Monthly Archives: April 2012

DIY Indoor Grow Box

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In February, Sarah pulled out our grow box–I had made it last year–and got our seeds started. I should have written this post then, so that others could have made their own this year, but unfortunately I didn’t. A friend asked how I made it, so I figured I’d post about it now so that you can build yours for next year. It’s quick and easy.

What you need:

  • plastic Rubbermaid-type bin with lid (the under-the-bed size works well)
  • 4 – 2 x 1/4 inch bolts, with 4 nuts, and 4 – 1 1/2 inch washers
  • 4 – 18 x 1/4 inch pieces of all thread rod, with 8 nuts, and 8 large washers
  • board (plywood or shelving) approximately 24 x 12 inches (dependent on your lid size)
  • 2 aquarium light fixtures with full spectrum fluorescent bulbs

Assembly

1) On the inside of the lid, attach the board with the bolts and nuts, put the washers on the outside of the lid so the bolts won’t pull through the plastic. Line the board up in the inside center of the lid and drill a 1/4 inch hole through each corner of the board, with a matching hole through the lid. This board provides the stable surface to mount the light fixtures.

2) In each corner of the lid drill a 1/4 inch hole and put through the all thread with a nut and washer on each side of the plastic lid. The all thread will be the adjustable “legs”.

 

3) Mount the light fixtures, per the directions, to the board on the inside of the lid.

 

 

Once Completed

Plant your seeds – the container you choose doesn’t really matter, but make sure there are holes in the bottom for drainage. Place the containers in bin, adjusting the all thread so the light is close to the plants. As the plants grow larger the light can be lifted higher by adjusting the nuts on the all thread.

(I used 10 inch all thread, it was high enough when I first started but not enough when the plants grew bigger, so I cut blocks to put under each all thread leg to make them higher.)

After you’ve transplanted all of your sprouted plants, disassemble the legs and slide the entire box under the bed to neatly store until next year.

Simple and it works.

(Wednesday: We Still Want Coffee)

Momma Bear’s April Preps

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April has been an unusual prepping month for us. The unseasonably warm spring in Virginia has been joined by some dry weather (sad face as I drag the hoses around the yard). The gardening is a huge, HUGE learning curve. This month I did manage to buy four 55-gallon pickle barrels and twenty 5-gallon buckets for ridiculously great prices (though the smell was terrible!). Two of the barrels are already composting on a new rack in my back yard; next I’ll focus on a rain barrel. I woke up one morning and discovered long white cat hair in place of all the leaves on our tomato and pansy seedlings. So rather than starting over, we sucked it up and bought heirloom tomatoes from the nursery, not hybrids, so that we can harvest seeds when we are finished. We also discovered that something has been eating our beautiful little blueberry bush so we had to make a cage around that. Currently we have lettuce, radishes, cilantro, sunflowers, onions and chives all making their first appearance in the various garden spots and planters. We are very happy so far!

Food storage is always on my mind when I prep. We stored another two weeks of food supplies in mylar, after adding sprouting beans to our stores. Having lived in Asia, mung beans (long bean sprouts) are our favored sprout. I buy mine at the international food store where they are super cheap and there is a big selection. I cannot tell you how great sprouts are as a secondary fresh food source in a SHTF scenario, especially since they are grown indoors in just a jar. I also recently got a second vacuum sealer attachment for my food sealer (now I have both sizes). I learned two things this month about vacuum sealing jars, 1) The jar of my husband’s favorite pickles can be resealed with the attachment (an additional source of jars/lids for things that don’t have to be “canned”), and 2) You can vacuum seal lids by using the Ziplock brand handpump over the Foodsaver jar attachment (see photo). Although with non-canning type jars, because the lids are harder to release once sealed, it is best to poke a pinhole in the lid and seal it with electric tape, then simply pull up the tape when you want to release the seal. In this case I am using the jars for seed vaults since the jars still smell like pickles (I think it’s the lids). I also managed to pick up almost three cases of mason jars in assorted sizes for $10 at a yard sale. I treated the family to a “beans night” which they survived. I am trying to incorporate more beans into our diet and try more recipes since it is the ultimate survival food. Half of us like beans, half don’t and this night was no different food (we love rice though!). In this instance I made northern beans in the crock-pot, with leftover ham/bone from Easter, and then threw in spinach at the end so it was like a soup (but a completely balanced meal since I used so much spinach). Here is the recipe link.

