Yesterday I received a note about a magazine article I had written and the reader asked how to motivate her neighbors and friends to prepare  for flooding when their attitude was that if a flood comes the food storage would just wash away anyway. Yikes! My response to her was lengthy but I can't believe with all the other things that are going on right now that some are so short sighted. Does that attitude make you as frustrated as it makes me?  I can't believe the attitude. I cannot relate to those who are fine with depending on the government to take care of you. We have all seen how well they do that and yet there are still those who are fine with depending on government agencies.  I also do not understand the "that won't happen to me" attitude. Do they not eat or drive a car? Are they really fine with spending 25% more on food this year than last. oh! I know, they believe the government when they tell us food prices have not gone up, even though our grocery store bills have. I heard today that a gallon of ice cream can be more that $6.00 on the east coast, but milk prices have not gone up.

Last January, 2010, I began talking about he size of  food containers and how price increases were being hidden from us as we were paying the same price for less product in those packages. Finally last month there were media reports saying the same thing. We must continue to stay the course and do whatever we can to prepare for the challenges ahead. We cannot give up and we can definitely not delay. It is more important than ever for us to ban together and to share what we know with each other.

This month we are putting aside cash for a major purchase of a preparedness item you are still in need of, to add to your  General Store. This is crucial. Please find a way to do this. When we began our self reliance adventure together a few years ago I suggested you get a jar and place your change in it every night. I do this and never spend change except pennies. I then place the change in my jar. It adds up and doesn't impact the budget.

I have also begun to get cash back when I use my debit card. Even $5.00 each time will add up quickly and is hardly noticed. We enjoy more meatless meals and eat breakfast foods for dinner whenever we are trying to save.

 I bake bread. When I first published the recipe for Easiest ever Bread a year ago (May 2010 Newsletter)  it cost 30 cents a loaf, now it is up to 35 cents a loaf.

 I shop at the dollar store for food more often. I have found some really great buys at the dollar store.  I can purchase cookies and crackers for a dollar a box. We like some of them much better than the more common brands. I found 29 oz. cans of tomato sauce for a dollar while  a 15oz. can at the grocery store was $1.19. I found Del Monte vegetables for 79 cents a can that are $1.29 at the grocery store. My challenge to you would be to take $20.00 and go shopping at the dollar store near you.  I began by purchasing one of each item. We then opened each to determine which we liked and which we didn't. I don't think I will ever purchase a box of crackers at the grocery store again. You still have to watch prices. Pasta can be $1.00 but is it a pound package or a 14oz package? 

Spices and herbs are another items to save huge amounts of money when purchasing.  These are essential to a great food storage plan. I purchase in bulk at Winco and save a bundle. If you don't have a Winco or if you want  to store for long term use visit Healthy Harvest. If you are stocking up this can be expensive since we should be storing a variety. This is why we have food storage buddies. Order and share. 

Take advantage of the coupons in the monthly Totally Ready newsletter. This month there is a coupon for canned butter, the real stuff, not dehydrated. If you take advantage of this offer you will save 27% which would have paid for your 24 month subscription. If you are not subscribing I suggest you consider it now. You will receive special offers each month and more in depth information than I can post on a blog. 

If you missed Ready or Not Tuesday take time to listen. I interviewed Jan Lebaron from Healthy Harvest and we talked all about food storage and food preservation. It was interesting to hear just how much prices have gone up on the wholesale level and the what Jan is hearing from suppliers.

As the economy worsened what have you given up purchasing? Did you know there are now 2 million less jobs in the United States then there were two years ago?  It has always been my goal to help you with every aspect of self reliance. Getting out of debt and staying out, is a big part of being Totally Ready. 

I have been doing much more of my shopping at the stores selling items for a dollar or less. Tomorrow I will devote my post to dollar store purchases. I don't seem to be alone in this.

"The customer, for the most part, is still in the store shopping, but they started doing some more shopping elsewhere, and we want to bring them back. We know that it's easy to lose them," said Charles Holley, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s chief financial officer, at a Citi Global Consumer Conference last week.

Dollar stores, which benefited from shoppers trying to stretch dollars in the recession, are continuing to gain customers and post higher revenue. The trend has risen as gasoline prices closed in on $4 a gallon.

