Tight Finances – How You Can Still Save Emergency Money
Today's economy is certainly nothing to laugh at; with job losses, home losses, and living costs all rising on a daily basis. Hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters also seem to be increasing in both frequency and intensity. As the result, more and more Americans are considering preparing for the unknown. It is no longer the tin foil hat wearing town outcast that is preparing for economic or natural disaster, but the average family unsure of what the future is to bring. While many are preparing or already prepared, there are many others who wish to get started but are unsure how. They either don't know what to stock or how to finance the preparation. In this article we will discuss several easy and painless ways to "score" money, make extra money, and get those preparations going.
Trying to serve a family on one income is tough these days. Just paying the basic bills can leave one wondering how they could possibly afford to stock up on anything extra. The first thing you need to do is cut benefit. Let's break these costs down on where and how to slit back.
Household expenses:
Electricity- This is a sizable money eater. The first thing to do is make sure that your water heater is set no higher than 110 degrees, 100 degrees is better. Then wrap your water heater in insulation. This is relatively inexpensive to capture at the local hardware store. Second, place your A/C thermostat to no lower than 78 degrees in the summer, 80 is better. 80 is still powerful cooler and more comfortable than outside. Third, end off rooms you do not use. During the day let your children bring their toys and play in the living room or a special playroom and shut off their bedrooms during the day. Close the blinds, vents, and doors. The room will stay cool most of the day. When the sun goes down open back up and children will sleep comfortably. Preserve lights turned off wherever possible. Hook up to power strips and turn them off. All those electronics use energy even when they are turned off. It is called phantom power. Hook them into power strips and then turn off the power strip. This will kill the phantom power. If you have blinds on your windows consume them as the sun moves around your house. If you have ceiling fans use them. This will save you money on airconditioning as well. In the winter keep the house cooler, around 68 -70 degrees. Sleep with another blanket on the bed and keep more clothes on in the house. A heated mattress pad will allow you to keep the room cooler and still sleep confortably.If you have a fireplace exercise it. I will cover where to get cheap or free firewood if you don't have your bear in the shelter section. Now there are a few more tricks of saving but they are pretty nonconventional. Your refrigerator eats a lot of power also. You can catch a roll of insulation, the bubble kind with the metallic foil like stuff. It comes in a roll and is just like bubble wrap. Take this and wrap your refrigerator and deep freezer if you have one. Take care to not wrap the back. This is where the hot air comes out. It doesn't look elegant but it cuts out a lot of electricity because the extra insulation means it stays cooler without the compressor having to come on so often. Don't forget to add insulation to the door and check your door seal for leaks. Ban the use of your dryer. Hang your clothes up to dry. Have a line in your laundry room for rainy days or cold winter days. Doing laundry everyday helps effect this possible. Also, if you are just working in the house and not really getting all that dirty rewear the clothes you had on yesterday. Don't do this if you worked outside and sweated a lot yesterday. In the summer let those babies run around in their diaper. Sure saves on the three outfits they would normally go through. Many places have peak power, this means that you pay more for the power you use during those hours. Check out when yours is and employ less power during those hours. This about does it for electricity. Oh, one more thing cook outside as much and as long as you possibly can. We have a solar oven for baking and consume the grill everyday. Also a microwave (for reheating food) uses less power than your stove. After the coffee brews in the morning put it in a thermos and shut off the coffee pot.
Water- In the shower and bath: get those first sprays of shower water to water the garden, house plants or flush the toilet. If you have two small children to bathe and they are not too terribly dirty bathe them together or one after the other using the same bathwater. Now, if they look like they rolled in the pigpen, this is not possible as the bathwater would just put the dirt back on them. If they played in the house, skip a day of baths and wipe them down with a baby wipe before bed. Now, ladies who work at home this means you too. If you are not sweating during the day then a baby wipe or two will freshen you up at the end of it. You hair is much healthier if it is not washed everyday anyway. A bath every other day or when you are leaving the house will save you quite a bit of water. Shower instead of bathe in the tub. Get a plastic garbage can and set it up to collect rainwater off your roof. You can use this to water outside. A fully loaded dishwasher uses both less energy and less water than handwashing dishes.
