Part 5 - Gain Peace of Mind By Being Prepared When the Power Fails . . .

Isn't it amazing how much light remains in our homes when we turn off all of our lights?  

IF WE are the ones to turn our lights off!  

No so when the power shuts off, for whatever reason - - - a completely different situation.

Gone are the little glowing areas from our computers, televisions, microwaves, stoves, radios . . .

Gone are the street lights and multitude other sources of ambient light.

Unless there is a  moon, it is dark! So dark you can't even see your hand in front of  your face.

Qualifier: we lived on a remote atoll in the Central Pacific Ocean for six months. There are zillions of stars in the sky, so many, so close and so bright in those isolated areas they do provide some light --- even a few that cast a beam across the water. It was/is beautiful and beyond belief ---  that was there.

Begin Today: Inventory your flashlights and batteries. Inventory lanterns (and their fuel) and any other sources of non-electric light you may have on hand. Inventory your candles and and matches. 

Continue:  Organize what you have on hand, list what you need and purchase, as you can, enough so that you can feel prepared just in case . . . Be sure to include small flashlights, for each member of your family,  in your grab-n-go bags.  

Expand: As you see fit for your family and what you may need or find helpful. 

Our Supply Contains  ---- wonderful finds from the Dollar Stores!

• Glow bracelets/necklaces---multiples in each $1.00 package.
• Solar yard lights, again from the dollar store.  They are still going strong after a full year outside---still as bright as the more expensive ones in our neighbors' yards.

We have brought these solar lights inside when the power has gone off. They provide good and safe light.  If the power was still off the next day we would simply put them outside to recharge.  We have additional ones in storage that we haven't activated. Actually we did pull the little activation tab on two of the storage ones this season to see if they were still good and they were!

To use now,  they are great pushed in the dirt outside a tent when camping, inside the tent for a safe light, and for fun and/or decorative light in the house, even when there is power --- just in case for fun!

I have tried to put these just-in-case-posts in order of importance, which gets harder and harder to do, as I go along, because we each have personal priorities. Stored WATER is the absolute first.

Because we are who we are, because we love the security of being prepared, because we like to experiment  with things we can do/make ourselves and well, just because ---- we have expanded in this area.  If you would like to gain more light on the subject of light -----

How to Make Simple Five-Minute Matches for use in adverse conditions
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/search?q=matches

Safe, Quick to Make, Long-Burning Oil Lamps --- using fuel that will not catch fire --- vrom  things you probably already have on hand
 http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/search?q=oil+lamps

Guide to Lasting/Burning Times for batteries, candles, fuel and more
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/08/alternate-lighting-and-cooking-sources.html

Once again,  I love to hear from you, and I respond to all appropriate comments. We are having so many spam problems  we have had all "anonymous" responses blocked.   If you want to contact me please do it personally through our e-mail address, listed in the bar on the right side of the blog.  Thanks for understanding.

Part 4 - Gain Peace of Mind by Simply Having an Essentials Bag Ready to Grab-N-Go at a Moment's Notice . . .

As I mentioned a few posts back*, at the beginning of this series, a grab-n-go back is quick and reasonably priced "insurance" for each member of your family. 

And, just like any other type of insurance, hopefully it will never be needed but if it is ----- it will prove invaluable! 

*just in case you want to refer to it
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2013/05/simply-preparing-for-just-in-case.html

The toughest part of assembling a 72 hour kit is deciding what items are ESSENTIAL.

Please, don't let that overwhelm you and/or stop you. 

Begin TODAY:  Consider your family situation (ages and needs, etc.) and start making a list of the absolute essentials you would need to survive for at least three days. (Three days is the average length of time it takes for services and help to arrive and kick in following a disaster.)

Early in my blog, I did two posts on grab-n-go bags:  Each will give you suggestions, guidelines, and things to consider to get you started.  The actual deciding is up to you based on the needs of your family. 

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/12/11-what-if-putting-together-grab-n-go.html

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/01/16-what-if-non-food-considerations-for.html


CONTINUE:  Obtain a container(s) for these items and start filling it ---as quickly as you are able. 

