About the hardest thing about living providently and being a prepper is getting the plan together. You cannot plan for all the thousands of things that can happen to you and your family. If you are generally prepared you will have a better chance of making it through the hard times. I know some people have a plan for the disaster they are expecting. Asteroids hitting the earth, super volcanoes, monetary collapse, nuclear war, and pandemics seem to get all the headlines. Yes, they could happen. I do not lose sleep over them. Much more common are the disasters on a smaller scale. Every year there are earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and volcanoes in various parts of the world that can destroy large numbers of homes and kill many people. If you live in an area that is prone to disaster plan for that first.

The most likely thing you will experience in your life is a personal disaster. Loss of a job, changes in health, death and divorce can come at any time into your world. If you can save only one thing for personal disaster save MONEY. Every time you get paid put a little into a savings account. They do not make a lot of interest at this time, but they are safe investments. Having some cash available for a rainy day is real nice especially if it starts to rain. Having some food in the home makes it a lot more inviting if things do go wrong.

Keep in mind it is not something you need to have completed by the end of the day. You can build a good supply over time. Sometimes a short time. Some times a long time.

Never go into debt to get prepared. Debt is anti-preparedness.

Thinking about getting a gun.

One of the questions I am asked often is how many guns do you have? Or what kind of gun do you think is best for a prepper to have.

I always say, what ever gun you have. 

In all seriousness, guns are not for everyone. If you do not know how to use a gun you should get some training before you get one. Firearms can provide hours of recreation when used properly. They can also cause a lifetime of pain and sorrow when not treated with respect. I know experienced gun owners who have had serious accidents and even shot themselves with their own gun.  At the very lest take a hunter safety course before you purchase a weapon. Most gun stores or firing ranges can provide you with the name of an instructor or the dates of their classes. 

I fully support your right to own a gun. I expect you to be responsible when you handle one.

I know that many preppers have large collections of guns and huge supplies of ammunition. I'm not one of them. I can only shoot one at a time. I think you should have a purpose for any weapon you have. If you hunt it is perfectly reasonable for you to have a hunting rifle. If you trap shoot you need a shotgun. You can have hours of fun shooting 22 cal and also air guns. Having the biggest caliber weapon on the block is just an ego trip. 

If you are looking for a home defence weapon you need to consider your surroundings. I would consider how many walls your slug go through if you pull the trigger. You can kill people you love  in another room with the same slug you shoot an intruder with. Unlike in the movies the bullet will not stop just because it hit something. Large caliber magnum loads can go through wood, sheet rock and bricks and still have plenty of knock down killing power. Bigger is not better. 

Picking a weapon is a very personal thing. You should take plenty of time thinking it over and planning. You may even come to the conclusion that a gun is not the thing for you. Just take your time to make a choice you can live with.

Never run out and buy a gun in a panic, for show or when you are upset. Take time to compare, study and plan before you act.

To save some money when you shop this week look at some seeds for your garden. Most seed retailers have them on sale. Every year after the planting season seeds go on sale. Currently near my home they are 1/2 price or buy one get 2 free. Seeds keep for several years. If you put them in the freezer they may last a very long time. Stock up on your favorite seeds now and be ready for your garden next spring or some you can plant now.

IF YOU STILL WANT TO PLANT THERE IS STILL TIME IF YOU HAVE 60 TO 70 DAYS LEFT BEFORE YOUR FIRST HARD FROST!!!

I'm planting a fall crop of peas and some lettuce for fall salads. you can still do beets, carrots, green onions, kohlrabi, lettuce, onions, radishes, and turnips. Just use the spots where other crops that have passed their prime were for a second crop.

So what do you do with your fruit if you run out of bottles to can it in or are looking for a way to store it that takes less space. The answer is to dry them. Drying fruit preserves most of the nutritional value of the fruit.

There are a lot of commercial dryers on the market. I do not have a favorite one. Mine came from a thrift store several years ago and I know there are much nicer ones on the market now.

You can also dry your produce in the oven if you can set the heat low at about 120 degrees.

