Emergencies can come into our lives in various way. Our electricity goes off in a storm, death, illness, loss of employment and the list goes on and on. The Boy Scout Motto is "Be Prepared!" I think we should do everything we can to be prepared for all kinds of emergencies.
My husband and I have been as resourceful as possible over the years and there have been many times in our lives we have eaten out of our food storage or used money from our savings accounts to help us through hard times.
WATER: When we were first married our water pump would quit about 5 or 6 times a year for various reasons. It only took the first time for me to realize I needed to have water stored. I couldn't flush the toilet, wash messy kids faces, clean up spills off the floor etc. etc. So I starting filling empty quart jars and gallon milk jugs with water before I put them back on the shelf. The next time we were without water I was able to use the water storage and functioned all day as normal. I would pour the water into the toilet as it was flushed. I heated the water on the stove to wash dishes, clean children's dirty faces, and mop the floor. The water was boiled before we drank it. The point is, I was able to continue life because I had water storage.
CANDLES/KEROSENE LANTERN: Have you every been without electricity and wished you had candles and matches? Candles can be part of your decor, placed in several rooms in your house. Matches are in my top cupboard in the kitchen where I can find them in the dark. Flashlights and new batteries are kept in a cupboard also and have come in handy many times. I also keep a kerosene lantern full of kerosene on my bedroom dresser. It puts out more light. Every time I have to use them I think of my parents who didn't have electricity while they were growing up. When my grandparents first got electricity, they left the lights on all day and all night as they were so excited to have light.
CLOTHES/BEDDING: Most people have enough clothing on hand to last for several years. If a disaster comes you can make clothing to fit younger children out of the adult clothing. Warm coats, blankets and quilts are essentials to keep us warm.
COMMUNICATION: A battery powered radio keeps you connected with the media.
COOKING: An outdoor grill is part of our everyday cooking as we can cook fat free and it's delicious. Our grill has a side burner on it which is part of our storage as you can boil the water you have stored so you can drink it. It is no different than cooking on the stove in your kitchen. 
FOOD: Food storage has always been important in our family and has come in handy when medical bills are high, unexpected payments or repairs come up. Our rule is to only store what we use so as we are buying groceries I include a few items to put on the shelf. Keep watch for case good sales and buy in bulk when you can.
FIRST AID & SANITATION: It is really handy to have all of your first aid supplies in one place. A box, basket, or a shelf in a closet. When someone gets hurt everyone in the house knows where the first aid supplies are.
72 HOUR KITS: There are many people who have a backpack filled with essentials to last 72 hours for each member of their family. In case they have to leave their homes each person is responsible to grab their 72 hour kit. There are several lists available.
Be prepared to make your life so much easier in an emergency!
brenda.bailey.1@hotmail.com
My husband and I have been as resourceful as possible over the years and there have been many times in our lives we have eaten out of our food storage or used money from our savings accounts to help us through hard times.
WATER: When we were first married our water pump would quit about 5 or 6 times a year for various reasons. It only took the first time for me to realize I needed to have water stored. I couldn't flush the toilet, wash messy kids faces, clean up spills off the floor etc. etc. So I starting filling empty quart jars and gallon milk jugs with water before I put them back on the shelf. The next time we were without water I was able to use the water storage and functioned all day as normal. I would pour the water into the toilet as it was flushed. I heated the water on the stove to wash dishes, clean children's dirty faces, and mop the floor. The water was boiled before we drank it. The point is, I was able to continue life because I had water storage.CANDLES/KEROSENE LANTERN: Have you every been without electricity and wished you had candles and matches? Candles can be part of your decor, placed in several rooms in your house. Matches are in my top cupboard in the kitchen where I can find them in the dark. Flashlights and new batteries are kept in a cupboard also and have come in handy many times. I also keep a kerosene lantern full of kerosene on my bedroom dresser. It puts out more light. Every time I have to use them I think of my parents who didn't have electricity while they were growing up. When my grandparents first got electricity, they left the lights on all day and all night as they were so excited to have light.CLOTHES/BEDDING: Most people have enough clothing on hand to last for several years. If a disaster comes you can make clothing to fit younger children out of the adult clothing. Warm coats, blankets and quilts are essentials to keep us warm.
COMMUNICATION: A battery powered radio keeps you connected with the media.COOKING: An outdoor grill is part of our everyday cooking as we can cook fat free and it's delicious. Our grill has a side burner on it which is part of our storage as you can boil the water you have stored so you can drink it. It is no different than cooking on the stove in your kitchen. FOOD: Food storage has always been important in our family and has come in handy when medical bills are high, unexpected payments or repairs come up. Our rule is to only store what we use so as we are buying groceries I include a few items to put on the shelf. Keep watch for case good sales and buy in bulk when you can.FIRST AID & SANITATION: It is really handy to have all of your first aid supplies in one place. A box, basket, or a shelf in a closet. When someone gets hurt everyone in the house knows where the first aid supplies are.72 HOUR KITS: There are many people who have a backpack filled with essentials to last 72 hours for each member of their family. In case they have to leave their homes each person is responsible to grab their 72 hour kit. There are several lists available.
Be prepared to make your life so much easier in an emergency!
brenda.bailey.1@hotmail.com