It is suggested that each member carry their own supplies as much as their age and size allows.

Keep Making Progress: Don't just stand there and do nothing . . .


Even if progress is slow, you and your family will be winners in a time of need! Start where you are and build as quick as you can. The only way you can lose is if you never start!

P.S.  In my earlier posts when listing canned items, "pop top" lids are suggested. Since that time I have read of a few concerns with that type of lid (in situations where they may be accidentally crushed -- causing them to pop open). If you choose to use the "regular" type of cans, be sure to include a small can opener.

P.S. I love to hear from you, and I respond to all appropriate comments. We are having so many spam problems  we have had all "anonymous" responses blocked.   If you want to contact me please do it personally through our e-mail address, listed in the bar on the right side of the blog.  Thanks for understanding.

Part 3 - Gain Peace of Mind By Being Prepared with "Hard Copy" Contact Information . . .

Just in case some of you may not be old enough to even know what I mean by hard copy when I refer to your contact sources. . .
                My grandmother survived the San Francisco, California earthquake of 1906. I have a letter written to her from a boyfriend across town, expressing his concern for her. It took two weeks for the letter to reach her.

They didn't have many ways to contact one another back in those simpler times. What information they needed they usually had written in a little note book which they carried with them. I also have one of those in my possession. It belonged to my grandmother's father.

Today writing things down seems unnecessary and even crazy. 
              Why would we bother when all we have to do is pull out the little gadget most of us have as our constant companion, scroll and click! Instant contact from anyplace to anywhere.  Wow!

But what if . . . the power grids (or whatever the things that keep our electronic world afloat are called) suddenly went down?

It really could happen, as impossible as that seems. Actually, there are probably any number of reasons that could happen. Or will happen.

We used to memorize the phone numbers of family and friends we talked to often. For the most part now, we know them by the order in which we punch them in. Our "electronic" brains know them. How many are safely tucked away in our physical brains?

This is a very scary what if ---- even for me who still likes "hard copy" in most cases.

How much more scary should it be for those who are electronically dependent---or addicted!

Remember, insurance brings peace of mind.

For our “insurance” I made wallet-size lists of all of our 

family members with all of their contact numbers and

 addresses---home, work, college, etc. We even listed our 

doctor and our medicines, including strengths and dosages.


If you have been following these just in case posts you know that, in each one, I suggest you do something TODAY and then to CONTINUE. This time, I will leave it to you to figure out the steps you should take to gain this contact-information-security for you and your family and, hopefully, follow-through.

Things we have done:

• Sent copies to our children and (hopefully) they made copies for their children.

• Made additional sets, laminated them, and attached them to our emergency get-up-and-go-bags so they would not be misplaced.  (Watch for that  Just in case post, coming soon.)

If you want to visit my older post on this subject and see far, far older pictures (of the earthquake damage taken by my grandma with her Brownie box camera) just click the link below and you will instantly be there.

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/08/what-if-you-lost-all-of-your-electronic.html


P.S. I love to hear from you, and I respond to all appropriate comments. We are having so many spam problems  we have had all "anonymous" responses blocked.   If you want to contact me please do it personally through our e-mail address, listed in the bar on the right side of the blog.  Thanks for understanding.

Part 2 - Gain Peace of Mind By Being Prepared to Store Human Waste . . .

No matter who you are, when you gotta go you gotta go and . . .
The lack of sanitation facilities following a major disaster can quickly create secondary problems unless basic guidelines are followed:

Water flush toilets cannot be used when water service is interrupted because the water remaining in the fixture is not sufficient to flush the wastes down. Clogging may result and your living conditions become just that much more uncomfortable.

If the toilet is NOT able to be flushed, it can still be used. This is less stressful for most people than using some other container. Remove all the bowl water. Line it with a heavy-duty plastic bag. When finished, add a small amount of deodorant or disinfectant,
securely tie the bag, and dispose of it in a large trash can with a tight fitting lid. This large trash can should also be lined with a sturdy trash bag. 

