News Round Up: The Preparedness Edition

Here's a few recent CNN articles that point out ways we can all be better prepared:

1. New laws miss bigger gun problem (lesson: the nation may be freaking out over "assault rifles" but way more people are killed by handguns than rifles; don't be misled by media-induced hype)
2. The danger of an all fruit diet (lesson: a sensible diet with carbs, protein, and fruits and vegies, will make you much healthier than fad diets; do eat a sensible diet and again, don't be misled by hype)
3. Barbara Walters has the chicken pox (lesson: if you are an adult and have never had the chicken pox or received the vaccine you may want to do so)
4. Harrowing stories from the nightclub blaze in Brazil (lesson: this is why I NEVER go to crowded public events, especially in foreign countries where fire prevention and fire safety awareness is lax at best)
5. Gun culture in Colorado (lesson: you can't judge a book by its cover)

20 Financial Tips...

...based on our move to Las Vegas a year ago.
Here's 20 ways the spouse and I have been able to shift from a large, work-till-you-drop-full-time-business-owner income, to a meager retiree income and still come out seeming like we have more money than ever before:

1. We paid cash for the one car that we drive and now, and as it has got older, only carry liability insurance on it.  This by itself saves more than $15k a year over what we used to pay when we had two or three new cars in the driveway.  Also, I found that the county offers a discount on property tax to seniors which pays for the complete cost of our car tax each year (Google is awesome).
2. We skipped the cable TV and got an over the air antenna for $30 which saves us over $100 a month and still provides more than 40 free channels to watch.
3. Our high speed internet service is $27 a month (at least for a year at which time I will call again and threaten to drop service at which time they will offer me another great promo price to remain a customer).
4. We each have pre-paid cell phones from Walmart.  Yes, you have to pay the full cost of your cell phone up front (either from Walmart or Amazon) but it is much cheaper than getting a discounted phone from a cell phone carrier...along with a high-priced two-year contract.  Our monthly cell service with talk, text, and internet costs $30 each per month.
5. We bought a house in a place where houses cost a lot less than where we used to live (ie: our house payment is 1/4 what it was in Seattle for nearly the same size house).
6. We moved to a place where the cost of living is lower (unfortunately you have to forget about getting a good job here as they don't seem to exist but if you have a retirement or otherwise location-independent income you would do well in such a place).  Gas is $2.85 a gallon, utilities are much cheaper than in Seattle, and the weather is great nine months out of the year so we barely require heating or cooling during that time.
7. We cook at home most of the time.  And food seems to cost less here with great bargains to be had at the 99 cent store and the Asian and Mexican supermarkets in town.
8. There are A LOT of free activities here.  You can choose from literally a half dozen free, interesting activities each day in Las Vegas ranging from concerts and shows to conventions and community events (thus the free hiking each week that I do).
9. You can pick and choose your hobbies to keep you occupied but not in debt.  My hobbies used to range from the expensive (shooting) to the expensiver (luxury travel).  Now I am happy to do day hiking, walk with the local volksmarch club, genealogy research, and volunteer with a couple of community organizations.
10. We buy ALL of our clothes at the Goodwill (on senior half off Wednesdays, no less).  I haven't stepped foot in a mall or Macy's/Saks/Bloomingdales for a few years and I quite like it that way.  Now that I know about shopping at the Goodwill, I will never shop retail again for clothes (shoes I still buy retail on on clearance or a deep discount sale).  As I sit typing this I am wearing a pair of Levi's, a Hollister t shirt, and a Land's End fleece jacket all bought at the Goodwill for a total of $5.
11. We don't buy crap.  For decades (mostly when the kids were growing up) we spent our free time shopping and ended up buying SO MUCH UNNECESSARY CRAP that it is embarrassing to look back on it (the point of which is quickly driven home when you go to sell all of this junk at a garage sale and it is worth only pennies on the dollar).
12. We travel.  Cheaply.  Mega bus, off season cruises, discounted airline tickets, staying with friends and family...there are a number of ways to be able to travel yet cut the cost (our next adventure may be Couchsurfing and hosteling!).
13. We don't work.  Which on the surface seems like not a very good financial move, but with a retirement income as well as some freelance income, we actually save a lot of money over the cost of working when you figure how much we used to spend on work wardrobes, commuting, an extra necessary car and insurance, meals out, coffee at Starbucks on the way to work, office gifts, etc.
14. We conserve everything.  Water, electricity, gas...you name it and if there is a way to lower the bill we do it (to the point of recording our daily electricity usage in order to keep us striving to lower the bill even more).  Note that free low-flow shower heads and faucets are often available from the local utility as well as other freebies (rebates, etc) to encourage savings on utility costs.
15. We save gas by staying home a couple of days a week and not driving, grouping errands and trips together, and looking for other ways to cut costs on fuel expenses (ie: day trips closer to home rather than long driving trips, etc).
16. We do the usual money saving things: using the library for free books, movies, and ebooks, shopping loss leaders at the grocery store and stockpiling them, etc.
17. Medical costs are paid for courtesy of Uncle Sam (which saves a TON of money).  
18. I use the web to keep abreast of even more ways to save money such as here and here.
19. By traveling for more than a year with only what we could carry in a backpack, we realized that we don't need stuff.  We do need good health and good friends and a good marriage so we spend our money accordingly.
20. We still do many things ourselves: our wills, our taxes, installing a new faucet or shower door in the house, minimal landscaping, etc.