Another way to dry fruit is the ancient way. Just lay it our  in the sun on a clean surface and let nature do its thing.

To dry the fruit first wash it in clean water.

Then remove the seeds

Next cut it to a size that will dry before it spoils. A good size is no thicker than 1/4 inch.

Now place them on the drying trays.

Check them from time to time to be sure no mold forms and no bugs get into them.

If you are drying them outside it is best to cover them with cheese cloth so insects can not eat them or lay eggs on them.

You can make them as dry as you like. I like mine to be firm and flexible about like leather. That way I can eat them anytime. If they are dried hard there is less chance of spoiling.

When you pick up the fruit it should not be sticky. If it is sticky it is not dry yet. Some of the fruit will be ready before others. As the fruit drys move the dry product into a sealable container. I use sealable freezer bags and the plastic jars my peanut butter comes in.When they are dry but still flexible I place them in containers. I leave them on the counter for a few days. This lets the remaining moisture equalise in all the fruit in the bag.

 If you see moisture forming on the inside of the container they are too moist. Also moisture inside the bag can be an indication of insects living in your product. Inspect your container. Ff you see small dark flecks in the bottom of the bag or on the fruit you have bugs. You may even see little worms crawling on the product. Bugs are never good. You can freeze them and let them thaw out several times to kill them and the eggs. Most of the time it is more work than its worth to try to save the container of fruit. If I have bugs in my dry goods I just feed them to my chickens, fruit and all.

If there is no indication of bugs with the moisture on the inside of the container place the fruit back out to dry. Then after it is dry return it to the container.

After the fruit has set for a day or two I put the containers into the refrigerator in the back. I store them there so they are easy to find and continent when I put my lunch together.

You can cook with the dry fruit as you do with canned fruit. To rehydrate them place them in a clean container and cover them with water. they will absorb the water and be used in cooking. Do not expect them to be firm or crisp. They will be limp and soft. The flavor will still be about the same as fresh.

Now as you thinking and planing for some food storage you will want to consider two very important things. How much can you afford? Where will you put it.

How much can you afford is misleading. You can almost always afford an extra can of food or bag or rice. Careful planning and budgeting can build a sizable supply in a short time.

More concerning is where will you put it. Most of us do not have a storehouse that we can fill with goods. We are limited to the space in our homes and apartments. Some of you may have large places in basements or attics. Look at each room and think of places for storage. 

Your cupboards and pantry are the first place to start. Look to see if you have any food that is near the expiration date. Move them to the front of the cupboard, see how much space in behind. When you shop next pick up a few things to put behind that have a newer freshness date. 

Do you have a freezer? If there are is empty space you can put dry goods behind the frozen goods. Grain and dry beans will be just fine if you freeze them. They will also be safe from bugs. A full freezer will also be more efficient and save energy. 

One of the best options is to create a store room. Any room can be used. The best rooms are out of the way. Out of traffic zones. Can maintain a fairly constant temperature and remain dry. Spare rooms work great. 

Use the easy storage places first. Then if you have less accessible places use them.

Now you are wondering what grains should I start with? Wheat, Rice, Barley,Oats?

To answer that I would need to know what grains do you know how to prepare and what you normally eat.

 If you want to store wheat you may want to check and see if you have a wheat grinder. Boiled whole wheat is not very fun to eat. If you are not used to eating it you are very likely to have a serious bout of diarrhea. Yes, a change in food will make your bowels move quickly. Wheat is most often ground into flower then made into bread or pasta. Not many people have had 100% whole wheat anything. The flavor is much different than that found in the store. The prep time is quite long. To make bread by hand is an all day process. So unless you have a wheat grinder and time to make the bread, I would suggest some other grain. To start with.

White rice is easy to prepare. All it takes is to steam or boil it. Most common is 1 cup of rice in 2 cups boiling water. Boil till the rice is soft. White rice stores well and may last several years. White rice has few vitamins or minerals and is not nearly as healthy a food a brown rice or wheat. Brown rice will spoil much more quickly because of the high moisture content. Brown rice is also prone to insect infestations. I keep the brown rice in the freezer until I'm ready to use it.

