Getting Your Important Documents in Order

A big part of being prepared has to do with being able to get your hands on important documents when you need them.  If your SO dies, if your house ends up underwater (literally), if you end up on life support, if you need to exit the country quickly...the number of "what ifs" is long but the short answer to these problems is to have the documents you need, when you need them.

First, here are the documents you need:

• Your Will
• Your Living Will
• Your medical power of attorney
• Birth certificates/baptism records (of all family members)
• Death certificates (for any family members)
• Citizenship/immigration papers
• Your marriage certificate
• Final disposition on any legal cases (divorce decrees, bankruptcy filings, adoptions, criminal cases, civil cases, etc)
• Passports (for all family members)
• Insurance documents (home, life, health, auto)
• Education records/professional licenses
• Military service records
• Property titles (for cars, boats, homes, etc)
• Investment and pension records (bearer bonds, stock certificates, 401k, pension plans, etc)
• Household inventory
• Medical records/current prescription records/immunization records
• Driver's license, social security card, concealed carry license
• Financial records (bank info, credit card info, prior years' tax returns, private loan documentation, etc)
• Proof of ownership (patents, copyrights, burial lots, etc)
• "Lost kit" for each family member (include recent photos, photos of identifying marks, fingerprints, DNA sample, height/weight/eye color/hair color)

Then, you need to scan all of these items into your computer:

• Scan copies of these items into a password protected file on your computer
• Buy or borrow a scanner (you can use one at the library but you probably don't want all of your sensitive documents laying about where others can see them)

Then you need to back up these files which reside on your computer:

• Some people swear by backing up things to the cloud; I don't recommend this
• Back up all of these files to a secure thumb drive then put this thumb drive in a secure place
• Or you can back up these files to an external hard drive (which, of course, will need to be kept in a secure location)

Then you need to place these documents where they are secure and where you can access them quickly if needed (note all of these locations have positive and negative attributes):

• A waterproof, fireproof, hidden home safe
• A private vault
• A safe deposit box
• A secure, hidden cache

101 Prepper Tasks

Now that we are starting from the beginning again, I figured I would lay out a "syllabus" of sorts for the tasks that we will be working on.  Here are the first 101 prepper tasks we will go over in future posts:

1. I have a mini emergency fund of $2000 in cash--half kept at home, half kept in the bank.
2. I am debt free including my credit cards, cars, student loans, and home.
3. My EDC (everyday carry) stuff is streamlined and of good quality.
4. I exercise every day.
5. I have a basically good diet every day.
6. I have regular medical exams, have my vaccinations updated, and take my medications as directed.
7. I have done a personal threat assessment which will allow me to focus on specific threats to the area in which I live.
8. I have a fully funded emergency fund which can easily cover six months of living expenses.
9. I have a BOB (bug out bag) which will allow me to be totally self sustaining for a week.
10. I have a six to twelve month stockpile of food at my home.
11. I have a stockpile of water in my home.
12. I have a comprehensive first aid kit at my home.
13. I have done a thorough home safety assessment and made corrections to ensure my family's safety.
14. I have experience camping/backpacking in all conditions.
15. I have firearms and ammo stockpiled (and the knowledge to use these items).
16. I have multiple sources of income.
17. I have a disaster communications plan.
18. I have an evacuation plan.
19. I hold regular fire drills and lock down drills for me and my family.
20. I have a valid passport.
21. I have a disaster plan for my pets.
22. I have a disaster plan for anyone who is dependent on me (children, elderly relatives, an ill family member, etc).
23. I have multiple means of communication.
24. I have multiple means of heating my home.
25. I have multiple sources of water.
26. I am familiar with multiple ways to purify water.
27. I have multiple means of cooking food and heating water if needed.
28. I have multiple ways to make fire.
29. My car in in excellent repair and includes a comprehensive car emergency kit.
30. I have multiple means of transportation at my disposal.
31. I have advanced medical training.
32. I am active in clubs that will increase my skills (HAM radio, shooting, Search and Rescue, hiking, etc).
33. I have friends and family I can count on when I am in desperate straights.
34. I am technically savvy.
35. I take precautions to prevent identity theft.
36. I have taken steps to increase the security of my home.
37. I have a garden that allows me to produce some of the food I need.
38. I can raise animals for food if needed.
39. I know how to cook from scratch.
40. I know how to forage for wild food.
41. I know how to fish.
42. I know how to hunt.
43. I know how to dress animals and fish that I have caught.
44. I know how to preserve an animal hide as well as other old time skills that are rarely practiced today.
45. I can improvise my own survival gear if needed.
46. I know how to can, dry, freeze, pickle and otherwise preserve food for future use.
47. I am familiar with multiple ways to signal for help.
48. I keep up with the news (international news, national news, and news that affects my area).
49. I know how to use a variety of items to defend myself (pepper spray, knife, bow and arrow, taser, etc).
50. I know how to navigate with a map and compass.
51. I know how to navigate with a GPS device.
52. My library includes many books that would be useful in a survival situation.
53. I regularly put myself in situations where I can test my survival skills.
54. I am well acquainted with the area in which I live (including water sources, evacuation routes, common game and wild edibles, etc).
55. I know how to grow and use medicinal herbs.
56. I know how to make primitive weapons and snares.
57. I keep inventories of my food, camping gear, household supplies, etc. and ensure missing items are regularly replaced.
58. I am always observant and regularly practice situation awareness.
59. I am familiar with my children's school's disaster plan.
60. I have a range of quality tools (for gardening, for camping, etc).
61. I am continually increasing my job skills.
62. I am familiar with survival skills required in a variety of zones (desert, arctic, jungle, etc).
63. I avoid legal entanglements as much as possible (no DUIs, court actions, etc).
64. My spouse and children are on board with prepping so we can operate as a family unit during a disaster.
65. I have learned advanced tactical skills.
66. I practice with my firearms regularly.
67. I know how to reload my own ammo.
68. I regularly practice unarmed combat techniques (karate, krav maga, etc).
69. I am familiar with old fashioned ways of predicting the weather.
70. I know how to handle wilderness dangers (bears, hypothermia, getting lost, etc).
71. I know how to handle urban dangers (dangerous places, threatening people, etc).
72. I have ensured that my workplace is as safe as possible.
73. I am skilled at bartering and trading.
74. I have multiple items I could use for cash (money, credit cards, gold, silver, jewelry, etc).
75. I am extremely careful with how I use social media.
76. I could disappear completely within 24 hours if necessary.
77. I am familiar with NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) preps.
78. I am familiar with and train with any advanced survival items I purchase.
79. I have a safe in my home.
80. I have a safe room in my home.
81. I know basic carpentry skills.
82. I know basic electrical skills.
83. I know basic plumbing skills.
84. I have quality clothing and footwear that will allow me to remain comfortable in all weather conditions.
85. I travel nationally and internationally regularly.
86. I have a variety of transportation skills (boating, off roading, mountain biking, etc).
87. I have very good interpersonal skills.
88. I work and train with a preparedness team who have agreed to help each other out during a disaster.
89. I am familiar with caches, drops, ciphers, lock picking, and other clandestine skills.
90. I am familiar with my city, county, and state disaster plans (as well as shelter locations, siren warnings, alerts, etc).
91. I have comprehensive insurance including health insurance, car insurance, home insurance, and life insurance.
92. I have a Will, Living Will, Medical Power of attorney, etc.
93. I have "when I die" instructions for my next of kin.
94. I have secure, off-site storage for important items.
95. I have advanced driving skills.
96. I have an attorney and physician on speed dial.
97. I live a low profile life.
98. I seek out and learn from people who have greater skills than myself (and the corollary, I never stop learning).
99. I make safety an everyday part of my life (wear a seat belt, wear a helmet, avoid dangerous places, etc).
100. I don't brag about my skills or my preps (ie: I don't want people showing up at my door when TSHTF).
101. I have a life (other than prepping).