Our last area of preparedness for April was our taxes and a house refinancing (we also amended a couple of years of returns as well which were caught by our new tax professional). Because it was our first year in the house we were able to claim a lot of expenses and will get a nice tax return, which in turn will go toward credit debt. Because finances are a tough area for us, we pay to use a tax service that comes with one of those “previous year audits” and insurance to reimburse us for any of their mistakes that result in us making payments to the IRS. We balance the expense of using a preparation service against the peace of mind that it was done properly. We also were able to refinance the house (after only one year), reducing both our interest rate and our monthly payment. This was a tough decision for us since we are not the most financially minded people on the planet, but we’re trying to learn.

How did your preps go this month?

(Monday: DIY Indoor Grow Box)

The City Cousin: Making A Plan

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Contributed by Shawn (aka The City Cousin)
(Shawn is writing a series of posts about prepping in an urban environment.)
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If your car’s tank is almost always near empty, or you are constantly running out of toilet paper, shampoo, milk, etc. then you are not a natural prepper! Fret not, few of us are. As with many skills and mind sets, most have to be learned. Here are some experiences that motivated me, and a system I’ve developed to become better prepared.

I was living in Seattle, in 2001, during the Nisqually earthquake (a 6.8 quake that lasted 45 long seconds). After the initial quake ended, I immediately called my parents to let them know I was okay. Then, I knew we still had electricity because the TV was  on; I checked that I had running water and then filled the bathtub; I checked my apartment and then the building for damage; I moved my truck out of the garage, under my building, and parked it where nothing would fall on it if there were more quakes. All good initial reactions to an earthquake, but how did I plan afterward to be better prepared for the next time? What had I learned? To be honest I didn’t do anything. I felt good, and rather smug, about my actions and resourcefulness after the Nisqually quake. But, I wasn’t really prepared for what COULD HAVE happened.

It wasn’t until I saw the pictures of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, in 2005, that I recognized I have to be prepared for a big disaster and for at least the ‘FEMA suggested’ 72 hours. And, after seeing how FEMA and the military responded in New Orleans–a city that is located much closer to government resources than Seattle–I decided I needed to be personally prepared to handle things for a minimum of five to seven days before outside help will likely arrive to the city.

So my project management experience kicked in and I developed a chart to help guide a household discussion to prepare for likely perils. I again focused on my journalism questions of Who, What, Where, When, and How.

Prepare Short Term (72 hours) Medium Term (6 Months) Long Term (over 6 Months)
Who You, your immediate family, significant others. Condo/homeowners association, neighbors. Neighborhood (consider becoming an advocate for your local government.)
What Select the perils that might affect you: earthquake, flood, tornado, etc. After prioritizing the perils you want to address, prepare for the first one. Then expand to cover the remaining perils. Review what you’re preparing for, have things changed?
Where Preparing your home and/or car(s).  Consider alternative locations. Determine meeting points in case you and your family are separated. You might focus on your home first for the initial 72+ hours then on your car or alternative locations. Develop alternative location(s).
When Set a start date and end date for each Term’s goals.  Costs and preparation for longer term goals can be researched and set. More expensive items can be budgeted for and a priority list  can be developed for when to get them. Set up an annual/regular review to make sure everything is current in your preparations, i.e. check batteries, rotate food and water.
How Research! Read, take classes, use the internet.  For this section one of my favorite online resources is 72hours.org. How also plays into when depending on cost and time needed to prep. Continue learning. Stay informed. Network with others. Review new information.

This is a great exercise for a household of any size to get organized and take the first steps, or for reviewing what you’ve done, or confirming you’re on the right road with your preparations. This discussion will help everyone have input and feel involved (the “buy- in” to the project), and tasks can be assigned based on age and experience. Make lists and write down your goals; studies have shown, when we write things down we are more likely to remember and act on them. Once we have a plan in place, and we know which road we’re taking, we can get prepared.

