Preparations Update

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Topping off my rechargeable batteries. We have standardized our electronics as much as possible to AA & AAA batteries. We store them in little cases we found online. Bright colored, easy to find. Holds AA (north & south) or AAA (east & west). And dependent on how you place them in the case, you can indicate if they are charged or in need of charging.

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We went this morning and bought 50 gallons of gas and treated it ( got it for $2.55 gal in Va). We also had a 40lb tank of propane filled.
Now I just need to stock up on canned veggies and we're set for the winter
 
Today we topped up on 2 extra jerry cans of fuel for our cars, a years supply of iron tablets, arnica cream and peroxide from our online pharmacy, and a brushcutting helmet with visor, ear muffs and a neck protector to protect us from neck sunburn whilst brushcutting or firewood cutting and a years supply of flea and tick treatment for our cat.
 
Working through some of our ripening/dried produce in that upstairs bedroom. I got the rest of the dried mint put in tea bags. Son scooped out 3 huge boxes of ripened kiwanos and got it sugared and readied to make kiwano wine.
Still need to: clean the other dried herbs and package them, do something with all the tomatoes as they turn red, can a very large bowl of miscellaneous peppers tomorrow. Harvest some celery outside and lettuces. Pull out dead tomato plants and zucchini plants.
 
Ordered another flashlight(Klarus XT11S), a updated model then the one I have on the AR (XT11). Both use the same type of batteries.
Ordered extra magazines to share between the M&P 40 and the Sub2K 40.

We like equipment that share parts, batteries, magazines and etc. Reduces inventory and helps keep knowledgement skills reduced.
 
The Great Depression lasted for 10 YEARS.
The economic crash that is coming is going to be significantly worse.
A GREATER depression.

A huge sobering, gut shriving fact.

The enormity of trying to prepare for it daunting.
Because when it hits - what you have is all that you'll have.

When you look at it with that perspective 7 years food storage/
preps doesn't seem so silly.
 
The Great Depression lasted for 10 YEARS.
The economic crash that is coming is going to be significantly worse.
A GREATER depression.
That's why I picked up another 40# of salt. We have a lot of meat-on-the-hoof around here. But you need salt to preserve it.
 
During garage sale season around here, I can snag as many pressure cookers as I want. I no longer buy them b/c I already have way too many. I don't use them but have them just in case, so they take up a lot of room, but at least I can store them in a non heated building. The pressure cookers only allow for a few pints of food at a time, but it's better than nothing and cheaper than a full canner. Although, I can sometimes find the canners too, since most people don't know how to operate an old pressure cooker or canner anymore. And those that do, prefer the convenience of the newer applicances like the instapot, which works great......until the power goes out. The big church or community yard sales are the best to find those kinds of treasures. I also keep a nice supply of pint jars and lids on hand too.

Oh, and when I used to make my own holiday candy, I'd use the pots from the pressure cookers since they are much heavier so they don't scorch the mixture as readily as a lighter pan would. If the lights go out, I can still make tasty seafoam and peanut brittle.:cool:
 
speaking of which.im to the point.where i need to get more 1 pint jars.and lids..

I just got the Black Friday flyers in the mail. Our local hardware store is offering 50% off any one item up to $30 in value. If I'm in town, I might just stop in and pick up a case of pint jars......or maybe a big bag of sunflower seeds for the birds. Just thought I'd mention it b/c most people don't think of stocking up on prep items during Black Friday sales.
 
Or a canner with lots of jars and lids.
Yes, lots of jars and lids.
I have been buying new jars and finding used canning jars for years. I once got a car load for free from one Craigsist add. Someone bought a home where an older couple had lived. They had cases of canned tomatoes and many more cases of empty jars from canning tomatoes. Some of the jars were mayonnaise type jars, which I never use for hot pack canning. I did use cases of them for dry canning of many things though.

I also watch for lids at the grocery store and the hardware store. I watch for when they are on sale. One time, my grocery store had no canning products out all summer. One day, in the middle of winter, they had a huge bunch in the sale bin for half price. My guess is that they were in the back room all summer and someone was snoozing about putting them out. I helped them get rid of a bunch of them.
 
