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Are You Prepared For Uncertain Times?
When The Going Gets Tough
In case our lives go sideways, consider making some cost-effective and practical economic decisions. If the power grids go down or there is another 2020 situation, which is not yet over, do you have everything you need? Before the going gets tough, prepare first.
What Are The 10 Best Must-Haves When The Going Gets Tough?
Skills, Essentials, Good Health and Sound Wealth
The following suggestions are some basic essentials to work towards collecting and building. These suggestions are to help us be ready in case things goes sour.
1. Basic Cooking Skills-Learn How To Cook Basic Delicious Foods
North Americans are fortunate to live a lifestyle of convenience. Unfortunately, this luxury has taken over which is not helping us become self-sufficient. We no longer put in the effort it takes to cook a proper meal. The foods we eat are not intended to be fast food. They are fast in the sense that you can finish what you eat quickly.
However, to enjoy good healthy food expect to spend more time making it, depending on what you are cooking. Making a salad sandwich takes just a couple of minutes compared to cooking lentils and rice and yet it takes the same amount of time to eat it. So yes, we all eat fast food because we all eat fast. Meanwhile to cook it, well, this cannot be changed because cooking good food takes time. All fast food places have to prepare the foods ready to serve by the time you reach their counters. So it is not fast at all.
Preparation and work is involved, even when you are just making French fries and burgers. The quality of what we take in makes a difference on how we feel and this does not have to be expensive.
It is a good idea to learn the basics of cooking. I share cost effective and delicious vegetarian meals on my recipes blogs. Plus, purchase my Authentic Homemade Vegetarian Cookbook, available to buy on Amazon. Enjoy making abundant vegetarian foods that are low in cost.
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To know how to cook meals when the going gets tough serves a purpose and you save a lot of money. Plus if we end up in a community where we work together, everyone will need a cook and this skill will be useful to have.
Eating high quality foods in stressful times will help lower our anxiety levels. No matter what gets thrown at us, when we eat healthy there is a better chance of transmuting whatever negativity is coming at us.
2. Essentials You Need-Power Outage or Weather Disaster
Have a six month supply of the following items in your home at all times:
Candles, canned food and fruits, a can opener, oatmeal, granola bars, peanut butter, jam, snacks, lentils, rice, flour and spices. Have a few extra blankets, water, flashlights, batteries, a wind up radio, lighter or matches, toilet paper, baby wipes or clean wipes, medicines (regular cold and flu), feminine essentials, hygiene products, etc.
All these items above are already costing more money than at the start of the decade. If what we have been experiencing these past few years prolongs, we will need to gather these essentials now. Depending on what kinds of products you choose to buy, they will factor in with how much money you end up spending. Invest in these items now because the prices will continue to rise and supplies will be limited.
Enough For Everyone
How many people are there in your home? Collect enough essentials slowly for the whole family. Do this over time so that it does not overwhelm you in the process. Be organized and have the items closest to the expiry date to be used first. Keep the further expiry date items at the back of the shelf.
This is methodical, conscious and sensible prepping. Anything can happen when we are not thinking ahead of time. There are videos on YouTube showing many places around the world where there is flooding, fires and storms causing serious damage. As you read this message a hurricane is hitting Florida right now, hurricane Idalia.
In a past incident, a flood took over a grocery store. The ceiling was flooding in with water and it collapsed. Grocery stores can easily get closed and may not be in service in times of severe weather.
Thinking Ahead, What Will Everyone Do?
When The Going Gets Tough
It is wise not to repeat the panic of January 2020 and inundate large warehouses and grocery stores to stock up items at the last minute. Do it slow but steady now.
If everything is to shut down right now at this very moment, ask yourself, how much do I have with me? Is there anything I am running short on? Set aside your money to buy what you need. Just recently there was a shortage on buying rice and this may likely continue in the future. Countries are preparing themselves and their citizens for upcoming changes. Might as well learn from them and do the same.
Obviously if we have other debts and payments, this may not be the first thing on your list. However, keep it at the back of your mind and make a goal to have all the essentials you need before this winter. I purchase bars of soap, shampoos, body lotion, face cream, face wash etc., when they are on sale and they are products I like. While stores are still open, buy your essentials now. Even if you do not use it for two years, as long as it is not food, it should be okay. Items like bars of soap will not go bad.
3. Working Out
During the winter time it is impossible to feel motivated to go out. Lugging around our bodies through snow with a possibility of falling on ice, I would rather not. All that with the added clothing just to walk out and still feel cold is not a pleasant walk.
Instead, invest in a treadmill. A treadmill is an excellent long-term investment. I shopped around online to find one that was a good quality and price.
There is a stationary bike at home as well, but with a treadmill I can mix up the workouts a little more. For those who cannot purchase a treadmill, there are several workout videos you can follow on YouTube that are free. In the summer, a walk is all we need to feel good. Doing this a few times a week will help improve our health.
Whatever it is, as long as you are active, keep your body healthy and active. This is because as we age it gets harder. If we are stuck staying at home longer than expected, better to have some gym equipment inside. This way we can workout and get our heart rates up. I do my own personal yoga practice at home, good for the mind and body. Whatever activity raises your heart rate and makes you feel better is one worth doing.
4. Grow A Garden When The Going Gets Tough
My Gardening Blogs may help encourage you to grow a garden. Start building up on this skill in case you have not yet begun. Gardening will take up your time and it requires work and effort but delivers great results.
If we are ever faced with a situation where we have no access to food, we will have to grow our own food. Get into the practice now and learn how to build a garden on a dime.
I believe the theme for this current decade is to grow a garden and learn to cook your own meals. Become self sufficient and efficient so that you are valuable in times of need. Build a skill now so that you have experience and can be of help to yourself first and then to others. You do not have to be a professional, just be good and interested in something.
