Is Your Emergency Cupboard Bare?

At this time of year it’s important to step back and review another kind of cupboard. If you can’t find one in your home it’s time to create one! It’s one that should really be maintained full at all times. But for some reason we seem to be willing to concentrate on it more now than when the sun was shining every day and parks, picnics and beaches filled our minds. I’m referring to your Emergency Cupboard.

So then, what is on the shelves of your emergency cupboard? Please note right away I am not talking about “home storage” and the “infamous” ten-thousand pounds of wheat you should have under your bed. (Isn’t that the rumor one always hears about? Well, close to it anyway.)

Before winter’s grip becomes a stranglehold, it’s time for you to realistically assess what you might come up against this winter – or even late fall as the storm season progresses in your part of the world. You need to be prepared with the solutions to these problems before they occur. In any winter emergency, whether at home or in the car, two of the biggest villains that may have to be conquered are the wet and cold, combined with lack of food (or foods that can be made edible). If one, let alone both of these factors exist, a simple problem can be compounded to critical intensity.

Let’s take a closer look at just what things you need to have on the shelves of this cupboard.
It is of vital concern that you have the proper resources to get dry – and then be able to stay dry. Keep in mind that layered clothing will prove to be warmer than a ski-type suit. A poncho, tarp, emergency blanket, or even a garbage bag with head and arm holes cut out, will help protect the body. Be sure to have a warm hat and gloves if exposure to severe weather is a probability. Emergency heat and light should also be considered as priorities as well.

Foods that require no refrigeration, little or no cooking and little preparation are an absolute must. It is extremely important to assess the individual needs of your household members. Will you be providing for an infant, elderly person or someone with a severe allergy? It will make a difference as to what kinds of food products you keep in your emergency cupboard.

Shop, read and compare to find the items with the versatility to meet your needs as well as staying within your budget. Do not be misled into complacency because you happen to have several candles and one container of canned heat.

I strongly recommend that you hold several practice sessions with whatever you have planned to use in an emergency. This definitely is not the kind of situation where you want to have on-the-job training. Practice sessions – without any cheating and relying on the “regular stuff” you have handy in the kitchen- could be a real eye-opener.

Begin listing items or products that will be essential to meet your needs during a winter or storm emergency. Assess your cupboards and closets for items you may already have on hand that will work without having to rely on regular utilities. Many things will function in a different scope than normally used when viewed with a different perspective.

It only takes moments to recognize that the purchase of some items may be necessary to have an emergency cupboard that can function properly. As you plan your monthly budget try including a specific amount to cover the costs of these items. It may mean that you spread the cost over several months. That’s okay, especially if you buy the most critical items first.

You can do it. Find the enthusiasm you need to keep going. Just imagine the feeling you will have when the thunder gets so loud you think your house is falling apart, the lightning is so bright it lights up the room in the daylight, and the rain coming down isn’t just rain, it’s a deluge; but you will have security in a box or cupboard. You will be able to know that you and yours will be okay because you put forth a little effort. It’s a great feeling! I know! Just keep the teddy bears handy- they work for one and all when the thunder gets really loud!

A Calendar Watch and Awareness to Boost Your Shopping Skills

As November comes into view get a tighter grip on your shopping skills as well as your shopping lists. Many retailers look forward to the day after Thanksgiving, because it hails as the biggest shopping day of the year. It competes stiffly with the day after Christmas, because in many ways it formally ushers in the Christmas shopping season. At least it used to, now many Christmas holiday promotions appeared on the shelves along with the Halloween ghosts and goblins, some even before. Most of us by this time will be well aware of the pressures of holiday buying. Therefore, this Calendar Watch and Awareness for November is to encourage you to intensify conscientious shopping skills, and of course enjoy doing so!

Holiday hype will continue to escalate in all areas. The word sale will appear more often with greater intensity and inferred urgency. Many stores and outlets will be capitalizing on the fact that a lot of us are experiencing difficult economic times. Ads will proclaim that the prices are truly lower and the bargains better now than they have been in a long time. A few may be, but I would suggest that most probably won’t be. Price awareness is an absolute must if your budget matters!

