I Got Skills!

Hi everyone!! Are you learning new skills? Skills that will come in handy when tshtf? I hope so. You know, I'm pretty sure that if we as Americans relied more on ourselves than others, if we were happy to live simple lives, if we had skills like gardening, animal husbandry, saving money, contentment, that our country would not be in such a deep mess as the one we're right now. (We'd probably still be in a mess, but the depth wouldn't be as bad if we'd been depending on ourselves and not the government to fill our every need.) The trick is to LIVE that life. I hope you're not learning skills right now to keep yourself afloat, only to forget them and go back to living a shallow life when everything turns around and gets better. That would be such a waste of skill, with no lesson learned. The deep satisfaction that comes from doing for yourself is one that almost nothing else compares to.




So, hubby always likes to buy me a few Christmas gifts, and I try to make up a good little list of a few things that I'd like. One skill that I've been very interested in learning is cheese-making. (Have you ever tried fresh, homemade cheese? Oh man! There's nothing like it!) So, I'm going to find a good cheese-making kit and put that on my wish list for hubby. Might as well use the gift-giving season to stock my preps and learn a new skill, right? What new skills are you wanting to learn?


(Note: After I wrote this, and saved it for today, I read this post over at Ohio Preppers Network, in which Andrea covers the exact same topic! Her post is more thoroughly written, so I'd encourage you to take a peek there, too!)

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader





Prep On!

Gen-IL Homesteader
------------------------------------------
Join the APN Forum at http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/
Visit the Illinois Forum at http://www.illinoispreppersnetwork.net/

Changes

Hi everyone! What do you see when you look at that picture? A bare space, boxes, 'stuff'? I see shelves!! Lots and lots of shelves!! Shelves filled with food stuffs and other preps! This is the space that my friend has chosen as her pantry. Her hubby is in the process of designing the shelves he's going to build for her. He's even going to build some type of first-in, first-out shelving for her canned goods. Isn't that exciting??!! One more person on board, preparing their family for the hard times to come. It makes me happy!!



I hope you've been able to take advantage of the great food deals that are happening right now! I sure did! I upped the amount of flour I store because of the great sale I found. I also got a great deal on chopped walnuts. Good stuff! Don't forget, November and December are the months to buy those baking supplies at the lowest prices we'll see all year.

So, a friend sent me this link this week. It's an article and video. The article, entitled "The Financial Catastrophe Can Destory Your Future Fast--How to Avoid It", is written by a Dr. Mercola, which would explain the few times that health is mentioned in the article. I thought it was quite good, though, and Dr. Mercola seems to have a good grasp on what's happening in our country right now. The video is entitled "End of Liberty" and is produced by the National Inflation Association. The NIA must have some connection to gold and silver buying, as the last few minutes of the video are basically an advertisement for it. (I didn't actually watch the last few minutes with the ad.) The rest of the video, though, is excellent and could be eye-opening if you're still wearing your rose-colored glasses regarding the state of freedom in our country. The video is just over an hour long, but could be worth your time.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader





------------------------------------------
Join the APN Forum at http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/
Visit the Illinois Forum at http://www.illinoispreppersnetwork.net/

Meeting With Preppers..........

(Here we are checking out a friend's pantry.)

Hi everyone! I can't believe it's been 5 days since I've signed in here! Where has the time gone? It seems to be flying by sooooo quickly! (I think that means I'm getting older!) Anyway, I wanted to let you know how my first prepper meeting went this past week. To refresh your memory, I'm meeting at the homes of my sister and our 2 closest friends so that we can take stock of their preps and identify their strengths and weaknesses. We're also discussing reasons for prepping. One of our friends has only 'woken up' to prepping in the past few weeks, so she's a major newborn! At her house, we're going to be figuring out where she can have her food storage and helping her get started.

This past week, though, we met at the house of our friend who woke up to prepping only a few months ago. We discovered that she's fairly strong in the area of veggies, but fruits and proteins are lacking. There was a small amount of grains/pastas. She didn't have any water stored, so we encouraged her to start storing it.