Next month: I will discuss what I have in my apartment to prepare for the perils I have identified, some of the resources I’ve tapped, and how and where you can store things with limited space.

The City Cousin’s Bio
I come by prepping by growing up watching the example my father set; he was always prepared for whatever situation would arise. Now, as a single man living and working in Seattle, I have opted to live near downtown in a small apartment. For me this is a comfortable space; trying to be “green” it has reduced my use of resources from electricity to gas for my truck. With limited space, I have reviewed what I can reasonably be prepared for in my urban environment.

(Friday: Momma Bear’s April Preps)

The Greenhouse Is Built!

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How We Built Our Greenhouse – a DIY
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We started building the greenhouse the second week of March and I finished it yesterday – six weeks. Sure there are all the excuses and explanations: life is busy, I could only work on it a few days a week (and had to coordinate Ryan’s schedule with mine, when possible), weather was a factor, and we were learning as we were building – but it still took a long time. Now it’s done.

I found the plans we used on BuildEazy.com. I splurged and paid five dollars for the “handy pdf file, ad free”. I printed up the twelve pages of plans, bought the materials needed to get started (the first of many trips to the hardware store), and we began.

The first few steps could be built in the garage. First was the bottom frame; we built it out of pressure-treated 2x8s, 8 feet long. The plans had it built 10 foot by 8 foot – but I hadn’t noticed that before I bought the lumber. Since I only bought four 2x8x8s I went with that, ours would be 8 foot by 8 foot, we modified the plans as needed for the slightly smaller size. Other than the bottom frame we used untreated 2x4s for everything else.

We then framed both sides and built the trusses. I had never built anything that had to be framed before and it was a learning experience. The sides were easy, they were just square. The trusses were tougher, because of the way the window was built into the peak of the roof there were several angle cuts that had to be identical and match up. The 60 degree cuts were especially a hassle because the mitre saw only goes to 45 degrees; they had to be drawn then cut with a circular saw. That was all we were able to pre-build in the garage.

The project then sat for a couple of weeks waiting for a dry weekend when Ryan and I were both available. When that weekend arrived we laid out the bottom frame, put up the two side walls, then attached the trusses. The bottom and sides were pretty easy; we kept the square and level handy, and used them for each piece. The trusses were again harder, it was tough to keep them square – at that point they were only attached on each side and weren’t very stable. But, finally, the structure was outside and coming together (i.e. it sort of looked like a greenhouse).

The directions for the front and back-end walls were far less “exact”, the plans stated “This is pretty much measure, cut, and fix as you go.” We varied from the plans and only put a door on one end (the plans called for a door on both ends). Building the door frame and the door (another thing I had never done before) went slowly and was a challenge because we knew it had to be completely square, or the door wouldn’t work; there also had to be enough space, around the door, to allow for swelling of the wood in wet weather. The hinge placement was another challenge, but we did it and the door fit and closed smoothly.

(All this happened over a period of weeks because of weather and time availability.)

The roof trusses were then secured with ‘strap braces’, galvanized steel braces 2 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick. They connected the opposite corners of the long section of the roof, tying in with nails each of the separate trusses. The trusses were now a lot more stable, but it had been difficult to keep the outside ones from pulling toward the center.

Next was the roof window – the most complex step of the project. This window was one of the reasons I chose this plan, I really liked the ability to be able to open a portion of the roof to release heat on sunny days. The measurements had to be very precise and much of the work was done on ladders; it was also a hassle holding up the window assembly and getting the hinges attached to the frame. But finally it was in place and would open and close smoothly (mostly).

The entire wooden framed structure was now built. We then started on the shelving. There were no directions for this in the plans, so I decided to build the shelf frames at 44 inches from the ground. Sarah, who is 62 inches, came out and saw the height and nicely mentioned that they were a little high; after some discussion I re-installed them to 32 inches – a height much easier for her (our primary plant starter) to work at.