So that a “Scrooge” attitude does not mar your holiday happiness and shopping pleasure, plan in detail the amounts you can spend and in what category! Happily stick to your plan.
As the ads and media blitzes try to convince you that you may not be properly keeping up with what “they” say or show as the “only” way to have a perfect holiday, remember this key thought – ADVERTISING IS USUALLY NOT REALITY – even though you are expected to perceive it as such. Of course, all of our last names are not Jones or Smith (Apologies to all the legitimate Jones and Smiths) nor Prunewitz. A rule of thumb is to plan enthusiasm and fun into whatever amount that you do have. Zip? Give your time and caring as gift coupons and still count the blessing you do have. This is not an ethereal sermon – “been there, done that and wore out the T-shirt”.

A Bonus for Your Budget – Turkey!
Here is a bonus to the article and you can count it as a bonus for your budget.

As November and December are here we are once again going to see and hear the phrase, “It’s Turkey Time”. Whether you like it or not, commercially turkey has become totally integrated with the promotion of Thanksgiving and the holidays. But if you are a wise consumer, turkey can and should be a boon to the budget. As the seasonal sales progress a few pointers may help you recognize even greater bargains.

The nutrition in a C grade turkey is not much different than the one with extra fancy wrappings and self timer. But it’s almost a sure thing there will be a difference in price. The A grading on poultry simply indicates the bird has all of its parts and there are no observable flaws. Whereas a B grade may be just as delicious, but have a broken wing tip. If you personally prefer the kind with the self timer, it still is usually a bargain when compared with the price of other meats. Turkeys freeze well.

Generally you pay less per pound for larger turkeys; a 20 pound tom being cheaper than a ten pounder. You get more meat per proportion to carcass on the big ones. If a 20 pound turkey would be too large for you, ask someone in the meat department to cut it into halves and/or quarters. Wrap the pieces individually and freeze them. That way you will be able to take advantage of the savings. Keep in mind turkey and turkey sales are available year round now, with the most noticeable promotions at this time of year. Turkey parts are usually economical and create good tasting budget meals. Even the carcass of the turkey is a bargain when used for good old-fashioned turkey and noodle soup.

Have fun watching for the sales and finding the bargains. Remember the motto; the thrill is in the hunt.

Discover Great Grains and the Piggy Bank Too

Have you heard those old rumors about how good wheat is, or that wheat has it all? Wheat can be great, but I just discovered the Chinese Forbidden _________ … Oh, you have to wait a minute, because I have to go and get more paper and ink, the list for this article is so long …

What do the Squirrel Syndrome, Time Change and a List Have in Common?

I don’t know about you, but a few days ago when the news reporter said that summer was gone and fall is officially here, I almost choked. Good Grief, my to-do list for December is still not completed. That is last December, you realize.

If summer is officially over, that means it’s time for those fall reminders. Which brings up the question, what do the Squirrel Syndrome, time change and a list have in common?
If fall goes by as quickly as summer did, we could all be in deep trouble. When fall officially arrives, cold weather plays games as it comes and goes. About the time you get chilly you realize you had better do something. We, as people, become like the squirrels, scurrying about so that we can stash all kinds of things in our trees, only we call them closets. Well, if you follow that path, you could find yourself in a few situations you don’t want to be and don’t need to be. This could happen, if instead of well thought out planning and spending, your preparedness “supplies” are thrown together in a stash. This could bring temporary comfort, until the need arises for you to use whatever it is you have stashed, only to discover that it wasn’t what you needed. You got it because everyone else was scurrying and stashing, and it looked or sounded good when you saw it in their tree.

Not only should you be looking for Pumpkins, you should be looking toward being able to enjoy the cold weather and all that comes with it, such as power outages and no heat. “Enjoy it, you say? Well here she goes again. Barbara’s off on a tangent.”

Well the point is, wouldn’t you be able to enjoy a huge, cold storm, if you were inside, had heat and light and the windows were secure? That seems to be a no brainer, … except, when the storm comes if you have not done anything to keep you warm and snugly, then there is no enjoyment to be found anywhere in that stash in your closet or cupboard.

