Ugh! I'm such a slacker! This week has been crazy busy, so forgive me for being late posting!
This week we are working on our First Aid kits. What we are looking to build is a basic home kit that can be used to take care of minor injuries. The following items are recommended in a home kit:
Disposable gloves
4"x4" sterile gauze
3" roll of gauze bandage
First aid scissors
Adhesive tape
Elastic (Ace) Bandage
A variety of adhesive bandages (Band-aids)
Tweezers
And a storage container for it all
Other items that are useful:
Antiseptic wound wipes or liquid
Topicl pain-relief spray or ointment
Antibiotic ointment (Neosporin, etc.)
Anti-inflamatory meds (ibuprofen, Tylenol, etc.)
Burn gream or gel
Hydrocorisone cream
Instant cold packs
Alcohol
Hydrogen peroxide
Cotton balls
Q-tips
Some of these items will have expiration dates, so it's important to keep an eye on those. Some of these items can be found at the dollar store or in trial sizes.
Emergency First Aid kit for Car, Home, Boat, Camper, etc.:
An emergency first aid kit is used ONLY for emergency, life threatening situations and should be kept fully intact and replenished if used.
Disposable gloves
Disposable breathing barrier for CPR
Sterile dressings: 5"x9", 4"x4"
3" roll guaze dressing
First aid scissors
Adhesive tape
Hand sanitizer
Phone numbers of emergency personnel and poison control
The emergency kit is a basic kit that will allow you to administer aid until emergency crews arrive. I also keep a blanket available in my car in the case of an emergency or accident where someone is in shock. Hopefully you never have to use it, but if you do you will have what you need!
Good luck and I will post earlier next week!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
January Week 3: Medicine Chest
This week we are focusing on our medicine chests. As we come out of Cold and Flu season and head into spring, we want to make sure our medicine chests are full of the medications we will need. Stockpiling hoards of medication can be hazardous if we aren't careful. Medications have expiration dates which should be followed. Medications can lose the effectivness or increase in potency over time. It is important that we keep our medicine chests full and stocked with newer medications.
Things to include:
Pain Killers: Ibuprofen, asprin, tylenol
Cold remedies: Nyquil, cough syrup, dayquil
Other: Imodium, pepto bismol, cough drops, Ipecac (optional), Claritin, allergy meds, other frequently items
Things to include:
Pain Killers: Ibuprofen, asprin, tylenol
Cold remedies: Nyquil, cough syrup, dayquil
Other: Imodium, pepto bismol, cough drops, Ipecac (optional), Claritin, allergy meds, other frequently items
Monday, January 11, 2010
January Week 2: Detergents
This week we are collecting detergents. I have a hard time collecting this one because it can be really expensive! However, imagine what would happen if you had to live for 3 months on everything you had in your home. Would you be able to wash clothes as needed or would you run out? I would run out.
Currently, Smiths had Tide detergent, liquid or powder, for $11.(sale through Tuesday) If you buy $25 of participating Proctor and Gamble you get $5 back. Essentially you could buy 2 Tide, and 1 Zest or Ivory soap ($3), use coupons from the proctor and gamble insert 2 weeks ago, and get those items for around $15 instead of $25. I don't know if it would be cheaper at Wal-Mart or not. Good luck, and happy shopping!
-Laundry Detergent: about 156 loads per person
-Stain treatments
-Bleach: 1 Gal. per person
-Dishwasher detergent
-Liquid dish soaps
*purchase what you will need, according to your BUDGET! Don't go into debt for storage items!*
Currently, Smiths had Tide detergent, liquid or powder, for $11.(sale through Tuesday) If you buy $25 of participating Proctor and Gamble you get $5 back. Essentially you could buy 2 Tide, and 1 Zest or Ivory soap ($3), use coupons from the proctor and gamble insert 2 weeks ago, and get those items for around $15 instead of $25. I don't know if it would be cheaper at Wal-Mart or not. Good luck, and happy shopping!
-Laundry Detergent: about 156 loads per person
-Stain treatments
-Bleach: 1 Gal. per person
-Dishwasher detergent
-Liquid dish soaps
*purchase what you will need, according to your BUDGET! Don't go into debt for storage items!*
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Wednesday, Jan 6th-Jan. 12
Smiths Food is having their case goods sale as well as a mega meat sale. For those who have are going to be stocking up on their popcorn, if you have a few extra bucks it may be worth your while to grab a case of vegetables, peanut butter, honey, or soups!
Happy shopping!