Now the wood part was done and it needed to be covered. For this directions said, “Cover the greenhouse with a UV-resistant polythene (there are other options also).” We did some reading and also talked with the expert at the local hardware store (McLendons – we love them, very helpful and knowledgeable) about the “other options”. We found out the polythene/Visqueen-type plastic, though inexpensive, breaks down because of the sun’s UV rays and the weather and would need to be replaced each year. So, with the goal of making the greenhouse longer lasting and sustainable, we instead purchased polycarbonate plastic that lasts 20+ years. It did cost significantly more, but we felt that it was a one-time cost and a worthwhile investment which would require far less maintenance. It came in 2 foot wide sheets (with some extra for overlapping) and we bought 10 foot lengths.

When we got it home, using a friend’s truck, we first covered the long roof section. This is where we really saw that the framing wasn’t quite square, but fortunately the polycarbonate has a little flex to it and we were able to compensate. The roof was the hardest part, again, all the work had to be done on ladders and we had never used the polycarbonate before. It is relatively easy to cut with a circular saw (kind of), and smaller cuts could be done with my old trusty bandage shears.

The following week we covered both sides, the short side of the roof, and the window (that was a pain). Finally, this last weekend, I was able to get the back, front, and door done and that meant the greenhouse was completely enclosed. All that was left was to finishing the shelving. Sarah determined that a 1/4 inch wire mesh would be the best material, as it would allow water to drain and sunlight to pass through. The sunlight passing through was important because it allows containers on the ground to also get sunlight.

So it’s done. We’re pretty proud of it. I can’t help but smile every time I see it though the window or go outside. I’m really glad we have it. I’m sure the greenhouse will be a regular topic in our posts as we continue to learn, discuss our failures, and celebrate our successes.

north side
south side
east side
west side

Thanks very much to Ryan for all his hard work and time. I also appreciate Chanse helping when he could. And I want to acknowledge and thank Sarah for her technical advice, monetary budgeting, and most of all, patience. (And thanks to my father-in-law, Jay, for his DeWalt compound mitre saw.)

(Wednesday: The City Cousin)

 

What We Did This Week To Prep 4/20/12

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Sunday was sunny, one of our first really nice weekend days this year, and we were out working in the yard. Sarah built her potato box and planting potatoes in it. Ryan and Chanse worked on the greenhouse putting up some of the polycarbonate siding. I did miscellaneous, around the yard, projects; exciting stuff like turning the compost, raking out dirt, pruning the tree, weeding (aka adding greens to the compost pile), all while being available for technical assistance as needed.

Later in the week I got back to the greenhouse and almost finished putting the polycarbonate up. I’m now, finally, within two to three hours of being completely done; hopefully that’ll be Sunday, which is again supposed to be sunny and warm. The greenhouse has been a big learning experience, construction-wise; I’d hesitate before recommending the project to anyone else–because of the amount of time, energy, and money it took–but I’m glad we did it. We really look forward to putting it to use this spring and, hopefully, using it all winter also. I really do need to finish it Sunday, because I plan to write up the greenhouse project for my Monday post.

Not really prepper related, but I also transplanted a couple of rose bushes. I bought three bushes for Sarah last year, unknowingly buying the climbing variety, and had planted them way too close together. So I dug up two of them and moved them to a better location against the fence, and put up a trellis for them to be able to “climb”. While most of our gardening is focused on food production, striving for self-sufficiency, there is a place for things that are just pretty. But even the pretty things–roses, lilacs, rhododendrons, and the annual flowers we will plant–have practical value because they attract pollinators to our yard which will then, hopefully, move on to our fruit and vegetable plants.

I bought some external pockets for my GHB* hiking pack (Maxpedition Falcon II), made by S.O. Tech, that I really like. I got them through SurvivalGearBags.com, they had great customer service and fast delivery; I was impressed and will buy from them again. Like Momma Bear mentioned, when discussing packing BOBs, it’s good to put items you may need quickly in easily accessible pockets. I love the PALS webbing stystem, on the newer tactical-style packs, that allows easy and secure configuration of external add-ons. In general I love all things bags/packs, and the more cool pockets on them, the better – I’m sure there’s a point of diminishing returns, but I haven’t found it yet. In the picture you can also see the red carabiner tied to the cord leading to my FAK.

