New website

Come visit me at Prepping101.com.

It looks like I have finally acquired a real domain name and a home on the web.

It will allow me to do a few things WordPress can not.

1. Podcasts
2. Videos
3. All sorts of other stuff.

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Please give feedback on the podcasts and if you like this format.  I have about 15-20 in the hopper.

Prepping 101

10 Ways to Save Money

In an effort to help you get out of debt I have come up with some ideas to help you do just this.  I am sure there are many more and I would love for you to comment on what you have done to save money so you can pay down your debt.

1. Cook at home often: If both the husband and wife work, this is likely to be very difficult. Try once and week and move to more days from there.  I have found if I sit down with my wife on Sunday evening before we go to bed and plan out what to cook for the week it is easier to cook at home.  This reiterates the need to have some food storage.  Having food available makes it easier to plan out meals.  Knowing the meals in advance and posting them will allow whomever comes home first to start making dinner knowing the food is already available.
2. Brown bag lunch at least a few days a week: We can use lunch to engage and network but it comes at a cost.  Try bringing your lunch with the leftovers from dinner to help save money.  Lunches can easily exceed $10 a day.  Twice a week is $1000.
3. Make a list before going shopping:  Without a list you will buy items that you simply do not need. Even worse is when your forget to purchase the actual item you came to the store for in the first place. If you plan on cooking at home, pre-plan a rough menu and make a list before you go grocery shopping.  Even better is to continue to store food then when you go to the store you are only getting what is on sale and what you need, thus avoiding impulse buys.
4. Buy in bulk whenever possible: When it comes to non-perishable items, buy in bulk whenever you find something on sale. For such items, shopping at warehouse stores like Costco, Sam’s Club etc can save you quite a bit of money, provided you stick strictly to your shopping list when you shop at these places.  My wife uses coupons and shops when the item we need is on sale.  Thus she is double dipping.
5.  Pay off debt: Like beating a dead horse around here.  Having some extra money will allow you to pay off this behemoth.  Never to look back.
6. Borrow instead of buy, use thrift stores: This can be for books, rental tools, neighbors tools, holiday clothing.  Thrift stores are great for finding those costumes you use once.  Don’t be ashamed, many people throw out good jeans and shirt at thrift stores.  Often they can be bought at $1.
7. Think before you buy: Many of the things you want to buy do not seem all that necessary.  Wait at least 48 before you buy.  Check prices.  Decide if something else can take its place.  Is it really needed or do you just want it.
8. Keep your car as long as possible: Pay cash for your car and keep it 10 years.  Continue to make a car payment to your savings account.  When you have repairs you can use this account.  When you feel you need a new car you will have enough cash to buy it. Along with this is do regularly scheduled maintenance. Do not skimp on or forget to do regular oil changes. Remember to check the air in your tires often. These small acts can significantly lengthen the life of your car, giving you years of use.  I have  a diesel truck with 250,000 miles on it and it runs like a champ.  Maintenance is key
9. Toss spare change into a glass jar . I save about $200-300 a year by putting spare change in a glass.  We use it for Christmas presents every year.  This is a great way to save for things without actually having to do much of anything.
10. Use sales and coupons. Using sales and coupons along with copy canning will save tons.  Buying only what you need of things which are on sale is the way we shop.  We go to the store only to buy fresh items we do not store.  We will spend about $600 a month for a family of 5
11. Plant a garden.  Here is a freebie.  Having a garden is like printing food.  It costs almost nothing for seeds and provides a summers worth of food.  It is fresh and oh so good for you.  It is also part of your preps.

What are some other things you have done to save money?

Prepping 101

Making Life’s Road a Little Smoother

Companion Planting for Your Garden

Spring is now here and it is time to start planting in your garden.  I want you to think about your garden as a whole system rather than individual plants.  When we think about it as a system we begin to understand how nature goes about planting plants.  Nature does not plant carrots in a row.  We have a bean plant growing up an apple tree.  Squash covering and holding moisture for corn.  Understanding the symbiotic nature of the plants will enable us to plant more plants in less space with fewer chemicals and less water.  How about them apples  for a lazy garden.