Dollar stores have maneuvered the post-recession economy adroitly, expanding inventory, particularly brand names; becoming more competitive on price; and opening new locations. Also, wealthier shoppers are trading back up to the mall or higher-end grocery stores such as Whole Foods.

Wal-Mart is increasingly "caught in the middle" between dollar stores and more expensive stores, according to Wall Street strategies analyst Brian Sozzi. "Now, it's trying to return to its roots, but it's facing old competitors — the dollar stores — that are getting much better."

Please share what you are doing as a Zombie Consumer to hedge against inflation.

http://www.modbee.com/2011/06/02/1715866/wal-mart-trying-to-woo-back-shoppers.html#ixzz1OiL1hdB5

PLAN TO CAN THIS YEAR

Some of my favorite canning tools:

Pressure canner

Home canning kit

Water bath canner

Canning discovery kit A great gift for a beginner.

Victorio Strainer and Sauce Maker My absolute favorite item in my canning supplies! Accessories kit You will be son happy you added this!

Steam Juicer Never waste anything! Juice it and use the juice for drinking or making jelly and syrups.

Steam Canner some people prefer the water bath some the steam bath. I have both. If using a steam canner be sure to add five minutes to all processing times.

1/2 Gallon canning jars Since there has been so much interest in these in our Yahoo group…a link!

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now.

Current show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper

Past shows: http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts-preparedness/ready-or-not/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/ 

Join us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TotallyReady

With a TV show dedicated to it and the economy in a nose dive with families scrambling to make ends meet, Extreme Couponing has become the new buzz word on the Internet and around the water cooler. Shoppers with reams of coupons are seen loading up pallet loads of groceries and dry goods, and checking out with thousands of dollars worth of goods for next-to-nothing. Could this be the answer to your self reliance storage plan?

Many years ago there was a television show called Dragnet. Sergeant Joe Friday was heard in every episode reminding his witness, “Just the facts ma'am, just the facts”. Let's examine the facts.

Those involved in this new couponing trend admit to spending an average of 30 to 40 hours per week clipping coupons, printing coupons from the Internet, comparing prices at local grocery and drug store chains, preparing a strategy for their purchases. Once they have coupons in hand, they spend another three to four hours at the store filling carts and checking out. Once the shopping is complete items are brought home and another several hours are spent putting things away. In other words couponing is their full-time job. Finally, there is the time and money spent on store hopping to get the best deals.

When asked how much value there is in their home storage inventory, couponers will often tell you it is between twelve and fifteen thousand dollars. For a full time job which requires an obsessive commitment, distracts you from family, church responsibilities and service opportunities, this is a very low paying job. In other words they are making $15,000 a year for their full time job or, if you take four weeks off a year, $7.80 an hour and little time with the spouse and kids and friends.

A typical stash for those who coupon with such extreme objectives, includes enough toothpaste, laundry detergent, cereal and shampoo to last through the millennium, but no dairy products and very few proteins, fruits and vegetables. This is not intentional, it just reflects what is available to buy with coupons. Storage shelves will be stocked to overflowing with packaged foods which are high in calories and low in nutritional value.

But what is self reliance? Self reliance by definition is using one's own efforts and abilities, with dependence on one's own powers and judgment. We trust in our own capabilities to gather resources. “Reliance” is a state of being dependent upon or confident in something or someone, in this case, trusting in ourselves. In other words, “self reliance” is the faith and confidence in your own judgment and capability to be independent, no matter the circumstance.

Will becoming a coupon king or queen achieve this goal? No. Self reliance requires not only the stocking of a “General Store” in our own homes, but also learning and practicing skills which help us to remain independent of the world. Self reliance requires the accumulation of tools to practice those skills including the equipment needed for canning, sewing, car repair, and gardening. It requires a reference library should we be required to fend for our own food, clothing, shelter and health care for some period of time.

Clipping coupons is a great way to save money but going to extremes is not a good plan. Slow and steady still wins the race. If your family needs extra income to purchase items without sabotaging the family budget consider other methods for making some extra.

Lets' ask! What are some ways you have earned extra money for your family budget without getting a full time job?

PLAN TO CAN THIS YEAR

Some of my favorite canning tools:

Pressure canner

Home canning kit

Water bath canner

Canning discovery kit A great gift for a beginner.

Victorio Strainer and Sauce Maker My absolute favorite item in my canning supplies! Accessories kit You will be son happy you added this!

