new leaves. Or you can harvest all of the leaves at once from the mature plants late in the season.

Following is a list of fast growing, cold hardy crops that are ideal for fall vegetable gardening. These are our top ten vegetables to grow in fall:
· Kale - Nutritious leafy greens on productive plants that surpass winter easily, even in very cold climates.
· Collards - Another leafy green similar to kale, but with larger, stronger flavored leaves are the collards.
· Lettuce - Plant varieties bred especially for growing during the fall season or in cold frames.
· Turnips - Here's a quick maturing root crop that's productive and easy to grow.
· Rutabagas - Larger and sweeter than turnips, plant rutabagas earlier in the summer for a full fall harvest.
· Broccoli - Popular, productive, and much easier to grow than cauliflower. Plus, its high dose of fiber and calcium keeps a body good
· Mustard - Spicy hot leaves; this is a very fast growing vegetable.
· Cabbage - Grow from transplants (like broccoli and cauliflower) or start seeds indoors under lights.
· Arugula - Fast growing leafy greens for salads or gourmet recipes.
· Leeks - One of the hardiest plants in the garden, leeks can even withstand winter freezes.

Just Wanted To Share

Liberty is worth the price..

"The said constitution shall never be construed to authorize congress to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms."
Samuel Adams
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"A free people ought to be armed"
George Washington - 1790
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"Throughout the ages, Big-Government has always been the most deadly enemy of the people’s liberty."
unknown
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"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
Thomas Paine - 1777
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"In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated, and scorned. When his cause succeeds however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a Patriot."
Mark Twain
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"It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself."
Thomas Jefferson
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"!935 will go down in history! For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration!"
Adolf Hitler - 1935
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"They that give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin - 1776
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"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but down-right force. When ever you give up that force, you are ruinedThe great object is that every man be armed Everyone who is able may have a gun."
Patrick Henry
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"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain their right to keep and bear arms is as a resort to protect themselves against tyranny in government."
Thomas Jefferson
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"Americans need never fear their government because of the advantage of being armed, which the American possess over the people of almost every other nation."
James Madison
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Stock Up On Paper Items

You can never have enough paper items!!!

I have been stocking up on toilet paper and paper towels for a while now. I also have some paper plates! I do not worry too much about diapers. I do have a few packs of diapers for an emergency , but I have been using cloth diapers for over a year now and have tons of them that I have been making. I have even been making cloth wipes for when baby needs wiped and we could use them to if we run out of toilet paper.
I want to be prepared for anything and everything!! You never know when there might be a snow storm or something and there might be a few days that you cannot get out. What would you do if you ran out of toilet paper?? That is one of things that I always keep in mind when I am thinking of what I need to stockpile -- MY FAMILIES COMFORT!!

A Coffee Can Stove

I have a big coffee can that I cannot wait until I have it empty so that I can try this one out. Seems easy enough to make and then it will be another item that I have to cook on. Currently I have a propane camping stove, I can make a solar cooker, and I have a very small alcohol stove! I want to be prepared!! Plus I want backup because I do not have enough room to be storing thousands of bottles of the propane that I need for the camping stove.
Links to some sites to make a coffee can stove:

A 2 cent Hobo Stove

DIY Backpacking Stoves

Hobo Stove

Awesome tutorial to make a coffee can stove

Coffeecan stove

Youtube videos showing coffee can stoves

Sneaky Places To Hide Things

One of my favorite blogs and the only one that I subscribe to is TipNut and I came across this post that I thought was awesome and wanted to share with all of you. It might come in handy to be able to hide valuables in sneaky places. You never know when you might have to hide cash, jewelry, or whatever. Has some great ideas and tips. You might want to go ahead and check out the whole site.

Thank You To All Of The Veterns!!

Cooking With The Sun

In a search to find ways to be able to cook if there is no power , I came across the idea of cooking with the sun. The search done online led me to this Solar cooker that can be made for less than $10.00!! That really jumped out at me - cheap, easy, and will work. I went to our local Dollar Tree and purchased 2 of the windshield shades. I already had the rest of the items that I needed. So off I go to try this out!!

I used some of the tips that were in my book - Cooking With the Sun: How to Build and Use Solar Cookers and set out to make and try this.

