Inch By Inch Preparedness

Pick one of the areas below, that you answer no to, and do something today to help change the answer to yes.

Take this quick preparedness test today. If you can, do it with your family, and find what areas you perhaps need to focus on. This should give you a basic overview of how prepared you are for basic survival. If you have answered no to any of these, then work in that area. If you answered yes to them all … good for you, and think in those areas of how you can improve and make it even better.

Preparedness Test:

1. Has your family rehearsed the fire escape routes form your home?
2. Do you know what to do before, during, after an earthquake or tornado?
3. Do you have access to an operational flashlight in every bedroom? You could have light sticks instead.
4. Do you keep shoes near your bed to protect your feet if you have to evacuate during the night?
5. If a water line was ruptured, do you know how to shut off the main line to your house?
6. Can this line be turned off with hands or do you need a tool? Is the tool close by?
7. Do you know where the main gas shut off is to your house?
8. Do you know how and would you be able to shut off this valve if you smelled gas?
9. Do you know how to safely restart your furnace when gas is safely back on again?
10. Do you have working smoke alarms in place?
11. Do you have a fire extinguisher hand in case of small fires?
12. Do you have duplicate keys and copies of important papers stored outside your home?
13. Do you have an emergency radio and batteries?
14. Do you have a meeting place if your family has to evacuate your home?
15. If an emergency lasted for three days or longer:
16. Would you have sufficient food for your family?
17. Would you have the means to cook without electricity?
18. Would you have sufficient water?
19. Do you have your 72 hour kits easily accessible?
20. Have you established an out of area contact for your family?
21. Do you have first aid kits in your home and each car?
22. Do you have emergency cash on hand in small bills or coins?
23. Do you have ways to heat at least part of your house without electricity?
24. Do you have at least a month’s supply of medications on hand?
25. Do you have sanitation plans for alternate toilet facilities?
26. Where are you in your food storage supply? 3 months? 6 months? 1 year?

Shop Without A Cart

I got this idea off a thrifty tips website. I thought it was worthy to share, because I find that if I grab a cart when I go into the store, it inevitably gets full. So, if I only have a basket or my hands, I am more likely to come out with what I actually went in for.

Have you noticed how big shopping carts are getting? They are designed to keep you shopping! Avoid the spending trap by only taking a cart when you know you have a lot to buy, or are buying something big. Use a basket to carry your items, or go for one of the smaller carts available. You will be less tempted to impulse buy when you don’t have the space to carry it all.

Then before you get to the counter, quickly look over your items and make sure that they are things you really need. There are likely things you could put back until another time. Impulse buying is one of the worst money wasters of all! Take a list, take a basket, and think thrifty!

Happy and Healthy Prepping

Davilyn