Sewage must be disposed of in ways that will prevent contamination of water supplies. Digging holes in the ground to bury raw sewage should be avoided because doing so can pollute fresh ground water supplies. 

Failure to properly dispose of human wastes attracts flies and can  lead quickly to epidemics of such diseases as typhoid, dysentery and diarrhea.  

Almost any covered metal or plastic container will do. You can use a covered pail, a 5-gallon bucket, or a small lidded kitchen garbage container for an emergency toilet.  Anything that has a cover and will hold the contents until you can dispose of them will serve for sanitary purposes at first. 

The following are  simple things that should not be dismissed or . . .  poo-poo-ed! They utilize things you most likely already have on hand. They cost nothing and require minimum storage space, while having the potential for maximum usage in time of need.

Begin Today: Gather some plastic grocery bags and empty cottage cheese, sour cream and/or similar containers

If you are like me you already know how handy these items are for everyday use. Imagine how indispensable they will be in an emergency ---as containers for disposing of whatever needs to be disposed of; adding an additional "layer" of secure containment.

Continue: 

As you can, accumulate a supply of heavy-duty plastic bags, twist ties, disinfectant  and toilet paper. 

Note: a good disinfectant that is cheap and easy to use is a solution of 1 part liquid bleach to 10 parts water. Dry bleach is caustic and not safe for this type of use.

For more on keeping safe and clean just in case we find ourselves in the thick of it, click on the link below to  go to my previous post What if there was suddenly no means of disposing of human waste?

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/08/what-if-there-was-suddenly-no-means-of.html

And,

To learn how we compactly store plastic bags for everyday use and for emergencies, click on the link below to go to my previous post Quickly capture kitchen clutter . . . in stuff you usually throw out

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2013/05/quickly-capture-kitchen-clutter-in.html

Watch Your Progress: 

Each step, not matter how small, is a step towards  peace of mind insurance! How great does that feel?

Reminder:  I love to hear from you, and I respond to all appropriate comments. We are having so many spam problems  we have had all "anonymous" responses blocked.   If you want to contact me please do it personally through our e-mail address, listed in the bar on the right side of the blog.  Thanks for understanding.

Part 1 - Gain Peace of Mind by Simply Storing Water . . .

The most important thing you will need to have on hand if the bottom were to drop out of everything is drinking water.  While one quart of drinking water a day will sustain life, one gallon of drinking water per day is recommended. 

Estimates vary on how long a person can go without water but the general answer is three days  before there are very serious and cruel side effects.  Much depends on the temperature, the age and health of the individual, and the circumstances.


Begin Today:  Look around for at least one container you can use to store water and do it! 

Heavy plastic bottles like soda pop or juice bottles are great  Just make sure that what the container held originally was safe to eat or drink and they have been washed before reusing.  Empty bleach bottles are the only exception.  You can use well-washed plastic milk jugs if necessary but they will crack in time.

It is recommended that you store a minimum three-day supply of water, per person, but it would be best to have a two-week supply for each family member. 

Number in my family _____ X 3 gallons per person = _______gallons minimum.

Number in my family _____ X 14 gallons per person = _____ gallons preferred.

Continue:  Refilling and storing acceptable containers as you acquire them.

When drinkable water is properly stored it should have an indefinite shelf life. If desired, to maintain the optimum drinking quality of the water, you may choose to refill the containers every six months.

Watch your Progress:  It's that simple to provide water insurance for
your family . .   just in case!

If you want to dive deeper into water storage information, click on the link below to go to my previous post What if you turned on the tap and nothing came out?

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/search?q=storing+water

P.S. I love to hear from you, and I respond to all appropriate comments. We are having so many spam problems  we have had all "anonymous" responses blocked.   If you want to contact me please do it personally through our e-mail address, listed in the bar on the right side of the blog.  Thanks for understanding.

Simply Preparing for "Just in Case" Brings Peace of Mind

Being the realist that I am, my last post visually reminds us that calamities lurk just around the corner.  Do we want, or tend, to think that it will never be our corner?

Do we feel sincere sorrow for those affected and dismiss the possibility we could be next?

One thing we know for certain is that we never know for certain.