The meeting went very well. It was exciting to talk with others who are waking up to the idea of prepping. It was part teaching and part learning as even as beginning preppers they had some good ideas. (We're never too old to learn, right?)

There's a fellow prepper in the next town who is my ordering buddy--when we need to place prepping orders, we let each other know so that we can share shipping costs. We had ordered some dehydrated goods in the past week and I went to pick up my food tonight at his house. He let me check out his 'bunker' where he stores his food. What fun that was!! I mean, I've only seen my stocked pantry in real life, but I've viewed other's food storage in pictures online. So, to step into someone else's food storage.....it was quite a delight, let me tell you! He has a great stock, and I was quite inspired!

I hope that you have other preppers in your life that you meet with. It's wonderful to talk to someone who thinks like you do. Really! Being with like-minded folks makes you feel like you're not alone, but it also gives you a chance to teach and learn from others.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

------------------------------------------
Join the APN Forum at http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/
Visit the Illinois Forum at http://www.illinoispreppersnetwork.net/

Living With a Difficult Spouse

Hi everyone!! If you're here reading this, I'm guessing you're a prepper, either a seasoned one or someone who's just starting their journey. How about your spouse? Are they on board with your prepping or do they think that it's a ridiculous waste of time and money? Well, if they think the latter, you are not alone. I personally have a supportive spouse, but I know there are many people who do not. So, if that's the case for you, how do you deal with it?


First, I would suggest that it not become a 'big, hairy deal'. I don't believe that being supportive/unsupportive of prepping is a deal breaker to a marriage. There are so many other more important things about your marriage relationship. I'm not downplaying prepping at all, but I believe there are ways you can accomplish your goals and keep peace in your home, which should be your main goal in life!


In our prepping, having a well-stocked pantry is one of the main goals. The easiest way to accomplish this peacefully is to do the shopping yourself! That's right! I'm not sure how it works in your home, but I do the shopping for our family, so I get to bring home whatever I want. For me, food preps happened slowly a few cans at a time at the grocery store. What if you're the husband and your wife shops, but your wife isn't interested in prepping? Well, mister, you'd better start doing the shopping! (Men, tell her you want to start taking more responsibility around the house. She'll love you for it!!) That's the only way around it! Don't fill out a list full of prep items for your uncooperative spouse to take to the store! It's going to make them angry, they won't buy what you've requested, and then there's a fight and tension (and NO preps in the house!). Not good! Remember we want to keep the peace in our homes! So, if you're the prepper, you do the shopping! Simple!


Does your spouse love cheese doodles? Do you always forget to buy them and then they're angry because they need their fix? Well, stock up on what they love and tell them you don't want them to have to go without. Let them know that you're thinking of them and their comfort. Then say that beef stew in a can is YOUR favorite food and you just don't want to be without it, so you bought a few extras for you, just in case!! ;) I think that if you show them how convenient it is to have lots of their favorite foods on hand, you can show them how convenient it would be to have a few extra things on hand as well.


Okay, so now you, the prepper, are doing the shopping and you're bringing home extra preps. You're happy, but what if your spouse complains? (I know, how could anyone complain about that, but they do!) Well, my first suggestion is to calmly, rationally, patiently, kindly, try to explain to your spouse why you feel the need to prep. (You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.) If they still aren't convinced that it's important, and they still think you're a dork for thinking it's important, my next suggestion is to hide a few things. No, I'm not advocating keeping secrets from your spouse (although it sounds like it!), but purchasing and 'storing-a-few-items-in-another-location' should be okay! For instance, we have friends who are not on the same page about prepping, so the hubby (the prepper) asked me to buy him some bulk oats and store them at our house. The bucket is in the basement and if/when TSHTF and they come to me for food, I can hand them their buckets o' oats and send them on their way! Obviously, I don't have room to store an entire storehouse of goods for him, but a few items are not problem.


If you're a Christian, I would suggest you pray about this. Pray about your spouse's attitude; pray for understanding, or at the very least, a willingness on their part to 'let it go' and let you prep.