Update

I should have anticipated that posting every day on this blog would end up being both boring (#1, #2, #3...blah) and unlikely to happen (I am generally pretty busy every day).  So here's a quick update:

• I will go back to posting more or less sporadically as before (sorry but I feel I have covered just about every prep topic under the sun somewhere in this blog so I will try to keep the info I provide here new and interesting instead of rehashing basic prep topics over and over again).
• I have been walking and hiking everyday in preparation for some big trips this summer.  I hadn't realized just how extensive the network of trails for hiking is around Las Vegas.  Amazing.
• The president's gun control plan as announced yesterday can be summed up by saying: enforce the gun laws we do have and if we wanted a dictator (23 executive orders. Really?) we would have elected one.  Oh wait...

Prep Tip #8: 25 Questions About the Outside of Your Home

One of your first lines of defense is the exterior of your home.  Here are 25 questions to answer about the exterior of your home to judge what kind of message your home is sending to potential burglars/et al:

1. Do you have your name on your mailbox? If so, take it off so that strangers who come up to your door won't be able to address you by name as part of a ruse.
2. Do you have a locked mailbox and/or only send mail via a secured mail box?  Mail theft is still one of the easiest ways to steal an identity.  By securing your mail as much as possible you can deter this type of theft.
3. Is your house number clearly visible from the street?  On the other hand, you do want to be able to call for emergency aid and have them respond to your house as quickly as possible; a clear address will assist with this.
4. Do you have favorable landscaping in front of lower level windows?  Rose bushes, cacti, and other spiky plants will deter burglars from breaking in through lower level windows in your house.
5. Is all overgrowth and debris removed from the areas surrounding your home?  This will not only help block wildfires but will also discourage people from stealing your unsecured property and/or providing concealment for lurkers.
6. Do you dispose of packaging from various high end items (TVs, computers, etc) somewhere other than at the curb for your weekly garbage pick up?  Leaving this type of packaging laying around outside your home lets potential burglars know what kind of items you keep inside your home.
7. Do you have adequate lighting all around your home?  With the flip of a switch you should be able to illuminate all of the areas around your home.
8. Are exterior stairs and walkways secure and free of debris?  This is more for your benefit as it will provide a safe place for you to walk and avoid falls.
9. Are all upstairs windows inaccessible from the outside?  This means no trellis or trees that would allow someone to crawl up and into your home.
10. Do you keep all outside property secured?  This means no keys left in the truck or the tractor, all motorcycle and bicycles locked up when not in use, etc.
11. Do you have a garden hose and fire extinguisher easily accessible from outside?  These items are useful for fighting unexpected fires.
12. Does the outside of your home look well maintained?  Sloppy landscaping and a generally unkempt look can make you home look unoccupied and be an invitation to burglars.
13. Do you have an exterior security system complete with remote access cameras?  This type of system can be very useful for both discouraging thieves AND for identifying them after the fact.
14. Do you regularly inspect large trees in your yard and remove them if they are in poor condition?  Better to take down sick and dying trees on your timetable rather than to wait for a storm to do it for you.
15. Are your outbuilding secured?  Outbuildings often contain tools, spare gasoline, and other valuable items that thieves are looking for.
16. Is your property fenced?  This is a small deterrent but a deterrent nonetheless, to keep out unwanted people.
17. Do you walk your property regularly to check for problems that need to be fixed?  By walking your property regularly you will notice when fences need to be repaired, when shrubbery begins to look over grown, etc.
18. Do you have warning signs posted?  No trespassing and beware of dog signs let people know you are serious about protecting your property.
19. Does your home look "lived in" both during the day and at night?  By having a car parked in the driveway it makes people think someone is home during the day.  By having interior lights go on and off at various times during the evening, it makes your home look like it is occupied whether it is or not.
20. Do you always close and lock doors when you enter or leave the house (including the garage door)?  Leaving doors and windows unlocked or leaving the garage door wide open all day is an invitation to have your home burgled.
21. Do you hide a spare key outside just in case someone in your family forgets theirs?  Burglars know where all of the hiding spots are so this is yet another open invitation to have your home burglarized.
22. Do you keep your drapes or blinds set so that it will make it difficult for people to see into your home from the outside?  No use leaving all of the valuable items in your home on open display for anyone who walks by.
23. Do you make arrangement for package pick up/drop off?  A note on the door telling the delivery person that you work from 8am to 5pm does nothing for your packages or your home security.
24. When you go on vacation do you have someone to pick up you mail/the newspaper as well as ensure your home remains secure and the yard is mowed?  If you are gone for an extended period, it is a good idea to have an actual person coming around regularly to check on your home.
25. Do all family members abide by the rule to not talk about the items your family owns (guns, gold, etc) as well as not talk about vacation plans or other times that your home will be unoccupied?  Blabbing about valuables in a home can make you a victim of either burglary or home invasion.

