Monday, June 14, 2010
Been a While
It's been a while since I've update the blog. I wanted to mention also that there are water links that I added a while ago on the side of the blog that have helpful information on water, which we talked about last month at the Randolph home.
72 hour Kits
There are a lot of resources about 72 hour kits; you can purchase them pre-made, or make them yourselves. There are several websites where you can purchase them. These are just a few examples:
Ultimate 72 Hour Kits
Survival Solutions
Emergency Essentials (a lot of members have these ones)
72 hour kits used to be strongly urged just by the church, but with the recent increase in disasters and emergencies, it is becoming more common. The National Terror Alert website says:
Also here is a checklist for making your own first aid kit for your emergency storage as well.
Be sure to check out the R U Getting Prepared blog as well for information about 72 hour kits. This link is just to the 72 hour kit blog, but there is a lot of other great information. This link has other ideas that might help make things easier.
Ultimate 72 Hour Kits
Survival Solutions
Emergency Essentials (a lot of members have these ones)
72 hour kits used to be strongly urged just by the church, but with the recent increase in disasters and emergencies, it is becoming more common. The National Terror Alert website says:
A 72 Hour Kit is essential for any emergency. Your 72 Hour Kit could mean the difference between life and death. We recommend purchasing your 72 Hour Kit only through an established and reputable company.
There are many types of disasters and emergencies: floods, fires, earthquakes,hurricanes and tornadoes. in many cases, a 72 hour kit could mean the difference between life and death. It is estimated that after a major disaster, it may take up to three days for relief workers to reach some areas. It would be wise to consider a 72 hour kit that you could live on for 7-10 days. In such a case, If you live in a disaster prone area a 72-hour kit is the minimum you should have available. Plan your 72 hour kit according to your family's size.
Also here is a checklist for making your own first aid kit for your emergency storage as well.
Be sure to check out the R U Getting Prepared blog as well for information about 72 hour kits. This link is just to the 72 hour kit blog, but there is a lot of other great information. This link has other ideas that might help make things easier.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Getting and Staying out of Debt
We did our family home evening lesson on getting and staying out of debt. We used the pamphlet put out by the church called "One for the Money." It was written by Elder Marvin J. Ashton in 1975 but published as a church resource in 1992. It has a great plan for getting out of debt and great ways to stay out of debt. The pamphlet is actually viewable online at http://www.providentliving.org/pfw/multimedia/files/pfw/pdf/88720_33293_OneForTheMoney_pdf.pdf
We also came across this Slide show from my old ward's Food Storage/Emergency Preparedness Blog. Here is the link. http://www.sssix.blogspot.com/ It has a lot of great council and doctrine. If you have time, check it out. Also check out previous posts and the sidebar for a wealth of information.
Thanks for those who were able to come. We missed those of you who were not. Thanks for the bread sticks Tiffany! They were way YUMMY! Would you mind posting the recipe?
Update: We found out the following day Abbie's big toe is actually broken! She was able to get some fancy shoes (which she LOVES) and is now hobbling a long pretty well!
We also came across this Slide show from my old ward's Food Storage/Emergency Preparedness Blog. Here is the link. http://www.sssix.blogspot.com/ It has a lot of great council and doctrine. If you have time, check it out. Also check out previous posts and the sidebar for a wealth of information.
Thanks for those who were able to come. We missed those of you who were not. Thanks for the bread sticks Tiffany! They were way YUMMY! Would you mind posting the recipe?
Update: We found out the following day Abbie's big toe is actually broken! She was able to get some fancy shoes (which she LOVES) and is now hobbling a long pretty well!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Wendy DeWitt's Blog and Sites
So I was going to photocopy all the information from Wendy DeWitt's presentation on food storage. But guess what? I don't have to...you can all look up and print whatever information you want! I found her blog, also her video is on the BYU TV website, and on YouTube. (On YouTube there are 9 different parts!) If you have trouble on YouTube, try this blog.
She also has her information about solar ovens, which she highly recommends. She is a native Arizonan and has a lot of information that is useful for us in the desert. Her presentation also goes into her method of food storage...in the beginning she says it is not to replace the church's suggestion, but is in addition to it. It's a way to make food storage taste really good basically. Surprisingly, she has chocolate, Cinnabon mixes, meat, and a lot of other things in her food storage that will make it not only satisfying, but delicious! :)
She has recipes, instructions, food equivalents, as well as ideas where to buy certain things. My all time favorite thing though is her "Top 10 Reasons Why I Don't Have My Food Storage."
10. My neighbors have a TWO year supply! No, they don't. They don't have any food. Did you know that 85% of the members of the church don't have any food storage at all? If your idea of food storage is to eat someone else’s food………..this is a really bad plan.