That post also points out the various types of insurance we carry "just in case" a disaster does strike our home, neighborhood, state or country. Having insurance, that we hope and pray we will never need,  brings peace of mind.

This post is an introduction to a series of simple, little or no cost, and quick things we can start doing that will provide peace-of-mind-insurance........ just in case!

Generally, following any widespread disaster it takes emergency resources 72 hours to respond. That could be a very long three days!

Amazingly, we have a relative who has decided  not to prepare because he doesn't know, specifically, what to prepare for. It is that sound thinking?.

While the following is going to sound redundant --- some words just keep repeating over and over and over,        I hope you will keep reading.

If we knew what the trial would be, or what season it might occur, preparing would be a no-brain-er. It's also a no-brain-er to realize that regardless of the what or when----basic needs must be addressed.

Preparing in advance  is the HOW we can meet the basics. Being prepared  (even if not making the difference between life and death) will certainly make our circumstances more bearable.

In case you are wondering, Dave and I are not survivalists or off-the-grid folks. What we are, are just-in-case-ers (practical realists prepared to sustain ourselves if we must live off-the-grid for a few days.)

• What we all need are basic things to meet our most basic needs to help us carry on.
• What we all need are basic things we can carry with us if we have to leave our home immediately --- and depend fully on ourselves for a few days.
• What we we need are basic things to carry us through if we have (the luxury) to shelter in place for a period of time.

And, what we need is to have these basics gathered in one easy-to-grab place . . . JUST IN CASE.

Dave and I (being of advancing age, stamina and mobility) have divided our basics into at-the-ready-grab- and-go "units."

We each have a fully-filled multi-pocket vest, a pair of cargo pants, suspenders, and a utility belt with a variety of hooks/loops, containing the most basic basics.  If we have to flee in a hurry we have what we need to exist for a short period of time. 
                                                                               

   While Dave may not be stylin' no one will be laughing
if the time comes he needs to wear his grab-n-go outfit. 

 We choose to prepare for the worst while hoping  for the best?

If circumstances allow us to take more we each have

• a backpack 
• a bucket (that can also be used as a seat or a toilet) with extended supplies 

  increasing the amount of  basics and adding a few extra items.

We also have a sturdy in-use garden wagon that will carry the extras if taking more is a possibility.

In the car we have a grab-and-go-suitcase.

Along with our advancing age (and accompanying memory loss) we know we will be under stress in the best of situations so we have lists that list what is in each.

Getting started ---- just in case!

(Getting started begins simply by doing just that, basically putting one foot in front of the other — taking one step, then another, then another --- towards the peace of mind that preparedness brings.)

Start by thinking about YOUR personal situation (number and ages in family,  medical or other special needs, etc.) and begin to consider and compile a list of your basics.

Future posts will include water, food, hard-copy contact information, loss of utilities (including phones) and all that means in our "computerized" age,  first-aid, and much more.

All simple, quick and at very little or no cost ----
because I am Simply, Gail . . . and I am concerned with your well-being.

Why are Realists Called Alarmists?

Some of these photos are from happenings from this past week!  
Most within the past 12 months!
Two from 12 years ago.




Some global -----  Others Local ----  Many Personal


Most caused by Nature's  unrest ---- 
Some by Mob unrest . . .
Others by Individual unrest 






National emergencies and local emergencies . . .
that affect many
     that affect some
           that affect one

that might personally affect YOU and your family!




There are personal emergencies 
Millions losing jobs. . . 
Hundreds lining up for a limited number 
of available jobs

Then there is the one that changed most everyone in one way or another




Emergencies, or in many cases even the prediction of  potential situations, often result in . . .



What if the emergency was one that, while causing no structural or physical damage anywhere, left us without the ability to do little-if-anything anywhere?  Think how a widespread or worldwide power outage would render the "computerized" world helpless!


WHAT IF . . . ?

Most of us have car insurance, home insurance and medical insurance "just in case." 

Life insurance provides for our loved ones after we die.

How much better to have insurance to help us and our loved ones endure any emergency we may encounter.

Does simply being prepared make us a realist   or an alarmist?