Frugal lifestyle is Emergency Planning!

Random Readiness notes:

As a driver in a busy city I never know where my day may wind up. I am always starting a new adventure when I clock in at the office and am issued the keys to the car of the day. Some days it may be easy to do lunch at a fast food joint. The other days however may find me camped out somewhere (in a shady spot hopefully) and waiting for my client. These types of work have me either thanking God I brought my lunch pail with me or kicking myself that I did not. I want to be as prepared as I can for the job I do. Who knows? Maybe tomorrow will be a round trip charter to LAX and back to Vegas. That's a long day and I do NOT want to stop for long. The sooner I can get home safely the better off I am and the company's expenses are as well.

The same thing applies to any planning of a long term trip, building a contingency plan for emergency survival,  or that just in case unknown minor emergency. Bring a bag that's small enough to not be a bother but roomy enough to keep a few readiness items in it.

Planning ahead well enough you take pressure off of the situation and can apply that energy to using other skills.

This has been covered this in  other posts but I really want to stress how much easier it is to plan ahead for crisis than it is to have to live through it with out any back up what so ever.

I have people tell me all the time I am wasting my time. Laugh out Loud, I think to myself. I have used these plans and supplies a number of times though not on a serious scale, yet. Times of tight budget, illness, unemployment, and seriously busy scheduling have me accessing my preparedness planning. Time and again I am grateful that I am NOT wasting my time but adding to the things that help me.. Saving time and money in the process.

Frugal lifestyle IS Emergency Planning!

More info on these handy links:

Survival Food Basics:

http://www.squidoo.com/survival-foods-requirements

AND

Survival Recovery Site: www.survival-recovery.com

Survival Kit Ideas: 

http://www.squidoo.com/a-survival-kit-list

Crisis Planning - Frugal Living

Preparedness and Financial Crisis

How preparedness can help us be ready for a financial crisis.

Image Credit: www.morguefile.com jdurham 

A job change some 30 days ago still has me in crisis mode. It has been a few weeks since I had a predictable income and I have been able to work through this situation because I set a plan in action. 

I thought out what I needed for about a month to save on expenses. I planned out the month of supplying my home with the needed paper goods like toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags, ect, and the goods I regularly use in the bath and kitchen areas. Together with the food set aside in freezer, cans, and freeze-dried forms this period of little or no income has been easier to endure.

This situation is also a seasonal occurrences as I work in an industry that has a good income for about 5 months out of the year during the convention season and then drops to very small paychecks by the end of the year. I have to be prepared to weather these changes in my income. If I don't save against these lean times I am stressed over paying my bills and supporting my family. Saving money and putting aside the foods and goods we live on is my investment in our money season.

Tackle this situation long before it comes across your home's threshold by stocking up on household necessities now. Take a home inventory. Predict your family's use of health and hygiene items, foods and water supply. Putting a crisis mode plan in force long before it becomes your nightmare can be a major comfort in a time you need to worry about something other than spending those couple of dollars on things you could have had stocked ahead of time.

My crisis involved spending cash on certificates, uniforms, materials, supplies, and tools for a new job. With the burden of home stock already set in place, I have been able to make the necessary purchases I needed for my new job requirements and am still able to have a comfortable home. I don't need to worry about my shopping budget week to week at this time because it is already in my stock.

I will replenish the depleted goods in my stock as my income starts flowing back a little at a time. After the basic bills are paid, restocking my pantry and storage deficits comes into play. With about $20 a week over the next few weeks I can be back into my 30 day plan easily and prepare to extend the 30 day plan to 60 days. The only thing holding me back is space at this time.

My next crisis plan? Moving to a new home by the beginning of the year. Frugal living is a way to battle financial crisis gracefully. When we plan ahead in a time of plenty, the lean times can be met with few sacrifices.

Preparedness and other frugal living tips and articles: 

www.survival-recovery.com
www.survivalrecovery.wordpress.com 

Survival Food Storage - My Favorite Tips And Tricks

updated 07/16/2012

Adjusting

Food Storage and Emergency Planning Helps in Small Crisis

What incidents would require a need for using food storage or survival skills? 

Employment Change

A change in employment has me relying on my emergency planning skills, food storage, and supplies. My budget has played out by the skin of its teeth as I switch jobs and have to reinvest some of that income for the transition. This is not a crisis in which I have to go without power, water, shelter. I will not need an alternative source for cooking or leave my home. It is one that has seriously disrupted my routines and taken me out of my comfort zone. The adjustments to new work, surroundings, and people have me circling my resource wagon so to speak. 

I will have to allocate funds for my change in employment status and keep a tight rein for the next few weeks.  I have to adapt to my new surroundings, adjust to a new time schedule, and reroute my meal planning for a bit. Conserving monies is important until the first paycheck arrives. 

Image Credit: www.morguefile.com earl53

I rely on the back up I placed in my food pantry so that I can be prepared for any financial output. The money coming in has to be sliced thin at this moment until it is actively replenished. My attitude has to remain positive even though this isn't a tornado or hurricane or earthquake, it is still a scary situation that has left me a bit unnerved. The comfort is there knowing I have something to fall back on until life returns to a normal pace once more.

Medical Crisis

I think back to the time I faced a major surgery. I was in a frightening situation. I would be unable to work for at least two months. My income came to a screeching halt. The certainty of laying in a recovery bed for weeks was a daunting thought. I was very sick. I scarcely wrapped my head around the fact that a  hysterectomy was necessary to help me get better. I would have to rely on my food storage to recuperate and support my nutritional needs because I would be bed bound for at least ten days. I would be in severe pain from the surgery and the medication would make it difficult for me to drive. It would be an unwise decision to leave the comfort of my room for anything other than a short trip to bathroom or kitchen.

The supplies in my pantry allowed me to eat, tend to my incision and medical needs, and be comfortable in the few weeks I was down and recuperating. The buffer a bit of food storage and supplies offered was a worry I did not have to feed. I had small applesauce cups, crackers, soups, and cereals to eat. I could crack open a can of beef stew or make a quick noodle dish for nourishment. 

Be Ready, Be Stocked Up

The pantry should contain at least two months of supplies. Ideally, a food storage plan should cover one and a half to two years of supply for the individual and family members. Store the things you will eat. Explore ways to dry store, freeze, can, and bottle edible goods. Set aside a budget for this monthly. A good food storage can be built off of $50 a month. Take inventory at least every six months to see what needs to be rotated and what supplies are running thin. Make it a habit to store personal items, hygiene products, and a bulk of first aid supplies. The more you set aside, the more comfortable the recovery. 

More by this author:

www.suvival-recovery.com

Survival Foods Requirements