9. I've paid tithing for 20 years...the church can give me a little food. Many members believe that when the times get hard, the church is going to come through like Joseph in Egypt. Absolutely not true. All the church storehouses and welfare farms across the country would only feed 4% of the members of the church. The church has been asking YOU to store food for 75 years. They're NOT storing food for you. Thus, another bad plan.
8. I'm moving in with my children / parents! Really....that’s just a bad plan all by itself. But it points out that most members don't have a year's supply because they're PLANNING on eating someone else's food! Of course, since no one HAS any food, we have yet another bad plan.
7. I have a year's supply...and the bullets to go with it! I've heard time and again, "How dumb is that to go to all the time and expense of getting food...just to have some guy with a gun come and shoot my family to take it away?" Here's a better question. Are you afraid of the guy with the gun? Or are you more afraid of BECOMING the guy with the gun? What would you do if your children were starving to death? Would you lie? Cheat? Steal? Would you shoot your neighbor for his food? I guarantee....if you were watching your child starving to death, you would do anything you had to to keep them alive. If you don't have your year's supply, you are putting yourself in danger of losing not only your temporal salvation, but your spiritual salvation as well.
So far, all the reasons we don't have our food storage involve eating someone else's food. Please, don't put your family's temporal salvation in other people's hands. No one is storing food for you. Not your neighbors, not the government...not even the church.
#6. The boat and the 4 wheelers are taking up all my storage space! (priorities!)
#5. 3 letters....Y2K. Ok, that's 2 letters and a number....but they're always making way too much out of everything! This is never going to happen!” (Every prophecy that has ever been given WILL happen.)
#4. If anything DOES happen, the government will be here within hours! (insert laughter) Did you know the government has been telling us that we need to have food storage? They're actually CALLING it food storage! We now have the government telling us to store food, water, medicines...whatever we will need to be able to stay in our homes for several months.
#3. I can't afford scrap booking AND food storage. The average food storage can cost as little as a dollar a day. We live in the richest society in the history of the world, and while there are cases where money may be a problem, most of the time it is a matter of priorities. We have chosen bigger homes, nicer cars, more tv's, computers, vacations ...everything is more important than our food storage. If I asked, "Who has a cell phone?" most of you would say yes. You pay at least $30 a month to have a cell phone....that's about a dollar a day...the cost of one year's supply of food for your child. Is your cell phone really more important than your child's temporal salvation? You have to make food storage a priority.
2. I'm waiting for the cannery to sell Papa John's dehydrated pizza! Food storage has always had a stigma attached to it. If it's not wheat, beans and powdered milk, it's not food storage. With the system I use, food storage can be sweet and sour chicken, tamale pie, chile and cornbread, beef stew, shepherd's pie, minestrone...even chocolate chip cookies! Your imagination (and your pocketbook) are the only limitations you have.
And the #1 reason why I don't have my year's supply of food? A year?? I thought it was 72 hours!!
You KNOW you should have your food storage. You WANT to have it, but it can be so overwhelming! How much do I buy? Where do I store it? How do I cook it? It seems like an impossible task.... but it's not. It doesn't matter if you use my system or just start buying extra food, the important thing is to do something. Good luck in your efforts! Wendy DeWitt
So the point is...check out her information! It's great stuff!
She also has her information about solar ovens, which she highly recommends. She is a native Arizonan and has a lot of information that is useful for us in the desert. Her presentation also goes into her method of food storage...in the beginning she says it is not to replace the church's suggestion, but is in addition to it. It's a way to make food storage taste really good basically. Surprisingly, she has chocolate, Cinnabon mixes, meat, and a lot of other things in her food storage that will make it not only satisfying, but delicious! :)
She has recipes, instructions, food equivalents, as well as ideas where to buy certain things. My all time favorite thing though is her "Top 10 Reasons Why I Don't Have My Food Storage."
10. My neighbors have a TWO year supply! No, they don't. They don't have any food. Did you know that 85% of the members of the church don't have any food storage at all? If your idea of food storage is to eat someone else’s food………..this is a really bad plan.
9. I've paid tithing for 20 years...the church can give me a little food. Many members believe that when the times get hard, the church is going to come through like Joseph in Egypt. Absolutely not true. All the church storehouses and welfare farms across the country would only feed 4% of the members of the church. The church has been asking YOU to store food for 75 years. They're NOT storing food for you. Thus, another bad plan.
8. I'm moving in with my children / parents! Really....that’s just a bad plan all by itself. But it points out that most members don't have a year's supply because they're PLANNING on eating someone else's food! Of course, since no one HAS any food, we have yet another bad plan.