Household incidentals- You can save a tremendous amount of money if you make your own cleaners and laundry detergent. You need these basic ingredients for all: White vinegar, baking soda, borax, lemon oil, ivory bar soap. Glass cleaner-mix white vinegar and water in equal amounts in spray bottle. Bathroom cleaner- white vinegar and baking soda, mix a shrimp of both together to clean sinks, showers and inside toilet bowl. For the toilet seat straight vinegar. Mop the floor with vinegar and water. To mop wood floors- Mop first with mild vinegar and water solution (very little vinegar). Then mop with water and a small amount of lemon oil, this will replenish the oil in the wood without it becoming slick. Laundry detergent- ivory soap, baking soda, and borax. I will post the recipe later. Carpet deodorizer-baking soda. Flea killer- borax swept into carpet. Carpet cleaner- vinegar and water. Pet stains vinegar. If you want to get fancy in your cleaning supply list add some lemon juice. It can be venerable anywhere vinegar can except glass (leaves streaks). You can buy a gallon of cheap white vinegar for less than what you pay for a few ounces of windex. It is also nontoxic and very healthy for asthmatics. I know some of you are worried about the smell, but it goes away pretty quickly.
Clothing- Shop thrift and consignment stores. Check freecycle (I'll post link later) and learn to sew. When sewing for the children, old sheets become play clothes. That skirt that is too short can have the hem taken out and a share of 4" lace trim sewn around the bottom extends the use a small longer. The same can be done with jeans or shorts to give them a little longer wear. Don't forget yard sales for both fabric and clothes. Be creative as to where you earn fabric. I get mine off freecycle, old sheets, fabric store sales, and my clothes that still have some wear in them. You can really get creative with clothing for kids especially. Scarlet O'hara has nothing on me, I have turned old towels into diaper covers, dish rags, place mats, etc. I would certainly not be ashamed to turn drapes into something wearable. Sewing is not that hard and can be done by hand if a machine cannot be gotten right now. It just takes more time. I do all my hand sewing while my husband watches tv. That way we are mild together spending time together and having a conversation. I don't like tv, I guess I'm too hyper unless I am watching a really excellent movie. So get those creative juices flowing. And no for those of you who doubt, my children do not look like ragamuffins. I have had many at church who wanted me to make their children's Easter dresses and Sunday clothes.
Food ie. regular weekly groceries-- Now this one may hit hard as it does require time, preparation, and good old fashioned hard work. Make a list of your weekly groceries to launch. What do you buy that is already prepared? Do you eat meat every night of the week? Do you buy name brand or generic? Where do you shop? Do you use coupons? These are the questions you need to ask and write the answers down on that list. If you buy already prepared food, stop. This means buying chicken already cut up for you or breaded for strips, etc. Cut up your believe chicken and cut up your own stew meat from a whole roast that you got on sale. Start cooking from scratch ladies, it is cheaper, healthier, and tastes better. Do you eat meat every night? Stop, allege your family to eat beans, or vegetarian dinners. Yes, you can! I will send you where you need to go to get those fantastic bean recipes. You need to eat meat (even growing children) 3 or 4 days a week and not at every meal. What you do need is protein everyday or your muscles will get weak. Beans provide an incomplete protein, but if combined with rice creates a complete protein. If your children drink milk with their meals, they are covered in the complete protein department. Do you buy name designate? Don't. At least try the generic. Some generics I admit are pretty dreadful, but this is not often. Most taste just like the name brand and are a lot less. Where do you shop? In other words, there is usually a discount grocery somewhere in you set. I call them the bent and dent stores. They are the ones that buy the damaged cases from the retail grocers and sell the contents for a huge discount. Today I went to a local retail grocery and the price of peaches was 1.29 per can. The peaches I have on my shelf at home, I bought at the local bent and dent and bought 2 cans for 1.19. These are Del Monte brand and there is nothing execrable with the can. So you can see the savings. Now do you use coupons? In not, then start. It is worth the money you save and nowadays with the computer and so many free coupons there is no reason not to. Now, one more thing. If you have an angelfood ministries outreach in your area use them if possible. I use ours and the meat is great. It is quality food. I pay 30.00 for a box full of food, have the option to get more than one box. Each box holds about 60.00 worth of food. We don't eat chicken that distinguished (long story) so I give the chicken away to people I know who could use the help. I doesn't cost me worthy and I fancy to share.
Vehicles- Plan absolutely every trip you make even if you only live a mile from the grocery. Consolidate every errand you can into a large trip away from the house. Obtain this jog only once or twice a week. Now I am speaking to stay at home moms here. Those who work have no choice. On the days you don't work, don't go anywhere unless absolutely necessary. Keep that car parked in your driveway as powerful as you possibly can. You can save quite a bit on car insurance by raising your deductible and if you have an older car topple your comprehensive coverage. Also, be a safe driver and watch those traffic violations. Check your tires often to make sure they are properly inflated, and accumulate your car serviced regularly. This will save you on fuel.