I chose a day last week when it got to about 80 degrees and just made a small pot of beans! IT WORKED!! I was really surprised. The only thing I didn't do was keep track of the time that I started it!! I have a toddler in the house who is going through their terrible twos so I have been kept busy chasing him around!! I did not even get any photos of my solar cooker! But it did work. I did it up on my deck and had it sat in the furthest corner so it was hit with the most sun AND the deck rail kept it in place from the wind. I am going to wait until a cool day with plenty of sun and try this again so I can see they really do work in the winter. My book says that they will work , but I want to try it out for myself. This can really be a life saver when the power goes out.

Next I will be trying out a coffee can stove!!

A Great Backup Plan For Survival!!

MREs could be a great backup plan for your survival. They are healthy and they last for a long, long , long time! They will also give you a variety of food to eat so your not just eating rice all of the time. We personally have 7 cases of MREs. So that is enough for us to last about 3-4 weeks , I think. I plan on getting more. I want to have enough to be a safe backup plan for food.
There are several sites online that sale them and you can even buy them on ebay. Maybe start out like we did and just buy a little bit at a time. Build it up slowly. Do not go broke getting prepared.

Cloth Diapers Can Be A lifesaver!

With a baby in the house I thought often of what could be done to make sure that we had diapers for him if the time came that we could not just run to a store and get a bag. So I researched online and started using cloth diapers. I have been using them for a year now and hope to be potty trained with in the next year, but for now I use cloth diapers and will keep them on hand so if we run into hard times I have something for him to wear!! I use a hand pressure washing machine and it works great to keep items clean. Cloth diapers do not have to be expensive either. You can make your own Cloth Diapers very easily or search online for used ones to buy.

Stockpile This Stuff To Survive!!!

I was surfing yesterday and I came upon this list of stuff that is of the 100 items that will disappear first in times of emergencies, panics, or worse. I think this should be used to help us all be prepared and to make sure that we have these things stockpiled. Print this list out!!

100 Items To Disappear
First In A Panic
By Joseph Almond
5-21-6

#1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy.. target of thieves; maintenance, etc.)

#2. Water Filters/Purifiers (Shipping delays increasing.)

#3. Portable Toilets (Increasing in price every twomonths.)

#4. Seasoned Firewood (About $100 per cord; wood takes 6 - 12 mos. to become dried, for home uses.)

#5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)

#6. Coleman Fuel (URGENT $2.69-$3.99/gal. Impossible to stockpile too much.)

#7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots

#8. Hand-Can openers & hand egg beaters, whisks (Life savers!)

#9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugars

#10. Rice - Beans - Wheat (White rice is now $12.95
- 50# bag. Sam's Club, stock depleted often.)

#11. Vegetable oil (for cooking) (Without it food burns/must be boiled, etc.)

#12. Charcoal & Lighter fluid (Will become scarce suddenly.)

#13. Water containers (Urgent Item to obtain. An size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY)

#14. Mini Heater head (Propane) (Without this item, propane won't heat a room.)

#15. Grain Grinder (Non-electric)

#16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur by September, 1999.)

#17. Michael Hyatt's Y2K Survival Guide (BEST single y2k handbook for sound advice/tips.)

#18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)

#19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula/ointments/aspirin, etc

#20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)

#21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)

#22. Vitamins (Critical, due 10 Y2K-forced daily canned food diets.)

#23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item.)

#24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products

#25. Thermal underwear (Tops and bottoms)

#26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets & Wedges (also, honing oil)

#27. Aluminum foil Reg. & Hvy. Duty (Great Cooking & Barter item)

#28. Gasoline containers (Plastic or Metal)

#29. Garbage bags (Impossible to have too many.)

#30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, paper towels

#31. Milk - Powdered & Condensed (Shake liquid every 3 to 4 months.)

#32. Garden seeds (Non-hybrid) (A MUST)

#33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)

#34. Coleman's Pump Repair Kit: 1(800) 835-3278

#35. Tuna Fish (in oil)

#36. Fire extinguishers (or.. large box of Baking soda in every room...)

#37. First aid kits

#38. Batteries (all sizes... buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)

#39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies

#40. BIG DOGS (and plenty of dog food)

#41. Flour, yeast & salt

#42. Matches (3 box/$1 .44 at WalMart: "Strike Anywhere" preferred. Boxed, wooden matches will go first.)