How concerned are you about your spouse's interests? Is that uncooperative spouse reacting negatively to your prepping because you could care less about (or you bash) their interests? Generally speaking, taking an interest in someone causes them to take an interest in you. When you show that their concerns are your concerns, it will sometimes soften them and cause them to be concerned about what concerns you.


There are so many things in marriage that are so much more important than prepping that I would NOT make a bigger issue out of prepping than it is. I know this sounds like I'm saying to downplay it, but I believe that a good relationship in the home is the most important thing to focus on. Focus on the main thing first, and those other 'ducks' will fall in line.


Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

------------------------------------------
Join the APN Forum at www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net
Visit the Illinois Forum at www.IllinoisPreppersNetwork.net

Riotous Behavior

Hi everyone! I read the other day that the Agriculture Department says that 1 in 8 Americans is now on food stamps. Right now, nearly 40 million people rely on the government to feed them! That is an incredible number, an incredible amount of people! Now, whether you feel like government programs like food stamps are right or wrong, I'm sure you know that our government is in debt up to its eyeballs. Our 'leaders' have spent us into debt that, quite literally, will be impossible to pay back. So what happens if the government cannot fulfill its promises? What happens when government programs get cut back? We can look at Greece to see what happens: rioting.

Riots are nothing new to the US. They have taken place many times in many different places. My first 'memory' of US rioting happened after the Rodney King verdict. My point is that just because we live in a fairly 'proper' society, when people are angry, or hungry, riots can happen! Imagine what will happen when our government finally decides to be honest about our financial situation. How will people buy groceries if they have been relying on the government to supply, and the government finally admits that it can't supply?

Hubby and I were discussing this topic over the weekend. He said that in case of riots, we'd stay as long as we could, but there could come a point where we would have to flee to our bug-out location. Immediately, a thought hit me. I've always thought that if we had to flee, maybe our house would be 'used' by a family that needed shelter, folks looking for food that we'd left behind, etc. But, I hadn't pictured leaving my house and it being taken over by rioters and looters! We have put so much time, money, and sweat into this house and property! The thought of it being destroyed by folks who don't care is just too much! I guess just acknowledging what can happen is part of the mental preparedness we need to have. I have to remember that my life consists of more than my home and land. It consists of the family I love.

The financial troubles in Greece, which led to the rioting and turmoil happening there, could be in the not-too-distant US future. Please prepare. Do everything you can to build up your preps! You need water, you need food, you need medical supplies. Don't be the person who is running to the grocery store with the rioters, or the person who has money to buy food and then gets met by thieves. Plant a garden. Learn how to do for yourself and how to do without. Prepare mentally. Think of all the situations that could happen, good or bad. Think of ways you could help others, and think of ways you'll need to help yourself.

"Forewarned, forearmed; to be prepared is half the victory." Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader


------------------------------------------
Join the APN Forum at www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net
Visit the Illinois Forum at www.IllinoisPreppersNetwork.net

Saving Money and Ron Paul Looks at the Greece Crisis

( Daffodils were beautiful this year!)

Hi everyone! Today I have a few thoughts on things that we can all do to spend less and save more money. The less you spend on certain items, you'll free up more money that can be spent on preps or debt repayment.

1. At the grocery store, shop the cheapest brand, use coupons, look for the mark-down or clearance aisle. Doing these things will save a significant amount of money. Don't be ashamed to buy off-brands. You know all that food, name brand and generic, is canned in the same place, right?

2. If you have a CVS or Walgreens near you, check out their ExtraCare Buck and Register Reward programs. Both programs are immediate 'rebates' that print with your receipt to be used at another time like money. I've had money rolling in both programs for a few years. With the great sales they have (regular prices can be high), coupons, and their 'rebate' programs, I've gotten LOTS of free toiletries and other things that I don't make on the homestead. Both of these programs can save you lots of money.

3. Look at your phone and cell phone bills and see if one or the other can be lowered or even eliminated. What do you really NEED and what are you keeping because you WANT?

4. Cook from scratch. This has to be one of the biggest money savers that I know of! Not only will you save money, but your food will taste much better!