Pearled barley stores well for several years at a time. It has a fair nutritional value and is also easy to prepare. You can add it to soup or cook it the same way you do rice. It can be mixed with rice to give the meal more variety.

Oats are a good food source. they are very nutritious. Rolled oats(oat meal) is very easy to cook, just add boiling water  and mix till it is the thickness you like.

There are several other grains, but this is the ones I use frequently. If you are just starting a food storage program I would have you buy white rice in a large bag 15 to 20 pounds. It is easy to prepare and can be used in more than one meal each week. The second one is rolled oats. This is easy to make into oat meal or added to other cooked dishes. I would buy 2 to 5 large packages of this. You can use it as a breakfast food as often as you like.

Storing wheat is very important. If you are going to store wheat be sure you also have a way to grind it. You can use 2 stones, a hammer and an anvil if you want. It is much quicker if you have a hand wheat grinder and, or an electric wheat grinder. Wheat is very nutritious food. Of all the grains it is the best to store, but the hardest to prepare.

So lets talk about food storage for a bit tonight. I have been hearing a lot about the drought in the mid west US Some people are worried that the price of food is going to go up. Yes, this could happen it may not happen. It will depend on how long the drought lasts. Most important do not PANIC!!!

Yes this is the kind of thing a prepper gets ready for in advance.

It is never a good idea to run out and buy things when you are upset, frightened, worried or angry. Take time to evaluate the situation. Again take inventory of how much food do you already have in your home? Count the number of servings and dived by 3 meals a day then divide  that number by the number of people you feed each day. This will give you the number of days of food you have. You need to know that very often a serving is not near what you are use to eating. It may be as small as 1/4 cup. You may want to think about how many people you are serving with that box of mac and cheese. Mac and cheese has 2 servings per box, 15oz can of chili has 2 servings, Ramon noodle has 2 servings, Rice a Roni 2 servings. The number of servings is listed in the nutrition facts box of the label of the food.

If you have  2 years of food per person you have all the food you are likely to need.

Now that you know how many days of food you have you can make a plan of how many days of food you want to have. There are limiting factors. Your income will affect what kind of food and how much of it you buy. I will be going over the more provident food storage. This means the most bang for the buck. If you want high end pre-made meals good till the end of time. Please rethink your plan. My plan is to be able to live as long as possible with what I have and to be able to restock over time.

I place food storage into 3 categories.

1. Hard storage. This is food that will last a long time. More than 10 years
2. Firm storage. This is food that will last at least a a year.
3. Soft storage. This is food that lasts less than a year.
*Perishable foods. This is food that will spoil quickly if it is not frozen or refrigerated. Perishable foods are not part of food storage.




Hard Storage has only a few items that can meet this qualification. Wheat is the number one food storage item for long term storage. Some other grains have a long shelf life but,the only grain I know will last more than 10 years is wheat. Honey and sugar will also last a long time. The tombs in Egypt had wheat that was still able to be sprouted after 2000 years. They also contained honey that was still as useful as the day it was placed in the tomb.  Sugar is also good for very long storage. You should always store wheat, honey and sugar in a dry place away from insects. water and Insects are the number one enemy to food storage. One gallon can of wheat= about 5 pounds of food. An adult will eat 5 to 10 pounds of wheat in 3 weeks. A child will eat about half that much. For a 6 month supply of wheat you can set a goal of 80 pounds of wheat per person.  That is 16 gallon cans of wheat.
    Sugar and honey are part of food storage that is very hard to gage. I store 1 pound of sugar or honey for every 10 pounds of wheat.

Firm storage includes a very large number of items. Canned goods, boxed goods, grains like rice and barley can last several years. When planning your storage store things from this category that are on you regular shopping list. This is the working rotating part of storage. The best way to build this storage is to buy a little extra with each shopping trip. When foods you routinely eat are on sale buy extra. If your store has case lot sales stock up then. Beware that foods that are not selling well are put on sale. Often the sale has foods that are near the end of their expiration date. ALWAYS check the use by date of the foods you buy for storage. If it is less than 18 months out it is not for storage, it is for use very soon.  Boxed foods DO NOT buy any cans that are dented, bent or bulging. They will not last and may be poisonous.
Plan to purchasing over time 3 to 6 months of food in this category. You need to have a rotation plan so your food dose not end up spoiled and in the trash. Always place new purchased food in the back and rotate older foods to the front.