A Mass Shooting, A Mass Shooting, A Budget Showdown, and More

For today, a bit of a rant...

• The mass shooting in Washington DC was (no surprise here) committed by someone who by many accounts seemed to have some serious mental health issues.  When will the powers that be stop wasting their banning efforts on the means of killing and start working on the real problem?  Thousands of people are killed each year by drunk drivers but you don't see people trying to ban cars or alcohol.  tldr; the mental health care system in the US sucks.
• There was another mass shooting, this time in Chicago yesterday which barely made the evening news.  It happened in Chicago, after all, the south side, of course, and the shooters and victims were black.  Unfortunately these circumstances make it an almost non-issue, never mind that Chicago has one of the strictest gun control laws in the country (a lot of good that does), never mind that when a non-black shoots a black person it is raised to the level of a national incident but when blacks shoot blacks, Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton are nowhere in sight.  And the first comment on the news article was spot on--why was a baby out late at night in a park anyway?  tldr; black people need to stop shooting black people which isn't a racist comment it is a factual, statistically accurate comment.  Also, gun bans don't work.
• A budget showdown is looming in Congress which promises to set the stage for a lot of (useless) posturing by the Republicans and Democrats.  There will be lots of finger pointing, lots of debate about who is right, and lots of "set up" for the upcoming elections.  Of course this has to be someone's fault so one party or the other will get the blame and Obamacare may or may not make it out alive, so to speak, but the bottom line is that the government is in debt, congress continues to spend like, well, congress, and and yet another unfunded mandate (Obamacare) is put on the table as something that must get done--never mind that there IS NO MONEY to pay for this program and never mind that the government has no idea how to run a business profitably (see US postal service, social security, etc).
• And a few more rants: the irresponsible parents rant (this story), the who gives a crap rant (this story), and the WTF were they thinking rant (this story).

We will resume our normally scheduled programming tomorrow...

We Interrupt Our Regular Programming...To Talk About Disasters

Today's post was going to be about Bug Out Bags or some other useful bit of preparedness information but there are two disasters making news that need to be addressed.

I'll discuss the shooting in Washington DC tomorrow as information is still coming in and it is kind of useless to make suppositions when there is very little actual information available as of yet.

So today we will talk about the flooding that is hammering Colorado.  Here's some things to consider:

• Even if you live in an area that is NOT prone to flooding, you should do a bit of research to learn about the dangers of floods and flash floods.  One of the areas that was flooded in Colorado was said to have experienced a "1000 year flood".  Obviously no one would be prepared for such a thing but learning what to do in such a highly unlikely event is good to know.
• Pay attention to the news.  In the event of a pending flood, the news (radio, TV, online, even alerts on your cell phone) will provide continually updated information on what is happening, what to expect, and what to do (such as evacuation).
• You should always be prepared to evacuate at a moments notice (not only for floods but for tornadoes, chemical spills, etc).  We will discuss evacuating in a future post.  See how helpful your emergency fund would be in this situation?
• When the message comes to evacuate, GO!  There were many people who decided not to evacuate when told to and, while that is their prerogative, that also means they shouldn't call 911 for assistance later on when things get really bad.  If you are told to go, go.  Don't make someone else risk their life to help you because you decided that you would be equal to mother nature (you aren't).
• Have a place to evacuate to.  While communities will set up shelters for evacuees, if you have another place to go, that may be a better option (not only does it leave space for those with absolutely nowhere else to go, but living in a shelter isn't all that pleasant).
• Don't forget to take important things with you when you evacuate (medications since pharmacies may be closed, important documents, heirlooms that can't be replaced, etc).
• Make sure you will be taken care of after the disaster.  This includes having comprehensive insurance coverage and making a home inventory BEFORE disaster strikes.
• Have a communications plan.  In the event of a disaster, communication with loved ones becomes very important.  This can be difficult when all lines of communication are down so determine ahead of time how to communicate with family members who may be searching for you (a HAM radio may be your only option immediately after a disaster, the Red Cross or Google "people finder" can also be useful).
• Find out what assistance is available after a disaster.  This can range from FEMA disaster assistance to dispersal points for donations of food and water to information on clean up.  Your local newspaper, your local department of emergency management, or Red Cross office will usually provide this information.
• Finally, flood water is nothing to mess with.  Don't walk in it, swim in it, drive in it, etc.  Flood water kills many people each year, usually due to rapidly rising, rapidly moving water that catches people unaware.  Don't become a victim.