I (to the dismay of my wife) am a lazy gardener.  I want to plant and then harvest.  If I had my preference, I would not plant either, but I will take what I can get.  Therefore I am always trying to find ways to have plants compliment each other to get maximum yield.  I have found by succession planting and companion planting I am able to decrease my workload and pests and increase my belly.

Companion planting is one way to increase the food on my table.  The following are some good companion plantings.

• Asparagus and Basil
• Carrots and peas
• Corn and squash
• Cucumber and corn
• Onions and carrots, lettuce
• Radish and peas
• Peppers and onions

Along with companion plantings there are plants which should not be planted by each other.

• Beans and onion
• Cabbage and Dill
• Carrots and Dill
• Corn and Tomatoes
• Onions and peas
• Irish potato and squash, tomato, cucumber

There are also plants which are beneficial to your garden pest control.

• Onions and garlic are natural pest repellers.   Plant in the midst of your veggies
• French Marigolds kill bad nematodes.
• Mexican Marigold.  Do not plant near brascia.
• Four o’clock for Japanese beetles.
• Chrysanthemum for nematodes.  Also provide some shade
• Mint repels moths, aphids and attracts beneficials.  Very invasive so please plant in a pot.  I speak from experience.

Herbs for culinary use, beneficial insect use, and they smell great.

• Rosemary.  Best used dry.  Attracts beneficials.  Use in bread.
• Oregano.  Takes forever to germinate and grow but once in the ground it spreads well.
• Basil.  Wonderful smelling.  Dried basil reminds me of summer.
• Cilantro.  Mine overwintered.  Great in mexican dishes.  I use mine to make fresh salsa.

It is always good to plant as many beneficial flowers as possible.  Salvia is great for bees.  Marigolds, Nasturtiums are also great flowers to put in the garden.  Nature has a system for everything.  Try to make your garden a system not just 5 veggies planted in rows.

Prepping 1o1

Making Life’s Road a Little Smoother

Can finishing your basement be considered prepping?

When you think about prepping, do you think about stuff in the future?  Do images of piles of food and clothing and water come to mind?  How can finishing your basement be considered prepping?

My reasoning is this.

• I am saving my marriage by finishing a project my wife would like to have done.
• Having an unfinished basement is undesirable if I sell my home.  More finished square footage equals more money.
• I am learning valuable skills like carpentry, electrical, plumbing, tile, plus others.
• I am saving money by doing the work myself.
• My kids can now go downstairs and mess up the downstairs instead of the upstairs.
• I have made new friends in the neighborhood by having them help me and learn new skills.
• Did I mention my wife is happier when the basement is finished.

The underlying issue with prepping is, will it make your life better even if nothing goes wrong.  I think if we evaluate things through this lens it will make it easier to determine if what you are doing is worthwhile.

I know finishing my basement will put more equity into my home.  It will provide knowledge of how to fix, build and repair my home if in the future these things need to be taken care of.  It shows my children things must be worked for.  Sometimes you do not have the money to do things so you must learn to do them for yourself.  I think you gain a better appreciation for the work other people do and what it really costs.

Building things allows your mind to create.  My kids have had a wonderful time laying out their rooms.  It also forces you to plan ahead.  This may be the most important skill set gained from this endeavour.  We have had to look ahead and determine things we had not originally thought about.  We have decided to run natural gas to our appliances for future use.  We have expanded the bathroom so three girls could use it.

This project has also taught me about preparing for the future.  We have children growing up and they will need some space for them and their friends.  What will their needs be?  What will it be like when they leave?  Will we still want the layout we have now.

Too many times we prepare for the disasters we think may come and forget to remember we have families and loved ones to prepare for also.  It is important to have a refuge from the outside world where we can bond with family and friends.

Next time you have a spouse resisting your preps, tell them you want to fix up the house a little.  Explain to them what it means to have a house which is comfortable and livable and up to date.  Maybe you might find someone a little more receptive to your next project.