What did you do?

(Monday: The Greenhouse Is Completed)

*For my list of abbreviations and other information, open the above ‘Check Here…’ page tab.

Momma Bear: Getting Out of Dodge B.Y.O.B.O.B.

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Bring Your Own Bug Out Bag – How Our Family Did It
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For most preppers, the first baby step we take is to create a bug out bag (BOB). For our family, living outside of Washington DC and very close to the interstate (which is sure to be packed instantly); with the potential bug-out being done without my active-duty husband, we took this step very seriously. Although my husband likes to travel light in the field (with the military), the BOB has to encompass a plethora of unknowns; with a 72-hour usage as the goal for packing. How much water should we take and how much water purification? How much gear should we plan for sleeping rough? How much food do we want to carry? What if it’s cold? What might we need along the route? The list pretty much goes on and on. And with everything, as we practice our drills, we tweak and adjust the items in the BOBs.

But once you accumulate all that STUFF, how do you divide it up between your family members? How do you ensure that each pack is sufficient should you become separated from the rest of the family? With my husband included, we have two men in the family. But us girls… we are kind of wimpy backpackers. Our daughter may be 5’7” tall, but she only weighs 100 pounds on a good day. So we have had to keep the girls’ gear lighter, packs smaller, but still able to meet our needs. We opted not to carry sleeping bags, but instead have military poncho liners and also the foil emergency bevy sack. The heavier items, that were not quite as essential, were distributed between my husband and my son. For instance, do we need a tent on the go? Not really, but life is a heck of a lot nicer in a rainstorm when you have more than a poncho for cover. And my husband can certainly shoulder that extra weight a lot easier than one of us girls can.

Other things that we customized in our bags were the first aid kits, the food items (curse those picky eaters who refuse to eat tuna!), and the quanity of fire making materials for each family member. For instance, our daughter suffers terrible migraines so her kit has special meds in it, plus sunglasses. Our son is allergic to insect bites so he has insect repellent, Benadryl, and cortisone cream. With the meds, I broke them down into tiny little baggies and wrote the directions on the outside with sharpie marker, including how often they should take the meds. And because our kids have only recently begun practicing fire making, they both carry lots of matches, lighters, a magnesium starter, as well as a ton of lint and other light-weight combustibles.

Having a Marine for a husband has assuredly made the BOBs an easier task. Some things I had never considered, or would not have considered as a huge necessity, such as laminating our maps. In case the SHTF, we are looking to move south, away from D.C. We have maps of both Virginia and North Carolina, that we got for free at the visitor centers on the main interstate, and each of us has one in their BOB (kids included). The other thing that the military training helped with was packing the packs. The military utilizes packs with lots of pockets and my husband was positively insistent that certain things go in those easy access pockets: first aid, water, food, weapons/tools. Other things, especially stuff you have multiples of, is removed from the BOB and carried on your person: identification, weapon, fire making items, any item that you could not do without (like migraine meds). Our family utilizes three different types of packs, so when we loaded them up everyone was responsible for their own; that way everyone knows where there things are. And, of course, we regularly break them down and repack them to keep familiar with the gear.

Our household also has pets, which we have not been taking into consideration for bugging out. Unless we are driving out, the cats will pretty much be left to their own devices, but the dogs will go. It is pretty unrealistic to think that we can carry enough food and water for them too, so we are looking to put them to work for us. All of our dogs are pretty good walkers (we have Jack Russells and Weimaraners), and we are looking to train the big dogs in both pack carrying and carting. But I will post about that another time.

Like all our prepping, creating your BOB. requires good planning. Again, a good BOB is designed for 72 hours of mobile usage – getting you away from a SHTF scenario. Focus on who, what and why. Who is the bag for? What do they need? And why do they need that particular item? Last of all, practice walking with your pack and readjust your items/bag as necessary. You want to be well prepared to survive, but you don’t want to break your back because you brought the kitchen sink with you. Happy prepping!