And here are more tips to prepare for a flood:

• FloodSmart Preps
• FEMA flood info
• SFFWF flood info
• Nat Geo Flood Tips
• Red Cross Flood Checklist

Get Out of Debt

So far we have covered quite a few things that don't seem all that much survival/preparedness-related.  Things like walking and hiking and making sure to have an emergency fund and reviewing the things you carry with you on a daily basis all sound pretty boring compared to the cool things that most survivalists do.  We are, however, building a foundation on which your long term survival depends.

Today's lesson--on getting out of debt--is perhaps one of the most important things you can do to ensure the long-term survivability of yourself and your family.  When you have the weigh of massive debt on your shoulders, you can't do much else besides worry about how you are going to pay for it (and the stress from this can't be good for your health).  When you have debt you are tied to a job that you may or may not like, you fight more with your spouse, you have to walk through the sporting goods department with blinders on because you can't afford anything you see anyway, and you can't even stock an extra week's worth of food because that money is already destined to pay interest on your debt.

When you have no debt (this means no credit card bills, loan bills, student loan bills, car payments, and yes, even house payments) you will have a sense of freedom that most people can not even imagine.  Job loss will be a mere blip on you your radar, hardly anything to worry about.  Picking up and moving your family from the site of a natural disaster which was formerly your town will be sad but not overly problematic.  You will have LOTS and LOTS of cash left over from each paycheck to do with as you will (which means buying some cool survival gear, buying a few extra cases of canned good to add to your stockpile, and buying ammo when it comes available instead of 'waiting til next time').  Your stress level will significantly decrease, the relationship with your spouse will significantly increase, and you will set an amazing example for your kids that could influence them for a lifetime.

Here's how to get out of debt:

• Follow Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps
• Listen or watch the Dave Ramsey show every day
• Follow the debt snowball plan
• Get gazelle intense
• Get inspired

By now you can tell I am a big fan of Dave Ramsey.  I like his "system" because it isn't a system.  It is common sense about money that never changes despite what the economy is doing.  It is someone telling you that YOU are responsible for your debt and that, yes, it is possible for YOU to be debt free by taking responsibility for your actions (no one wants to hear this but it is quite true.  Plus there are no other systems for getting out of debt other than plain old hard work).

So your task for today is to take the first steps towards getting out of debt.  Pick your smallest debt, list something on ebay or Craigslist or sell your blood or throw together a garage sale, put all of the proceeds from the sale towards your smallest debt, and you will be well on your way towards becoming debt free.

Everyday Carry (or EDC for Us Preppers)

One of the most basic ways to start getting prepared (besides looking at your health and getting a bit of exercise) is to create a useful EDC pack.