Soft storage. This food is any boxed or canned food that has a use by date with in the next 18 months. This also includes winter squash, and other long lived vegetables. Eggs can last several months if properly stored.  This should only be things you frequent eat or need to rotate out of storage.

Perishable food is what you have in your refrigerator or your freezer. This food will be lost if the power is out for more than a few days. In an emergency this is the food you need to eat first.

Time to consider some equipment. Today I'm looking at lights. There are lots of lights you can pack into your kit. Some you may want at home You need to consider what you may need where you live. Will you evacuate in an emergency or will you stay home. I plan for either contingency.

Flash lights are the most common king of light placed in an emergency kit. If you choose a flashlight do not go with the cheep ones. You will be better off with a good quality flash light than a light plastic one.  When I first put my kit together I had a cheep plastic light. When I tested my kit the cheep  light failed the second night. The lens fell out and the bulb failed. I have to say my favorite lights are the lights you wear on your head like a headband. When properly set you can see what you are doing and have your hands free to do it. Standard flash lights are good for general use and when you do not need two hands to do the work.

Battery powered lanterns are also great light sources. They give steady light in a larger area than a flash light can. They are good for general lighting and give good light to work by. If a group effort is under way they can provide more light to more people. They work best if they are a little above the work site. This will keep the light out of the eyes of the workers and help reduce the shadows.

All battery powered lights are only as good as the batteries. You will need to check the batteries at least every 6 months and replace them when they have reached their expiration date. Do not store your batteries in your light. If they leak they will ruin your light. They also tend to loose power faster. When your batteries are gone so is your light.

Another light source is oil lamps, there are several kinds you can choose from. They give off a warm light with softer shadows. Oil lamps also produce heat and can be used to help warm a dwelling.
Oil lamps burn oil. There are a lot of oils you can use. Any commercial grade lamp oil should work well. Kerosene, vegetables oils and other flammables have been tried. They may not burn very bright, smell bad or produce more smoke than you would like. There are scented lamp oils. Scented oils help mask the smell of people who have not been able to bathe for several days.

If you have an oil lamp you will need a way to light the wick. You will need matches, lighter or other fire source to get the wick lit.

The lamps can burn for several hours or days depending on size and styles. You can have several nights of oil in a single bottle.

If you put an oil lamp in your kit remember the oil will leak out if it is not kept upright. Do not fill the lamp until just before you need it. You will want to drain any unused oil out of the lamp if you plan to put it back in your kit.

For home use many people keep the oil in their lamps so they are ready at any time. If you do this be sure to check the oil level with each inventory. The oil will evaporate over time. You will be able to store the oil in most cases indefinitely. In the home a few gallons can give light at night for many weeks.

WARNING: Oil lamps have a fire danger. They have a flame and can get very hot. you should never place them near combustible materials. They need a steady, secure place to sit or hang. Many people have died because an oil lamp was knocked over.(see San Fransisco Great Fire).

WARNING: Oil lamps produce carbon monoxide and other harmful fumes. Oil lambs should only be used in a ventilated place. Do not use in a sealed room. Carbon monoxide is heavy and can fill a low or confined place in your home.

Candles are the old standby. They are easy to store, have a very long shelf life and can be used in a very large number of holders. I have a stock of religious icon candles. I have timed them and they can burn for as long as 72 ours each. The messages of hope and faith also help build morale. Some candles burn very quickly and some slow, Many give good light and some almost no light. I have several of the scented candles that come in jars. They can last for several days and generally produce a good amount of light. If you decide to put candles in your kit be sure to have matches or a lighter. You will need to light the wick to have light.

Never let a candle burn to the bottom. It should be put out before it reaches 1/4 inch in height. When a candle in a jar reaches the bottom it can ignite all the wax in the jar and cause a very hot fire that will come out of the jar and burn anything combustible near it. Never leave a candle unattended.