Like many of you, I live in a populated area and make the best of gardening with the space that I have. For those who own land, be grateful. You have an opportunity to help yourselves and others by growing food in your backyard. Food is something we cannot live without so grow a garden and enjoy the fruits of your labour.
5. Supply of Water For 3–4 Days
Have plenty of water in your home. In case everything stops working, prepare to have a water system in your home. If you cannot have one, like myself, consider other options.
Invest in a Berkey Filter. They are expensive but will last a long time. Prices of Berkey Filters have gone up by 35% in the last three years. Expect them to continue to rise.
Have a supply of bottled water. If the water system were to shut down, at least you have a water reserve. Take advantage of when it rains it pours because this can be used for several purposes.
6. Pay Off Your Bills As Soon As You Can-Lower Your Debt
It is exciting to buy something we want. However, it is stressful paying interest on top of what you have already been taxed on. Buy what you can and avoid spending more money. It does not take much to spend a few hundred dollars on groceries alone.
The value of our money is declining. If your house price has increased by $100K in the span of one year, the value of your dollar decreased. That means it will take more time to earn $100K because your wages did not rise with the price of properties rising.
Paying off our bills is one of the highest ranking items to target when the going gets tough. It is not easy but rewarding.
We have a mortgage but it is manageable. We have one car only and it is your average car (2012), but it takes us where we need to go and works well and is in good condition.
Update:
After the passing of my father in-law in April 2023, we received his 2007 truck.
By not buying a second car you save on the cost of buying a new car, paying for gas, car insurance and maintenance.
There are other ways you can save on transportation, travel and your vehicle. For example, if you have a $40k car but can only afford one that is $20K, save the extra 20K and buy the less expensive vehicle. Build your way up to buy better when you are doing better financially. Owning a reliable vehicle that is not flashy is important when the going gets tough.
7. Emergency Funds
Build an emergency fund. In case everything stops once again and we are left to pay off bills, start saving up now. Have at least $500 in cash in case everything shuts down. Previously when the lockdown started I had 3 months worth of emergency funds. Even then, we were tight with our money because we were out of work for four months.
Had there not been an emergency fund, making adjustments would have been a lot more challenging. Rather than spending any extra money on buying things we want, save it and build up your emergency fund in case of a rainy day.
Keep at least 3–6 months of an emergency fund.
8. Go Outside As Much As Possible…In Case You Cannot
As Spring and Summer pass by we can step out and enjoy the warmer weather. Although many things were closed at the start of the decade, today we can go for walks in the park or in our neighbourhood. There are several walking trails all over the place in my area. All we need is nature. Find a place in your area that is calm, natural and beautiful.
Breathe in the fresh spring air and warm summer breeze. Even though my backyard is small and not so private, just sitting out there for a few minutes a day is nice, calming and peaceful.
Some of us live in beautiful countries. The restrictions are still in place to a degree, however for now, we are able to roam around. Best to take advantage of this before we cannot.
9. Simplify Your Life
Gone are the days when we can sit back and read a book with a cup of tea, or has it returned? Start reading again. It is easy to feel scattered by all the distractions and stories on a daily basis. If everything shuts down we will not have those electronic items. Reading slows the pace of time down and allows you to imagine.
I have a small bookshelf with books collected throughout the years. From university I kept all my English Anthologies (about 5 of them). If there is ever a case of boredom, which I do not experience, a book is available to read. Each anthology is over 1000 pages long. It has a variety of different stories, poems and novels, based on different time periods of English Literature. The pages are very thin but the quality of literature is excellent.
Meanwhile, remove all old extra items such as ripped clothes and damaged things from your space. Clean up your home to make way for more clarity and calmness in your domain. All the items you no longer need that are taking up too much room, get rid of it. If it serves no purpose, it is considered junk. Make your life clean and simple.
10. Stock Up On Rice And Flour Six Months In Advance
If you spend $100 on rice and $100 on flour for you and a family of four you are set for up to one year. These essentials are rising in price and becoming a little less available. When everything shut down, it was impossible to find any kind of flour anywhere. Several grocery stores in my area were out of flour.
They were also all out of yeast. I had to purchase my yeast online because the shelves in the grocery store were empty. Buy that now. That can last up to one year as well.
11th Secret
Is Dark Chocolate Healthy For You?
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is better for us than milk chocolate. The cost of all chocolates, especially dark chocolate, costs significantly more after 2020. It is a sweet treat that people will barter for.
Coffee is an essential part of our daily routine. Many cannot go without it. This item is an excellent must have, whether you drink it or not, you will have something available to trade, if need be.
Summary — Are You Prepared For Uncertain Times For When The Going Gets Tough?
With such investments in your asset management collection, you become a valuable member of the community with something to offer in times of scarcity. Plus, before anything happens you get to prepare and take care of yourself first.
Continue to restock your shelves and pantries with up to date essentials in case there are more challenging times ahead. By doing so you are able to remain more calm and peaceful and will make it through.
Leave a comment and tell me what you think. Thank you for reading.
**This blog was originally published on May 25, 2021**
**This Blog is newly updated on August 30th 2023**
Purchase my book on Amazon. It is a great investment for your future.
Thank you for your support.
Authentic Homemade Vegetarian Cookbook
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Green Thumb
I am the founder of Everything Handmade. I am helping others become self-sufficient using their own hands. This website is sharing DIY home renovations, gardening vegetables in the city, cooking our own meals and building a solid foundation in times of economic instability.
Please purchase an Authentic Homemade Vegetarian Cookbook. My book is to help inspire readers cook delicious vegetarian meals at a low cost. The second book is called The Complete Meatless Lifestyle Vegetarian Cookbook Volume 2, available on Amazon.
Thank you for your support.