(Friday: What We Did This Week To Prep)

Sarah’s View: DIY Potato Box

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This weekend, with the beautiful weather we had here, Trace and I decided to work on some of our outdoor projects. I was able to build my potato box (in one day) and asked Trace if I could share the results, on our blog, sooner rather than later!

This year will be our first year growing potatoes. As we understand the way potatoes grow, they need soil added as the plant grows bigger to further stimulate production. Many people choose to simply mound the dirt around their plants or use old tires for their potato ‘frame’. However, years ago (before Trace) I saw a design for a ‘potato box’ that allows the grower to harvest the baby (or new) potatoes throughout the growing season.

We had already bought all the materials needed: one treated 2x4x12 and ten 1x6x6 boards (actually fence slats).

We pulled out the power tools – my dad’s mitre saw (which now ‘lives’ at our house) and the drills (plural because, if you have two, you don’t have to switch bits between the pre-drilling and the screwing in of the screws) – and, after quick review on how to use each, I got started (I’d used drills before, but not the saw).

My first step was to cut the 2x4x12 into four 33-inch pieces. These will be the upright corner posts. (A handy tip from Trace: measure from the end for each cut, that way you don’t lose the width of the saw blade from your cut). I then cut the 1x6s into twenty 24-inch pieces.

Next, I attached four 1x6s across the upright 2x4s to form the bottom frame into a square.

Originally I’d intended to build up just two layers of boards, leaving the rest to be added as dirt was piled onto the growing potatoes. I realized, however, that there was no reason not to build three sides up completely and only have one unfinished/working side. The first side went slowly as I lined up each board, pre-drilled the holes and then attached them. The second and third sides went much faster as I got used to the tools and the box gained more and more stability.

The fourth side boards will be attached as we add dirt. These will be attached with only one screw on each side, for easy removal, with the intention of harvesting the potatoes at the bottom of the box early, while allowing the rest to continue to grow.

We placed the three-sided box at the corner of our garden, where sun will hit the open side and we had some good dirt. I planted the seed potatoes–Kennebec and Red Pontiac–and hopefully, fingers crossed, we’re good to go for this year’s potato crop.

(Wednesday: Momma Bear)

 

What We Did This Week To Prep 4/13/12

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As the weather gets nicer (sort of, Spring is slow in coming to the Northwest) we are spending more time outside. Last Sunday was the first time we ate outside this year (on the picnic table Ryan built last summer). Alison asked if we could have a fire that night in our outside portable fireplace, and I said sure. As it was starting to get dark I had Alison, since it was her idea, gather up the needed items to start the fire. From the kindling box she got small twigs and kindling. She assembled her kindling teepee over a vaseline cotton ball, with her larger kindling nearby, and lit it with a lighter –  we’re still making it easy, trying to guarantee success. There was a little bit of pressure, because the whole family was watching her, but everything caught fire nicely. She slowly added in the larger kindling until we had a good fire going. Sarah, Alison and I ended up sitting out there for a while enjoying the fire, night air, and somehow stumbled into a physics discussion explaining to Alison the relationship of the sun, moon, Earth, atmosphere and gravity (keep in mind Ali is 10 y/o). It was a nice night.

Sarah took the day off on Monday and we borrowed my friend’s truck and headed for the hardware store; we needed to get all the things, that wouldn’t fit well in our subcompact car, for our ongoing/upcoming projects. We got polycarbonate panels for the outside of the greenhouse; not only is this greenhouse taking longer to finish than planned, but has the added benefit of coming in over budget. We also got lumber for a rabbit hutch and a potato box, and bought a half whiskey barrel to move our live christmas tree into. The truck bed was pretty full. I now have the materials I need for my next several projects.

We hit Costco on the way home (early this month, but we had the time). We didn’t really get much special, mainly just replaced what we had used in our SWYE and got a couple of OTC meds and, of course, Costco pizza for lunch.