WARNING: Candles are a fire hazard and produce carbon monoxide.

If you want a light in the darkness during your emergency you will need a light source. Feel free to pick one or more of the ones I have listed or anything you know of that works for you. I have all four kinds of light. Flash lights and candles in my kit and oil lamps and battery lanterns for my home.

Now that you have a little food and water, you may want a change of clothing. You do not need a lot of clothing. You should have the clothes on your back and the clothes in your pack. Do not put old worn out clothing into your pack. The clothing should be sturdy clothing that can take a bit of a beating. I have jeans, long sleeve shirt, underwear, and heavy socks.

Your kit should be reviewed and repacked every six months. I do my repacking in the spring and in the fall.

That way I can make sure my clothing still fits and also switch them from my warm weather set to my cold weather set.  For warm weather I have a cotton shirt regular underwear durable socks and jeans. For winter I have a flannel shirt, wool blend pants thermal socks and long john underwear.

To make your kit as providently as passable use clothing you have that is still usable. If you need to pick a few things up always check first at the local thrift store. Most of the time I avoid going to the dollar stores for emergency supplies. They seem to fall apart with heavy use.

Have your spare shoes near where you keep your kit. I keep some work boots there that have steal toes.  You may be doing some heavy work depending on the nature of the emergency you are evacuating for.

Add a good pair of work gloves. If like most modern urban people your not use to heavy work with your hands you will need something to protect them. I like leather gloves, canvas or other materials are less expensive and will also work.

So far in your kit you should have:

6 cans of food
3 days of water I do 3 gallons
change of clothing
spare shoes
work gloves.
eating utensils.

Now you have put together your basic kit. Its time to see if you can lift it. It will weigh about 40 pounds if you have 3 gallons of water and about 20 if you have 6 quarts. If you are not able to lift this put some of the water in your vehicle. Most of the time if you are leaving in a hurry you will be driving.

A lot of people get on line and look up lists of things to put in your kit. There is a lot of good information and good ideas. If they do not include 3 days of water you can be sure they have never tested their kit.

Several years ago I make my kit from a list I found in the phone book next to emergency services. Later that year I was invited last minute on a camping trip for a 3 day weekend. I did not have a lot of time to get a pack together so I thought "I'll just grab my 72 hour kit and see how well it works." I was nearly dead at the end of 24 hours. It was a struggle to make 72hours with my kit. It was full of all the wrong stuff. That is when I discovered the most important component of the kit is water. Drinking from muddy streams and boiling water from stagnant pools was not very pleasant.

You may want to test your kit before you use it. Practice living out of your kit from time to time. You do not have to leave home and trek into the wilderness. Just try using only the food water and bedding in your kit for 3 days to see how well it works. You can do this at home or on a camping trip.

I will next go over several tools and items you can choose from to include in your kit. Your kit should be made for you. To meet your needs. Lists help as will this blog. You are responsible to get the best kit together for you.

So you're thinking all that provident living stuff is cool and all but, what about ARMAGEDON and prepping for the  end of the world, 2012, astroids crashing into the earth and the end of life as we know it. How do you plan to live through all that with 36 bottles of apricots and a casserole?

This is the first blog just for prepping. As always begin with a plan. What is it you are prepping for? Super volcano? Not likely to happen, Asteroid crashing into the earth? Low probability. The chance of you being witness to a world-wide devestation are very low.  The possibilities of you being affected by a regional or local emergency are much greater. The chance of you experiencing a life altering personal catastrophie are almost 100%. That's right, during your life, some bad things are going to happen. You may lose your job. Divorce or death of a primary wage earner, illness, disabilites, fires and a lot of other bad things happen every day to a lot of people.

When making a preparednes plan start by getting ready for the most common things first then build up to the more extraordinary.

This is the smallest kit I would make. It is for an evacuation.

The most basic plan is for the first 3 days. Sometimes called a 72 hour kit or a bug out bag. Over the next few posts I will be going over some specific items and things you may want to include in your kit.