Prepping 101

Making Life’s Road a Little Smoother

 

10 Simple Steps Toward Living the Prepping 101 Lifestyle

Today we talk about 10 simple steps that people can take toward making life’s road a little smoother.
Today we talk about…

• Plan for disaster based on the simplified threat matrix.  Personal – Community – City.  99.9% of the things which can go wrong will fall into these 3 regions in your life.  There is no sense preparing for a global pandemic when you are not prepared for your wife to lose her income for two weeks because of foot surgery.  I can only say we are trying to cover the basics and once those are done, can we move to larger items.
• Store at least 30-90 days of reserve food and water.  90% of disasters are personal, this should get you through most of them.  Having reserve food also saves you money and time.  You do not have to buy when you need it only when it is on sale.  You also get the added convenience of having your own personal convenience store in your house.
• Plant a garden because you can only store so much food.  I want you to learn to grow your own food for a myriad of reasons.  The main two are 1) it supplements what you have stored. 2) It provides a valuable knowledge set.  Having a garden will enable you to extend your food storage for longer periods of time and give yet another piece to the diversity puzzle.  If you have 30 days worth of food and a garden you could extend this up to 45 days or more depending on how large your garden is and what type of climate you live.  Knowledge gained from the garden is invaluable.  From when to plant, what to plant with, pests, beneficial animals and insects, seed saving, food preservation, etc.  All of these skills you take with you wherever you go.
• Debt is financial cancer, get rid of it. Enough said.
• Understand you prepare for most disasters the same way.  We do not prepare for a specific event but for a loss of a system(s).
• Have bug out bag (72 hour kit) for every family member.  Even the dog or cat
• Have a plan for staying put and for leaving.  You will never know if you have to leave your house or stay for an emergency.  What if you have a storm or hurricane coming and it is better to leave and go to the in-laws?  Take you BOB and go for a day or two.  What if there is a snow storm coming?  Better to stay put and hole up at home where there is food and clothing.  You see we have to prepare for all types of events.  We do not get to pick our disaster.  Life does not give us a phone call and say “Hey, just wanted to let you know your house is going to burn down on March 16.  Have a nice day.”  This is why we prepare for leaving and staying.
• Practice true diversity in your investment strategy.  Do not put all of your money into a 401k/403b, etc. plan.  This is just as foolish as having all your money in cash or all in gold.  What if the stock market goes up, how is your cash doing?   Same if the market goes down.  Diversity is not having all of your money in paper assets.  Look to stocks, land, commodities, cash, bonds.  Practice true diversity.
• Learn to protect yourself, your family and your neighbors.  Have a gun (shotgun at minimum).   Most of all learn how to use it.  Go out and practice.  Get good training.  I believe all rights we have are due to the enforcement of the second amendment.
• Everything you do to prepare should help to make life’s road a little smoother.  If nothing ever goes wrong in your life these things will make your life better.  This is the over reaching goal of what we do here, if your life is great you will be in a position to help some of those who’s life is not so good at the moment.

Remember who you are, and the skills and knowledge in your head are what matters.  What you do and stand for matter.

Prepping 101
Making Life’s Road a Little Smoother

Getting Started – Changing from a Grasshopper to an Ant

Many ask the question, “How do I get started?”  Prepping 101 is about giving you ideas to get started.

First thing you will need to do is determine where you are in your life before you start prepping. Have you spent your whole life not prepping?  That’s ok you are the normal average American.  How many years have you spent being unprepared?  Be grateful you have awakened yourself.  It took you many years of being unprepared, it will take years to become prepared.  This is now a lifestyle change, not buying more stuff to put in your basement just in case.

You now have to decide where you are.  Start with determining how much food do you have in your home.  List how many meals you have in your home.  Write it down on a piece of paper.  If you want 30 days worth of food you need to know how many days you have to start with.

Start storing food.  Start copy canning.  When you go to the store to buy corn, buy two cans instead of one.  Put the second one in storage.  Do this until you have 30 days worth of food or whatever amount of food you want in your home.