5. Shop thrift stores and garage sales.

6. STAY OUT OF THE STORES! TURN OFF QVC! THROW CATALOGS AWAY AS SOON AS THEY COME! If you don't see it, you won't want it! Before every purchase, ask yourself if buying this 'thing' will help you pursue your goals. (see post) Every dollar you spend on some new piece of clothing or gadget is money you don't have to prep with or pay down debt.

7. Have a garage sale.

8. This one might sound weird, but cancel your garbage pickup. We did this after discovering that we only had about 1 Aldi kitchen size garbage bag of garbage a month! We still pay $5/month for recycling pickup. With food scraps going to the chickens or compost, recyclables going to recycling, and burnables going to the burn barrel, there's not alot of garbage left! If you can or freeze, you'll have even less trash. (I was amazed last year to read in a popular national women's magazine a suggestion that neighbors cancel their trash service and once in a while split the cost of taking garbage to the dump.) We have an agreement with a friend to take our garbage once in a while when we need to dump it.

9. Stay home more often. Rent movies, play games, read. Remove the temptation to spend that comes when you're out in public! Make eating out a once-in-a-while treat instead of a part of your normal routine.

10. Eat your leftovers! You've already paid for that food, so don't throw it away! Small amounts of leftover meat can be saved in containers in the freezer (chicken, beef, pork) until there is enough of it to make a meal with.

11. Change your attitude. Living frugally is not hard. It is not depriving yourself. It is living simply and purposefully. Find enjoyment in, and take pride in saving money, not spending it! Save. Prep. Enjoy the freedom that frugality brings.

12. Use cloth napkins instead of paper. Use rags and cloth towels instead of paper towels.

On a closing note, here is a clip of Ron Paul discussing the crisis in Greece and how it is affecting the rest of the world and especially the United States. This is a great message for preppers. Hard times are not over; they are on their way. Saving money and being prepared are your best modes of survival.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

------------------------------------------
Join the APN Forum at http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/
Visit the Illinois Forum at http://www.illinoispreppersnetwork.net/

A few great reads!

Hi everyone! I just wanted to pass along 2 quick links today for those of you who don't read the APN blog.

First, here's an article with a link to a Public Servant Questionaire that you might want to print off and keep by the door in case you're visited by a census worker (or any other government employee.)

Second, here's another great article from the APN. The Survival Mom and our own Tom Martin are interviewed for an article in the Arizona Republic. It's really a great article! The reporter did a great job! If you're just starting out prepping, or if you enjoyed the 'regular family' posts, I think you'll really enjoy this interview with a regular mom! I'm linking to APN instead of the Arizona Republic site, because Tom has a few 'inaccuracies' that he corrects. Good job, guys!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

The Problem with Prepping!

That's right! I said it. There IS a problem with prepping.





Sure, the security that comes with jars of food on your shelves is great. Yeah, the skills learned by gardening, canning, freezing, and dehydrating are invaluable. The fact that all that food and TP can save you money, protect you in the event of a job loss, or allow you to eat cheaply in the event of inflation/hyperinflation is a great thing. But the problem is,

WHERE DO I PUT IT ALL?????

I am so anal about my organization. I have to have things where they belong; meats with other protein meals, veggies together, fruits together, etc. But, when you're constantly prepping, finding good deals, getting mark-down food, canning meats and produce, well, you tend to run out of room! Every few weeks or so, I pull out my trusty step-ladder and start rearranging things. Move these here, put those over there. Trying desperately to make everything fit where I think it should fit!

At this moment in time, I have canned shrimp on top of canned plums! (Horror!!!) Yeah, that's what happens when you buy a totally new food that isn't in your shelves yet. Hubby likes to peek in when I'm reorganizing and ask 'How's it going?' with a little smirk on his face. Somehow, I fail to see the humor. ;)

So, this weekend I'll deal with the problem with prepping. You can find me on my step ladder in the pantry. Rearranging again. (But, loving it all the same!)

For some fun viewing, here's a link to a cool homemade food rotation shelving unit. I think I'm going to put it on hubby's future to-do list!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader