Our lives can be so busy and routine, we often neglect preparing our families and our homes for the unexpected. In the event of a severe disaster or calamity, public services will most likely be stretched thin. Establishing a short or even long term food, water and financial reserve can bring comfort and peace of mind during adverse times. Assuming that you are able to stay within your home during an emergency, the following tips can assist you in your preparation efforts.
Food Supply
If this is your first attempt at starting a food supply then shoot for something short-term like 2-3 months worth. Stick to your existing grocery buying habits (hopefully healthy and wholesome) and buy a little extra with every purchase. Put aside the extra that you buy as the start to your food supply. Once you have 2-3 months worth, begin rotating out your food storage to prevent spoilage. Consider marking items as you purchase with a date stamp. Masking tape with a permanent marker works well.
Drinking Water
Water is vital for survival and may not be readily available during a disaster. Store potable water (suitable for drinking) in containers designated for storing water. Be sure to pretreat water from questionable sources including rain runoff. Most water can be purified by boiling for than 10min, using purification tablets or iodine. If you already subscribe to bottle water service, consider having the service deliver 10-15 5 gallon bottles all at once then stick to your normal consumption rotation afterwards. Now you have a good supply of potable water should the need arise. Water should also be stored for personal hygiene and cleaning. Consider purchasing a few commercial grade 55 gallon plastic drums. Use these drums for non-potable water or water that will be used for cleaning, flushing toilets, hygiene, etc. It would be ideal to keep maybe 1 drum filled with water in a spot that will need water and the others empty. If you have early warning of a pending disaster, move the empty drums where they will be used. For example, place one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen then fill them up. Obviously, if you have them outside and already filled, it will be pretty hard to move them.
Savings
As with your food supply, try to save a little money each month and steadily increase the amount over time. A good financial safety net would be savings enough to cover 3-6 months worth of expenses.
Long Term Food Supply
Once you're in the habit of saving enough food for the short-term, try extending it long-term (up to a year or longer). White rice, beans and wheat are some of the best foods for long term storage.
These are essential tips that can help sustain the survivability and well being of your family during adverse times. You can never be too prepared for the unexpected.
Toni C enjoys writing articles on a variety of topics. Visit his latest website
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