Saturday Survival Plan

This year I'm starting a new emergency prep system.  I have posted before on my emergency preps and I did pretty well last year.  I have enough food to last about three weeks.  My goal was two months so I didn't quite make my goal.  I had to use some of my stock several times this year due to unexpected expenses coming up.  I hope to build up this year to a three month supply of food items.


This time I am going to focus on shopping on one item each week by scouring the ads for sales.  I'm going to determine how much our family needs for a three month supply and work on achieving that goal.  Our garden did well this year but I need to double the size of it to get us through the year with canned goods.  I'm also planting more fruit trees and bushes.  They will not produce for a few years, but at least I have all of that to look forward too.

Last year I planted three plums trees, 25 strawberry plants, 6 raspberry plants, three blueberry bushes, and one cherry tree.  This year I hope to add, 25 more strawberry plants, three peach trees, three pear trees, six apple trees (these are dwarf trees that only reach about 6 feet.  We have three large apple trees on the property already but they have never been pruned and we didn't get a lot of large fruit off of them.), 2 more blueberry bushes, three blackberry bushes, one more cherry tree, and two cranberry plants.  I've also redesigned our raised beds to make room for many more plants.  I'm hoping that I will be able to get enough canned this year to use the entire year next year. 

We will also be getting a half of beef this spring and half a pig.  We're hoping to raise a pig for ourselves and get a beef calf this spring.  The pig will be ready by the time we run out of pork but the cow will take a while.  We hope to get another calf every six months so that we will always have beef when we want it.  We are going to split the cow with a friend of ours so neither of us have to try to find freezer space for an entire cow. 

One thing I determined is that I need more storage space.  Although the basement is fine for canned goods; sugar, flour, and pasta cannot be stored down there because its too moist in the summer months.  I am in the process of reorganizing my kitchen to help make room for items.

This payday had some extra expenses so I'm not able to work on saving for prepping items.  I am working on my emergency binder however.  I believe that this binder will aid me in the future.  Each child and adult will have a section and will also include important phone numbers and addresses.

We are gearing up for a cold, cold weekend.  Our highs on Monday are -12 and that's without the wind chill.  Overnight we're supposed to hit temps of -25.  The governor of MN has announced that all schools will be closed on Monday.  We will still be homeschooling but at least we won't have to leave to go to Boy Scouts that night.  I will be hunkered down in front of the fire with my quilting projects and enjoying some hot tea!

Stay warm and safe!!