Steam Juicer Never waste anything! Juice it and use the juice for drinking or making jelly and syrups.

Steam Canner some people prefer the water bath some the steam bath. I have both. If using a steam canner be sure to add five minutes to all processing times.

1/2 Gallon canning jars Since there has been so much interest in these in our Yahoo group…a link!

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now.

Current show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper

Past shows: http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts-preparedness/ready-or-not/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Now is the time to save money to purchase food and to pay off debt. Normally I would encourage some cash on hand but it seems our buying power will be greatly reduced as prices raise and the value of the dollar is lowered. You can eat good foods, garden and  continue to maintain good health with medications, soap and toothpaste, etc. if you have them stored. I am increasing my plans to stock more that a three month supply of items like these. I want to be as self reliant as possible as soon as possible. You should too. Consider this.

"Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, who co-chaired the White House’s deficit-reduction commission last year, said Tuesday the U.S. could face a destabilizing fiscal crisis in two years or even sooner.

At a Senate Budget Committee hearing on Tuesday, both men chided Congress for focusing so much time and energy on cutting domestic discretionary spending, which makes up about 12% of government spending, and not focusing enough on entitlement programs and the tax code. The U.S. has $14.1 trillion in debt and is projected to run a $1.65 trillion deficit in 2011. Debt levels are projected to grow rapidly, which many believe will force the U.S. to borrow more money from other countries.

“This problem is going to happen long before my grandchildren grow up,” said Mr. Bowles, who was White House chief of staff during the Clinton administration. “This is a problem we are going to have to face up to it maybe two years, maybe a little less, maybe a little more.”

He said the crisis is “predictable” and will take place when “our bankers over there in Asia begin to believe we are not going to be solid on our debt, that we are not going to be able to meet our obligations. Just stop and think a minute what happens if they stop buying our debt. What happens to interest rates? What happens to the U.S. economy? The markets will absolutely devastate us if we don’t step up to this problem. The problem is real. The solutions are painful, and we have to act.”

Mr. Simpson, a former Republican senator from Wyoming, said, “I think it will come before two years.”

Notice one democrat and one republican, no political reason to agree unless they are telling us the truth and really concerned.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/03/08/bowles-simpson-fiscal-crisis-could-come-within-2-years/

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now.

Current show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper

Past shows: http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts/ready-or-not/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

First, if you haven't already done so please go to the Totally Ready facebook page and "like" us! While you are there check out the post by Cherlynn with her idea for a rotating can shelf, really fun, easy and inexpensive.

Next, if you missed the two shows I did this week listen to them while you surf the net tonight. Monday night I stood in for Doctor Prepper and had a great time talking about the experiences which were sent to me concerning the cold, icy and snowy weather the past week. Lots to learn from all of them. Last night on READY OR NOT I visited with Crystal Abrahams, author of 2012 Survival Guide  We chatted about changing weather patterns, the loss of bee colonies, solar flares, the magnetic changes in the atmosphere and the importance of food storage when dealing with coming challenges.

Now, just to help you understand how a few small changes can add up over time…

*Breakfast Cereal family of four…. $5.00…. substitute

Hot Cereal or pancakes for family or four $1.50

     once a week……….$182.00 savings per year

     five days per week…$910.00 savings per year

*1 bag potato chips $2.00/bag eliminate 1/week savings: $104.00 per year

*1 (6) pack soda $2.00 eliminate 1/week savings: $104.00 per year

*1 soda purchased at convenience store or fast food $1.00 per year

         eliminate 1/week savings: $52.00 per year

         eliminate 1/day savings: $365.00 per year

* Reduce meat…one meatless meal per week: $240.00 per year

* Eating out for a family of 4: Cheap Dinner $40.00

        eliminate 1/week savings: $2080.00 per year

*Lunch: $7.00/person

       eliminate 1day/month savings: $208.00 per year

       eliminate and take lunch: $1000.00 per year

* Candy bar: $.79

        eliminate 1 per week savings: $41.08

Small changes can really add up to big savings over the course of a year. If you just eliminate the candy bar once a week, take a lunch once a week, have one meatless night per week, and eat pancakes or hot cereal just three times per week instead of cold cereal you could save $1,035.00 per year or enough money for a two month supply of food for a family of four. As you can see I have been very conservative in the costs of foods. Do you really only spend $7.00 on lunch? Children, especially in high school want to buy lunch but it is time to help them understand just how much that really costs and what your family can enjoy if they just pack one instead. If they argue tell them they can do what they want but if they buy they will have to use their own money. It's never too early to help kids understand then meaning or prioritizing! By making small changes now you can get your food storage and so much more.