So now is the time to make that list and check it twice. (There is the list.) Start immediately to evaluate what the real needs might be. As you think of items that need to be replaced or acquired, write them down. Carry a small notebook all of the time to jot things down so that you can remember them. Once an item is jotted down doesn’t mean it’s an absolute purchase, it means you will check out all of the factors required before you purchase it.

Check out your area, especially if you have recently moved to a new climate or geographical area. Wherever you live, what kind of storms should you expect? How severe? How sturdy is your dwelling? What are the critical things that you need to acquire now so that you AND your household will make it through “a dark and stormy night – or days – or weeks”? Start now to gather those things one or two per payday or week. Place them together in the same place, where you can immediately find them, such as in a labeled box on an easily accessible shelf.

In what condition are your flashlights? How many do you have and how many do you really need? You should have at least one, that you know works, per household member. Remember the LED kind burn longer and brighter than the inexpensive “regular-plastic kind”.

What about thermals or extra sweat suits to keep you warm if there is not furnace heat available? How many pair of extra warm socks – not wool – does each of your family members have? Gloves? Warm hat? And so on …

What about a workable emergency- stove to be able to fix a warm meal or a pot of soup? The safety rule of thumb is that you cannot/should not use camping stoves in the house!
Do you live in an apartment, mobile home or house? Space or lack of will definitely affect the kinds of equipment you need to have on hand.

What do you have on hand to get you and yours through several days and/or nights of a total power outage? Seriously think about what that might mean and what areas it might include. I would wager if you start a serious list you will be surprised as to what you might have to deal with. I’ll give you a hint; it is a lot more than just trying to see in the dark. Consider the ages of you family members and what you might have to help them deal with if it is very dark for a long time. Think about how long three days of dark might seem to a very young child. And then think about what if they are cold in addition to that. And then think about more …
Now about that time change question, the time of year to change your clocks will soon be upon us. This is a good time to schedule a Saturday afternoon – or longer – to check your equipment, kits, supplies, etc., to make sure that everything is in working order, and of course, that you know where it all is. No, no, not that you know it is under the pile of tires and tarps, but that you have hauled it all out, straightened it up and really know where it is. I know, I know you’re thinking, Barbara is nagging again. You have to remember, Barbara knows the words to that song, “I told you so …”

Your homework assignment is to be a wise squirrel and choose your stash carefully. Check out what you have on hand – after you haul it out from under whatever. Then make a comprehensive list of needed items that will suit your circumstances.

Can you believe an entire article that didn’t mention chocolate? That’s because I slipped it in subliminally three paragraphs back.

What Won't Help Your Budget?

Hello again. I am really concerned that there may be a whole bunch of you out there in blog land struggling with trying to stretch your budgets. And now the publicity and propaganda is really starting to spread about the miracle that will save your grocery money - the coupon.

For your own good, or rather your budget's good, please don't get sucked into this campaign. For that is exactly what it is! It is a campaign by the grocery manufacturers to convince you that the coupon really does help you. It really doesn't!

My research into couponing and refunding inside the grocery industry is why I was on all of the talk shows a few years ago. Coupons are a deceiving marketing tool created by the grocery industry. They will become a hot ticket item every time the economy goes down the drain to the point where you and I are crying all the way to the check out.

The more a "coupon queen" claims to be able to save, the more will have to have been spent on brand name products.

The rage right now is supposedly saving with coupons and a sale. This will only last so long and the grocery stores will be hurting and put a stop to it. In the meantime the market - or zip code areas - where it is being promoted will be used as a "drop or dump" for more coupons, which in turn convince you to buy only specific brand name products.

Would you find it interesting to know that those of us who live in less expensive neighborhoods-and thus zip codes - do not receive coupons in the mail, nor in our newspaper inserts.

Coupons are not a sound shopping concept! Right now they are once again becoming a raging fad because of the economy.

And yes, I will probabbly get a lot of emails to the contrary. That's OK. I just want you to think again and be frugal with your budgets in a way that will help, not hinder.