5 Items to Have in Your Possession...That Aren't Associated With Your Name

It is ridiculously easy to track people these days.  Chances are at least of a few of your possessions unobtrusively track your every move without you even realizing it.  You may want to consider making it a bit more difficult to be tracked by your possessions.

1. Have an assortment of firearms that aren't purchased, registered, or otherwise connected to your name.
2. Have a "burner" phone (a prepaid cell phone purchased with cash) and pre-paid "minutes" for your cell phone also purchased with cash (likewise, you don't want to log into your email or Facebook or otherwise associate yourself with the cell phone if you want to keep it truly private).
3. Many new digital cameras will invisibly mark each photo with the GPS location of where the photo was taken.  You may want to disable this feature and of course, not include yourself in any photos taken.
4. Basically everything you do on the internet allows you to be tracked either overtly (your every post on Facebook, your every utterance on Twitter) or covertly (browsing history, cache, and cookies on your computer).  Be sure to keep your computer/tablet as "clean" as possible or use an anonymous computer if necessary to avoid being tracked this way.
5. Shield your everyday life.  Your address, where you work, the license plate on your car, the RFID chip in your passport, the tattoos on your arm...consider all of the ways that you can be tracked and identified then set to work to disconnect yourself from these entities (ie: have a ghost address, a car registered under a LLC, have location independent work, shield any item that contains a chip, remove--or better yet don't get--tattoos or permanent markings on your body).

How To: Gather Info on a Local Disaster Fast

A few days ago we had a mini disaster in Las Vegas.  Turns out a couple of thugs decided to take their aggression out on the Las Vegas Strip, complete with racing cars and firing guns.  It culminated in an explosion, fire, and three deaths.  Generally when you hear that something is happening--whether from a breaking news announcement on TV, a text from a friend, or a Tweet from the fire department--your first instinct is to find out more.  Is the event happening in your neighborhood?  At a school or workplace of a family member?  Will it impact you, either by changing your route to work or creating the necessity to lock down your home or office?
In all of these cases, you want to find out as much information as quickly as possible.  Here's how:

• Check Twitter.  I follow a number of first responder agencies in our city, a few news outlets--both local and national--and when in doubt, I simply search the most likely terms in Twitter and can usually come up with people tweeting about what is going on.
• Check Reddit.  If your city/area has a subreddit, this is often one of the first places that people post "what the heck is going on?" posts quickly followed by others commenting on what they have heard/seen/know.
• Check your local news services.  This may include tuning in to TV news, checking the local newspapers online, or turning on your car's radio and picking up the local news.
• Check the national news.  If it is a big enough event, CNN and other national news services will probably pick up on it pretty quickly.
• Check with the appropriate agency.  If the event has to do with a fire, I can check out our local fire department's website/Facebook page/Twitter account.  If it is something larger--like a storm or earthquake--I would check with NOAA or the USGS website.
• Text a friend.  If you know an event is happening where you know a friend or family member may be, simply sending them a text may get you the answers you need.  Likewise, check their Facebook page/Twitter feed/Instagram/etc if they are likely to be posting instead of making them take the time to answer you back.

The bottom line is that you need to be able to gather pertinent information about a disaster as quickly as possible so that you will know how to respond.  Using these popular news and information sources can provide just the information you need even faster than traditional news outlets.

Hiking and More Hiking

I just noticed that I hadn't posted much in the last few weeks.  Of course there were some things to write about, namely the huge blizzard that hit folks on the east coast a few days ago, but with living in the desert southwest, cold, snowy days seem to be light years away from here.  Instead, I spend my days hiking in 60-70 degree weather (with the occasional 20 degree morning).  If you are new to a place, there is no better way to learn about the area than to walk with organized groups which will not only show you around unfamiliar trails, but also let you in on knowledge you may not otherwise gain.
To wit, you can usually find me hiking with these guys, these guys, and these guys with occasional forays into the Mt Charleston and Valley of Fire State Park areas.

This is what I carry for day hiking:

• Day pack (this one was picked up for $7.95 at Ross)
• Thin plastic rain poncho
• Mylar emergency blanket
• Notebook
• Pen/highlighter
• Zipties
• Rubberband
• Safety pin
• $1.50 in quarters/$20 cash
• Wet wipes
• Tylenol
• Alcohol pad
• Bandaids
• Floss
• Spare memory card for camera
• Matches
• Lighter
• Chapstick
• Suntan lotion
• Carabiner
• Thumb drive with backup files
• Ziploc bag
• Multi tool
• Pocket knife
• Flashlight
• Whistle/compass/magnifying glass combo
• Granola bar/candy
• Tissue packet
• Sunglasses
• Paracord
• Bandana
• Grippy gloves (useful for the cold and for bouldering)

Now shown:

• Clothing according to the weather, spare jacket
• Digital camera
• Cell phone
• Wallet
• Keys
• Bottle of water
• Lunch if the hike is longer than a couple of hours
• Small .380 handgun/extra magazine

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.