Prep Tip #7: Gather Your Emergency Fund

Once you have got your mini emergency fund together (prep tip #5) and paid off all of your debts (prep tip #6), it's time to get together your family emergency fund.  This fund should be able to support you and your family--completely--for a period of six to twelve months.  In the event of job loss, a major illness, etc. this money can keep you afloat for an extended period of time until you can find a new job, relocate, get over the major disaster that affected your area, recover from illness, etc.
Saving enough money to pay your bills and living expenses for an entire year looks like a huge undertaking BUT, you will find that once you are debt free and have very few bills, the amount of money you will need to cover these expenses, even for the length of a year, is actually not all that much.  For anyone who has been able to pay many thousands of dollars in debt off, this will be even easier.  This time you are putting the money aside for YOU and not for your creditors.
So that is your prep tip for today, start saving now (or for those with much enthusiasm, get "gazelle intense") and knock out this goal as soon as possible.  In the event of the next disaster (remember it is not if but when) you will have a financial cushion waiting to help you out instead of worrying how you will feed your family for the next day.or pay your next cell phone bill.

Prep Tip #6: Get Out of Debt

Perhaps one of the very best preparedness steps you can take is to get out of debt completely.  When the bills you have coming in each month can be counted on one hand (and can be supported by a .25 time job) there are not many disasters that can truly ruin you.
This means pay off your credit card bills, pay off your car, and pay off your house.  In that order.  I know it sounds overwhelming but plenty of people have been able to do this (warning: a big lifestyle change is usually in order if you have been used to supporting your lifestyle with debt) and the rewards of being completely debt free are practically too numerous to count: stress diminishes, you go to work with a whole new attitude, you have actual cash--hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month--at your disposal, you can start working on your dreams instead of being tied down to the daily grind for fear of losing your job and not being able to pay your creditors.  And, for us preparedness folks, it gives us a very good sense of well being--you don't NEED a job so can relocate in an instant, you don't have bills coming in so you can travel for months on end, you don't get caught in credit scams, you get to keep your money and spend it on more interesting things (like a nice new firearm) instead of on interest, late payment fees, over limit fees, etc.
Bottom line: become completely debt free.  Yes, it's that important.

Prep Tip #5: You Need $1000. Now.

EVERYONE should have a mini emergency fund, in cash, and on hand (which means hidden in your home not at a bank where you may not be able to access the money in the event of a disaster).  With a bit of gazelle intensity and a bit of creativity, you can gather this amount of money by the end of the month.  Sell blood, walk dogs, sell off junk from your house, mow yards/shovel snow...do whatever you have to do in order to put together this emergency cash as quickly as possible.  Do it now.