Don't Miss Out!

Grocery store sales are a 500 billion dollar a year business. Tonight CNBC examines just how and why we buy and what stores are doing to get us to spend more. I'm sure you have noticed the bakeries and coffee bars in stores now. Some have pizza ovens, or a gourmet deli, all in an attempt to get us to part with more of our money, and it is working. Experts on shopping trends say we are buying more and more and becoming increasingly sucked into buying traps.

Recently a study was done on shopping cart sizes. Cart sizes were increased by 50% and the average consumer purchased 40% more when pushing the larger cart. The most expensive items on the store shelves are between the knees and shoulders. Do you consistently check for items on the bottom and top shelves? This is where prices are cheaper and more unusual items can be found. Small companies can not afford to purchase the premium space so a great deal on an unusual sauce or jam may be right there in front of you. When crossing the street we look left and right. When shopping we need to look up and down.

The experts had a few suggestions for saving money while shopping.

#1 Leave the kids at home. We have talked about this before, kids just ask and ask until they wear you down. Leave them at home. If this is difficult ask your friends and trade babysitting so you can have some quality alone time at the grocery store.

#2 Don't use a cart if you are running in for milk and eggs. How often do we do this? We go for one or two things and come out with $50.00 in groceries.

#3 Pay with cash, better yet, pay with a $100.00 bill. It is so….hard to break a bill that size and you really have to consider what you are doing. If you pay with a credit or debit card your brain says, go for it! There is more accountability when using cash.

Check out the show tonight for more tips and insights into just how we do fail the grocery shopping test.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/40887785

Newsletter Special Ends January 28th!!!

TOTALLY READY NEWSLETTER SPECIAL:

When you order a two year subscription to the Totally Ready Newsletter

I will send you a copy of my food storage ebook, Mother Hubbard:What She's Doing Now

and a copy of the first 12 months of Totally Ready Newsletters (144 pages),

a $47.00 value for $24.00.

The ebook will answer the questions, where do I store, how can I afford this, what do I store and much more. The newsletter subscription will provide disaster preparedness tips, tutorials for survival, recipes and answers to many more questions. If others have told you, after listening to Glenn Beck, that they want to get started consider purchasing this package as a gift for them or let them know about this great deal.

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now.

Current show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper

Past shows: http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts/ready-or-not/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

With the price of food commodities up again today we need to return to saving money on our food budget. Today my husband, a nut and dried fruit broker called around to purchase peanuts. There were none. He was told the crop was small and is sold out. It's only January! So, guess what, peanut butter is about to go up! Today cocoa prices went up on the New York stock exchange as did oats, soybeans, corn, and wheat. At the present time millable wheat can only be purchased in the U.S. since the crop in Australia was destroyed and they are the only other sizable grower. .

With prices going up we are going to talk about making master mixes from our own favorite recipes. Once you have done this you will be able to bake cookies, cakes and sweet breads quickly and have them ready for breakfasts and to pack in lunches the next morning. Now is the time to decide you are the best person to create the foods your family will eat, not Nabisco. With mixes made from your own recipes your food can remain the same during times of crisis becoming a comfort to your family.

I have published these directions before. This time I would like to convert one of your recipes. If you would like to have your's done for you please email me your favorite cookie recipe for conversion. Do it tonight! In the meantime…here are a few money saving tips for the kitchen.

Money Saving in the Kitchen

• A small burner on your stove top costs 18 cents per hour, a large burner 36 cents per hour and an electric skillet only 14 cents per hour. A skillet is also usually larger and you can cook more food at the same time, further reducing the amount of time it would take to cook the same foods on a stove.

• A slow cooker costs only 2.4 cents an hour. You will cook longer in the slow cooker, 6 to 8 hours. It would cost you 14.4 cents for 6 hours in a crock pot, while it would cost 18 cents for just a half hour on the range. If you were using more than one burner to cook the same foods as the crock pot, it would cost you 27-38 cents for a half hour on the stove. Use a crock pot! An added advantage is the crock pot will help to heat your room so if you work in your home office all day place the crock pot in that room and you can turn down the heat!
  