#43. Writing paper/pads/pencils/solar calculators

#44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime)

#45. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts

#46. Flashlights/LIGIITSTICKS & torches, "No. 76 Dietz" Lanterns

#47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (Jot down ideas, feelings, experiences: Historic times!)

#48. Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water transporting - if with wheels)

#49. Men's Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc

#50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)

#51. Fishing supplies/tools

#52. Mosquito coils/repellent sprays/creams

#53. Duct tape

#54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes

#55. Candles

#56. Laundry detergent (Liquid)

#57. Backpacks & Duffle bags

#58. Garden tools & supplies

#59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies

#60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.

#61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)

#62. Canning supplies (Jars/lids/wax)

#63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel

#64. Bicycles... Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc.

#65. Sleeping bags & blankets/pillows/mats

#66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)

#67. Board Games Cards, Dice

#68. d-Con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer

#69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets

#70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks...)

#71. Baby Wipes, diapers, tampons, oils, waterless & Anti-bacterial soap (saves a lot of water)

#72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.

#73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)

#74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)

#75. Soysauce, vinegar, boullions/gravy/soup base

#76. Reading glasses

#77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)

#78. "Survival-in-a-Can"

#79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens

#80. BSA - New 1998 - Boy Scout Handbook (also, Leader's Catalog)

#81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)

#82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky

#83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts

#84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)

#85. Lumber (all types)

#86. Wagons & carts (for transport to & from open Flea markets)

#87. Cots & Inflatable mattresses (for extra guests)

#88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.

#89. Lantern Hangers

#90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws, nuts & bolts

#91. Teas

#92. Coffee

#93. Cigarettes

#94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc.)

#95. Paraffin wax

#96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.

#97. Chewing gum/candies

#98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)

#99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs

#100. Goats/chickens

What Should Be On Your BookShelf??

I have a lot of books and magazines on my bookshelf that will be a great resource in case of an emergency and no power.
I have shown you a example of some of them in the photo. A solar cookbook and a woodstove cookery book are a great idea to have so you can still cook without power. I also have some grilling books. You should also have some medical based books , herbals, and edible plants books. I have 2 favorites that I read all of the time -- Back To Basics and Emergency Food Storage and Survival HandBook. Those 2 are just packed full of information that will be useful when the time comes. I also have another cookbook for when there is no power called Apocalypse Chow. I am pretty new to gardening so I also have a few books that have tips for gardeners.
It would also be a good idea to get subscriptions to some useful magazines. My favorite 2 are Backwoods Home Magazine and Countryside magazines. I also have a subscription to Mother Earth News.
A library of books that can be useful for your family does not have to be expensive. I got all of my books at thrift stores and on ebay!! I have gotten lucky on several of the books , like the Woodstove Cookery book I got at a local thrift store for 50 cents!! Even on ebay it goes for a lot more. But I have gotten some great deals on ebay also. The solar power cookbook I got on ebay for, I think , $5.00 , which is not too bad for a book that I imagine will be quite useful.
As long as you study and stay well read on the information that you will need before you actually need it you should be able to survive well without power!!

THE MOST IMPORTANT HANDBOOK TO HAVE ON YOUR SHELF IS THE BIBLE!!!!

Learn To Do Stuff Now!

You need to learn how to do things now that you might need to know how to do in case of an emergency. Do you know how to make bread? Do you know how to sew? Learn how to filter water and cook anything on a grill.

If you learn how to do the stuff now , than when you need to be able to do it you can. This will save you a lot of heartache and trouble. How important it could be to know how to make your own solar cooker, but if you wait until you need one, it might be too late. Make one now when you do not need one and than you will be able to adjust things in case you need too and it not be too late.

You need to know basic home repair also. What would happen if you had something go wrong with your house and you could not fix it.

It is also a good idea for you to learn how to forage for food in nature. There are many edible plants and you might want to be able to hunt and dress what you get. I love to fish and that could be a life saver one of these days. With a creek behind our house that has fish we could eat good, but if we did not know how to fish it would be useless to us.

Some More Tips For Stockpiling

I have been thinking about this ever since I started this blog and I did the first post about starting a stockpile. There are other very important things that should be stockpiled.

You have got to make sure that you have other food stuff to cook with, like vegetable oil, shortening, gravy mixes, dry milk, cornmeal, syrup, HONEY, spices, bouillon, potato buds, and more. You want to have an assortment so you will have what you will need for making something.