Here are a few ways that you can save painlessly miniature bit by little bit:
1. When you pay for something with cash, don't use exact change. Pay with whole bills. Bring the change home and put in a jar. You would be amazed at how quickly this adds up. Actually you will need two jars, one for quarters and dimes and the other for nickels and pennies. Currently the metal in nickels and pennies is worth more that the face value. Hold onto them, you can always melt them down and sell the metal if needed. They will be changing the metal to steel eventually so this will increase the value of the original copper as well.
2. Have a place for your "rathole money". Starbucks, Baskin Robbins, fast food, etc. will eat away at the cash in your pocket. Cut them out, except for that very once in a while treat. If you are going to be doing errands through lunch time with the kids pack a lunch and have a picnic at the park. Send your husband to work with lunch packed and you too if you work. At an average of $7.00 per day per person for lunch that is $35.00 per week per person. That is a lot of money my friend on stuff that is bad for you anyway. Put that money in your rathole and pack your lunch.
3. Now out of all the money that you are saving from the above items put $10.00 per week into your rathole and spend some of the rest on stockpiling. If you have debt, pick one and work on paying it off with some of this savings.
Ok, now that we have "found" some money to work with let's win started preparing. You can also make some extra money. Here are a few ways to do that. Sewing- rob in alterations or sew children's clothes as sell at a local boutique or consignment shop, after school sitting for friends, yard sale or ebay your "junk", freelance writing, and you can consign yours and your children's worn clothes. The key is to be creative in this category. I have friends that make homemade soap and sell it online on ebay or etsy. I effect beeswax hand lotion and sell this.
The first thing to being prepared is organization. If you are not familiar with a home binder then check out www.flylady.com for more info on this and organization skills. I use mine to organize my stockpile lists, survival info, etc. Being organized really does make this painless and gives you confidence in where you are at and where you need to go in your preparations. It truly is a valuable tool in running a home and preparing for anything.
Food- When you are starting to prepare it is better to get a little variety than a lot of one thing. In other words, don't buy 50 lbs. of flour and nothing else. Instead catch a exiguous flour, a few veggies/fruit, some protein, etc etc. It is important to stock what your family will eat. If they don't like it they won't eat it no matter how hungry they are. Also, variety is important, as a lack of variety leads to food fatigue. This is when people get so tired of eating the same stuff that they refuse to eat despite being hungry. People in this situation will starve to death. Here is a basic simple list that will get you started. I will have a links section for more detailed list and of course you can adapt this as you see fit.
5 lbs. each of flour, sugar, rice, grits
1 large container oatmeal or cream of wheat (whichever you prefer)
1 large container instant potatoes
4 cans each assorted veggies
4 cans each assorted fruit
2 jars peanut butter
2 jars each jelly, honey, syrup
2 boxes propel water packets
2 boxes cereal bars
2 boxes energy bars
4 cans each chicken, salmon, tuna
2 bags each sunflower seeds, nuts (preferably pecans or almonds), dried fruit
2 boxes crackers
2 boxes cereal
2 lbs. each sunless beans, red beans, lentils, split peas, barley, pinto beans, garbanzo peas (chick peas)
Assorted seasonings
2 boxes powdered milk or 4 cans evaporated milk or a slight of both
According to my latest shopping trip to a retail grocer this would cost around $200.00. If you have a bent and dent like I mentioned above you could sever this to around $130.00. This is a good start and if combined with daily foraging could last a family of four with very small children about 2 months. With no foraging, and larger children, you can dramatically reduce that amount of time to at the most 1 month with powerful rationing. Protein is a must, without it muscles get too veteran to function. Vitamin C found in fruit is a must because scurvy is debilitating. I also recommend as an option some type of powder like Ovaltine which has a wide variety of vitamins and protein. It also will make canned or powdered milk taste great better. Start getting your family used to eating these items if they are not.
Water- water is more significant than food. You can start stocking from your tap now by saving 2 liter bottles, filling them from the tap and putting about 3 drops of bleach in each. You can also buy bottled water, but this gets expensive. Try to identify a natural clean source of water arrive you such as a creek or stream. Water that runs over rocks, pebbles, or course sand is clean as long as there is no film on the water. Be aware of factories in the area when checking out the water supply. You can put rain barrels to collect rainwater off your roof if it is not asphalt. Asphalt contains petroleum byproducts which will contaminate your water. This is unexcited a good idea to water a garden with or to bathe with.