Most of us give little thought to the things we need to carry everyday--keys, check; cell phone, check; wallet, check; big-assed purse that you could flatten a bear with, double check.  There is a happy medium, however, between bringing EB-BOB (everything but the Bug Out Bag) and bringing nothing that could be used in a survival emergency.  Here's how you want to create your EDC pack:

• Bring the basics, of course: keys, wallet, cell phone
• Bring things that you find a need for frequently: small packet of aspirin, pen, business cards, sunglasses, packet of tissue, small notebook, wet wipes, bandaids, floss, pocketknife, USB drive with all of your files backed up on it, etc 
• Bring things that you personally find useful: laptop, digital camera, makeup, feminine hygiene products, tablet, firearm, condoms, cell phone charging cord, etc
• Bring things specific to your location/duration of time away from home: lunch/granola bar, bottle of water, umbrella, jacket, small toothbrush/paste, etc.
• Bring things that can be useful in a survival situation: small flashlight, alcohol wipes (good for scrapes, good as a fire starter), lighter (even if you don't smoke), etc. 
• Bring cash.  Even if you always use your debit/credit card, cash and coins have their uses so it is always a good idea to carry a bit of both.
• Bring something to carry it in: backpack, briefcase, purse, pants pockets, messenger bag, etc
• Remember to make these things as small, lightweight, and easy to carry as possible (ie: you don't need to bring an entire bottle of aspirin when a packet or two will do; you don't need your full-sized .45 when a small, concealable .380 will suffice; you don't need to bring a DSLR camera--unless you are a photographer--when the camera on your cell phone will work for your purposes)
• There is (almost) no reason your EDC kit should weigh 20 pounds!
• There is also no need to buy THE MOST EXPENSIVE ITEMS for this kit unless you a) have a lot of extra money you don't need, b) have used the items in your kit long enough to know for sure that an upgrade is a good investment, or c) can acquire these expensive items cheaply enough that it doesn't dent your wallet too bad
• Finally, there is A LOT of cool EDC gear out there with more being introduced everyday.  While it may be tempting to buy every item that comes down the pike, look at your needs logically.  Yes, a tactical pen is cool and could be useful in certain situations but the possibility of you needing to stab someone should be quite infinitesimal (I hope).  Your money may be better spent on other items (like you food stockpile which we will discuss later).

My EDC is continually being refined.  When I used to live in the Pacific Northwest, commuted long distances for work, and would often find myself on an impromptu hike/boat ride/etc, my EDC was different/much more robust than it is now as a retiree who seldom wanders far from home (unless I am hiking which is a whole other kind of kit).  A commuter in Boston would have a different EDC set up than a college kid in San Diego.  The idea is to bring stuff that is necessary to you followed by a few items that you may never need but would come in handy in an emergency (I never need aspirin but have given lots of it away to others, I carry a small flashlight that I have never needed to use to escape from a dark place but which lights up menus in dark restaurants quite well, my pocketknife has been used more times than anything else I carry, I wouldn't carry a toothbrush but plenty of office workers seem to do this, and carrying a concealed weapon is a whole other blog post but is part of your EDC if you choose to carry).

To get some ideas on what others carry for EDC purposes, check here, here, and here.

Your Personal Threat Assessment

When you are planning for disaster, it's a good idea to take a minute (or ten) and figure out just what kind of disasters you are planning for.  When many people begin prepping, they often go out and start by spending a lot of money on prepping gear they see others collecting--rifles, ammo, Ghilli suits(?!), expensive generators--basically the typical "prepper stuff" that, quite honestly, you probably won't ever use.

A better way to go about planning--so you get a good picture of your actual needs and as a way to spend your money wisely--is to determine what the most likely threats facing you are before you start buying stuff.

Take a look at these possible threats and write down a list of which threats pertain to you and your family:

• Weather (hurricanes, tornadoes, winter storms, flooding, extreme heat)
• Man-made disasters (plane crash, chemical spill, fire, grid failure, nuclear disaster, environmental disaster, biological disaster)
• Natural disasters (landslides, wildfires, earthquake, tsunami, volcanic eruption)
• Violence (home invasion robbery, school shooting, random street violence)
• Financial disaster (job loss, economic collapse, loss of pension/retirement savings, debt)
• Family crisis (divorce, serious illness, death of family member)
• TEOWAWKI (no power, no water, no fuel, no police services, no medical services, no food, war)

Next put the items on your list in order from most likely to least likely.  TEOTWAWKI is probably way down on the bottom of your list while debt and winter storms are most likely at the top of your list.  My list looks like this:

• Extreme heat (in summer, here in Las Vegas)
• Flooding (it happens to be monsoon season here)
• Plane crash (planes fly low over the city all day and night)
• Home invasion robbery (always a possibility)
• Random street violence (ditto)
• Economic collapse/loss of pension and Social Security
• Serious illness
• Death of a spouse
• Grid failure (loss of power, loss of water)

Notice that a lot of the disasters in the first list didn't make it to my list:  school shooting (we have no kids in school), hurricanes (these don't happen in Las Vegas), debt (we don't have debt), volcanic eruption (no volcanoes here), NBC disaster (a very slight possibility but very unlikely as there are no chemical/biological warfare/nuclear warheads nearby...that I know of, here), job loss (we're retired).

You can now focus your preps based on your list, from most likely disaster, to least likely.  In my case:

• Extreme heat: we have an AC system that is maintained regularly, fans, a freezer full of ice, and know how to open the house when it is cool and shut up the house when it is hot to keep the heat out.
• Flooding: after a year of keeping track of how flooding goes here during monsoon season, I have noticed that the area where we live has been designed to move rain water to a wash near our house.  Landscaping also helps, as well as the ability to make sandbags if necessary.
• Plane crash: there isn't much we can do.  Fortunately the planes don't go directly over our house but this is still a random disaster than could affect everyone in the city (first aid training helps...minutely).
• Home invasion robbery:  we have taken security measures around our home, don't answer the door to people we don't know, if we sell something on Craigslist we meet the buyer elsewhere, and we have firearms within reach at all times.
• Random street violence:  I carry concealed occasionally, we generally avoid crowds, I am always aware of my surroundings and tend to watch any people within the vicinity, and I wouldn't hesitate to confront physical violence with physical violence (obviously a last resort). 
• Loss of pension and social security:  This would be a problem as these two sources of income make up the bulk of our monthly income however we have a sizable emergency fund, are debt free so can live on very little, and I have multiple small sources of income.
• Serious illness: as we get older, this becomes more of a possibility.  Fortunately we have exceptional health insurance which alleviates the financial burden of a serious illness, we have an emergency fund (a serious illness usually necessitates many trips to the hospital/doctor, possible extended care, etc), we have our Wills/Power of Attorney in order, and we take steps to keep ourselves in good health (exercise, nutritious food, no stress, etc).
• Death of a spouse: again, this becomes an issue as we get older.  We have our Wills/Power of Attorney in order, I have a list of things for the spouse to do should I die (and a similar list for the opposite), our cremations/funerals are pre-planned and paid for, and insurance is up to date.
• Grid failure: loss of power would be disastrous here (especially during the summer) as would the loss of water (it's a desert here after all).  To mitigate these possibilities we store an inordinate amount of water and have alternatives for heating and cooking.  We don't have a generator as I don't think this is necessary here and storing the extra fuel needed for it would be difficult (although for some people who lose power regularly all winter this would be a necessity and storing fuel would be less of an issue).

Besides these basic preps for the most common disasters we are likely to encounter, there are some basic general preps that would help in any disaster (having a BOB at the ready, an evacuation plan, etc...which shall be covered in later posts).

Take a Hike!

Following on the heels of yesterday's post, I wanted to suggest that once you get into the habit of walking, you expand your efforts to day hiking.
Walking is a simple exercise that is great for overall health but day hiking can be even more rewarding.  Not only do you get the benefit of walking (actually the added benefit of walking on uneven surfaces, killer hills, and the occasional scramble/bouldering effort) but you get out in nature, take your first tentative steps towards more in-depth outdoor activities (like camping and hiking), learn some valuable skills (wayfinding, etc), and develop a number of skills that will help you in a survival/disaster situation.
To begin hiking, you can hit the trails that are nearest to where you live.  Most areas have parks, nature trails, or other areas developed for walking and hiking that are perfect for beginners.  After you get comfortable in these locations you should then consider day hiking in local wilderness areas which will offer even more of a challenge.
Of course there are a few cautionary warnings, namely, be aware of your surroundings (pay attention and watch for animals, snakes, people, etc), don't get lost (use a map, go with a group, stay on marked trails), and come prepared.  Here's what you need for a simple day hike:

• Comfortable walking shoes
• A daypack or fanny pack
• Trekking poles
• Bottle or two of water
• Sunglasses
• A sun hat or hat and gloves (depending on the weather)
• Sunscreen
• Coins and cash
• Matches/lighter 
• Flashlight with good batteries 
• Rubberband/safety pin/zipties
• Pocketknife
• Lunch/granola bars/snacks
• Tissue
• Compass/whistle/magnifying glass
• Wet wipes
• Bandanna
• Packet of aspirin/bandaids/alcohol wipes
• Emergency blanket
• Floss
• Poncho
• Paracord
• Paper and pen
• Map and/or GPS device
• Wallet/cell phone/keys
• Camera
• Appropriate clothing/jacket
• Firearm (optional)

You may be thinking that a lot of these things are overkill for a simple day hike and if you are walking a circuit around your local park you may not need all of these items but if you head out to the actual wilderness for a day hike, you definitely want to carry all of these items.  Most will pack down quite small and all will be useful in the event of an emergency.  Here's a bit more info to get your started:

• To find locals to hike with, Google hiking groups and you location (where I live there are a half dozen hiking groups including a couple of Meet Up groups, a seniors only hiking group, and daily hikes organized and guided by the local park service).
• Check out this link to find trails near your home.  You can also Google hiking trails and your area to get a list of hiking sites and trail lists.
• Check with your local outfitter (REI, less likely, Walmart) for info on local trails and local hiking groups.
• Don't wait until you have gear that would make an AT hiker envious before you start.  You can gather the above gear at your local thrift store, Dollar Store, and Walmart and get started immediately.  Once you know what you are doing and learn what features you want in your gear, then you can hit up REI and/or incrementally build your gear cache until it is the envy of all of the hikers on the trail. 

Your Sick Kit

Now that we are starting to get prepared based on most likely disaster scenario (financial emergency) to least likely scenario (TEOTWAWKI...and yes, we will get to this), it's time to put together a "sick kit" as it is nearly a sure bet that you or someone in your family will end up with anyything from the common cold to the flu this season and, of course, you want to be prepared.

• Your emergency fund, is, of course, necessary to your sick kit.  A week off work, flat on your back with the flu and no sick leave will probably require the use of this fund.
• Stockpile some canned soup (when you feel like crap, you don't feel like cooking so soup is a good alternative).  Soup is cheap and can be stored for years.  Ditto for ginger tea and other home remedies that you use when you are sick (ie: you don't want to drag your infectious carcass out to the grocery store when you have a 102 degree temperature so prepare ahead).
• Get a basic first aid kit together (more on putting together a comprehensive first aid kit in a future post).  The basics for your "sick kit" include a thermometer, Tylenol, cough drops, acidophilous, and Thera flu (I swear by this stuff).  Cold and flu relief usually falls to symptom relief so store the medications that can relieve your cold and flu symptoms like decongestants, aspirin, etc.
• Stockpile a half dozen boxes of Kleenex (you may rarely ever use Kleenex but when you come down with the common cold, you can run through boxes of them)
• Practice good hygiene ahead of time.  A lot of avoiding cold or flu germs involves avoidance of sick people.  Don't touch your face/eyes/nose/mouth with your unclean hands.  Stand a bit distant from people who are coughing/sneezing/etc.  Wash your hands regularly and often with soap and water.  Be aware that the stuff you touch (office phone, keyboard, etc) can have other people's cold germs on it.
• Live a basically healthy life that can help you avoid getting sick in the first place: plenty of rest, exercise, nutritious food, etc.
• Get a flu shot, especially if you are in a high-risk category (a teacher, a nurse, etc)
• If you have a chronic health condition, ask your doctor how to prepare for a cold or the flu (diabetics and others with serious health conditions will need to take more care when they get sick)
• Get professional help if needed.  For the majority of people, the only thing you can do when you are sick is to let the virus run its course, however, if you are REALLY REALLY sick you should seek emergency help (this includes having shortness of breath, severe headache, chest pain, symptoms that go on for an extended period of time, or other severe symptoms)

Get Walking

Now that your finances are off to a good start (yesterday's post), it is time to get busy working on your health.  The very simplest way to improve your health is to exercise.  The very simplest way to do that is to walk.  You don't need to join a gym, commit to hours of workouts each day, or dress up in neon spandex and run with the masses.  All you have to do is put on a pair of shoes and start walking.  You can walk around the block, walk around your work site, walk down trails in your town, or walk around your city/county/town/waterfront/etc.
Not only will you feel better if you walk everyday, you will make some pretty spectacular physiological changes which can lead to a happier, healthier life (and give you the strength, stamina, and mental clarity that would be very useful if you do end up facing a major disaster).
So your second task (after starting your emergency fund) towards becoming prepared for anything is to commit to walking everyday.

• Walk 30 to 60 minutes a day; preferably outside in fresh air on a variety of surfaces with hills and flats (barring that possibility, a treadmill would be OK).
• Get a good pair of walking shoes (although any pair of comfortable shoes will work, if you are serious about walking, shoes made specifically for walking will make a huge difference in your comfort).
• Dress for the weather (obviously)
• Find a walking group if you like (like this one)
• Set some walking goals (X miles per day/week/month)
• Take a small daypack with you if necessary (to carry your wallet, keys, bottle of water, etc)
• Be aware of your safety at all times (cross at crosswalks, beware of walking in secluded areas alone, maybe carry a walking stick or Mace to fend off dogs, etc)

Your First Step to Disaster Preparedness

Although 99% of the survival and preparedness articles you will read will tell you that you need this gun, those MREs, and that security system to help you prepare for a disaster, the simple fact is that in 99% of your everyday disasters, the only thing you need to help get you through it is cash.

Granted cash won't help much when there is a burglar coming through your window in the middle of the night or when there is a poisonous gas leak in your town but on the other hand, the chances of those and similar disasters happening is minusculely low.  You can pretty much guarantee, however, that sometime in the near future you WILL have a disaster.  It may not threaten your life or scare the bejesus out of you but it will inconvenience, embarrass, or otherwise make your everyday living unpleasant.

What happens if you run out of gas on the way to work?  What happens if your furnace conks out just as the first blast of winter hits?  What happens if your parent/child/best friend has a major crisis which requires your presence and they live on the other side of the country?  With no emergency fund, you would be SOL in these cases.

So your first step in disaster preparedness is to gather an emergency fund as quickly as possible.  $1000 kept (securely) in your home and $1000 kept in your bank is what you need to start.  A total of $2000 in savings may seem a formidable task but you can do it and you can do it quickly if properly motivated.

This is just a starter emergency fund (a future task will be to gather a large enough emergency fund to see you through a year-long disaster).  If you have debt, if you have no other preparedness items stocked, if you are just starting out to prepare yourself and your family for disaster, this small emergency fund will be the first building block of your disaster plan.

And some other things:

• Be sure to keep half the money at home for immediate financial disasters (keep it somewhere hidden and safe!).
• Be sure to keep the other half of the money in the bank (you don't want too much money kept in your insecure home).
• If you need help/motivation getting this money together, check here.
• DO NOT spend this money on anything other than a true emergency (tickets to your local NFL home game isn't a true emergency).
• If you do have an emergency and use some of your emergency fund, your next immediate task is to replace the money you used.