Make sure you have all of the ingredients of recipes that you use the most. Stock up on all of the ingredients for making bread.

If you think like this as your stockpiling you will be sure to have a healthy and happy family! Their full stomachs will make the time pass easier when there is no power to do the things they are not used to doing.

Tip Of The day!

There are quite a few programs out there that you use on your computer to keep track of your food storage and goals, but what do you do if there is no power and you cannot consult your list that is on your computer???

So I recommend that you do not do all of your planning on the computer, since all of the computer repair training in the world won't help you out of certain PC troubles. -- Get a notebook that you will only use for your food storage, recipes, ideas, stockpile list, and more.

I also have a folder that I use to put recipes in.

Now everything is at hand and not stuck on a computer that will be useless when and if the power is out!!!

These Could Come In Handy!!

I was wondering one day last summer what would we do for information if our electric was out for long periods of time. Also I did not want to have to worry about always having batteries on hand. So I did some searching online and found out about hand-crank and solar power radios. I ended up buying 4 of them. In the photo you will see 2 of them that I have. One of them is a hand-crank one and the other is both hand-crank and solar power. I leave it sitting in my kitchen window all of the time! I love them. They both have weather band. The bigger one has a flashlight and a clock in it. Really useful for when the power is out and you want to be able to hear some news or weather!! I bought 4 of them so that each of us will have one.

Start Your Stockpile Of Food!!

When I decided that I wanted to start stockpiling food for my family, I started out with the basics - or what some people call The Staples. I started out with buying extra flour, sugar, rice, pastas, and other items! I put these back - storing them for when we might need them. I also like to get extra stuff that I might need for baking stuff, like baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, oatmeal, and cornmeal. It is not hard to do this. Watch for it to be on sale and snatch as much as you can without cutting into your food budget for the week. If you do a lot of baking you might want to make sure you have everything that you would need to bake bread. I get whole wheat flour and yeast.
Other staples that your family might use are ketchup, soy sauce, mustard, and beans of all kinds!! Beans can be a life saver in any time of survival. Later on in this blog I will tell how you can make them with a solar cooker, that way if you have no power , you will still have good food.

REMEMBER THIS TIP FOR STOCKPILING: When something that you use a lot of is on sale buy as much as you can without taking from your grocery budget and stick the extras back and always be on the lookout for buy one get one free deals and stick the free one back in the stockpile!!

More later on about other items you will have to stockpile!!!

A Great Investment for self-sufficiency !

When I am thinking of being self-sufficient and being prepared for anything, I try to think of EVERYTHING that could be needed or wanted. Well, my family said the one thing that they would worry about is having clean clothing, towels, and me being able to clean my little one's cloth diapers. So last month I splurged and bought one of these, NEW HOME RV CAMPER OUTDOOR" THE LAUNDRY ALTERNATIVE WONDERWASH" Non-electric Mini Washing Machine hand washables . I have used it a few times already and I have to say that it is awesome. I used it on cloth diapers and it worked great. I was able to use hotter water than my washing machine even gets. Plus it used less water.
So now when the bad times come we will have clean items!!
To dry the items I have 2 things - I have one of those folding style clothes dryers for inside and for outside I have a umbrella style clothes line. Which I love. I have had it for years and I tell you it was the best investment I ever made in my quest to being self-sufficient. I think that with all of this my family will be clean and happy.

Someone on anther board made me remember something that happened recently. We had a wind storm back in September here in Indiana( it was a catagory 1 hurricane) and our electric was out for almost 3 days, but I still had to wash cloth diapers!! I used this and my neighbors were giving me dirty looks when I was hanging out laundry. They were wondering how I was washing clothes.

Are you prepared?

I am wondering if we are even prepared enough for something happening. With the upcoming election I have even been thinking more about this. I am a stay at home mother of 3 kids and I want to make sure that we are prepared with enough food, medical, weapons, and more.

That is the idea behind this blog. I want to share what I am doing to get prepared and hopefully in turn you will share with me what you are doing to get yourself prepared!

I am trying to get my family to where we are more self- sufficient also. I do not want to have to depend on anyone. I also want to be able to do this in a low-cost way. We are a single income family and I have to pinch pennies to survive week to week, so to be able to prepare for a long term situation will be tough, but it has to be done.