7. I have a year's supply...and the bullets to go with it! I've heard time and again, "How dumb is that to go to all the time and expense of getting food...just to have some guy with a gun come and shoot my family to take it away?" Here's a better question. Are you afraid of the guy with the gun? Or are you more afraid of BECOMING the guy with the gun? What would you do if your children were starving to death? Would you lie? Cheat? Steal? Would you shoot your neighbor for his food? I guarantee....if you were watching your child starving to death, you would do anything you had to to keep them alive. If you don't have your year's supply, you are putting yourself in danger of losing not only your temporal salvation, but your spiritual salvation as well.
So far, all the reasons we don't have our food storage involve eating someone else's food. Please, don't put your family's temporal salvation in other people's hands. No one is storing food for you. Not your neighbors, not the government...not even the church.
#6. The boat and the 4 wheelers are taking up all my storage space! (priorities!)
#5. 3 letters....Y2K. Ok, that's 2 letters and a number....but they're always making way too much out of everything! This is never going to happen!” (Every prophecy that has ever been given WILL happen.)
#4. If anything DOES happen, the government will be here within hours! (insert laughter) Did you know the government has been telling us that we need to have food storage? They're actually CALLING it food storage! We now have the government telling us to store food, water, medicines...whatever we will need to be able to stay in our homes for several months.
#3. I can't afford scrap booking AND food storage. The average food storage can cost as little as a dollar a day. We live in the richest society in the history of the world, and while there are cases where money may be a problem, most of the time it is a matter of priorities. We have chosen bigger homes, nicer cars, more tv's, computers, vacations ...everything is more important than our food storage. If I asked, "Who has a cell phone?" most of you would say yes. You pay at least $30 a month to have a cell phone....that's about a dollar a day...the cost of one year's supply of food for your child. Is your cell phone really more important than your child's temporal salvation? You have to make food storage a priority.
2. I'm waiting for the cannery to sell Papa John's dehydrated pizza! Food storage has always had a stigma attached to it. If it's not wheat, beans and powdered milk, it's not food storage. With the system I use, food storage can be sweet and sour chicken, tamale pie, chile and cornbread, beef stew, shepherd's pie, minestrone...even chocolate chip cookies! Your imagination (and your pocketbook) are the only limitations you have.
And the #1 reason why I don't have my year's supply of food? A year?? I thought it was 72 hours!!
You KNOW you should have your food storage. You WANT to have it, but it can be so overwhelming! How much do I buy? Where do I store it? How do I cook it? It seems like an impossible task.... but it's not. It doesn't matter if you use my system or just start buying extra food, the important thing is to do something. Good luck in your efforts! Wendy DeWitt
So the point is...check out her information! It's great stuff!
More Cleaning Recipes
Check out the R U Getting Prepared blog for more laundry detergent recipes, ideas how to create your own baby wipes, general cleaner, and fabric softener.
It's easy to store laundry detergent when you just have all the supplies on hand to make a lot of it whenever you need it!
It's easy to store laundry detergent when you just have all the supplies on hand to make a lot of it whenever you need it!
Food Storage in Buckets
So I recently acquired some buckets, and will bring them tomorrow night to see if you guys would be interested as well. They are 5 gallon food grade buckets with lids that have rubber seals, used, and are only $2. You can also get them from a bakery, but that's harder to do sometimes.
So I've been reading up on how to store food in buckets. You can store a lot of dry foods, like flour, wheat, rice, beans, sugar, salt... in buckets. You can use dry ice, foil packets, or nothing...using dry ice or foil packets will make your food last longer though. I understand dry ice can be purchased at Fry's at the counters, but not at Wal-Mart.
I'm going to do mine this week, so later this week I'll actually have experience. One thing I do know...if you get used buckets, you need to make sure they are very clean, otherwise your food can spoil.
R U Getting Prepared Blog
This blog is operated by a Queen Creek resident; she's not a member but she knows so much about food storage. Her husband was my old boss! :) Anyway...here is her take on storing in buckets. Dry ice method...she does say though that you can store sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, and salt WITHOUT dry ice.
Provident Living
This page gives instructions how to do it using dry ice and how to store it.
EHOW.com
You can find instructions for everything specifically on EHOW.com, using dry ice or foil bags.
Let me know if you have any questions on this.
So I've been reading up on how to store food in buckets. You can store a lot of dry foods, like flour, wheat, rice, beans, sugar, salt... in buckets. You can use dry ice, foil packets, or nothing...using dry ice or foil packets will make your food last longer though. I understand dry ice can be purchased at Fry's at the counters, but not at Wal-Mart.
I'm going to do mine this week, so later this week I'll actually have experience. One thing I do know...if you get used buckets, you need to make sure they are very clean, otherwise your food can spoil.
R U Getting Prepared Blog
This blog is operated by a Queen Creek resident; she's not a member but she knows so much about food storage. Her husband was my old boss! :) Anyway...here is her take on storing in buckets. Dry ice method...she does say though that you can store sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, and salt WITHOUT dry ice.