Start making a documentation book.  One in each car, 0ne in the house

• List of all the people you may want to get a hold of and all the numbers and addresses for them
• List of services, these are people you call in case of emergency
  • Tree trimming
  • Plumbing
  • Electrical
  • HVAC
  • Roofing
  • Masonry
  • Carpentry
  • Drywall
• 3 places you would go and 3 routes to get to each place.  All of the places will be far apart.  Make sure you put the names and phone #’s of each place.  If you choose hotels in an area pick 3-4 hotels in each area.  Print out each place from Google Maps with the 3 different ways to get there.  Put it in your book.

Organize your pantry.  You may realize you have more food than you thought.  Now with your pantry organized it will make your copy canning easier.

If you really feel overwhelmed, go to the store and buy some beans, rice, pasta and sauce.  This will get you immediate sense of relief.  You can do this for less than $50.

Get out of debt.  As you know this is something we preach often around here.  Debt makes you a slave to the lender.  I think getting out of debt is so important you may put some of your preps on hold until you get out of debt.  You could easily store 30-60 days worth of food and cash and then all you do is put your money into getting out of debt.  Making a budget is the easiest way to cut money out.  Make a list of your debts in order from smallest to largest.  Start with the smallest and apply as much money as possible until it is paid off.  Take the payment from the last bill and apply it to the next until they are paid off.

Start cutting expenses.  You can always add them back later if you feel they are needed again.  Cut, cut, cut until you can cut no more and then live like this for 3 months and if you want to add something back, do so.

Understand the commonality of disaster and use it to make your preps easier.  What is the most likely thing to happen?  A personal disaster is the most common.  What will having food mean if you lose your job?  What will having some cash mean if you get sick?  What will life insurance mean if you spouse dies?  If you start planning for the most common things you will be 90%. prepared.  We do not plan for specific threats, we plan for the general disaster to happen.

Realize and OWN your plan. No one will have the same plan as you.  If you have your own plan you will not be able to blame someone else for the failure of their plan.  You will also be the one to reap the success of the plan YOU implemented.

Be prepared to protect yourself.  This means having something both lethal and non lethal.  Get training on how to protect yourself and your family.  You may have to start with pepper spray and some self-defense training.  Becoming armed is an increase in responsibility.  Being armed means you are going to avoid conflict at a greater cost.  When you bring a gun to a fight it automatically becomes a gun fight.  Are you ready for this?

Last is understanding your success depends on you.  The ownership of your goals, plans and objectives is in your hands.  I can help make suggestions but ultimately it depends on you.

Go forward with confidence knowing the future is brighter today than yesterday.  The steps you take today are steps moving you closer to your goal of personal freedom and liberty.

Prepping 101

Making Life’s Road a Little Smoother

The Freedom of Being Debt Free

The most common threads on this site are and will continue to be, Debt and Gardening.  I know talking about debt is boring so I wanted to come up with a twist.  Society tells us to continue to have debt until we retire and then it will be ok.  But once you retire after a lifetime of using debt it is hard to get rid of.  My father in law has retired and he still has some debt.  This boggles my mind.  How can a man who is 70 think he can continue to take on debt?  Why do we continue to do this?  Why is enslavement something we aspire to?  So today I wanted to write about what it means to be debt free.

Only a few years ago I was in debt, just like many of you.  I sat down with my wife and we discussed what we were going to do about it.  How could we have let this happen?  Then my dad died.  We were left with a small amount of inheritance.  What would we do with it?  We decided to pay off all our debt but the house.  In my head was screaming ‘serenity now’.   I don’t want the stress of having anymore debt.

So my wife and I began the journey of paying off our debt.  We were not able to pay off everything.  As we moved along in our journey, it didn’t seem like it was going to be possible.

I want to tell you what it is like on the other side for those of you on the same journey.  We were able to pay off everything before the crash.  My existing business was cut in half.  I wish I had heeded the same advice in business.  I had debt there I had to work through.  Though the sales were 50% of what they were the year before, I had to take a 50% pay cut.  The amazing thing was we were actually able to make it through.  We had money put away for a rainy day and it was pouring outside.

What I never realized until things calmed down what a relief it was to have no debt.  I was able to put my head down and go to work without having the burden of payments.  I took a hit on my income and survived.  It seems like things are easier though I still do not make as much money as I used to.

