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!! 

Update on stocking up on a budget

Before I tell you how much I've gotten over my three month stock up period, I think I should let you know that I did use $200 extra from our tax return to get some extra stuff.  The reason is because we didn't have any extra things in our pantry.  Every time we move, we have to rebuild from scratch.  It generally takes about two to three months, just to get everything you need......those few items that you don't use alot, but need. 

So, with spending $7.50 on food, I've gotten:

4 cans green peas
4 cans peas
4 cans corn
4 cans cranberry sauce (we eat this year round in my house, the kids love it)
4 cans mandarin oranges
4 large cans of pears
4 large cans of peaches
4 jars of applesauce
20 gallons of water
6 tomatos soups
4 cream of chicken
4 cream of mushroom
2 cheddar cheese soups
2 cream of potato
3 bags of cereal
1 bottle of syrup
2 cans of oats
15 pounds of flour
10 pounds of bread flour
4 packages of yeast
15 pounds of sugar
1 jar peanut butter
1 jar grape jelly
1 ketchup
1 mustard
1 bottle vinegar
1 bottle oil
1 can crisco
1 large box of tea bags
1 can of unsweetened cocoa
3 cans of tuna
2 jars spaghetti sauce
2 pasta-elbows
2 pasta-egg noodles
2 pasta-penne pasta
2 pasta-bowties
4 large cans of raviolis
4 large cans of spagettios
4 bottles apple juice
2 bottles of sunny d
2 baking soda
2 baking powder

with the $5 per week on non-food items, I've gotten:
10 candles
2 packs batteries
2 flashlights
2 packages of toilet paper
2 packages of feminine products
2 toothpaste
2 shampoo
2 body soap
2 peroxide
2 rubbing alchohol

the extra $200 was used on meat and frozen foods to get stocked up there. 
2 packages of stew beef
10 pounds of hamburger meat
4 servings (for 6 people) of pork chops
5 packages of bacon
2 whole roasting chickens
4 large packages of chicken breasts
2 boneless pork loins
2 packages of breakfast sausage
1 package of perogies
1 large bag of french fries
1 large bag of tater tots
1 box of corn dogs
1 package of fish sticks

By my calculation, I have almost enough (except for water) of enough food to last a month if needed.  It would be a bare minimum but I could realistically make it stretch if I had too.  I have about two more months of stock up to go to finish.  The next two months after that will focus on medicines and first aid items and those food items we don't need but would desire:  crackers, spices, puddings, and cheese and butter.  So, by the end of June, I should have all of these items.  I hope then to redo this list and by the end of the year have enough  stock for another month.  If I redo this next year, I'll have a four month stock.  Of course, we'll have lots of veggies this year and I'll be doing alot of canning.  Plus, we're getting a beef cow and about two dozen chickens for eggs.

Just for an FYI, I am always rotating through my stock.  The stuff I buy goes in the back and we eat the oldest stuff first.  I shouldn't have to replace any items that go bad this way.

If you're interested in food storage stockup, I recommend that you first sit down and decide what you would need for a month (or a week if its easier) to make meals.  They may not be gourment, but they will feed you.  Decide how much you can spend a week stocking up.  Make a master list and shop the ads.  I starting trying to divide up by weeks what to get, but when things were on sale, I was moving stuff around.......so make a master list and go from there. 

Also, make a list of non-food items to stock up on.  Toilet paper, shampoo, soap, first aid items, batteries, flashlights, etc.  Its good to have extra on hand in case you need them.

I have found two fantastic websites on preparing for an emergency.  The first woman has designed a fantastic emergency binder.  It has everything in it and she takes it everywhere.  I personally, don't recommend carrying around your bank information and social security cards.  I do like the child id Kits she has and I think I may make a set to take with me.  If one of the kids went missing when we were out somewhere, I don't know that I would be coherent enough to give the correct information. 

The other website breaks down prepping by week.  One week she focuses on cereal, another first aid items.  She has a huge list and is very strict about telling you not to go crazy with it.  Do what you can.  She also has alot of useful forms that you can look through, including emergency evacuation lists.  Very helpful to those in hurricane areas.  She also has a list for a 72 hour emergency pack.  This may be helpful to those of us in tornado areas, if we could keep it in a safe place.


Hope everyone is doing well in your home!!  We're getting ready for our first "major" snowstorm, anywhere from 3-8 inches total. 

Have a great weekend!

stocking up for $5/week

With all the recent things going on in the world, I decided its time to seriously stock up our shelves and prepare for an emergency.  We live in a tornado area and also could get blizzards, so I need to be prepared.

I found a list on pinterest on stocking up your shelves for only $5/week.  I had a couple of issues with the list.  First, if food and meals are a top priority, I certainly didnt need 180 pounds of sugar by the end of the year.  Second, my hubby and I are the only ones who eat tomato soup and so 12 cans was a little extreme.  Thirdly, they didn't have any water on the list.  We live on a well and if it freezes, no water, so that is a priority for us.

I made myself a new list and put in things that I thought we would need and eat.  I also upped the amount to $7.50, I know I'm a wild woman.  And I added on $5 a week for non-food items.

Next week is the first week and I'll be getting:

5 gallons of water

3 lbs of salt

1 package of toilet paper

 

 

 

Doesn't look very exciting does it?