So lets get started. You will need a bag. Do not run out and get some spendy pack or pre-made kit till you have had some time to determine your needs. Just find a box, bag, old backpack, plastic bucket or whatever can hold a few things and you can carry.

Number one thing you will need is water. Just to live you need one quart/liter of water each day. 2 quarts/liters to be confortable and 1 gallon/4liters if you are being active or if it is hot weather. So first find 3 gallons of water.

 The water needs to be in a food grade plastic bottle.  This is a bottle that drinks like juice, soda, or other beverages come in. You can also buy bottled water. Some of the bottled water bottles are very thin and do not hold up well so choose carefully. If you are using used bottles first wash them with hot soap and water. Do not use white milk jugs. They degrade and it is hard to get all the milk fat out of them.

Fill the empty bottles with clean water. Put them in your pack.



Next get  6 cans of chili, soup or stew. You will have 6 meals. This is 2 meals a day for 3 days.
Be sure they are pop top cans.

Now get a spoon so you can eat from the can.

Strange as it may seem this is the basic bug out kit. If you have food and water for 3 days you are in good shape to survive. I do not think you will be comfortable nor happy, but you will stay alive.

Next on the list is a blanket. Wool is the best but for now use what you have. So far this is your list of supplies.

Always include any medications you have to take.

Water 3 gallons
food 6 cans
blanket.

Frequently if you have to leave your home due to an emergency you will be told where to go for shelter by the local authorities. When you reach the evacuation point you can make a plan as to where you will go from there. You may choose to stay there or you may go to a friend or relative's home.You could choose to get a motel until your local crisis is over.

We will go over a few more things tomorrow.

Today the apricots are ready. Time to put some in pints!!!!

First thing is to gather is the equipment.

Jar lifter, funnel, ladle

Jars,

Lids,

Rings,

Sugar and water.

a sharp paring knife.

Boiling water caner (cold packer).

Acquire some apricots. If you are picking your own pick then a little under  ripe. The fruit should be yellow, orange or red blushed. It needs to be firm. If it is soft and juicy make jam.  Pick them in large bowls or shallow boxes. If you stack them too deep the bottom ones will be mush.

Start by washing your jars is hot soapy water and rinse them in hot water then dry.

Wash the apricots in cold water. You do want to get the dust and any bird doo off them. Let them soak for several minutes so anything caked on will come off.

Slice the apricots, remove the seeds,

Place them in the jars.

Fill the jars to the neck, about 1/2 inch from the top. Shake the jar a few times to help the fruit settle. do not over fill the jar or it will not seal properly.

Place a large pan on the stove and put 5 cups of water into the pan, then add 3 cups sugar. Heat to boiling and dissolve all the sugar.

Place the funnel over the top of the jar and use the ladle to fill the jar till the fruit is covered and the fluid is at the bottom of the neck. About 1/2 inch from the top.  The fruit will look better longer if there is no air trapped near it. You can use a small plastic spatula to move the fruit around and release any air.

Wipe the rim with a paper towel or clean cloth to remove anything that may be on the rim.

Place the lids into a shallow pan of water and simmer for about 5 min.

Lift the lids out of the water.

Place the lid on the jar, be sure it is centered.

Place a ring on the jar.

Gently tighten the ring onto the jar. Do not force. Just hand tighten.


Fill our caner with water

Lower the jars into the caner. There should be 2 inches of water over the top of the jar.

Bring to a boil. You can lower the heat as long as the water keeps boiling. Boil the jars for 25 min.

After 25 min remove the jars from the caner. Space them at least 2 inches apart so they can cool. Soon there will be a popping sound as the jars seal. the center of the lid will be depressed and will not rebound or make any noise when you push on it. If the center of the lid clicks up and down or has any give in it the jar is not sealed. It may take a few hours for them to seal. If by the next day they have not sealed, remove the lid and check the jar to be sure the rim is not chipped. If it is intact place a new lid and reprocess.

when the jars are sealed and cool you can remove the rings and use them on a new batch.

Store them out of the light.

For a latter project wash of the seeds and let dry.

 If you have a lot of soft juicy apricots save them to make jam. If they are brown and rotten toss them in the compost.

One of the most important aspects of living a provident life is to know where your money is going. Having a budget is often looked at a having restrictions on your life. Having a budget will actually provide you with more freedom than you would have thought possible.

If you take care of the cents, the dollars will take care of themselves.

Start by listing your bills. housing, food, utilities, cars, gas, insurance, and any regular occurring expense. Remember to look at the full year and any bill that is yearly or every six months need to be divided into a monthly expense. So if your insurance is due every six months divide the bill by 6 and keep that much money aside till the bill is due.

After you add up your bills, compare it to your income. Hopefully your income is greater than your bills. If it is not, you will need to review your expenses and see where you can make some cuts to have your bills less than your pay check.

If you have money left at the end of the month be sure to put at least 10% aside. This is the savings fund. If you have debt apply as mush as you can to get your debt paid off early.

If your bills are more than your income, take a look at what you are spending your income on. Frequent budget destroyers are: eating out, more Internet, phone or gadgets than you need or use. If you only text a few times a day see if you can lower your plan. if you have full streaming internet on your phone determine how much you use it and are you able to decrease the cost. Look at your home. Is it really in your income level. Can you get an apartment in a good neighborhood for less than the one you have now?  Evaluate your food expense, can you save money by having more home made meals instead of takeout and boxed prepared foods. Make a list, of each expense and keep cutting until you are living within your means.

If you are still over budget, you should consider how you can increase your income in a legal and honest way. This is the perfect reason to keep looking for a job that is better even if you already have a job.

So how will having a budget give you more freedom? The money you save will begin to grow. Even in a simple savings account our money grows. The interest is only a small part of how your money grows. When you have a cash reserve you can take advantage of good deals as they happen. You will be free to buy things you need without debt.  If you have cash on hand you can purchase things when they are on sale, when the sweet deal happens and when opportunity knocks you can answer the door. You do not have to pay interest when you can pay up front for what you need. Money not paid in interest is the same as money earned.

Never go into debt for something you just want.

What is it you need to be a prepper or to live a provident life. The first thing you need in income. Yes get a job.  All the things you need to live any kind of life require income. What you do is up to you and how much you make is also up to you. It is seldom possible to start at a job that pays a large salary. Most people have to start at a job in an entry level position and work your way up, around or through till you can get the job you want.

I have heard people say they can not get a job. I have heard other people say if you want a job you can find one.  If you are willing to work you will almost always be able to find a job. It takes some effort and looking, but you can get work. I do not promise that the job you get will be your dream job, the one you went to school to have or even one that will pay all your bills. I have learned that if you have a job, any job.  It is easier to find a better job. You are in the market. you can check the job board at work for something better and you may hear from people that you work with of other opportunities.

I did not start out in my dream job. My first job was picking vegetables on a local farm in the summer. My next job was sweeping the floors of a retail store after it closed for the day. Then washing dishes at a restaurant. I worked up the ladder in the restaurant till I was the night manager. The resume goes on for some time as I changed jobs sometimes for better work sometimes for better money. I have never had the big job that makes all my dreams come true. I do have a good job that meets my family's needs and is good honest work.  The point being that each job led to the next. You can even find work by volunteering. How ever you find work you need income. I strongly urge you to do good honest work that will pay the bills and let you get ahead.

How do you get a start of the provident life? To begin living within your means?

The first thing you need to do an inventory. 

Take a look is in your trash can. Yes the trash. This will tell you what you buy and how you eat. If you see a lot of pizza boxes, fast food wrappers and soda cans you have identified a place where you can save a load of cash. Try eating a home cooked meal. They cost a great deal less and almost always have more nutrition.

Second inventory is to count your outfits in your closet and your shoes. 

Third  inventory your pantry. How many meals do you have in your home.

If you can go more days without wearing the same outfit  than you have meals in your home its time to stop shopping at the mall and get some groceries into your home. 

Easy home cooked meal for under $5

1 cup uncooked rice

1 can cream of chicken soup 10.5 oz

1 can tuna fish 5 oz

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese.

2 cups water.

Put rice, water, undrained tuna, and cream of chicken soup in a 2 quart casserole dish

microwave on high for 10 min then stir. Microwave again for to minutes or till rice is tender then stir in frozen peas. sprinkle on cheese. Microwave for 2 minutes to melt the cheese. let sit 5 minutes then serve for dinner. Feeds 3-4 people. 

To feed 5-6 people add one more can of soup, 1 cup uncooked rice and 2 cups water. and cook the same amount of time. 

So what is it that starts someone on the path to live a more provident life or become a prepper? For me it began shortly after I was married. We were a young couple struggling to make ends meet. We were in entry level jobs and money was tight. After the bills were paid we had very little left.

When I was growing up I had helped in the family garden. I had learned to can food in glass bottles and  to use it in my diet. My wife came from similar stock. So I began to look for a way grow some food to help feed us. I spoke with my landlord and he let me convert a 6 foot by 12 foot plot in front of the apartment into a garden. I planted some tomatoes, peppers, garlic and parsley. It was not a big garden so I could tend it well. The harvest was good that year. and I made several batches of spaghetti sauce. after the processing was finished I counted my bounty and discovered we had 52 pints of sauce. I was very proud of my accomplishment. The number 52 rung a bell in my head and I realised there are 52 weeks in a year. We set in motion the plan to use our sauce once a week for a year. So Tuesday became spaghetti night. Pasta was cheap and easy to prepare and I kept track of the money we saved for the year so we could apply it to some other expense. This was the first step to getting a bit ahead in life, saving some cash for the future. We were also having one meal each week that was made with ingredients we grew and knew were healthy.

How to make my spaghetti sauce.

Ingredients:
30 pounds of tomatoes
1 and 1/2 cups green or red bell peppers
2 cups chopped onions
10 cloves of garlic minced or 2 and 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder.
1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons of dried oregano
4 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons of black pepper.

If you want to you can bring a pan of water to a boil and drop the ripe tomatoes into it. Then place them in cold water. This will split the skins and make them come loose. You can then just peal or rub the skins off the tomatoes. This will make for a smoother sauce. I just cut the core out and quarter them into chunks and toss them in the pan. When the process is done there are small curled up bits of tomato skins some people do not like. The flavor is the same.

Be sure to use a non aluminum pan when canning. The acid in the tomato can leach aluminum out of the pan and change the flavor of the sauce. I use a 16 quart stainless steal pan to do mine.

Put all the chopped tomatoes, peppers and onions into the pan. Put the heat on medium to medium high and bring them to a boil. You will need to stir them frequently. When they start to boil turn the heat down to medium and let them boil/simmer for about 6 hours. Note how full the pan is when the tomatoes are all cooking and start to boil. For a normal sauce keep cooking and stirring from time to time till the volume is reduced by 1/3, for a thick sauce keep cooking till the volume is reduced by 1/2. Then take the cooked sauce and run it through a food processor to make it smooth then add the rest of the ingredients. I like the look of the spices in the sauce. If you want a more commercial look add the spices before you run it through a food processor.

Wash 10 pint jars with hot soapy water and rinse. Put 1 teaspoon full of white vinegar in each jar to make sure the acid level is high. Then fill them with the sauce, put the lids and rings on then place jars in a cold packer for 15 minutes. Take out or the cold packer be sure they seal and then store them out of direct sun light. The flavor improves if you wait a week or two before starting to use them.

I'm starting this blog because I want to provide some insight into living a more provident life. People I know have told me I sound like a prepper. So I looked up  preppers on the net and discovered I do have  a lot in common with the preppers. I plan for hard times, I'm working to become self sufficient and to have a safe place to live for the rest of my life. I will be talking about what I have done, what I am doing and what I plan to do. This is the documentation of the things I have learned along the way and continue to learn along my path. I will be making from time to time statements about life, family, religion, politics and whatever I think is important that day. I hope you enjoy the journey with me. I hope what I have to say will help you on your path to have a provident life and to be prepared for what may come along.