When we got everything unloaded from the hardware store Ryan, Sarah and I went out to put up the polycarb panels. They were more work than we anticipated, go figure, and we only got one half of the roof done. But that part was the hardest part because it had to be done on ladders. The rest should go faster and we hope to have it done this weekend during the predicted sunny weather.

I got together with a couple of my prepper friends, Rick and Mike, this week for coffee. Rick and I try to meet on a regular basis, and this was the first time Mike joined us. I’ve met both of them through the online prepper community. It was nice to just sit for a couple of hours and discuss projects we’re all doing, our families, the progress we’re making, and the goals we have as like-minded friends who “get it”. We each have our strengths and weaknesses, skill-sets and experiences. Again if things ever do go bad we can’t do it alone; take the time now to develop your personal (regional) community before “it” happens. If anyone lives in/or is visiting in the Seattle area, get ahold of me and let’s meet over a cup of coffee.

What did you do?

(Monday: DIY Potato Box)

Sarah’s View: A Prepper’s Budget

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by Sarah Adams -

How To Have A Balanced Household Budget Every Month

Trace regularly refers to me as our family’s Chief Financial Officer, and that I “control” the finances. Actually, we do our overall budgeting and planning together; I simply take care of the day-to-day bills as well as maintain our financial spreadsheets (aka all the work).

For various reasons we both came to the relationship with more debt than either of us liked. However, early on in our marriage we agreed that a mutual goal was to be debt-free. I wanted the peace of mind of not constantly playing catch-up and Trace felt like getting out of debt should be a primary goal for any prepper. In the beginning we tried to save, tried to pay down debt, but we struggled without a concrete strategy and plan. Then, about 18 months ago, a good friend of mine introduced me to Dave Ramsey and his “Seven Baby Steps”. I really liked his “debt snowball”; it inherently made sense to me. In addition, his concept of spending money “on paper and on purpose” helped give me some focus on how we could move forward. From there I read more about zero-based budgeting.

Since December 2010 we have created a zero-based budget every month. I start with our joint income and assign each dollar a “job”. Before the month even starts we have “pre-spent” every dollar we are going to make. It sounds a bit scary, even a bit controlling, to budget this way but to tell you the truth it is completely freeing. When we go to the grocery store we know exactly how much is available for the month; we can spend it all the first week or spread it out over a couple of trips. There’s no worrying about whether the funds are available or not – they ARE, this is their job!

Even better, you can plan for fun too. Last year, when we had a family trip scheduled, I started budgeting a couple of hundred dollars into a vacation fund each month. By the time we took our trip we had plenty of money set aside, allowing us to play while not worrying whether we’d be able to pay the bills when we got home. It was one of the most relaxing trips, money-wise, that I’ve ever taken.

Instead of feeling restrictive, budgeting this way has allowed us to do and buy things that otherwise might not have been possible. We’re building a greenhouse this spring. Last month we assigned some money for it; turns out that didn’t quite cover the full cost so this month we’ve assigned a bit more. Trace wants to build a rabbit hutch; I’ve got it on the list to add to the May budget. It may mean we allocate less to Costco or entertainment or somewhere else, but because we both review the plan each month and talk about our desired expenditures, it works out well.

The other strategy that we both like is to use cash as much as possible. I do pay most of our bills online, but other than those and buying gas, most of our expenses are paid with cash. Instead of the traditional envelope system, I use a receipt folder; each slot is for a different category (Haircuts, Groceries, Costco, etc.) and I put the total amount budgeted for each category in the proper slot at the beginning of the month. We’ve both found it’s a lot harder to hand over five $20s than it is to hand over a debit card. Each purchase is that much more deliberate. And, from a prepper point of view, this means we always have cash on us in case of a disaster (i.e. the power is out at the gas station, you can still pump gas, but they will only take cash, allowing us to fill up if necessary).

Money is a tough topic for many. When we don’t have enough it’s scary and when we have plenty, well, no one wants to hear about that! Trace and I have found that working as a team to plan, budget, and spend has made money simply another prepping resource.