Happy shopping!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Sunday Paper coupons
In yesterday's paper, there are coupons for microwave popcorn. I will be using mine to add to my short term storage. Also, there are coupons for peanut butter and jelly. In a few weeks we will be collecting peanut butter, so hang on to those coupons!
Friday, January 1, 2010
January Week 1: Popcorn
This week, we are going to stockpile some popcorn! You can choose whole kernel popcorn, microwave popcorn, or both. As a family, we chose whole kernel popcorn because it stores better, lasts longer, good price to quantity, and it can be used in an air popper, stove top, or campfire if needed. Microwave popcorn has to be used by the expiration date to avoid the oils in the bag going rancid.
Purchasing:
Set asides a specific dollar amount, and purchase that much popcorn. We bought the great big bag of popcorn at Sam's club last year and haven't hardly made a dent in it. It fits in a 5 gallon bucket, and then some!
Storage:
At Wal-Mart, you can purchase the big 5 gal. buckets for about $6. Regular sealing lids are abut $2. These are good if you are going to just fill up a bucket and leave it for a while. You will need to purchase the little green lid lifter, it's about $2. There is another lid that I like MUCH better. It seals on the bucket, and then a 2nd part in the lid can be unscrewed for easier access to your storage. The lid is about $6 also. So, for a 5 gal. bucket of popcorn, you'd spend about $12 to store it.
If you just want to purchase individual bags, keep them on a shelf where they won't get wet, or in a plastic storage tote.
So far, I have not seen any coupons or sale ads for whole kernel popcorn. Keep collecting your coupons, because next week we are on to cleaning supplies!
CHALLENGE: Get a $5 bill and stash it somewhere. Make sure you remember where you put it! This is the start of your emergency cash stash.
Purchasing:
Set asides a specific dollar amount, and purchase that much popcorn. We bought the great big bag of popcorn at Sam's club last year and haven't hardly made a dent in it. It fits in a 5 gallon bucket, and then some!
Storage:
At Wal-Mart, you can purchase the big 5 gal. buckets for about $6. Regular sealing lids are abut $2. These are good if you are going to just fill up a bucket and leave it for a while. You will need to purchase the little green lid lifter, it's about $2. There is another lid that I like MUCH better. It seals on the bucket, and then a 2nd part in the lid can be unscrewed for easier access to your storage. The lid is about $6 also. So, for a 5 gal. bucket of popcorn, you'd spend about $12 to store it.
If you just want to purchase individual bags, keep them on a shelf where they won't get wet, or in a plastic storage tote.
So far, I have not seen any coupons or sale ads for whole kernel popcorn. Keep collecting your coupons, because next week we are on to cleaning supplies!
CHALLENGE: Get a $5 bill and stash it somewhere. Make sure you remember where you put it! This is the start of your emergency cash stash.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Food Storage tips on a 52 week plan
Gathering a 3 month or 1 year supply of food storage can be a daunting task. We may feel like we have to buy it all at once, that we don't have the financial ability to stock what we need, or that we don't even know how much consitutes an adequate supply. Some of us may wonder why we should have a supply in the first place. I used to think I didn't need any sort of storage past 3 or 4 weeks. Last year that was put to the test when my husband was laid off for 6 months. Durring that time, I had to carefully plan and budget for each meal, not to mention try to pick up extra storage items each week so we had something if his layoff lasted longer than planned. Luckily, he was able to go back after 6 months. Some families aren't so lucky, and can be out of work for a full year or more. Something I learned during that time was you can buy a little bit each week and end up with a lot.
Important points:
1. Decide what your priorities are. Do you want long term storage? Short term storage? Is cost more important than nutrition? Do you have room and a grinder for 500 lbs of wheat or can you get buy with sealed buckets of flour?
2. Make a plan. I will be outlining a 52-week buying guide for you here. You just have to plan your budget accordingly.
3. Proper and safe storage! This is sooo important! If your food spoils, you are out more than just money. You have lost peace of mind!!!
4. Rotating your storage into your weekly menus and replenishing your stock. This is the hardest part of all. I have often gone downstairs to grab something from storage without realizing we were completely out! Keep an inventory of what you use, and when you need to get more.
Getting Organized:
After determining how much of our budget we can add to food storage, $20 is a LOT per week for storage, we need to determine WHERE we are going to stash all this food. If you have room, store canned items on shelves in a basement storage area. Store pastas, boxed items, and envelopes in small plastic storage containers. Items like sugar and flour that are not in buckets, can be stored in large plastic totes. If you store things in your basement, be sure to put things that are on the floor either in plastic totes, buckets, or elevate them with pallets in case there is flooding or water damage. Other places you can store items, is the backs and sides of bedroom closets, under beds, under couches and furniture, in the tops of cabinets (above the fridge, stove, etc.) You can even make a nice tablecloth for your living room end tables and "hide" your storage items underneath. The point is, even in small living spaces, you can stash quite a bit. Don't go buying a bunch of containers unless you have the extra for them!