I also watch for lids at the grocery store and the hardware store. I watch for when they are on sale. One time, my grocery store had no canning products out all summer. One day, in the middle of winter, they had a huge bunch in the sale bin for half price. My guess is that they were in the back room all summer and someone was snoozing about putting them out. I helped them get rid of a bunch of them.

I've been watching and waiting (impatiently) for years for canning supplies to go on sale. Never happens. I've come to believe that New Mexico has a ban on canning supply sales.
 
I've been watching and waiting (impatiently) for years for canning supplies to go on sale. Never happens. I've come to believe that New Mexico has a ban on canning supply sales.
This particular deal was probably because they never made it onto the sales floor. They were 50% off.

I have seen sales on canning jars, but it is usually only a $ or so off of normal price.
 
Today I purchased 2 ankle, 2 wrist, 6 knee supports on eBay using a $10 off purchase I earned for selling items during a promotion and only paid $1.32 for them all. Certainly can't beat that for a price :) .

Earlier in the week I also purchased 3 x $240 grocery e-vouchers for $200 saving $120 on grocery costs and of course I will couple that with any 50% off specials when I use each of them.
 
Heading to town early next week to grab some sale grocery items and stocking up on some things that don't go on sale. I think I'm going to fill a couple more small propane tanks that hubs used while hunting. I'm also going to top off the gas tank.

Is anyone else feeling a bit uneasy as of late? I just feel the need to get stocked up and get ready to hunker down. I do get that feeling in the fall sometimes......so maybe it's just hitting me a little bit late this year?? This political climate has me feeling uneasy. I guess it's better to be safe than sorry, so I'm going to spend some money on Tuesday. I gotta get those snow tires on anyways, so I've got lots of stops in town to make. It'll be a long, and likely expensive, day.:confused: But at least I'll feel better knowing I have my bases covered. Plus, it looks like we might have some storms heading our way next week. I might as well hunker down with some good cooking and baking.:D
 
Heading to town early next week to grab some sale grocery items and stocking up on some things that don't go on sale. I think I'm going to fill a couple more small propane tanks that hubs used while hunting. I'm also going to top off the gas tank.

Is anyone else feeling a bit uneasy as of late? I just feel the need to get stocked up and get ready to hunker down. I do get that feeling in the fall sometimes......so maybe it's just hitting me a little bit late this year?? This political climate has me feeling uneasy. I guess it's better to be safe than sorry, so I'm going to spend some money on Tuesday. I gotta get those snow tires on anyways, so I've got lots of stops in town to make. It'll be a long, and likely expensive, day.:confused: But at least I'll feel better knowing I have my bases covered. Plus, it looks like we might have some storms heading our way next week. I might as well hunker down with some good cooking and baking.:D

I feel you 100%.
My unease has been ratcheting up and with it my need to stock up on more of everything.
I still need to buy a bicycle and another 3 month data voucher.
 
@angie_nrs yes me too and I think it is knowing that the US military are opening up more areas in Europe and putting in place more armoury in different countries so they have a more complete range of missiles and the like to deal with Russia just in case from what I am reading.

Either way it is better to be prepared than to not is our motto.
 
We have stocked up on 2 large tarps for our trailers, more medications for both of us to a years plus supply, more supplements and vitamins, bought a house, bought another car, topped up by one more carton on powdered milk and varying other grocery items, and increased our fuel storage by 2 more jerry cans since I last posted.
 