• Using the oven on your stove costs about 43 cents per hour. The microwave is only 29 cents, but a toaster oven is only 11 cents per hour. If you are using the oven for one menu item, plan all your dishes for oven cooking that night. Now would be a good time to toss in a batch of cookies for lunches the next few days. A batch of chocolate chip cookies cost about $2.50, a bag in the grocery store about $3.50. In addition the homemade makes twice as much as the amount in the bag.
  

• You only need to preheat if you are baking and the recipe takes more than 30 minutes to bake. You should however, always preheat when baking yeast breads.

• Every time you open the oven door hot air escapes and the temperature goes down 20 degrees . Now, you need to cook longer since it take time for the oven to come back up to the correct temperature. Avoid the temptation to sneak a peek, use the light and window in the door instead.

Newsletter Special Ends January 28th!!!

TOTALLY READY NEWSLETTER SPECIAL:

When you order a two year subscription to the Totally Ready Newsletter

I will send you a copy of my food storage ebook, Mother Hubbard:What She's Doing Now

and a copy of the first 12 months of Totally Ready Newsletters (144 pages),

a $47.00 value for $24.00.

The ebook will answer the questions, where do I store, how can I afford this, what do I store and much more. The newsletter subscription will provide disaster preparedness tips, tutorials for survival, recipes and answers to many more questions. If others have told you, after listening to Glenn Beck, that they want to get started consider purchasing this package as a gift for them or let them know about this great deal.

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now.

Current show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper

Past shows: http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts/ready-or-not/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

A quick FYI…tomorrow is the last day to order Totally Ready for the Road in time for Christmas. If you know anyone who commutes or drives long distances for vacations or long distances to college,or is a new driver, this is a great holiday gift. We are closing down for two weeks after tomorrow. All our ebooks and our Newsletter Special will continue to be available for “delivery” to a loved one’s inbox through Christmas Eve.

I read the following article the other day and really couldn’t think of a better money saving post to share with you. The holidays always mean increased energy bills so here are a few tips to help avoid some of that increase.

Powering a home costs the average U.S. household $2,160 a year. While heating and cooling a home are the primary energy guzzlers, appliances also consume their fair share.

Of course, there are ways to keep your energy usage — and your monthly bill — skyrocketing each winter. Using efficient Energy Star products, for example, can cut costs by 30%.

In the spirit of the holiday season, Solar City came up with a list of “12 Days of Energy Efficiency” to help consumers save money by using less energy at home. Where possible, we’ve added estimates of how much it would cost consumers to act on these tips and how much money it would save them.

Day One: Take Control of Your Thermostat

Program your thermostat to a “set-back” temperature for winter nights and start saving on energy costs. A touchscreen, programmable thermostat that is rated by Energy Star can cost as little as $105. Turning down the heat to 68 degrees in the winter can save 5% to 10 % on heating bills, and more by turning it lower when you’re asleep or away from home.

Day Two: (Gift) Wrap those Water Pipes
Wrapping water pipes can bring the gift of saving. By insulating these pipes, homeowners can reduce their monthly energy bill by reducing transmission losses. Insulating the first three feet of pipe into a water heater is especially important and can help raise the water temperature by 2 t0 4 degrees.

Day Three: Start a New Tradition: Winter Cleaning
Dirty air filters not only affect indoor air quality, they can reduce airflow, costing more during the winter months when heating is crucial. We’re not talking about getting the air ducts cleaned, but buying a new air filter for a few dollars at a hardware store.

Day Four: Block Santa
This winter — with no offense to Santa — consider keeping him out with the cold. Keeping your fireplace damper closed when the fireplace is not in use will prevent heat loss and save money. It’s another area where heat can escape from the home. If your fireplace isn’t working correctly, a new damper can cost about $150. or less.

Day Five: Time Your Christmas Cheer
Though small, Christmas lights can consume an exorbitant amount of energy. Replacing traditional holiday lights with LEDs (light emitting diodes) and putting them on timers can help reduce the amount of money and energy spent on holiday cheer. LED holiday lights can save up to 90% of the energy cost of traditional lights. They’re more expensive than traditional lights — about $25. for 100 lights — but will save a lot of money over the years.