I have realized when you have to work because all your money is spent before the paycheck comes is harder than wondering what to do with the extra you have since there are no payments waiting for you.

Victory is the ability to say to your existing job, ‘I quit’.  It is working less with better quality of life.  It is working more and retiring early.  It is realizing you are not a slave anymore.  The freedom and liberty which comes from being debt free is almost like witnessing birth.  Just like kids, I wish I could have 10 of them.  Debt is something I wish I never had.  I am only glad I realized it earlier rather than later.  It is an accomplishment worth sacrificing for.  I know you can do it.  If you do nothing else, getting out of debt will change your mental state.

Prepping 101

Making Life’s Road a Little Smoother

Home skills for the Survivalist

As Preppers we try to anticipate and prepare for a potential system to break down or be unavailable.  But what if your water system goes down or your furnace quits working?  Are you skilled enough to fix it or do you have to call someone?  I know you can make a mean elk burger with the elk you killed during the hunt last fall.  But when your ceiling fan goes on the fritz can you replace a switch?  As preppers we also need to remember a break down in our own home can create havoc.  Here are some things I think you should be able to do at your home.

• Minor electrical  You should be able to do the following
  • Replace a light fixture
  • Replace a 110 outlet
  • Put a new receptacle on the end of an extension cord
• Plumbing
  • Fix a leaky faucet
  • Replace a float valve in a leaky toilet
  • Turn of the water to your house
  • Put a new wax ring on a toilet
  • Install a toilet
  • Install a shower head or faucet
• Carpentry
  • Put up a wall with 2 x 4’s
  • Install a door
  • Hang baseboard and casing
  • Install shelving
  • Use the following tools
    • Hammer
    • Chop saw/ mitre saw
    • Skill saw/construction saw
  • Know the difference between plumb and level
  • How to fix something which is out of square
  • Use a chainsaw
• Finish work
  • How to prep a wall for paint
  • How to paint, both roller and brush
  • How to put up weather-stripping
  • How to install a dead bolt/ door handle
  • Fix a drawer
  • How to install ceramic tile
• Other
  • Insulation

Here are some more advanced techniques

• How to run new water lines
• How to put in a P trap
• How to put in a 220 outlet
• How to install crown molding
• How to install can lighting
• Drywall and mudding
• Insulation

These are just some of the things we should be able to do or are learning to do.

Do you have any other suggestions?

Prepping 101

Making Life’s Road a Little Smoother

What does your Senator stand for?

On Thursday I had the opportunity to attend the caucus meeting for my district to choose our representative to elect our senator  at the upcoming primary election.  By a large margin Orrin Hatch was the victor(Incumbent R-UT).  I was so disappointed in our district.  Not necessarily at the election of Mr. Hatch, with whom I do not agree with, but this is the way the system works, but at the reasons given to keep him.  Here are some of the reasons I heard

• We should not vote against Hatch but for someone else.  This I agree with, but when you know the person in office is not the right person then you need to get rid of them and find an appropriate replacement.  We do not need to settle.  I think we as voters need to remember we can change who we put in office.  We can stand on principle.
• He has seniority or will be on a high-ranking committee.  The purpose of the senate and congress in general is to protect our rights.  Giving someone power to tell us what they are going to do to help us is the wrong way to go about it.  We want them to stop taking away our money, not tell us how much we are going to get back.
• He is electable.  Everyone is electable if we stand behind and support them.  The incumbent is more electable since he has more money.  He has more money since we live in a system where corporations are in cahoots with the government.  We need to start standing up for a system where the elected official represents us, not the other way around.
• That is the way the system works.  I heard this statement and almost started to cry.  This statement in and of itself is the reason we are in the place we are in. We have to change the way we look at the system.  You may not get back as much money from the feds until you start to change.  Leaders have to lead and it may not be profitable for them initially, but down the road we will all be better for it.
• If Romney wins then he will need Hatch.  Romney does not need a rubber stamp from Utah.   He needs to present his ideas so the people in Utah will vote for them.  Our state comes first not the other way around.  We do not need Washington to keep saying yes.  We need them to start saying NO.