Prep Tip #4: Get Fit

If you want to be able to save yourself, and others, during a disaster, you will probably have to exert some physical effort in order to do so.  That means you will need to be in some semblance of good physical shape.  How good a shape are you in?  Really?  Would you care to prove that?
Some years back we were working with a group of executives on preparedness and all had great ideas for their section--get together a first aid kit, hold fire drills, etc.  Then a few days later we walked into their office and held and impromptu earthquake drill which required everyone to get under their desk.  A few wouldn't fit under their desk, period, and a couple ended up needing medical aid for pulled muscles.  Yeah that went well.
So while most of us remember our glory days complete with spectacular feats of physical greatness like they were yesterday, the reality is that our stiff, crunchy bodies would be hard pressed to perform any sort of difficult physical survival maneuver without serious medical consequences.
Here's some idea for getting fit:

• Attend yoga class (no better way to improve your flexibility)
• Walk daily
• Swim often (it's easier on the joints)
• Do a challenge like this
• Join a regularly schedule group activity (bowling league, volksmarch group, softball team, etc)
• Do something physical everyday: tennis, golf, fishing, etc. (for added inspiration, take your kids/grandkids with you)
• Keep a small hand weight set at home and lift weights while you are watching TV
• Do calisthenics (a la Jack Lalanne) at various times throughout the day
• Stretch morning, noon, and night

The bottom line is that if you don't use it, you lose it.  You don't want to lose it because you may need to save yourself some day by running away, climbing over debris, sliding under debris, or lifting heavy objects.  If you can't do those things you may end up dead.  That's counterproductive to being a prepper/survivalist.

Prep Tip #3: 10 More Medical Preps

Now that you have your first aid kits together, here are ten more medical prep tips:

1. If you rely on prescription medications, try to stockpile as much of your meds as possible.  In the event of a disaster which closes all of the pharmacies in the area or in the event of job loss or insurance loss which means the cost of your necessary medications jump sky high, having a stockpile to fall back on can be critical to your health.
2. Also stockpile any additional specialized medical supplies for your household members such as diapers and formula if you have a baby in the house or diapers, hearing aid batteries, Ensure, etc if you have elderly folks in the house.
3. Take a first aid course and become certified in CPR and AED use, as well as in basic first aid skills.
4. Create a medical information sheet for each member of the family.  Keep one copy of these sheets on your computer and have each family member carry their own sheet in their wallet.  Information on this sheet should include: birth date, allergies, medical history, current list of prescription and over the counter medications, physician's name and phone number, etc.
5. For elderly or medically fragile folks, the medical info sheet listed above should also be kept on the refrigerator or near their bed (ditto if they have a DNR--Do Not Resuscitate--order).
6. Make sure you have a good selection of medical reference books in your home library.  While there are plenty of good medical reference books to download to your computer or phone, it is also nice to have hard copies in the event of an extended power outage.
7. Be proactive and take care of your health so that needing medical care for chronic health problems is not needed.  Stay active and fit, eat nutritious food, take your vitamins, visit your doctor for an annual physical, etc.
8. If you have the opportunity to get advanced medical training--everything from EMT classes or outdoor medicine classes to paramedic or RN courses--take the opportunity; the things you learn can be extremely valuable during a disaster.
9. Learn a range of home remedies.  Many small medical problems can be handled at home so learning and practicing the basics--Heimlich Maneuver, how to stop bleeding, how to take care of someone sick with the flu, etc--can not only save you money but can also be valuable during a disaster if medical care isn't available.
10. Volunteer at a medical facility or for a medical-related community event.  This will give you some good connections to the medical community, you will gain valuable information and/or training, and you may even end up with some useful freebies.