Day Six: Bundle Up that Water Heater

Putting an insulation jacket or ‘blanket’ around water heaters can prevent a significant amount of heat loss. Wrapping a water heater can also save money. For $10 to $20 for a water heater blanket, you can save 4% to 9 % in water heating costs.

Day Seven: Romantic Dinner for Two
Why not dim the lights for the evening and dine with your dumpling? Romance enhanced by energy savings. The average home spends $269 a year in lighting. Save some of that by turning off the lights and lighting some candles.

Day Eight: Install Compact Fluorescent Lights
CFLs (compact fluorescent lights) use less energy than regular light bulbs. Replace old light bulbs with new, energy efficient ones and look out for LED replacements, which are quickly becoming an affordable alternative. One $10 bulb saves about $40. over its lifetime. An energy calculator can help determine how much they’ll save at your house.

Day Nine: Keep the Winter Cold at Bay
Weather-stripping windows and doors and sealing building leaks helps keep cold air from coming in and warm air from getting out. It’s a simple way to reduce energy consumption. Ten feet can cost $6. but that can add up when you measure how much area you have to cover.

Day 10: Give the Gift of an Energy Star Appliance
What says “I care” like an energy efficient washing machine? Giving an Energy Star appliance is the right thing to do; it’s a great gift that saves money and is good for the environment. Major appliances account for 13% of a home energy’s use, with a clothes dryer and washer costing $143 a year to use, and a refrigerator using $95 to run for a year. Energy Star has a calculator o determine how much your refrigerator costs to run. Prices vary widely, but $1,200. can buy a quality Energy Star refrigerator.

Day 11: Get Yourself a Pair of Slippers
Sometimes, staying warm is as simple as putting on a pair of slippers. If that isn’t enough, add a pair of toe warmers to add extra comfort. Keeping your feet warm shouldn’t cost more than $40. And put a sweater on while you’re at it.

Day 12: Unplug While You Unwind
While unwinding during your winter vacation, why not unplug your electrical appliances that are not in use? Even though they might not be running, they’re still consuming energy. The Department of Energy says that 40% of the electricity used for home electronics is used when they’re turned off. As AOL’s home improvement editor pointed out last year, there are many devices o turn off these vampires after your gadget has been charged.

http://www.walletpop.com/2010/12/13/12-days-of-energy-efficiency/

TOTALLY READY NEWSLETTER SPECIAL:

When you order a two year subscription to the Totally Ready Newsletter

I will send you a copy of my food storage ebook, Mother Hubbard:What She’s Doing Now

and a copy of the first 12 months of Totally Ready Newsletters (144 pages),

a $47.00 value for $24.00.

The ebook will answer the questions, where do I store, how can I afford this, what do I store and much more. The newsletter subscription will provide disaster preparedness tips, tutorials for survival, recipes and answers to many more questions. If others have told you, after listening to Glenn Beck, that they want to get started consider purchasing this package as a holiday gift for them.

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now.

Current show:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper

Past shows:

http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts/ready-or-not/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

Now you all should know by now that I don’t coupon. Makana has been helping me by posting couponing tips but this week I am hooked, at least for this week. I wanted to share with you the bargains I have found.

This week there is a coupon for Chex Cereals. We have all enjoyed Chex Party Mix and it makes a great treat to take to a party or to put in a fancy bag and give as a gift. This week I purchased Chex cereal at Winco for $1.98 a box. The coupon requires you to purchase two boxes so I just use two varieties of cereal in my mix instead of three. If you don’t want to make the mix yourself there is also a coupon for the ready to eat Chex Mix.

Next there are coupons for Pillsbury rolls, cookies, pie crust and more. All these are great for quick treats and the pie crust would be perfect for those freezer meal chicken pot pies. Remember we want to avoid purchasing food because we are too tired to cook or it is too late because we have been gone all day. Make those freezer meals!

Progresso soups, these are also on sale this time of the year and if they aren’t in your area this week just wait a week or two and they will be.

Betty Crocker muffin mix, perfect for a quick breakfast treat with scrambled eggs.

Bisquick great quick breakfast or biscuits to go with that hash we made yesterday.

M&Ms $2.00 off the purchase of three bags. No problem here as they were on sale buy one get one free. Remember I told you chocolate is a must in a well stocked General Store? I got my stash!

