March 03, 2010 2 Comments

I hope you all did your homework and marked items that are not used up when you open them, got a bottle and started collecting your change, and set a budget for the next phase of our shelf stocking.

We have seen so many natural disaster the past few weeks. There have been crippling and even deadly snow storms, earthquakes that have killed over 200,000 with the death toll continuing to rise and deadly flooding in Europe. Spring thaw and flooding season will soon be upon us. In our yahoo group yesterday we received a comment from Melonie who lives in Japan. Part of her message follows:

“After more than a year of knowing my neighbors and sharing super basic prep info with them via my blog and Facebook, I learned that all of it has been ignored by the majority of them. One of them didn’t even have a working flashlight in her home. When I joked after the Saturday earthquake that now my friends know why I keep talking about typhoon kits (expressly because I’ve seen the “you’re a nutball” looks and disregard the minute I use the word “survival”, so I don’t use that term with them, I say typhoon kit or 72-hour-kit) – a neighbor commented to the one with no flashlight that “we need survival kits, not just
typhoon kits, if we’re going to have earthquakes.”

I was truly speechless over that one. I’m still not sure if she was trying to make a “cut” at me personally or if she’s really ignored this whole concept for so long that it didn’t even occur to her that a kit for one natural disaster is a kit for another…..”

I post this message because I hope that although we may discuss natural disasters and the specific things to do to be prepared for them,  our real goal is to be self reliant and prepared for life, not just emergencies.

After Katrina I was in touch with a man who was the refuge for some friends. When they arrived with their trailer they also had two other families in tow. Fortunately this man had room for them to camp out in his yard and he had been preparing so he had the resources needed to take care of all of them. The banks were closed, gas was very limited, and the grocery store shelves were empty because of all the victims who had traveled north to get out of harms way. This was not an emergency for this man but just part of life’s journey. He was prepared to help others through their emergency.

Today we begin to stock the shelves of our General Store with supplies other than food. Because you have only had a week to evaluate how much shampoo and TP your family really uses, we will begin with items that everyone needs in the same quantities, or close to the same quantities, to be ready for three months.

This week add one toothbrush per family member to your store. I have added a few more because it seems this is the items everyone forgets when they come to visit. These are not the toothbrushes you will necessarily use as a family so they can be the less expensive variety. If you are also planning for extended family be sure to include a few child size brushes.

Also add one container of dental floss for every two people in the family. I add a few more because I also have dental floss in my 72 hour kit and grab and go kit. You can use it for dozens of things.

If you do not spend all of your budget this week be sure to add the remaining money to your jar. There will be more expensive weeks and you will want your reserve then. Also keep in mind that trading and bartering is a great way to obtain items for your store. If you know a dentist you may be able to trade for something you have like firewood or produce from your fruit trees. Just be sure if you are asking someone to trade that you have something of equal value, not monetary value, but useful value, to trade. For example, you may say if they will bring you some canning jars you will return them filled with jam or applesauce. That would be of value. I love to trade!

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Food storage, Our General Store, frugal living

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