Making a list:
Make a list of everything your famiy eats. Does your family eat a lot of rice? Noodles? Potatoes? Veggies? Also on this list, write down everything your family WON'T eat, EVER. For example, my husband hates beans and legumes. He will not even taste anything that has been in contact with them. Chili, black beans and rice, refried beans, are all no-no's for him. So, I don't have a lot of them in storage. Beans are a great source of protein, but there is no use having them if your family won't eat them. Because you have to rotate your storage, it isn't enough to just "have" them on hand. It is important to have foods in your storage you can use and rotate that won't go to waste.
Once you have your list, next to each item write how many of that item you have. For example: Cream of Mushroom soup - 4; Spaghetti Sauce - 6
This gives you an idea of where you are starting from. As we go through the year, you will probably find there are quite a few things that are not on your list, but you use.
Lastly, having a food storage isn't just about food. It is about all the essentials you need to live for 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year. How would it be to have a house full of food but no toilet paper or soap? Could you survive without laundry detergent? Light bulbs? Tylenol or Motrin? Could you survive without those unmentionable feminine products for a year? These are part of our lives and therefore part of our storage. We also need to include a stash of cash. Having money in a savings account is well and good, but there may be a situation where you are unable to retrieve your money when you need it. Whatever part of your food budget your don't spend, commit that to your cash stash. Be sure to hide it well!
Important points:
1. Decide what your priorities are. Do you want long term storage? Short term storage? Is cost more important than nutrition? Do you have room and a grinder for 500 lbs of wheat or can you get buy with sealed buckets of flour?
2. Make a plan. I will be outlining a 52-week buying guide for you here. You just have to plan your budget accordingly.
3. Proper and safe storage! This is sooo important! If your food spoils, you are out more than just money. You have lost peace of mind!!!
4. Rotating your storage into your weekly menus and replenishing your stock. This is the hardest part of all. I have often gone downstairs to grab something from storage without realizing we were completely out! Keep an inventory of what you use, and when you need to get more.
Getting Organized:
After determining how much of our budget we can add to food storage, $20 is a LOT per week for storage, we need to determine WHERE we are going to stash all this food. If you have room, store canned items on shelves in a basement storage area. Store pastas, boxed items, and envelopes in small plastic storage containers. Items like sugar and flour that are not in buckets, can be stored in large plastic totes. If you store things in your basement, be sure to put things that are on the floor either in plastic totes, buckets, or elevate them with pallets in case there is flooding or water damage. Other places you can store items, is the backs and sides of bedroom closets, under beds, under couches and furniture, in the tops of cabinets (above the fridge, stove, etc.) You can even make a nice tablecloth for your living room end tables and "hide" your storage items underneath. The point is, even in small living spaces, you can stash quite a bit. Don't go buying a bunch of containers unless you have the extra for them!
Making a list:
Make a list of everything your famiy eats. Does your family eat a lot of rice? Noodles? Potatoes? Veggies? Also on this list, write down everything your family WON'T eat, EVER. For example, my husband hates beans and legumes. He will not even taste anything that has been in contact with them. Chili, black beans and rice, refried beans, are all no-no's for him. So, I don't have a lot of them in storage. Beans are a great source of protein, but there is no use having them if your family won't eat them. Because you have to rotate your storage, it isn't enough to just "have" them on hand. It is important to have foods in your storage you can use and rotate that won't go to waste.
Once you have your list, next to each item write how many of that item you have. For example: Cream of Mushroom soup - 4; Spaghetti Sauce - 6
This gives you an idea of where you are starting from. As we go through the year, you will probably find there are quite a few things that are not on your list, but you use.
Lastly, having a food storage isn't just about food. It is about all the essentials you need to live for 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year. How would it be to have a house full of food but no toilet paper or soap? Could you survive without laundry detergent? Light bulbs? Tylenol or Motrin? Could you survive without those unmentionable feminine products for a year? These are part of our lives and therefore part of our storage. We also need to include a stash of cash. Having money in a savings account is well and good, but there may be a situation where you are unable to retrieve your money when you need it. Whatever part of your food budget your don't spend, commit that to your cash stash. Be sure to hide it well!
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