Lil Smokies. Who doesn’t love these for a fast appetizer when more guests than expected arrive or aunt Sue forgets her contribution to the buffet.

Making Rice Krispie Treats? No problem, get marshmallows free with the purchase of the cereal and use those frugal M&Ms to give them some color and a chocolate boost.

If you don’t get a newspaper do an Internet search and you can print off the coupons. Print off more than one if you are going to purchase multiples and the coupon allows you to use more than one.

Yes, this week is good, coupons I will actually use!

When you order a two year subscription to the Totally Ready Newsletter

I will send you a copy of my food storage ebook, Mother Hubbard:What She’s Doing Now

and a copy of the first 12 months of Totally Ready Newsletters (144 pages),

a $47.00 value for $24.00.

The ebook will answer the questions, where do I store, how can I afford this, what do I store and much more. The newsletter subscription will provide disaster preparedness tips, tutorials for survival, recipes and answers to many more questions. If others have told you, after listening to Glenn Beck, that they want to get started consider purchasing this package as a holiday gift for them.

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now.

Current show:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper

Past shows:

http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts/ready-or-not/

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Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

Two weeks ago Makana began a series of posts to help you better understand how to get started and stay motivated to use coupons and special offers and reduce your household expenses. Her second step …Organization.

You may have heard recently that the cost of food will be rising again. You may have also heard that this is just not the case and a scare tactic by those trying to sell you something. Prices really are going up on food, believe it. I can give you an example very close to home, almonds. You may not realize the bulk of the world’s almond supply comes from California. This year we had a cooler than normal summer which lead to a late harvest. We had an early rain which led to almond damage as many very still on the trees and not yet safely stored in warehouses. This is a problem as the almonds will rot if not properly dried. This adds to the cost as it is another step which must be taken before the nuts can be sold. Now, this may not seem like much of a problem as almonds are more of a luxury food, but the ramifications are tremendous.  Do you normally purchase candy as gifts or as holiday treats? They contain California almonds even if they come from Italy or Switzerland. Almonds are in breakfast cereals, breads, breadings, Thanksgiving stuffing and much, much more. Almond milk is consumed by many with milk allergies. The final kicker is that the Chinese are buying up large quantities of both almonds and walnuts further forcing up  prices on both almonds and walnuts.

With the growing wealth of the Chinese government they are now purchasing more and more food which would normally have been part of the food chain we depend upon. Many apple orchards have been pulled out the past few year because China is now producing cheap apples for export. Can you believe we are buying apples from China?

Last year we had lengthy “discussions” here about the federal government limiting water to farmers in California. This has left many without jobs and has created a dust bowl on farms where some of the best soil in the nation once existed. If this continues what do you think will happen to food prices?

In the United States 99% of all almonds and walnuts, 93% of broccoli, 89% of carrots, 94 % of tomatoes, 95% of apricots, 90% of strawberries, 93% of nectarines, 100% of olives and olive oil, 93% of plums, 78% of lettuce, 84% of avocados, 82% of dates, 98% of figs, 97% of kiwi, and 89% of lemons come from California. Still think it’s no big deal? Maybe we can do without purchasing figs but go without pizza? Yes, the price of pizza will go up as the price of tomatoes which are used to make pizza sauce goes up. Don’t be fooled. Food prices are going up.

We haven’t even begun to consider that the price of wheat is up 47% due to infestation and poor weather conditions in foreign nations. Those people have to eat too and they will pay more to get our wheat, thus our price goes up as well.

Recently Glenn Beck has been advocating storing food. No matter how you feel about his politics he is certainly right about this! I hope someone will direct him to our General Store.We all need to be stocking our own in home store now! Prices will not go down and your General Store will be your best investment and yield the greatest return on your  money going forward. As you will need to replace items you can then buy only when they are on sale, thus always shopping at last year’s prices. But it’s not just about food.

Did you hear the news yesterday that cotton prices are due to increase by 30%? That means clothing, blankets, curtains, furniture (upholstery), TP, swabs, bandages, will all go up in price. Cotton seed hulls are used for animal feed so meat prices will rise. Now, some of these products will rise a few cents and be almost unnoticeable by themselves but add up 5 cents per roll of TP and 5 cents per pound of meat and 5 cents per feminine hygiene products and you can see over the course of a year you are talking real  money.