I get the sense we were voting out of fear.  If we do not vote for the incumbent then things will be bad.  Guess what folks, we have right now what we deserve.  We have an oppresive government because we have voted for people who want an oppressive government.  Until we realize there is going to be pain for everyone involved and we step up to the plate to take care of each other and not have some government entity do it, then we will continually keep passing the buck.

This is why this site and community are so important.  We are trying to prepare ourselves for what we see ahead.  We know it will not be good, but we are going to work to the best of our ability to help as many people as possible.  I want you to realize despite my gloomy Thursday, I am optimistic about the future.  People are waking up.  Two years ago at the same caucus meeting we had 10 people.  This year we had 80.  I can see the worry in their eyes.  I want you to be a light on a hill showing them the way to prosperity is through liberty and freedom.  We will keep showing them when you are prepared you become less of a slave to someone else.  And when the someone else has to go away because of budget cuts or some other reason, then you will be able to step in and help.  This way of life is the way of the future.  It is the solution.  Lets stay together as a community and keep spreading the word.  Get involved in your local politics since it is where the largest difference is made.  But remember what you do matters.

Prepping 101

Making Life’s Road a Little Smoother

Planning your Suburban Homestead

When you read the title did you think ‘suburban homestead’, that’s an oxymoron.  This guy is crazy, homesteads are in the country, fool.  I believe anyone can make their home a homestead.  For some it is not an option to move to the country.  Instead lets focus on the positives of where we live and have our home become more of a producer.

The first thing you will need to do is evaluate your goals for your homestead.

• What do you want it to do?  Provide food, income, security?  Give some thought on your overall goals.
• Determine your landscape and limitations.  If you live on 1/4 acre like me, you can’t do cattle.  Do you want meat or would you rather have a larger garden?  Perennials or annuals?  Vines or bushes?  What about lawn? Do you have kids?  Do they need a place to run and play?  Are you on a hill or flat?  Sandy or loamy?  Lots of rain or no rain?  Where is there sun, shade, wind, high or low usage, easy to access?  Think of the external sources which contribute to your homestead.
• Determine your wants and needs.  First decide what you like to eat.  Next find out what is easy and cheap to buy.  If it is easy and cheap to buy then you might not want to grow it.  If you can buy corn 12 ears for $1 then do not grow corn.  If you want to then by all means do so, but most of us have a space premium.  Next decide if it is expensive to buy or difficult to acquire locally or organically.  These will be good things to grow.  Most of all grow what you will eat.
• Determine which crops you will grow.  Focus on heavy producers.  Beans, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, peas, squash.   Try to grow varieties not available locally or commercially.  Try lemon cucumbers or pole beans.  Pick perennials over annuals if possible.  They generate food year after year with very little input.  Also look for items which store well.  I often think of squash, potatoes, onions, and herbs.
• Consider livestock.  I know you are thinking my spouse barely goes along with what is going on now and you want me to bring an animal on board?  I will confess the aforementioned question applies to me.  We do not have any livestock.  I would like some but it is one step at a time.  Think about chickens for eggs or you could raise broilers for the summer.  Rabbits have a small footprint, produce great manure and have excellent meat.  Something I am considering is aquaculture or aquaponics.  I am doing research this year on it.  I will let you know what I decide.
• Extend your gardening season.  This fall I am going to put some hoops on my raised bed to try to get through November with some hardy veggies.  You could also make a cold frame.  Do you have a spot in your yard, maybe a corner, which get lots of sun?  Maybe you can grow something a zone higher by capitalizing on this micro-climate.
• Increase your productivity through trellising and vertical spaces.  Plants like cucumbers, grapes, beans, kiwi, and even melons can be trellised.  I have about 100 feet of perimeter in my backyard where I grow raspberries, melons and other things.  Using trellises for beans and cucumbers can give better results since the veggie is not on the ground.  They are also easier to see and pick.

Hopefully these have been some helpful hints to improve your gardening for this year.

Prepping 101

Making Life’s Road a Little Smoother