(Friday: What We Did This Week To Prep)

My wife Sarah writes, from a prepper’s wife’s point of view, ‘Sarah’s View’ the second Wednesday of each month (see her bio, and the posts she’s written, on the Guest Contributors page).

Teaching The Kids (& Learning More Myself) – Trauma First Aid

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Teaching About Pressure Dressings, Tourniquets, QuikClot Bandages, and Israeli Battle Dressings
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Because of my background–as an Army medic and civilian paramedic–I sometimes forget that not everyone understands the basics of first aid. To me it’s very logical: if there’s bleeding – you need to stop it; if they’re not breathing – you need to try and restart it; if they’re pale and dizzy – lay them down and keep them warm, etc. I forget that hurt and/or sick people frequently make others uncomfortable. I forget that blood can be scary and that people don’t know it’ll be slippery, then sticky. I forget that crying out in pain isn’t as easily ignored by others, as you’re calmly and systematically evaluating the source of that pain. And the list continues.

However, I do try to remember to teach first aid skills to my family. Not to make them experts, but so they will know the basics and recognize the major symptoms. Also, since in most collapse situations I’ll be the medic for whatever group I’m with, maybe one of them will learn enough to help me care for others (or themselves, or me…)

I’ve recently made personal trauma FAKs* for Sarah, Ryan, and Brynn (Emily and Alison have less space and a much abbreviated version), and I want them to know how to use the contents when they’re needed (and I’m not around). This week we reviewed pressure dressings and tourniquets (I’ve taught them before), then introduced stopping bleeding with a QuikClot bandage and how to apply an Israeli Battle Dressing.

Pressure dressings were a review (with varied amounts of correct recall). To create an effective pressure dressing, to stop moderate to heavy bleeding, I taught them (using a “wound” drawn on my forearm) to start by folding up a piece of gauze and putting it directly over the wound. Then, while applying direct pressure, use a tightly rolled cravat (aka triangular) bandage to apply more pressure over the initial dressing. To make the actual pressure dressing, take a second cravat and, folding it so it covers the pressure cravat, wrap it around the limb. Wrap it tightly and then tie the ends, in a square knot, on top of the pressure dressing. A pressure dressing done this way will stop all but the worst wounds, i.e. one’s with arterial bleeding (remember arteries are deep blood vessels, coming from the heart, carrying oxygen, under pressure).

For “the worst wounds” I’ve taught them to apply a tourniquet. Again we use cravat bandages, this time two (or three for a leg wound). This is hard to show (maybe I’ll make a YouTube video, if there’s interest – never done that before). Tie it securely around the limb about two inches wide and about two inches above the wound. Make sure it is secured tight enough to stop the artery from flowing (and thus bleeding). Then tie off the tourniquet, placing the knot over the artery. To check that it’s effective, when practicing, see if you’ve stopped the distal pulse.

I recently bought QuikClot bandages at the gun show. I hadn’t used them before, so I read reviews and watched YouTube training videos. Then, using an accordion folded three-inch gauze roll to simulate the (rather expensive) $14 QuikClot, we practiced. I had them feed it directly into the (simulated) wound, right into the bleeding, until the bleeding slows; then use the rest, rolled tightly, right on top of the wound as a pressure dressing and secure it with a cravat. I also had everyone watch the training video.

Lastly they each applied the Israeli Battle Dressing (IBD), aka the Emergency Bandage. I love IBDs, but I feel they are too big for easy day-to-day carry in a small FAK (and a pressure dressing or tourniquet can be made with cravats). But we do keep them in our BOBs and our larger home FAK. I’m not even going to try and describe how to put one on (you need to watch the video). They are a great tool to stop heavy bleeding and I highly recommend them (but again, they’re just another tool).

We’ll continue practicing these skills–medical skills are perishable and easily forgotten–until they can do them competently, in a dark room with their flashlight. Each time I will introduce new ideas and scenarios.

Teach your kids–and spouse–the skills you know; you may not be around when they are necessary. And remember, “To teach is to learn twice.” (- Joseph Joubert)

(Wednesday: Sarah’s View)

*For my list of abbreviations and other information, open the above ‘Check Here…’ page tab.