If you are serious about saving money stock that General Store. When tough times come you will be prepared to meet your own needs, help others, and barter for items you may need. You will be in control as you will have the items more valuable than gold; food, medical items, fuel, and many other supplies which will be in demand. Join us every Monday as we stock our shelves. Now is the time to prepare, before you need it!

Listen to READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 6:00 Pacific…if you missed some listen now!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/11/17/preparedness-radio-11-16-2010

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Now for Makana…

Couponing, as I well know, can be time consuming and intimidating. I hope that these next series of posts will guide you to embracing the world of couponing with ease.

Happy Saving!

To Listen to past broadcasts of READY OR NOT visit:

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Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

Saving money is easy to do. Just shop sales and you are saving money. You are also spending though. And while I am a big proponent for deals and coupons, it should not come at the expense of your well planned budget.

Also check out this website for a great calendar free! Would be a terrific gift.

It’s that time of the year when we are all beginning to think of the holidays and just how we can afford them this year. With the election still two weeks away we still don’t know if we all face big tax increases in January. Many of us are still our of work and many looking for more work to pay the bills. Unfortunately many of us still have foods in the fridge that look like science experiments. Let’s recover that money instead of adding it to the trash at the end of the month. Following are a few creative ways to use leftovers without the family suspecting a thing!

Twice “Baked” Potatoes
Left over mashed potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
4 strips bacon (could be left over also)
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1. Cook bacon and set aside to drain. Cool and dice.
2. Combine 3/4 cup of grated cheese, sour cream and green onions.
3. Combine warm potatoes and cheese mixture
4. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
5. Spoon potato mixture into cups making a small well in the center.
6. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and diced bacon.
Bake 325º until warmed through and cheese is browned

I remember when my nana used to make little tea sandwiches. She would make the first layer egg salad and the second ham spread. They were so yummy and just the right size for little hands.

Ham Spread
1 pound cooked ham
2 teaspoons pickle relish (dill or sweet…try some of both)
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 cup creamy salad dressing (Miracle Whip type)
1. Cut ham into bite sized pieces.
2. Place into food processor, grind on pulse until very coarse.
3. Add pickle relish and pulse a few more times.
4. Combine mustard and salad dressing.
5. Combine ham and dressing and mix well.
Serve on crackers or make old fashioned tea sandwiches. Tea sandwiches are so much fun for a little girls tea party.
Option 2: Leave out relish and serve on toast topped with a poached egg. Really yummy!

Left over chili or taco meat:
Pizza: Using a store bought or homemade crust spread with meat, top with diced tomatoes, black olives and green onions. Sprinkle with grated Colby jack marbled cheese. Bake 375º until cheese is melted.
Nachos: Top tortilla chips with warmed meat, diced onion, olives, salsa, melted cheese and sour cream.
Potato Bar: Slice hot baked potato beginning and ending 1/2 inch from each end. Squeeze inward from the ends forming a bowl. Add meat, grated cheese, sour cream.
Taco soup: Combine 2 cans diced tomatoes, 1 can corn, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can green beans, chili or meat. Heat through. Add more taco seasoning if desired.

Chili Tamale Pie
Left over Chili
1 Can corn
1 Can diced tomatoes
1 Small can diced chillies
1 Cornbread muffin mix
1 C grated cheese
1. Combine chili, corn, tomatoes with liquid.
2. Place in oven proof dish.
3. Make corn bread according to package directions.
4. Drain chillies and combine with corn bread.
5. Spoon cornbread over chili.
6. Sprinkle with cheese.
7. Bake according to package direction until cornbread is done.

Sounds yummy right? Have a favorite way to use leftovers? Why not share your recipe and be entered to win the great give away prizes.

What could be more frugal than winning prizes that you would really like to own? Share a recipe or a comment for a chance to win!

Self Reliance Expo November 5th and 6th in Salt Lake City

I’ll be there and hope many of you will be too and that you will come and visit our booth.

Comment on any post for a chance to win:

Tickets to the Self Reliance Expo

Kathy Clark’s new book: Dinner is in the Jar

or

Janet Wayman’s Dutch oven cooking DVD

Every comment is another chance to win!

To Listen to past broadcasts of READY OR NOT visit:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/search/carolyn-nicolaysen/

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Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010