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Moved all chickens into one central area now that our new coop is up and running. Lights and water heat set up. Had to add more fencing on roof had an owl or something got a chick. Bought an adapter hose to run our little buddy heater off a bulk tank so we have 2 propane backup heaters and the wood stove. Now that Costco has opened we've bought some stuff in bulk. Our preps were pretty well established but it's nice to top off. With improvements here at the house and at our BOL I feel pretty good about being selected as prepper of the year. Just waiting for the Great Prepper to see how sincere my preps are. My buddy seems to win every year. But I think I've got what it takes this year.:D
 
Did shopping today and came home with a vehicle full of stuff! I stocked up on some sale priced pantry items, freezer items, and beer! I really hate trudging thru the snow with heavy beer in the grocery cart, so we got a bunch of it today (to store in the basement) b/c the pavement was clear of snow. I found soccer, football and basketballs for $3 each at WM and picked up 6 of them to give to local charity. Also got a bunch of nuts and chocolate today for pantry and to give as last minute gifts if I forget to buy for someone.........yeah, right! LOL! I snagged some awesome sale priced coffee and vitamins too! Snow tires are on the car and gas tank is full. Hopefully the propane will be ready for pick up tomorrow. Basement if full of beer.......hubs says we're good to go!:rolleyes: I do feel a bit better with all the stuff I got today........especially the chocolate.:D:p

From the time I got to town and the time I left, gas went up 18 cents a gallon!
 
I think we're set...although the beer store in the village burned down, they are quickly rebuilding...we have to order beer and have it delivered on Thursday to a beer store 25 miles distant. So that's our weekly town errand day. Otherwise, unless we visit another homestead, I stay in my sweats here at Lilac Moon
 
Oh boy so much to catch up on what we have done since I last posted in here which is -

- Bought a new to us existing home on a 1.21 acreage that has tank water in 3 large tanks, town water and a creek behind which we own half of that we can pump water out of if necessary. Paid a 40 % cash deposit on it and I paid all of the bank loan fees and charges and solicitors fees either straight of the loan or in cash to reduce the interest we will pay on the loan.
- Paid an extra 50% payment on our mortgage before even the first payment is due.
- Collected overflowing rain water from our tanks in buckets to fill drink bottles and jerry cans, flush toilets, water fruit trees.
- Using grey water from washing our laundry with to water the grass in the house paddock and flush toilets with as we are on severe town water restrictions here.
- Put away a years worth of land rates, 1 yrs worth of car rego for DH's car and a years worth of water rates for the home in our bills account.
- Took our life insurance on the 2 of us so if one or the other dies and remaining spouse can pay off the house mortgage.
- Took out house, contents and accidental damage on the home for a year.
- Took out extra insurance on the trailer to cover new for old replacement for $10 per year.
- Purchased an extendable house ladder to reach the gutters here to clean them out.
- Bought 3 garage shelving units to store our equipment on in the garden sheds.
- Purchased a new 122 pce auto tool kit we can use in the house and for car repairs.
- Bought a new 28 pce screwdriver set.
- Bought 4 x 5 shelf units for our food storage room to store food on, they are now almost full.
- Used one of the older 4 shelf units we had in the laundry to store laundry detergents, vinegar, ammonia, dishwashing liquid and pegs on.
- Purchased a backpack hedge trimmer, lawn edger and pole chainsaw in one unit so we can trim the hedges and trees around the property.
- Topped up on 2 cartons or 16 x 1kg packets of powdered milk, 1 carton or 10 packages of pure cocoa powder, 1 carton or 12 tins of lychees, 1 carton or 12 tins of mangoes, 2 x large containers of hydrolyte powder, 2 x containers of mosquito repellant, 1 x 1 lt bottle of sunscreen, 8 bottles of sparkling apple juice, 1kg of ham, 4 hot chooks on special which we broke up for meals for the freezer and likewise we will do with the ham.
- An electrician friend came and fixed up all and replaced the dodgy power points in the home (2 he said were running hot and could have burned down the house) and added 2 more power points, a tv antenna and booster for tv reception and new cords. He charged us a discount mates rate to do this for us savng us hundreds of dollars.
- Cut back shrubs so they are not touching the house, cut down a bogainvillea shrub over 2 days that was impeding on both the house and our side driveway.

All of these were bought on special saving at least $1000 or more and networking with friends for trade work also saves us hugely on most things we need doing around the home that we are not qualified to do.

I am sure there is more but with my fuddled we just moved brain and the fact we are surrounded in boxes we haven't got to yet this is all I remember at the moment.
 
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