Shelter- A shelter must support you dry in all seasons and provide protection from wind and cold in winter, even mild ones. If you are at home or a house, then figure out where you will get warmth if their is no power. Fireplaces are wonderful. Firewood can be harvested from your acquire land, bought, or gotten free or extremely cheap from a tree cutting service. The last option requires a truck and a couple of strong men. Call tree cutting companies and arrange when would be pleasant to acquire some wood that they have cut. Usually, you have to catch the wood the day they gash because it goes straight to the dump. Be prepared to protect your supplies and family from thieves. I have two large guard dogs, a gate at the end of my driveway, and a fence around my entire propery. I have plenty of come warning before someone gets to the house, even if they are on foot. If you are not at home and stuck out in the woods the same requirements apply for shelter needs. You can consume natural materials to create a shelter and you can harvest wood from the surroundings for a fire. Here is a short list on things that will make your home a little more pleasant if you are stuck there for awhile.
Candles
Oil Lamps with oil
games and cards
books
hobbies
radio (handcrank style or battery)
flashlights
Batteries for flashlights, radios, etc.
Clothing- if you are at home you should be set for clothing. If you are in the wilderness, rugged pants, shoes, and long sleeve shirts are preferable. Even in summer choose a lightweight long sleeve shirt to protect you from scratches, pests, and sunburn. Layers are important in fall, winter, and early spring. You can keep a bag packed with appropriate clothes for the season for each member of the family, just in case you have to bug out quickly.
The Car Backpack- I retain a backpack in the car with wilderness clothing for each family member, a little Bible, a compass, 12 energy bars, 4 bottles of water, 1 small dropper of bleach, propel water packets, 4 large garbage bags, topography map of area, road map of area, small sewing kit, high test fishing line, small box fish lures, 1 large spellbinding knife with belt sheath, leatherman, extra socks, fleece blanket, 2 bags sunflower seeds, 2 bags dried fruit, 2 bags jerky, 12 cereal bars. The backpack that I have I bought at the army supply store, a little larger than what you would glean at walmart. You can also get large backpacks at outdoor supply stores. My husband has a smaller version in his truck and we have an alternate meeting place arranged in case our home is "not available or accessible". My children and I could survive a few days in the woods even if we could not forage, fish, or hunt. You can also choose to maintain a dinky amount of cash in your car or backpack.
Self Sufficiency- Anybody can be a little self sufficient, even if you live in the city, as a few pots on a terrace or balcony will grow a good amount of food. If you have a yard, fill it with edibles instead of those useless beauties. Some cities allow you to even have chickens. If you live in the country, well the sky is the limit. Plan and grow a garden, keep goats for milk and meat or a cow for milk. Chickens, ducks and other poultry are easy to keep. I have included some links with great articles on ways to be more self sufficient. This is a must learn thing in the coming times.
www.waltonfeed/self/upack/index.html This is a ample site for storing feed and you can buy all kinds of survival stuff from them.
www.backwoodshome.com Good site for becoming more self sufficient
www.captaindaves.com/index.htm Good survival website
www.hillbillyhousewife.com This is a enormous source for recipes and everything you ever wanted to know about being economical
www.homestead.org magazine with great articles on self sufficiency
www.greatdreams.com/survival.htm This is a link to the mother load of links. You can find all sorts of information here.
Laundry Detergent recipe: You need the following 1 bar ivory soap, 1 cup borax, 1 cup washing soda or baking soda, 3 gal. hot water, 1 large bucket. Shave the bar of ivory soap in a pot of water on the stove. Put three gallons of hot tap water in your large bucket, add borax and soda and stir. When all of the soap is liquified you will have very sudsy water, occupy care that the soap does not boil over. Take this sudsy water and add to the contents of the bucket, stir and let sit overnight to cool. You can add a few drops of essential oil if you want your clothes scented. This process takes about 30 to 45 minutes from start to finish.
I hope you find this genuine in getting started on your preparations. Being prepared early saves on the alarm when disaster strikes or is imminent. In today's times you may never know what life may throw at you. I have always felt it is better to be prepared for anything and never have to utilize those preparations than to not be prepared at all and have another Hurricane Katrina hit you full force. This is a just a basic get started list, of course, there is much more room for additions.
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