Prep Tip #2: Your First Aid Kit

While the media-fueled hype now makes many people think that prepared folks=survivalists=maniacal mass shooters, the reality is much less exciting than that.  Prepared folks = someone like this lady.  One of the most basic ways to start getting prepared is to get your first aid kit together because a) when you are sick, the last thing you feel like doing is heading out to shop for medical supplies and b) when you are sick the public appreciates you keeping your germs to yourself and not infecting others by going out where other people congregate like stores.
So, now that we know we need to take care of our own minor medical maladies, this is what you need:

• An EDC mini first aid kit.  Mine includes two bandaids, a needle, an alcohol wipe, and a packet of aspirin.  Simple, but this covers most everyday health problems (headaches, cuts, etc).
• A car first aid kit (and one for your boat/RV too).  Any time you are away from home, you are away from the first aid supplies found in your home so it makes sense to carry a few indispensable first aid supplies along with you when you hit the road (or the lake).  Again, this will include the basics such as bandaids, alcohol wipes, aspirin/Tylenol, but also an instant ice pack, antibiotic first aid ointment, sunscreen, Benadryl, etc.  Basically the things you would need if you can't get any medical supplies for a few hours or more.
• A travel first aid kit.  I carry a travel first aid kit with my travel gear and this bag is fairly comprehensive and fairly well used.  Besides helping myself out when traveling off the beaten track, I've often used the items included in this kit for the locals as well.  Depending on where you travel to, you may want to add to the basics listed above and include a supply of oral antibiotics, prescription pain killers, acidophilous (takes care of most stomach problems), rehydration salts, Thera flu (I swear by that stuff), cough drops, gauze and tape, Imodium, tweezers, scalpel, etc.  
• A home first aid kit.  My home first aid kit is less comprehensive than my travel first aid kit because medical care is fairly easy to access where I live.  I still, however, keep a goodly supply of common first aid items including: aspirin, acetaminophen, NSAIDs, Thera flu, Benadryl, sunscreen, Noxzema (for sun burns), bandaids/gauze/tape, antibiotic creme, peroxide, rubbing alcohol, tweezers, razor, etc. 

There are plenty of good lists online of items to put in your first aid kit so I won't take up space here restating what is already available but the main points to remember when stocking your first aid kit is to stock items you usually use and are familiar with, stock items you know how to use (if you do decide to get all fancy and decide to add ET tubes and a bone gun, don't use these items if you aren't trained to use them--however in a disaster trained medical professionals will probably appreciate such items if there happens to be a shortage so there is that), and don't forget the medical supplies your grandmother might have used: nutritious, easily prepared food, herbal tea, and home remedies (again, herbal medicine is easy enough to grow or forage yourself but you need to know how to use these items).  It is also a good idea to have cash on hand, personal relationships with a variety of medical professionals, and an eye towards prevention so you won't need to use your medical kits in the first place.

Prep Tip #1: Every Day Carry

One of my resolutions for this year is to pay more attention to this blog.  I intend to give you a "to do" topic daily which revolves around survival/prepping stuff, of course interspersed with other posts depending on what is happening in the world.

First, a wish for you and your family to have a truly stellar 2013.  Yes, you should be prepared for anything, but it is also a good idea to enjoy yourself and look forward to good things happening (aka 'hope for the best but plan for the worst').

With that in mind, one of the best ways to head off small problems is to have your everyday carry (EDC) stuff be as useful as possible.  We all carry stuff with us every day, from the minimal (wallet and cell phone) to the extreme (some people's EDC gear, as well as some women's purses, look like they plan to head out and never return!).

In the last post, I suggested a range of items that people may consider carrying for their EDC.  By no means should you carry all of that stuff (for that we will talk about BOBs later), but you do want to carry things that will be useful in multiple situations.  So your task for today is to lay out all of your EDC stuff and review it.  Consider the following questions when you look at each item:

• Is this item truly useful or do I just carry it because it looks cool?
• Is there another item that can be had that would replace two or more of the items I usually carry?
• Does the potential usefulness of certain not-often-used items override the fact that they would only be useful in very specific situations?
• Is this item the best quality that I can afford?  A folding knife from the $1 Store is fine if that is all you can afford but as soon as you can afford better, you will want to buy a better quality knife.
• Which other items do I find myself needing often yet haven't included with my current EDC? 
• Which items are dead weight? Get ride of these items.
• Are my EDC items, collectively, the most minimal that I can make do with? Again, you don't want to drag along a full backpack of stuff if you don't absolutely need each and every item in the pack on a fairly regular basis.

Since you will rely on your EDC stuff much more than most other survival/prep items, you want to make sure that the things you carry on a daily basis are the best and most useful that you can find.