Provident Living
This page gives instructions how to do it using dry ice and how to store it.
EHOW.com
You can find instructions for everything specifically on EHOW.com, using dry ice or foil bags.
Let me know if you have any questions on this.
How to Be Debt FREE!
Tomorrow's FHE talks about debt and how we should avoid (or rid) ourselves of debt. Jon and I have struggled in this area and have learned a lot about things. I don't know where you all are financially, but some of these ideas may apply to some or all of you.
From the church website:
I found a few websites with some helpful ideas, examples, budgets, etc...
Budget 101
This is a great site with a lot of information about budgets, weekly planning, how to save money, and others.
LDS Website
This link has articles about financial preparedness; how to avoid debt, how to budget, how to teach teens, etc... There are other links within to self-reliance subjects.
Zen Blog
So I have no idea what this blog is about, but this one link is the followers' 73 ideas how to get out of debt! There are some really great ideas!
I know there are many others, but these had some good ideas! The best things I can suggest are:
Pay Tithing First: Anytime you're struggling, if you put tithing off a week or two, all of a sudden you realize there is no more money to pay tithing and you get behind. If you pay it first, you're able to pay it, and then with the Lord's help, you're able to pay your other bills as well...somehow.
The snowball method: You pay all the extra you have to the highest interest rate or smallest balance first; then once that is paid off, you apply all of that payment to the next highest interest rate or smallest balance.
Budget: If you don't have a budget, it will be close to impossible to spend within your means.
Build a Savings: We pay 10 % to tithing right? Why not try to at least put 10 % away for yourself as well. Put it away in the emergency fund. Once that's to a reasonable amount (3 months worth of bills) then put more away into a different savings account (ie vacation, holidays).
Consolidate: If you have multiple credit cards, try and consolidate them into a low interest rate option. By making one payment you will pay off the debt quicker.
Lower Bills: You can contact your credit card companies to see if you qualify for a lower interest rate. Depending on your situation, you may qualify for a lower energy bill, or even a lower student loan repayment amount. APS offers energy discounts to families who meet their guidelines, and there is a new Income Based Repayment program regarding student loans; if you meet the qualifications, your loan repayment amount will be reduced. So contact any company to see about lowering your bills.
Envelope Budget: I really liked this idea...it's on the Budget 101 site, so check it out!
I hope this information was helpful. I learned a lot about this in my finance classes and since Jon and I have been married. It's a very easy trap to fall into, but also possible to get out of.
From the church website:
Church leader Elder Robert D. Hales outlines ways we can become self-reliant:
- Be ready for rainy-day emergencies
- Avoid excessive debt; be content with what we have
- Use the resources of the earth wisely; don´t be wasteful
- Prepare for the future by making spending and savings plans
- Keep a family or personal budget
- Teach children wise spending habits and help them save for the future
- Obtain an education or vocational training
- Find gainful employment
I found a few websites with some helpful ideas, examples, budgets, etc...
Budget 101
This is a great site with a lot of information about budgets, weekly planning, how to save money, and others.
LDS Website
This link has articles about financial preparedness; how to avoid debt, how to budget, how to teach teens, etc... There are other links within to self-reliance subjects.
Zen Blog
So I have no idea what this blog is about, but this one link is the followers' 73 ideas how to get out of debt! There are some really great ideas!
I know there are many others, but these had some good ideas! The best things I can suggest are:
Pay Tithing First: Anytime you're struggling, if you put tithing off a week or two, all of a sudden you realize there is no more money to pay tithing and you get behind. If you pay it first, you're able to pay it, and then with the Lord's help, you're able to pay your other bills as well...somehow.
The snowball method: You pay all the extra you have to the highest interest rate or smallest balance first; then once that is paid off, you apply all of that payment to the next highest interest rate or smallest balance.
Budget: If you don't have a budget, it will be close to impossible to spend within your means.
Build a Savings: We pay 10 % to tithing right? Why not try to at least put 10 % away for yourself as well. Put it away in the emergency fund. Once that's to a reasonable amount (3 months worth of bills) then put more away into a different savings account (ie vacation, holidays).
Consolidate: If you have multiple credit cards, try and consolidate them into a low interest rate option. By making one payment you will pay off the debt quicker.
Lower Bills: You can contact your credit card companies to see if you qualify for a lower interest rate. Depending on your situation, you may qualify for a lower energy bill, or even a lower student loan repayment amount. APS offers energy discounts to families who meet their guidelines, and there is a new Income Based Repayment program regarding student loans; if you meet the qualifications, your loan repayment amount will be reduced. So contact any company to see about lowering your bills.
Envelope Budget: I really liked this idea...it's on the Budget 101 site, so check it out!
I hope this information was helpful. I learned a lot about this in my finance classes and since Jon and I have been married. It's a very easy trap to fall into, but also possible to get out of.
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